oppo

monstrated, that the whig phalanx was fallen in
ftrength: ftill, however, it was not diffolved. Pitt
tried the experiment of governing without the whig
connection; but found, that either the attempt was
premature, or that the execution required more
vigorous exertion than the infirm state of his health
permitted him to employ. Feeble as a ministry, the
combination of whigs was a powerful body of
fition; and others, not of their fept, united with
them in thwarting the measures of government.
The earl of Chatham ceased to be an active member
of his majesty's councils; and instead of the union
of talents that the fovereign fought and the states-
man propofed, there was in the cabinet a weakness
and distraction, which excited the cenfure of the
patriotic, and encouraged the hopes of the ambi-
tious. The notion of a fecret cabal continued to
prevail, and had its fhare in giving spirit and strength
to antiministerial efforts. From these causes, and
not from any disloyal acrimony, feems to have
arisen the oppofition to government, which forms fo
very prominent a feature in the early history of our
fovereign. Befides, the immenfe augmentation of
trade and opulence in the preceding reign, had raised
the monied capitalists to a much greater degree of
importance, than at any former period they had at-
tained. Always connected with the whigs, the mer-
cantile body entered into their present views, and
imputed to evil and unconftitutional motives, the
interference of the monarch with their political mo-
nopoly. They were farther diffatisfied with the mea-
fures adopted towards America, which had event-
ually proved fo detrimental to trade. The citizens

V.I.

1768.

CHAP. of London exchanged their former zeal in favour of the house of Brunfwic, for violent enmity to the fucceffive fervants whom their king chofe to employ, and were foremost in fupporting every turbulent individual who attacked administration. Such was the spirit now raifed into a ftrong fermentation by the general election.

Return of Wilkes.

To prevalent difcontents, an individual cafe proved a very formidable addition. Mr. John Wilkes had applied to the Rockingham party when in administration, for patronage and redrefs; but the terms which he propofed, a general pardon, 5000 l. in cash, and a penfion on the Irish establishment, were totally inadmiffible; and his confident prefumption was not only difappointed in its extravagant expectations, but prevented the amnesty which modeft humility might have procured. When the duke of Grafton became prime minifter, the hopes of Mr. Wilkes again revived. He had been extremely intimate with that nobleman, and expected friendship from their former focial and convivial intercourfe, as well as patronage from the whig principles which the minister profeffed. He wrote a letter to the duke, congratulating his grace and the country on his promotion, and entreating his mediation with the king. This petition, however, was entirely neglected by the duke; and Mr. Wilkes's hope of pardon vanishing, he refolved to attack his adverfaries with the keenest severity. On the diffolution of parliament, coming from Paris, he proposed himself as a candidate to represent the city of London. The conduct of the court was in this cafe altogether irrefolute and feeble; while pru

dence

VII.

1768.

dence dictated determined measures, either of rigour CHA P. or of lenity. If they determined on severe justice, by immediately enforcing his fentence of outlawry, this could have driven him back to banishment, and for ever crushed his projects either of ambition or revenge if the more magnanimous and wifer alternative of mercy had been adopted by a full pardon, his influence and popularity would have ceafed with the prosecution from which they sprung. But minifters embraced half measures, the ufual offspring of imbecillity, and parent of difappointment. Known to be odious to the court, Wilkes was received by the people with rapturous applaufe. Mr. Harley the lord mayor, being in the interest of the court, prevented Wilkes from being chofen for the city; whereupon he immediately offered himself for Middlesex. Adored by the freeholders of a county which, from its adjacency to the metropolis, fpeedily catches its spirit; supported by the most opulent men in the city and the ableft at the bar, after a riotous and tumultuous election, the popular candidate was returned by a very great majority. Mean while, a legal procefs was carried on against him upon the former charges: he was tried, fentenced to imprisonment for two years, obliged to procure fecurity for his good behaviour for seven years, and fentenced to pay a fine of a thousand pounds. A trifling alteration in the judicial records was magnified by popular clamour into the most flagrant and oppreffive injustice. It had been a common and unchallenged practice with the judges, when requested by the profecutor, to amend informations, in order to add to their clearness and precifion, At

He is chofen

for Middle

fex.

VII.

1768.

CHAP. the inftance of the treafury folicitor, lord Mansfield had fuffered the word purport, in the information against Mr. Wilkes, to be erafed, and the word tenor to be fubftituted. This change, perfectly confiftent with law and ufage, and which could not have the smallest weight in criminating the defendant, was reprefented as an iniquitous measure, flowing from the arbitrary principles and defigns which were imputed to the chief juftice as a Scotchman, and a friend of lord Bute. Extremely enraged at the judgment paffed upon their favourite, the populace forcibly refcued him from the officers who were conducting him to prifon, and carried him triumphantly through the ftreets; but Mr. Wilkes, that he might not appear a party in this violence, as foon as the mob was dispersed, prudently furrendered himself to the marfhal of the king's bench.

Riot in St. George's fields.

The new parliament met on the 10th of May, and was opened by the lord chancellor; who, in a fpeech, informed the house, that his majesty had not called them together at that unusual feafon of the year for the purpose of general bufinefs, but merely to dispatch certain parliamentary proceedings necessary for the welfare of his fubjects, especially the renewal of the acts against the exportation of corn, which were then on the eve of expiring.

On the day on which the parliament met, great numbers of perfons affembled in St. George's fields, expecting to fee Mr. Wilkes go from prifon to the houfe of commons. The mob becoming very outrageous, the Surry magiftrates, when unable to preferve the public peace, were obliged to read the riot act, and call in the military to affist the civil power. Instead

6

VII.

1768.

Instead of separating, the populace infulted and at- CHAP. tacked the foldiers: the legal time for difperfion being elapfed, force was found abfolutely neceffary; the foldiers were ordered to fire; and, as in a mob it is impoffible to diftinguish active outrage from idle curiofity," a man who had not been riotous was unfortunately killed: this was Allen, who, though humble and obfcure in life, was from his death confecrated to perpetual remembrance by the pen of elegant invective, poignant acrimony, and impreffive misrepresentation*: feveral others alfo were unavoidably killed. On the 17th of May, a proclamation was iffued, by order of the council, for fuppreffing tumults and unlawful affemblies. Both houses of parliament thanked his majesty for this measure, and united in expreffing their approbation of the magiftrates who had been active in quelling the disturbances and lord Weymouth wrote a letter, by his majefty's command, to the juftices for Surry, which testified the utmost fatisfaction with the conduct both of the magiftrates and the troops in fuppreffing lawless disturbances. Samuel Gillam efq. one of the justices, was tried on a charge of having murdered William Redburn, by having ordered the foldiers to fire; in confequence of which, Redburn had been killed. The jury, feeing the abfurdity and the injustice of fuch a profecution, would not fuffer the accufed to take the trouble of entering upon his defence; but, when the profecutor's evidence was closed, pronounced a verdict of acquittal. Donald Maclean, a foldier, was tried for the murder of Allen; but being proved to have acted only in dif