1799-] 
lication, at leaft; which is indeed in- 
finitely the worft mode of preferring an 
decufation. 1ft. It is faid in confirma- 
tion of an opinion, which you are doubt- 
lefs perfectly free to entertain, viz. that 
the charaters of the hiftory are often 
over-loaded, either with ceniure or en- 
comium,—** William, Prince of Orange, 
is fo great a favorite, that even the maf- 
{acre at Glencoe is not fuffered to difiurb 
his repofe.” This expreffion is fo cu- 
rious and obfcure, that I think it dif- 
ficult to afcertain its diltiné& meaning. 
If this means any thing to the purpofe, it 
mutt import that I have admitted. King 
William to be the author of the mat- 
facre at Glencoe; and yet, that I have 
reprefented it as no blemifh in his cha- 
racter,—a ferious allegation indeed! On 
the contrary, however, it is not only 
afferted, but fully proved in the hiftory— 
that King William was grofsly impofed 
upon in this bufinels by two very artful 
and deep-delfigning men, Lord Breadalbin 
and Secretary Dalrymple. ‘The maffacre 
is every where fpoken of in terms of the 
utmoft abhorrence, and the king himielf 
is freely blamed, not as an accomplice in 
the barbarity, for that would be infamous 
injuftice; but for negligence in futering 
himfelf to become the dupe of fo execra- 
ble a defign, and fupinenefs in not pu- 
nifhing with fufficient fevérity the con- 
trivers of it. The truth is, that Jal- 
rymple was a man to whom the monarch, 
not to fay the nation, owed in many re- 
{pects fuch high obligation, that the 
king may on plaufible ground be fui- 
pected of a fecret with of extending too 
far his mercy to the unmercitul, And 
to punifh fubordimate agents, while the 
principals were allowed, by a culpable 
lenity, to efcape, would have reflected no 
honour on the juftice of the government. 
But ali this is mere fufpicion; the vil- 
Jainy, however enormous, was perpe- 
trated under the forms of law, by the 
king’s own warrant furreptitioufly ob- 
tained ; andthe declaimers upon this fub- 
ject have never yet fhewn that the king 
had it in his poqver to inflict that ven- 
geance upon the parties concerned in this 
bloody bufinefs, which they load his ‘me- 
mory with reproaches for withholding. 
The fecond allegation, is of a nature more 
immediately interefting; the charge 1s, 
that I have ‘‘ftained the pages of the 
Hiftory of the Houfe of Brunfwick, by 
an unbecoming and dangerous latitude 
of expreffion, or rather virulence of in- 
vective ;*’ and this is explaized to refer 
Mr. W. Bellbam's Vindication of Two Paffages, Sr. 183 
to what you are pleafed to ftile ‘‘ my de 
cifive hoftility againit Mr. HasTincs 
at the time that gentleman was under trial. 
Our opinion, fay you, concerning the 
delinquency of Mr. H. is perfe&ly co- 
incident with the opinion of Mr. BEL- 
SHAM, but nothing thould have extorted 
it from us till a jury of peers, then fitting 
in judgment on the prifoner, had pre- 
nounced their verdiét of acquittal or 
condemnation.” It is well known to 
the public that Major Scorr has replied, 
no doubt with the full approbation of 
Mr. HasTINGS, in two very able pam- 
phlets, to that part of the hittory which © 
relates to India; and I have moreover 
before me at this time feveral letters of 
Major ScoTT, privately addreffed to me 
on the fame fubject. it is material to 
my vindication to contraft his fentiments 
upon this point with yours, and this muft 
be my apology for the apparent vanity of 
the quotation :—(Feb. 16, 1795,) “Ido 
not fay that you ought to have poftponed 
the publication of your hiftory of the pre- 
fent reign until the clofe of Mr. Has- 
TINGs’s trial; far from it, I think the 
miferable and almoft hopelefs ftate of 
England, unlefs fome change in her po- 
licy flxal] take place, rendered your pub- 
lication highly important indeed at this 
moment, and particularly your hiftory 
of the American war.* I truft that the 
public will reap benefit from it; but, fir,” 
as the hiftory of India makes a material 
part of your memoirs, it did behove you 
to exert your great abilities fairly and 
hone&ly, ‘in order to obtain the beft pof- 
ible information.” 
Major ScorTT does, 
indeed, impeach, as he had unqueftion- 
ably aright todo if he faw reafon, the 
autnority of the facts; but he elfewhere 
acknowledges, that if the facts them- 
felves are admitted, every one mutt 
allow that the epithets are well applied. 
‘To this conclufion there is one, and pro- 
bably only one exception; for, while 
you, gentlemen, profels to concur in opi- 
nion with me refpecting the delinquency of 
Mr. HasTines in its fullett extent, your 
delicacy is fhocked at my ‘virulence of 
invective.’” Your counfel, had I been 
fortunate enough to have confulted you 
previous to the publication of the hiftory, 
would’ doubtlefs have been *‘to lath na 
fort ofvice,’’ but to. make that pleafant 
and playful fatirift my model, 
¢¢ Whofe fly, polite, infinuating file, 
Could pleafe at court, and make Auguftus 
{mile.”’ 
Yet viewing the political conduct of Mr. 
HASTINGS 
