[160 ] [Au<s. 



THE CABINET XOVEL. 

 I. 



TORY LAND. 



TORY LAND used to bo situate between fifty-one and fifty-two degrees 

 of north latitude, and quoted its meridian from its own capital. It was 

 a cheerful little island, with plenty of ships and seamen, which its best 

 rulers took particular pains to encourage. I was born in it, and as I 

 advanced in years, found (as may be supposed) that it was very thickly 

 peopled by Tories, whence, indeed, the name originated. Yet, as far as 

 relates to me, I am the last person who would desire a prominent place in 

 the narratives which follow ; and as the Duke of Wellington observed in 

 the House of Lords, would never adventure myself at the head of affairs. 

 But I am dragged in here to give a sort of identity to the place, and a 

 colouring to the representations designed. This having done, exeo, like 

 Wall, in the Midsummer Night's Dream 



' Thus have I, Wall, my part discharged so, 

 And being done, thus Wall away doth go." 



A few years ago, after the general riot which took place in Europe, for 

 fear of a Corsican, who proposed to engross an infinitely larger share of 

 the world than he was entitled to, there lived and flourished a most 

 smooth and subtle minister. He was the very carnation of courts and 

 drawing-rooms, and was wont to attend all the great meetings of those 

 kings and emperors who were kind enough to point out the particular 

 states which belonged to each of their contemporaries, and to suggest the 

 most acceptable method of enjoying them whether he was repaid merely 

 by bijouteries for the pains he took in making his countrymen known to the 

 most elevated and sanctified of the earth, or reaped a glorious harvest of ap- 

 plause from his fellow-citizens, cannot now be remembered ; for, to hasten 

 on, he had one day the misfortune to hurt his throat, by which he was laid 

 aside, and soon forgotten. The Lord Wilderness was another great minister 

 of the day. He was an exceedingly learned lawyer, but so irresolute, that 

 he seldom came to a decision upon any subject. Sometimes, however, 

 all the suitor's money would be in danger of evaporating, and this being 

 duly manifested, might produce an occasional determination. An ever- 

 lasting calculator, with a long Dutch name, formed another grand pillar of 

 Tory Land : he had the care of the exchequer a sort of sinecure by the 

 way but his mode of catering by ways and means, shewed him in tho 

 light of a very industrious leech.* The nominal chief of these great 

 personages was a man who need not have lived so far back as the days of 

 Chaucer, to have been in mortal peril, as a very wight and wizard. He 

 and his disciples were for ever dwelling upon rents, values, population, and 

 labour ; and very zealous they were to afford the world a new science 

 before they died. Well things went on passing strangely, sometimes 

 there was a cry for bread in the land, sometimes provisions were abun- 

 dant; and then other people cried out, till accident brought a new actor 

 on the stage, who was destined, on a sudden, to perform the principal cha- 

 racter: yet he was no Tory-lander, though he was born in the Tory 



* He wi.s by far loo wittj a man, who denominated the process of raising government 

 xnns and mean*. 



