expecting that other counfels would take place; and were flow to be perfuaded, that all which had been done by the Cabal, was the effect not of humour, but of fyftem. It was more strongly and evidently the intereft of the new Court Faction, to get rid of the great Whig connexions, than to destroy Mr. Pitt. The power of that gentleman was vast indeed and merited; but it was in a great degree perfonal, and therefore tranfient. Theirs was rooted in the country. For, with a good deal lefs of popularity, they poffeffed a far more natural and fixed influence. Long poffeffion of Government; vaft property; obligations of favours given and received; connexion of office; ties of blood, of alliance, of friendship (things at that time fuppofed of fome force); the name of Whig, dear to the majority of the people; the zeal early begun and fteadily continued to the Royal Family: all thefe together formed a body of power in the nation, which was criminal and devoted. The great ruling principle of the Cabal, and that which animated and harmonized all their proceedings, how various foever they may have been, was to fignify to the world, that the Court would proceed upon its own proper forces only; and that the pretence of bringing any other into its fervice was an affront to it, and not a fupport. Therefore, when the chiefs were removed, in order to go to the root, the whole party was put under a profcription, fo general and fevere as to take their hard-earned bread from the lowest officers, in a manner which had never been

known before, even in general revolutions. But it was thought neceffary effectually to destroy all dependencies but one; and to fhew an example of the firmness and rigour with which the new fyftem was to be supported.

Thus for the time were pulled down, in the perfons of the Whig leaders and of Mr. Pitt (in fpite of the fervices of the one at the acceffion of the Royal Family, and the recent fervices of the other in the war), the two only Securities for the importance of the people; power arifing from popularity; and power arifing from connexion.

Here and there indeed a few individuals were left ftanding, who gave fecurity for their total eftrangement from the odious principles of party connexion and perfonal attachment; and it must be confeffed that most of them have religiously kept their faith. Such a change could not however be made without a mighty fhock to Government.

To reconcile the minds of the people to all these movements, principles correfpondent to them had been preached up with great zeal. Every one must remember that the Cabal set out with the most aftonishing prudery, both moral and political. Those who in a few months after fouled over head and ears into the deepest and dirtieft pits of corruption, cried out violently against the indirect practices in the electing and managing of Parliaments, which had formerly prevailed. This marvellous abhorrence which the Court had fuddenly taken to all influence, was not only circulated in converfation through

the

the kingdom, but pompously announced to the publick, with many other extraordinary things, in a pamphlet * which had all the appearance of a manifefto preparatory to fome confiderable enterprize. Throughout, it was a fatire, though in terms managed and decent enough, on the politicks of the former Reign. It was indeed written with no fmall art and addrefs.

In this piece appeared the first dawning of the new system; there firft appeared the idea (then only in fpeculation) of Separating the Court from the Adminiftration; of carrying every thing from national connexion to perfonal regards; and of forming a regular party for that purpose, under the name of King's men.

To recommend this fyftem to the people, a perfpective view of the Court gorgeously painted, and finely illuminated from within, was exhibited to the gaping multitude. Party was to be totally done away, with all its evil works. Corruption was to be caft down from Court, as Atè was from Heaven. Power was thenceforward to be the chofen refidence of public fpirit; and no one was to be fuppofed under any finister influence, except those who had the miffortune to be in difgrace at Court, which was to ftand in lieu of all vices and all corruptions. A scheme of perfection to be realized in a Monarchy far beyond the vifionary Republick of Plato. The whole fcenery was exactly difpofed to captivate those good fouls, whofe credulous morality is fo invaluable a treasure to crafty * Sentiments of an honest Man. C4

politicians,

politicians. Indeed there was wherewithal to charm every body, except those few who are not much pleafed with profeffions of fupernatural virtue, who know of what ftuff fuch profeffions. are made, for what purposes they are defigned, and in what they are fure conftantly to end. Many innocent gentlemen, who had been talking profe all their lives without knowing any thing of the matter, began at laft to open their eyes upon their own merits, and to attribute their not having been Lords of the Treasury and Lords of Trade many years before, merely to the prevalence of party, and to the Minifterial power, which had fruftrated the good intentions of the Court in favour of their abilities. Now was the time to unlock the fealed fountain of Royal bounty, which had been infamously monopolized and huckstered, and to let it flow at large upon the whole people. The time was come, to restore Royalty to its original splendour. Mettre le Roy hors de page, became a fort of watch-word. And it was conftantly in the mouths of all the runners of the Court, that nothing could preferve the balance of the conftitution from being overturned by the rabble, or by a faction of the nobility, but to free the Sovereign effectually from that Minifterial tyranny under which the Royal dignity had been oppreffed in the person of his Majesty's grandfather.

These were fome of the many artifices ufed to reconcile the people to the great change which was made in the perfons who compofed

the

the Ministry, and the ftill greater which was made and avowed in its conftitution. As to. individuals, other methods were employed with them; in order fo thoroughly to difunite every party, and even every family, that no concert, order, or effect, might appear in any future oppofition. And in this manner an Adminiftration without connexion with the people, or with one another, was firft put in poffeffion of Government. What good confequences followed from it, we have all feen; whether with regard to virtue, public or private; to the eafe and happiness of the Sovereign; or to the real ftrength of Government. But as fo much ftrefs was then laid on the neceffity of this new project, it will not be amifs to take a view of the effects of this Royal fervitude and vile durance, which was fo deplored in the reign of the late Monarch, and was fo carefully to be avoided in the reign of his Succeffor. The effects were thefe.

In times full of doubt and danger to his perfon and family, George the Second maintained the dignity of his Crown connected with the liberty of his people, not only unimpaired, but improved, for the fpace of thirty three years. He overcame a dangerous rebellion, abetted by foreign force, and raging in the heart of his kingdoms; and thereby deftroyed the feeds of all future rebellion that could arife upon the fame principle. He carried the glory, the power, the commerce of England, to an height unknown even to this renowned nation in the times of its greatest profperity; and he left his

fucceffion