• fuffered to come near me for almost three days, ' although my council, and feveral of my friends, ⚫ demanded admittance, in order to concert the means of recovering my liberty. My house was plundered, my bureaus broke open, by order of two of your members, Mr. Wood and Mr. Webb, ⚫ and all my papers carried away. After fix days imprisonment I was discharged, by the unanimous judgment of the court of common pleas,' "That the privilege of this house extended to my "cafe." Notwithstanding this folemn decifion of one of the king's fuperior courts of juftice, a few days after, I was ferved with a fubpoena upon an information exhibited against me in the king's bench. I loft no time in confulting the best books, as well as the greatest living authorities; and from the trueft judgment I could form, I thought that the ferving me with a fubpœna was another violation of the privilege of parliament, which I will neither defert nor betray, and therefore I have not yet entered an appearance.

I now ftand in the judgment of the houfe, fubmitting, with the utmost deference, the whole cafe to their juftice and wisdom, and beg leave to add, that if after this important business has in its full extent been maturely weighed, you fhall be of opinion, that I am intitled to privi

lege, I fhall then be not only ready, but eagerly defirous, to wave that privilege, and to put myfelf upon a jury of my countrymen.'

Mr. Wilkes's letter to Mr. Martin.

Great George-ftreet, Westminster, Nov. 16. SIR,

YOU complained yesterday before five hundred gentlemen, that you had been ftabbed in the dark by the North Briton, but I have reason to believe you was not fo much in the dark as you affected and chofe to be. Was the complaint, made before so many gentlemen, on purpose that they might interpofe? To cut off every pretence of ignorance as to the author, I whisper in your ear, that every paffage in the North Briton, in which . you have been named, or even alluded to, was • written by

Your humble fervant,

JOHN WILKES."

4 SIR,

Mr. Martin's Answer.

Abingdon-ftreet, Nov. 16, 1763.

AS I faid in the Houfe of Commons yesterday,

that the writer of the North Briton, who had

ftabbed me in the dark, was a cowardly, as well

as a malignant and infamous fcoundrel; and your letter of this morning's date, acknowledges that every paffage of the North Briton, in which I have been named, or even alluded to, was written by yourfelf, I muft take the liberty to repeat, that you are a malignant and infamous fcoundrel, and that I defire to give you an opportunity of fhewing me whether the epithet of cowardly was rightly applied or not.

I defire that you may meet me in Hyde Park immediately, with a brace of piftols each, to determine our difference.

I fhall go to the ring in Hyde-Park, with my pistols fo concealed that nobody may see them; and I will wait in expectation of you one hour. As I fhall call in my way at your houfe to deli.6 ver this letter, I propofe to go from thence directly to the ring in Hyde-Park, from whence we may proceed, if it be neceffary, to any more " private place; and I mention that I fhall wait << an hour in order to give you full time to meet

me.

I am, Sir,

Your humble fervant,

SAM. MARTIN."

The circumftances of the duel related by Mr. Wilkes are as follow: when the gentlemen met in Hyde-Park, they walked together for a little

while to avoid fome company, which feemed coming up to them. They brought each a pair of piftols. When they were alone, the first fire was from Mr. Martin's piftol. Mr. Martin's pistol missed Mr. Wilkes, and the piftol in Mr. Wilkes's hand, flashed in the pan. The gentlemen then each took one of Mr. Wilkes's pair of piftols. Mr. Wilkes miffed, and the ball of Mr. Martin's pistol lodged in Wilkes's belly. Mr. Wilkes bled immediately. very much. Mr. Martin then came up and defired to give him all the affiftance in his power. Mr. Wilkes replied, that Mr. Martin had behaved like a man of honour, that he was killed, and infifted on Mr. Martin's making his immediate escape, and no creature should know from Mr. Wilkes how the affair happened. Upon this they parted, but Mr. Martin came up again in two or three minutes to Mr. Wilkes, offering him a fecond time his af fiftance, but Mr. Wilkes again infifted on his going off. Mr. Martin expreffed his concern for Mr. Wilkes, faid the thing was too well known by feveral people, who came up almoft directly, and. then went away. Mr. Wilkes was carried home," but would not tell any circumftance of the cafe, 'till he found it fo much known. He only faid to the furgeon, &c. that it was an affair of honour.

The day following Mr. Wilkes imagining himfelf in the greatest danger, returned Mr. Martin his letter, that no evidence might appear against

him; and infifted upon it with his relations, that in cafe of his death no trouble should be given Mr. Martin, for he had behaved as a man of honour.

Mr. Martin not at the fame time returning Mr. Wilkes's letter, occafioned fomebody to remark, That in all probability it was kept in order to be 'made use of as a proof of Mr. Wilkes being con

cerned in the North Briton.' I own, faid the remarker, that I can account for this behaviour of Mr. Martin no more than I can for his tamely bearing above eight months the abuse upon him. Has he been all this time (Sundays not excepted) practising at a target? that report is confirmed by all his neighbours in the country. Yet, after all, he did not venture to send to Mr. Wilkes, but before five hundred gentlemen, ready to interpofe, feemed to intend to begin a quarrel, I fuppofe,. that it might end there. Mr. Wilkes chofe coolly, to take it up the next morning, by a private letter to Mr. Martin, who infifted on pistols, without naming the fword, though the choice of weapons was, by the laws of honour, in Mr. Wilkes.

A letter from Dr. Brocklesby to Mr. Wilkes.
Dear Sir,

LATE laft night I received the inclofed letter from my moft ingenious and worthy friend Dr. Hebberden, and alfo the inclofed copy of an or