Additions and Cpr sie to vent of Mr. Wilkes. 
the northern parts of the ifland ; Dunn, 
who feemsito have been 2 maniac, wifhed 
129 
with no common ‘degree of feverity. 
This was deemed inconfiftent at leaft, and 
to bereave him of his life by affafli- * was animadyverted upon accordingly with 
nation, and Forbes, an officer, by fingle 
combat. hen his papers were {eized, 
aletter from this) friend, Earl Temple, 
was found, in which the bitternefs of his 
enmity to the North Britons was cenfured. 
This fame nobleman. faupported Mr. . 
W. during his -conteft with government, 
in amanner highly honourable to him- 
felf. His counfel and his purfe, on this 
occafion, were equally at the fervice of 
the public. Mr. Pitt (afterwards Lord 
Chatham) deferted him, but he remained 
firm ; and it.is to Lord Temple that we 
are in a great meafure indebted for the 
abolition of gezeral warrants, Mr. W. 
has the fole merit, by a vigorous and 
uniform pe fevyerance, of precuring the 
odious decifion relpecting the Middlefex 
eleftion, to be refcinded from the journals 
ef the houfe of commons. 
Unfortunately for both parties, an un- 
lucky difpute took place between the Rev. 
Mr. Horne, (now fohn Horne Tooke, 
Efq.) and Mr. Wilkes ; and the former * 
foon aiter afferted, ‘* that Mr. . Wilkes 
did commifiion Mr. Robert Walpole to 
foliert for him a penfion of one thoufand 
pounds on the Irifh eftablifhment for Abirty 
jears.’ The apparent @xtravagance of 
the demand, and the feeming apoitacy 
implied. by the application, appeared at 
that time of day fuch, as to render the 
whole charge almeft incredible; fince 
that period, however, we have witnefled, 
alpoit without furprife, a man of great 
talents indeed, but who had neither fuf- 
fered perfecution nor imprifonment in the 
public caufe, receive no lefs than three 
pentions, two+ for three lives, of 1160l. 
and 1340].; and a third for two lives’ of 
g200l. per ann. under the title of rgau- 
neration! Junius calls this. period of 
Mr. W’s life, ‘*a moment of defpair.”’. 
- Mr. Wilkes, who was a high-bred 
man, and profeffed elegant and engaging 
manners, was intimate with many diftin- 
guifhed perfons; and on the trial of Mr. 
‘Looke, fat on the bench, and. cenverfed 
very familiarly with Earl Mansfield, 
whole charaéter as a judge he had treated 

_* See ** Funtus’s Letters,” Svo. ed. Letter 
LI. dated July 31, 1771, p. 288. 
+ Thete ars {gid to have been fold for 
37,0c0l. ’ 
‘Monruny Mac, Ne. XVIII, 
much warmth by Mr. T. 
He was naturally attached to men of 
talents, and cultivated theit fociety and 
conyerfation. He himfelf was an au- 
thor, and fome of his letters are writ- 
ten with great {pirit and animation. 
It is greatly. to be lamented, that his hif= 
tory of England, from the revolution toe 
the elevation of the Brunfwick line, was 
never compleated ; the truth is, however, - 
that a continuance of pecuniary diftrefs 
could alone have induced him to proceed 
in fo laborious an undertaking ; for, not- 
withitanding his frequent appearance 
on the public ftage, he was naturally indo- 
lent, and his ftudies were alwaysdelultory. 
Although he had refided for a confi- 
derable time in France, Mr. W. was, 
ftrictly fpeaking, an Anti-Gallican ; and 
carried his patriotifm, or prejudice (for 
on this fubjeét there will be different opi- 
nions) fo far, as to object to Freach wines , 
at the city featts. : 
He died in the 71ft year of his age, hav- 
ing been born O€tober 17, 1727, O.S. 
His body was interred in a vault in Grof-. 
venor chapel, South Andley-ftreet. Eight 
labouring men, dreffed in new black 
clothes, in confequence of an intimation 
during his life, conveyed his corpfe to the 
place of interment, and he is faid to have 
direéted a tablet to be ereéted to his me- 
mory, with an infcription implying that 
he was ‘ A Friend to Liberty.” 
In mentioning Mr. W’s. political 
principles fome difcrimination is necef- 
fary. He does not appear to have confi- 
dered liberty in the abffraé, but to have 
bottomed all his notions on the practical 
benefits arifing from the revolution. Tha 
fhort, he was a whig of the old fchool. 
It is much to his honour, that on fome 
occafions he demanded the inftru@tions of 
his conttituents, and on all, profeffed a 
determination to obey them: it would 
alfo be injuftice to omit, that the rumours 
relative to the immenfe fortune he left be- 
hind him, are entirely groundlefs. After 
fatisfying a variety ot bequefts, Mifs 
WILKES, the refiduary legatee, will have 
but a very fmallfum to receive: luckily, 
however, fhe is abundantly provided for, 
as fhe enjoys a large income from her mo- 
thers family. 
§ ) A Tep 
