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"Phe following I heard with my own 
ears at anobleman’s table: After dinner 
I happened to outftay all the company, 
except two French gentlemen. One of 
them afked his lordfhip if he knew Joh 
Fox? The nobleman anfwered—** A 
little, as people in the world know each 
other.” The French gentleman then 
‘faid that he was juft fetting out for 
France, fo had not time to fee Mr. Fox; 
but he begged his lordfhip to tell him 
that’ it was the univerfal opinion in 
France, of the beft judges of the fubject, 
that this bill prefented the only plan 
_which could fecure India to England ; 
and that its confequences were fo ap- 
parent that in France they were generally 
dreaded. 
The prefent views of the French [1735] 
are evidently to divett us of India, as they 
have done of America. Our fleet mutt 
of courfe decline; and in that cafe France 
hopes to dictate to us on all occafions, 
though the jealoufy of other powers may 
prevent its conqueft of. this country. 
Naval power is, in all events, the moft 
‘uncertain and precarious of any, as all 
hiltory confpires to evidence. Ireland, 
by the infamous juggling of the “ Pro- 
pofitions,”’ has loft all confidence in this 
country. Were our thipping and com- 
merce to decline; all is loft, for our debts 
fwallow our revenue. 
CX. GRAY. 
Gray was a deift, but a violent enemy 
ef atheifts, fuch as he took Voltaire and 
Hume to be; but in my opinion errone- 
@ully. 
The quarrel between Gray and me 
arofe from his being too ferious a com- 
panion. I had juft broke loofe from the 
reftraints of the univerfity, with as muca 
money as I could {pend, and I was willing 
to indulge myfelf. Gray “was for anti- 
@uities, Xc. while I was for perpetual 
alls arid plays. The fault was mine. 
Gray was a little man, of very ungainly 
appearance. 
CXI. CONTRADICTION, 
The prefent * * does not keep the 
oth of january, though the laft did. A 
ftrange contradiction, when all is con- 
fidered. But his only aim feems to be 
that of oppofition to his grandiather, 
who d——d his mother for a b——h, 
when he heard that fhe had the evil. 

CXIl. A MODERN WHIG. 
Lord B. a whig! His celebrated bro- 
ther is indeed a warm one. But, hark 
jo your ear, Lord B, wader the matk of 
Walpoliana, No. Vil. 
279 
whiggery, is the king’s correfpondent for 
Scotch affairs! Diwide et Impera is the 
favourite maxim: all family and party 
diftingtions are confounded. 
Lord B. is, however, a mere changeling. 
I am plagued with his correfpondence, 
which is full of ftuff. I fay nothing of 
his fawning letter to Pitt, alledging his 
friendfhip with his father, and foliciting 
a place. Heaven defend us from fuch 
whigs! Yet he writes to meas if Idid 
not know him. 
CXIIL. WHIGS AND TORIES. 
We mutt thank the whigs for all the 
profperity of our country. The tories 
have only thrown us into difagreeable 
crifes. It is rifible to hear the latter boaft 
of the public happinefs, which is wholly 
the work of their antagonifts. ‘They are 
fo abfurd as to regret the national free - 
dom, the fole fource of the wealth on. 
which they fatten. Sic vos non vobis 
mellificatis apes! Had the tories fucceeded 
at the revolution, or acceffion, this fair 
country would have been another Spain 5 
the defolate abode of nobles and prietts. 
What has rendered it the wonder and 
envy of Europe? Freedom. One would 
wonder that any man fhould confpire 
againit the general felicity—but this in- 
fatuation ariles from the e/prit du corps, 
which can even produce mental blind- 
nefs—can inftigate its unhappy devotee 
to deftroy the hen that lays the golden 
eggs. 
| CXIV. WILLIAM III. 
William III. is now termed a {coun- 
drel, but was not James II. afool? The 
charaéter of William is generally con- 
fidered on too fmall a feale. ‘Yo efti- 
mate it properly, we muft remember that 
Louis XIV. had formed a vatt fcheme of 
conqueft, which would have overthrown 
the liberties of all Europe, have fubjected 
even us to the caprice of French priefts 
and French harlots. The extirpation of 
the proteftant religion, the abolition of 
all civil privileges, would have been the 
infallible confequence.. I {peak of this 
{cheme‘not as a partifan, but from the’ 
moft extenfive reading and information on 
fhe topic. I fay that William III. was 
the firit, if not fole caufe of the complete 
ruin of this plan of tyranny. The Eng- 
lith revolution was but a fecondary ob- 
ject, the throne a mere ftep towards the 
altar of European hberty. William nad 
recourfe to all parties merely to ferve this © 
great end, for which he often expofed his. 
own life in the field, and was ‘devoured 
by conftant cares in the cabinet, | 
ANEC. 
