I Q2 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



impudent, and walked in stately array, hand in 

 hand, in safety. Although the friends of liberty 

 and the constitution were both numerous and 

 intrepid, yet, for want of what they termed respect- 

 able heads, they were widely spread and divided, 

 and their efforts proved in vain. There was also 

 an intermediate or neutral race, consisting of those 

 who had not laid down any principle to guide 

 them. They were mostly such as advocated the 

 cause of corruption ; and, in listening to them, I 

 was disgusted at their senseless arguments. They 

 were proof against reasoning, and thoroughly 

 convinced me that " a wise man changes his 

 opinion, but a fool never does." They, however, 

 kept on the safe side ; they were loyal ; and the 

 gist of their arguments, with which they ended all 

 their disputes, were summed up in this " If you 

 do not like your country, leave it. What do you 

 want? are not we very well off?" Their reflecting 

 powers reached no further, and they could not see 

 by what slow degrees the arm of despotism had so 

 often circumspectly stretched its iron hand over the 

 liberties of the people, and then crushed them. 



While bickerings and debatings were going on 

 amongst politicians at home, the Continent was 

 deluged with the blood of many destructive battles. 

 The sea was also crimsoned in the same way ; and 

 it was on this element that the tide of affairs was 

 first turned in favour of Britain, who now, by the 

 valour of her seamen, reigned complete " mistress 

 of the deep," and the commerce of the world 

 seemed to be poured into her lap. Estates rose 

 in value to an extraordinary height, and the price 

 of grain, &c., still more so. The shipping interest 

 wallowed in riches ; the gentry whirled about in 



