rience to be impofed upon themselves, so they had too much veracity and honour to impose on the rest of mankind. They did not fuffer themselves to be the dupes and bubbles of our artful and perfidious neighbours; and afterwards publish a pompous Gazette, to inform the intelligent part of the world, how much they intended to impose on their country. No-they refolutely infifted on the treaty of peace being fulfilled, in the strongest and most fatisfactory manner; and left it to these young, inexperienced, ignorant negotiators to be the dupes to foreign kingdoms, as they are the fcorn and derifion of their own. ANTI-SEJANUS.

THERE is one point which I have advanced in a former letter, and must beg my readers will forgive me, if I here repeat it again; as it has been confidently denied, by a fhameless and abandoned fcribler on the other fide. What I am now speaking of alludes to the demolition of the harbour of Dunkirk; which can never be effected, by removing a few fascines and upper-works, on the Jettees, as the present ignorant and boastful minifters would endeavour to perfuade us. The only way of doing it to any purpose must be by deftroying the Sluice of Bergues, and paffing off the waters through the canal of Mardyke. I could wish that those perfons, who are fo loft to fhame, as to accufe the late miniftry of remifsnefs in this material point, would call for the papers containing the whole negociation, and let them be laid before the parliament and the public. They will there fee the reports of those able engineers, who were fent to Dunkirk to inspect the harbour, and the fpirited remonftrances that were made from time to time, by the late adminiftration, to the French court. How would it cover them with confufion, to see the caution and spirit with which thefe experienced statesmen pro

ceeded

ceeded in this arduous affair, and baffled all the fineffe and artifice of our treacherous neighbours! I am perfuaded in my confcience that they would have compleated this material article, if they had continued in power a few months longer but it is difficult to fay whether the French will do more than amuse the present negotiators, as they are fo well acquainted with their inexperience and incapacity. I am too great a lover of my country not to with they may compleat what their predeceffors have fo happily begun, and though I only laugh at them for the little low artifice, which they have used in relation to the Jettees, yet if they procure the full performance of the treaty, in the entire demolition of the harbour, I will return them my warmest thanks in the most grateful and public manner.

ANTI-SEJANUS.

Monftrum borrendum, informe, ingens, CUI LUMEN VIRG.

ADEMTUM.

THE description which is given by Virgil of Polyphemus, in the line above quoted, feems to fuit exactly with a monster, that has for fome time paft moft grievously infefted this island; and committed greater outrages and barbarities, than any fiery dragon in romance or even the wild beast of Marvejol. It is a horrid, fhapelefs, unwieldy creature, without either eyes or understanding; falling upon every thing that comes in its way, with blind and undif tinguished fury. There is nothing fo pure and innocent, fo great and facred, as to escape its madnefs: we have seen it tear to pieces the honesty of Bedford, the integrity of Grenville, and the fpirit and abilities of the two Montagues. Having committed these fhocking ravages, it prowls about for further prey, to glut its infatiable appetite; and falls with aftonishing rapacity upon the blooming virtues of our great, and patriot commoner.

The

The next step that it will take is not difficult to foresee at a lofs for further rapine, we fhall foon find it direct all its vengeance againft itself, and with true viperous rage prey upon its own bowels. This is generally the end of that hideous monster PARTY; and one may venture to foretell that it will certainly, and speedily happen, to the strange and unnatural Junto, who are now poffeffed of the administration. It is impoffible that they should long continue in the fituation they are in at prefent; they carry with them the principles of their own decay, and must in the nature of things very shortly -diffolve, And like the bafeless fabric of a vision

Leave not a wreck behind.

The accounts which we have lately received from Newfoundland, cannot fail of perplexing and alarming them, to the highest degree. They are ignorant of the common forms, and routine of office : how then can it be expected that they should fee into every nice, intricate, and fecret movement? That they should be fo fhrewd and circumfpect in their negotiations, as to counterplot the deep and fubtle intrigues of foreign courts? That when the treaties, which we have concluded, are undermined by cunning, or broken by violence, they should be poffeffed of craft and fineffe enough to restore them on one hand, or of fpirit, and agility, to affert them on the other? Will they dare to refift the encroachments of foreign powers, with half that refolution, courage, and ability, which the late miniftry fhewed in all their negotiations? Is it not rather probable that, infufficient as they are to fupport and maintain our rights, they will either tamely fubmit to fee them invaded, or by their weak and blundering measures involve us in all the miseries of war. I do not ask these questions wantonly, and

at

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at random: They arise from the love that I bear to my country, and the prefent critical fituation of our affairs. If ever there was a period, when the greateft skill and experience, the greateft fpirit and activity, the greatest honefty and uprightness were neceffary in our leaders; it is at this prefent inftant, when our perfidious neighbours are watchful to undermine us, and take every opportunity of encroaching upon our rights; and yet fuch is the fituation of our finances, that a new war is juftly to be dreaded, as one of the greatest, and moft fatal evils. When our affairs are thus intricate and urgent, why are they committed to the management of raw, inexperienced youth, and dilatory doating age? Why is the malignant influence of SEJANUS fo great and prevalent, that no perfon of ability and uprightness will come near to affift us? It has extended itself, like a large and baneful tree, under the shadow of which nothing will grow, but contemptible weeds, and cold and torpid hemlock. Our noble and fpirited patriot flies from it, as he would from the peftilence: And with him are flown all our hopes of seeing the welfare and glory of this kingdom promoted! It is not to me at all furprising that Mr. Pitt fhould refuse to have any concern, or connection with the prefent fet of minifters. It might reafonably be expected from his fpirit, his prudence and his honour; all which forbad him to co-operate with fuch a pye-ball'd Junto, who can never be regarded in any other light, than as tools to a proud and pernicious Favourite. It is rather extraordinary that these gentlemen should have fo little modefty, or so much felf love, as to flatter themfelves, and give it out to the world, that they were fure of the affiftance of his fpirit and abilities. I have candour enough to think that some of them believed it would happen, when they fo confidently afferted it; and we muft impute it to their difappointment

appointment and vexation, that they are now fo eager in depreciating and abusing the commoner. In fhort, I cannot help pitying them fincerely and heartily: They have thruft out to fea, without rudder to steer, or compass to guide them-they have no light to direct themselves by, but the dim faint twinkling of their own poor abilities-the ocean is tempeftuous-the channel rocky-and the paffage dangerous; it is about a million to one that they are caft away-but should they escape, they will find themselves at laft-only in FOOLS PARADISE, under the dominion and tyranny of the ufurping SEANTI-SEJANUS.

JANUS.

Ridiculum acri

Fortius et melius magnas plerumq; fecat res.

HOR.

I HAVE vanity enough to think, from the kind reception, which these papers have met with from the world, that if I had fooner taken up the pen, and opposed the pernicious power of the Favourite, he would not have dared to have let loose his wanton imagination, in planning fo many wild and vifionary fchemes, to the ruin of this unhappy kingdom. There is no other way of making amends to my country for this fad neglect, than by promifing that I will never leave him, till I have hunted him down, and stript him as bare of power, as a blighted tree is of leaves, on the bleakeft barreneft moor in Scotland. If ever an oppofition to the measures of government was allowable, it must be fo at this prefent crifis, when through the caprice and intrigues of a pernicious Favourite, the reins are entrufted with a set of men, who are as unable to conduct the wheels of state, as Phæton was the chariot of the fun; and who like him, after dispersing for awhile, in their fhort career of glory, unequal light and heat, fcorching up fome parts, and leaving others to ftarve with cold, cannot fail of tumbling

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