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mean that where he mentions the Earl of Hallifax in terms altogether illiberal, and unbecoming a scholar and a gentleman, in which light I have ever beheld Mr. Wilkes. I am the more amazed at this, when I recollect his well-wrote fpirited letter to the Duke of Grafton, (and on other occafions of complaint) where he mentions the behaviour of Lord Halifax, in a manner that dif played that noble lord's true character, and the writer's candor; nay, in this very lait addrefs, he fays he fhall conduct himself without rancour or malice, and yet declares against the first and great criminal, the late fecretary of state, the lord Halifax, not fo much for the punishment he has merited, as for the example to any prefent or future minifter, who might otherwife be tempted to invade the facred liberties of our country."

I defire to know of this gentleman, if the iffuing a general warrant against the perfonal liberty of every man in England, and an order for the feizure of his papers, is not a crime, a very heinous crime, and of confequence if the person who commits it is not a criminal, a great criminal, fhall I fay a more enormous crime he could not well commit? In my opinion, that word can never be better applied. It is the very proper word on this occafion. I have likewife feen it lately employed on another atrocious affair with great fitnefs. I mean, Sir, in the address of the city of Carlisle to their Representatives, Lord Edward Bentinck and George Mufgrave, Efq. their worthy and free conftituents, alluding to the Tate partial conduct of the sheriff of the county of Cumberland, Sir Gilfred Lawson, in the return of the Favourite's fon-in-law, Sir James Lowther, against a clear majority on the poll, make ufe of this expreffion: "In cafe any inftance of misbehaviour in returning-officers fhould occur, we call upon you to exert yourselves to the utmost in detecting and punishing with feverity CRIMINALS of that fort."

Now, Sir, without bringing you or myfelf into any difficulties in the court of King's-bench, or the house of lords, I will go a step farther thar. Mr. Wilkes.. He has declared that he will proceed against Lord Halifax, as the firft and great criminal; I add, that I hope hereafter to be juftified in calling his lordship a convict, I think, Sir, this must happen. He must be convicted in the course of a few months, from the known firmness and incorruptibility of Mr. Wilkes, who is regularly pursuing, equally in and out of prifon, the plan of Liberty and fupporting the laws against the favourers of defpotism and the oppreffors of his country.

The gentleman, Sir, attempts to juftify Lord Halifax's iffuing a general warrant by the large catalogue of Secretaries of State above thefe forty years paft, and even that idol of the people, the late Mr. Pitt. I will venture to fay that there are fcarcely any political points, however oppofite and contradictory, but may be in this manner justified by the conduct of Mr. Pitt; and whoever pleads for or against continental wars, for or against German alliances, for or against the encrease of the army at home, &c. &c. may find

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an

an apology for all he defires in the fpeeches, and from the conduc of Mr. Pitt. Colonel B, his prefent favourite, once told him in the house that he was a heap of contradictions. But, Sir, the gentleman will be, I believe, the last man in our island who quotes Mr. Pitt. That idol is no longer worshipped. The people have found of what bafe materials it was compofed, have thrown it down, and fcoff at the very name. It lieth proftrate in the duft and fhall never be raised again.

He fays, "Mr. Pitt was proved to have been guilty, when in that list (of Secretaries,) of being the invader of the facred liberties of his country." I wish to hear what atonement he has fince made to Liberty, or in what point he has endeavoured to fecure our conftitution against the late attempts of our enemies at home, or to prevent them for the future. But he has got from the crown by the help of the people, the three objects of his guilty ambition, a title, a place, and a penfion, has finished his political career by the gratification of the only things he had in view, and is now, I fuppofe, as happy as his health and his confcience will let him be. The public, however, purfue his name with a juft indignation, and we may at prefent fay with Cicero, populare nunc nihil tam eft quam odium popularium.

He adds, as I have the honour of knowing Lord Halifax to be a true-born Englishman, and a staunch whig, I will pawn my life for his appearing upon every important occafion as vigilant and Ipirited in the defence of the liberties of his country as any Wilkes in the kingdom." This is a bold affertion, when we have before feen that Lord Halifax iffued a general warrant; when for four years he has fupported the legality of it, and when Mr. Wilkes has in this very caufe, as well as in other inftances, flood forth for Liberty. In principle I believe his lordship to be a Whig. In place, like other Whigs, he acts the Tory. Turn him out, he recommences Whig, and fo continues till he gets in again. This is the cafe of almost all our great men. There is nothing fo like a Tory, as a modern Whig in place. A real modern Tory out of place (if there are any fuch) acts like, though he will not own the principles of, a Whig.

I am, Sir, your's, &c.

A. B.

ΑΝ

IMPARTIAL REVIEW

OF NEW BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, &c.

A Letter to an August Affembly, on the prefent Pofture of "Affairs: wherein the hard treatment of Mr. Wilkes, and the "Caufe of Riots are duly confidered; and Remedies provided.”. Quarto. 25. Tomlinfon.

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T were to be wifhed that the author would review his title page, and instead of duly confidered, fubftitute dully confidered. There has not appeared a more confufed, more rambling, and more trifling performance upon the subjects he treats of, during the prefent unfettled ftate of the nation.

When we confider either the method or ftyle; the periods, or the matter of this writer, we cannot help thinking that he has followed Quintilian's advice, which is to learn to write, before he learns to read."

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A ferious and friendly Addrefs to the People, with regard to the Caufes of their prefent Complaints, &c. and a ouch by the Way at those who may be answerable for the Mifchiefs not only done by the Populace, but by the Military. By a Tradefman. Is. Nicoll.

Weak and malicious performance, intended to charge A Mr. Wilkes with the late riots, and the difagreeable cirtumftances which happened lately in St. George's Fields. The author ftiles himself a Tradefman; but it is evident that he is like to make but a poor trade of writing. But to give him a touch by the way, in his own language, we would advife him, as he advifes others, to forego his pen," Be wise be peaceable-and mind his bufinefs."

A Letter to the Author of the North Briton, No. 50. By a Barrifter of the Middle Temple. 1s. Nicoll.

TH

HE author ftiles himfelf a barrifter, but does not feem to be well enough verfed in the law for an attorney's lerk. He is fo great an adept in writing, that he fets out

with

with reprefenting ignorance as a shining quality. As for the nature of his performance, it cannot be better defcribed than in his own words: "It is like a tale told by an ideot, full "of found and fury, meaning nothing."

No Liberty! no Life! Proper wages, and down with Oppreffion. In a Letter to the brave People of England. By John Englishman. 6d. Harris.

Though the author would have us think that life is not

eligible without the enjoyment of liberty, yet he means nothing less than what he promises in his title page. He is a weak recommender of the long exploded doctrine of paffive obedience in its moft aggravating extent; and, by his endeavour to exculpate a certain perfon from being any ways concerned, at prefent, in public affairs, difcovers his cloven hoof, and fhews that he cannot be any thing less than a Scot, or a flave to Scotfmen.

The Foundation of British Liberty, &c. Peat.

THE

'HE author fets out with informing us, that his work is founded upon a little piece, on the fame fubject, which appeared a few years fince.. The obfervations our author makes are very trite; and he seems, on the whole, not equal to the fubject he writes upor.

Remarks on fome late Obfervations of a Licentiate upon the Conftitution of Phyfic, &c. 4to. 1s. 6d. Dodley.

THE raillery of this piece is pointed and fenfible; the ob-

jections brought against the conftitution of the college of phyficians are refuted with ftrength and humour; the English univerfities are defended with a becoming warmth; and the plan laid down by the author of the animadverfions is fhewn to be chimerical, frivolous, and unneceflary.

Reafons for an Augmentation of the Army on the Irish Eftablishment. Dublin printed, London reprinted for Becket and de Hondt. 1S. Svo.

THIS

HIS pamphlet is a fpecimen of Hibernian politics, as well as Hibernian modefly.- But, to fpeak our opinion of this piece without partiality, it abounds with sophistry, and

contains

contains no argument, in favour of the measure it would fupport, which has not been fully anfwered in the original pieces, that may be met with in the Political Register for July laft.

Two additional Volumes to Mr. Dodfley's Collection of Poems. 12mo. Pearch.

IN

the editor's advertisement we are informed that the author's design was to select and preserve fuch fugitive pieces, as deferve a longer remembrance, and were in danger of perishing in oblivion otherwise. But, when we find in this collection feveral pieces of Mafon, &c. we cannot but think that he has paid these authors but a very bad compliment; and that he has at the fame time acted the plagiary in robbing them of their property. With refpect to the originals, it is fufficient to fay,

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"Sunt bona quædam, funt mala plura."

Things as they are. Is. Bingley.

Wretched compofition, without either fentiment, rhime, harmony, or grammar!

The Battle of the Bonnets, a political Poem from the Erfe. 4to. 2s. 6d. Bingley.

AN

N old poem, called The Battle of the Genii, but now impofed upon the world under a new title.

A Treatise upon the Formation of the human Species, and the Disorders incident to Procreation; with the Methods of Cure. By James Fleming, Hofpital Surgeon. 12mu. Is. 6d. Davis.

T is much to be queftioned which is greateft, the author's ignorance, or his obfcenity. He has certainly verified the proverbial maxim of a great writer :

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Immodeft words admit of no defence,

"For want of decency is want of sense."

The Doctrine of Inflammations, founded upon Reafon and
Experience, and entirely cleared from the contradictory
Syftems of Boerhaave, Van Swieten, &c.
Magenife.

By Dr.

OUR

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