372 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1797. 
did not fall alone, for his patron 
foon lay proftrate by his fide; and 
although he was fufpected of re- 
gulating: the motions of the minif- 
térial puppets long after he left the 
ftage, yet, fo obnoxious had he ren- 
dered himfelf, that, from this mo- 
ment, he was forced to bid adieu, 
at leaft, to the oftenfible exercife 
of power. 
The Thane was fucceeded by Mr. 
Grenville, the father of the prefent 
Lord Grenville and the Marquis of 
Buckingham; who, partly from ha- 
tred to the author, and parly from 
animofity to his own brother, with 
whom he had quarrelled (he is alfo 
faid to have been inftigated by ano- 
ther motive} determined, if he 
could not fupprefs the publication, 
that he fhould, at leaft, punifh the 
editor. The crown-lawyers were 
accordingly on the watch, and fome 
unguarded (perhaps improper) ex- 
preflions in No. 45—for I write 
not an eulogium—afforded ample 
epportunity tor a profecution. 
t has luckily been always the 
fortune of arbitrary councils, not 
only to render the means difpropor+ 
tionate to the end, but to have re 
courfe to odious meafures for the 
attainment of their object. It was 
this very circumftance that, in one 
age, bereaved Charles of his life, 
Jamesof his crown,—and, in ano- 
other, endeared Mr. Wilkes to the 
nation. 
Had a common action taken place 
againft the editor of the North Bri- 
ton, and, after due conviction, a 
moderate fentence been inflicted, 
Mr. Wilkes would have been brand 
ed as a recorded libeller. It was 
the illegal proceedings which occa+ 
fioned that gentleman to be confi- 
dered as a fuffering patriot, through 
whofe fides the liberties of a whole 
nation were wounded. His, there- 
fore, from that moment, ceafed to 
be a private caufe—it was the caufe 
of the people. 
On the 30th of April, 1763, he 
was arrefted in the ftreet, by a 
king’s meflenger, in confequence 
of a general warrant* againft the 
authorsy,.. 
was produced by a waygith fetter, figned Viator, in which the advantages de~ 
nived from the poffeffion of Florida (obtained by the peace of Parts) are ironical. 
‘ty pointed out, particularly the peats and turf that were to warm the poor Ames 
rican planters in the winter feafon. 
; SIsTE, VIATOR. 
& 
és 
a 
éc 
Deep m this bog, the Auditor lies ftill, 
His Jabours finifh’d, and worn out his quill; 
His fires extinguifh’d, and his works unread, 
In peace he fleeps with the forfaken dead! 
** With heath and fedge, oh! may his tomb be dreft, 
And his own turf lie light wpon his breaft.” 
Et quocunque vclunt animum Auditoris agunio. 
Hore 
, * (Copy) 
iL. 8. “George Mountague Dunk, Earl of Halifax, Vifcount Sunbury, &c. 
_  Thefe are in his Majefty’s name to authorife and require you (taking a con- 
fable to your affiftance) to make ftri& and diligent fearch after the authors, prin 
ters, and publifhers of a feditious and treafonable paper, entitled the North Briton, 
Number 45, Saturday, April 23d, 1763, printed for George Kearfley, Ludgate~ 
ftreet, London; and them or. any of them having found, to apprehend and feize, 
together with theis papers, and to bring in fafe cuftody before me, &v. 
* DireGed to Nathan Carrington, &c. 
(Signed) “ Duak Halifax, 
