if I am wrong, I fhall thankfully receive better information, but if fuch bearings admit of no certain explication, I cannot help viewing them in a ridiculous point of view, and a difpute about what I may or

may not bear, as downright children's play, meriting no ferious attention except from vacant minds. I am, Sir, your, &c. PARTI PER PALE.

IN this feafon of public difcontent, when all men's minds were agitated on one fide or other, the city of London once more approached the throne, on the 10th of April, 1775, with an addrefs, remonstrance, and petition; upon a fubject, and in a manner, as little calculated to obtain a favourable reception as any of the preceding. In this remonstrance, they recapitulated the whole catalogue of American grievances; declared their abhorrence of the measures which had been purfued and were then purfuing, to the oppreffion of their fellow-fubjects in the colonies; that these measures were big with all the confequences which could alarm a free and commercial people; a deep and perhaps fatal wound to commerce; the ruin of manufactures: the diminution of the revenue, and confequent increase of taxes; the alienation of the colonies; and the blood of his Majelty's fubjects. But that they looked with lefs horror at the confequences, than at the purpose of thofe measures. Not deceived by the fpecious artifice of calling defpotifm, dignity; they faid, they plainly perceived, that the real purpose was to eftablish arbitrary power over all America.

As Mr. Wilkes was now Lord Mayor, he of courfe attended officially to prefent this remonftrance; and was cautioned by , the Lord in waiting, that his Majefty expected he should not speak to him, left he Thould make a perfonal reply, after the example of his predeceffor Mr. Beckford. The following answer was delivered from the Throne, It is with the utmoft aftonishment that I find any of my fubjects capable of encouraging the rebellious dif pofition which unhappily exifts in fome of

my colonies in North-America. Having entire confidence in the wisdom of my Parliament, the great Council of the nation, I will steadily purfue those measures which they have recommended for the fupport of the constitutional rights of Great Britain, and the protection of the commercial interefts of my kingdoms. This remonfrance was productive of a particular mark of refentment. In a few days after its being prefented, a letter was received by the Lord Mayor from the Lord chamberlain, in which, as Chief Magiftrate of the city of London, he acquainted him from his Majefty, that he would not receive on the Throne any address, remonftrance, or petition of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen, but in their corporate capacity.

Towards the clofe of the feffion Mr. Burke acquainted the Houfe, that he had received a paper of great importance from the General Affembly of the province of New-York; a province which yielded to no part of his Majefty's dominions in its zeal for the profperity and unity of the empire. He obferved, that it was a complaint in the form of a remonitrance, of feveral acts of Parliament, fome of which, as they affirmed, had establifhed principies, and others had made regulations, fubverfive of the lights of English fubjects. That he did not know whether the Houfe would approve of every opinion contained in that paper; but that as nothing could be more decent and respectful than the whole tenor and language of the remonstrance, a mere mistake in opinion, upon any one point, ought not to prevent their receiving it. and granting redefs on fuch other matters as might

be

be really grievous, and which were not neceffarily connected with that erroneous opinion.

He then moved, That the representation and remonstrance of the General Affembly of the colony of New-York, To the Honourable the Knights, Citizens, and Burgeffes, of Great Britain, in Parliament affembled, be brought up. The Minister immediately moved an amendment, which was an indirect though effectual negative upon the motion, by inferting that the faid Affembly claim to themfelves rights derogatory to, and inconfiftent with, the Legiflative authority of Parliament, as declared by au act of the 6th of his prefent Majefty, entitled, &c. It was contended in oppofition to the motion, that the honour of Parliament required, that no paper should be received by that House, which tended to call in queftion its unlimited authority; that they had already relaxed in very effential points, but they could not hear any thing which tended to call in question their right of taxation; that the declaratory act must be repealed, before fuch a paper was admitted to be brought up; that the House never received even petitions of that nature; but that here the name of a petition was ftudioufly avoided, left any thing like an obedience to Parliament fhould be acknowledged.

During the debates, the question was repeatedly called for, and being at length put upon the Minifter's amendment, it was carried upon a division by a majority of 186 to 67; and the question being then put upon the amended motion, it was rejected without a divifion.

The Affembly of New-York had alfo transmitted a memorial to the Lords, and a petition to the King. The Duke of Mancheiter brought in the memorial to the Lords, and moved for its being read, which brought on much difcuffion; but which ferved fufficiently to fhew the general temper and complexion with refpect to the fubject. It was faid, that the title of the paper rendered it inadmiffible, as the term MEMORIAL was only applicable to the reprefentations which pafied between Sovereigns; that the noble mover had not fufficiently explained the contents, and that it might contain fome matter not fit to be heard. In the fame fpirit, fome remedies were propofed; that if the noble Duke did not chufe to explain the contents, he might read the paper in his place, as a part of his fpeech; or, if that was thought too troublefome, the clerk might stand by him, and read it for him.

To these objections it was anfwered, that the loweit Commiffioned Officer in the fervice had an unquestioned right to prefent a memorial to his Majesty, in any cafe of real or fuppofed grievance; fo that the term in queftion did not at all militate with their dignity; that the noble mover of the queftion had fufficiently explained the matter, by reading the prayer of the memorial, and thewing that it was for a redrefs of grievances; that for farther particulars he referred them to the original, which he propofed to be read; declining rendering himself refponfible for the fate of the petition, by the explanations which he might give of the contents. The proposed remedies were rejected with indignation, and an end at length put to this altercation by calling the question, when, upon a divifion, the motion for reading the memorial was rejected by a majority of 20, the numbers being 45 against, to 25, who fupported the question. Such was the fate of the applications made by the Afsembly of NewYork for a redrefs of their fuppofed grievances. Nothing done in Parliament feemed to be better calculated to widen the breach between Great Britain and the colonies.

The day before this tranfaction, a petition to the Lords from the British inhabitants of the province of Quebec was prefented to that Houfe by Lord Camden. This petition was founded upon the fame principles with that which was lately prefented to the throne; and the petitioners, after stating the grievances which they suffered in confequence of the late law, conclude by imploring their Lordships favourable interpofition, as the hereditary guardians of the rights of the people, that the faid act may be repealed or amended, and that the petitioners may enjoy their conftitutional rights, privileges, and franchifes.

Some endeavours were alfo ineffectually used to prevent the reading of this petition. It was afked by what means it came into the noble Lords hands? how they could be fatisfied that it came really from the perfons to whom it was attributed? And the propriety of receiving any petition, which did not come through the hands of the Governor and Council, was called in question. To thefe it was replied, that the first was a matter of very little confequence; the petition had been for fome time in town, and had been refuted by every Lord in Adminitration; as to the fecond, the agent for the province would remove every doubt on that head; and as to the third, it was faid to be a new and dangerous doctrine, that

petitions

petitions for the redrefs of grievances could only be tranfmitted through the hands of thofe, whose intereft it might be to fupprefs them totally, and who from fituation were liable to be themselves the authors of thofe grievances.

The noble Lord who introduced the petition then obferved, that upon the fulleft examination of the late law, he found it fo thoroughly impolitic, pernicious, and incompatible with the religion and conftitution of this country, that no amendment, nor any thing short of a total repeal, would be fufficient. He arranged his objections to it under the following heads: viz. The extenfion of the limits of Quebecthe establishment of Popery there-and the civil defpotifm in which the inhabitants of that immenfely extended province are to be perpetually bound, by being deprived of all thare in the Legislative power, and subjected, in life, freedom, and property, to the arbitrary ordinances of Governor and Council, appointed by, and dependant upon the Crown. He then proposed a bill, which was read to the House, for the repeal of the late act, and which was not toj take effect until the the 1st of May, 1776, thereby to afford time for the providing of a proper form of Government for that province.

This measure was strongly oppofed by Adminiftration, and a motion was made by the Nobleman who prefided at the head of the American department, that the bill fhould be rejected. They contended, on that fide, that the French Canadians were rendered exceedingly happy by the late law; in fupport of which affertion, they produced an addrefs to General Carleton the Governor, upon his arrival in that province, and another to the King, wherein they expreffed their thanks and gratitude for being restored to their ancient rights and privileges. Thefe, they faid, were indubitable proofs how much the people were pleased, and expected to be benefitted by the change, and removed every doubt of the utility of the prefent fyftem. They reprefented the British fettlers, fuppofing them to have concurred unaniinoully in the matter of the petition, to be, comparatively, only a handful of people; and inlifted, that upon no one principle of good policy, juftice, or public faith, near an hundred thoufand peaceable loyal fubjects should be rendered unhappy and miferable, merely to gratify the unreafonabelt of two or three thou

and perfons, who wished for what was impracticable, and thought themselves

deprived of what they had in poffeffion.

As much cenfure had been expreffed or implied, both within doors and without, relative to the whole conduct of the Bifhops in the Canada tranfactions, as if they had not only neglected, but abandoned the interefts of the Proteftant religion, the reverend Father of that venerable bench now stood up to justify the Quebec act, fo far as it related to religious matters; which he did upon the principles of toleration, the faith of the capitulation, and the terms of the definitive treaty of peace. After long debates, in which much extraneous matter feemed to be purpofely brought in, and a long law contest, between a learned Lord high in office and the noble framer of the bill, the motion of its rejection was carried upon a division, at ten o'clock at night, by the majority of fixty, the numbers being 88, who oppofed, to 28 Lords only, who fupported the bill. The two Royal Dukes, and brothers, were in the minority upon this divifion.

About the fame time, another petition from the fame inhabitants of Quebec was prefented to the Houfe of Commons by Sir George Saville, in which, befides the matters they had stated in the former, they reprefented, that a petition to his Majefty, in the name of all the French inhabitants of that province, and upon which the late law had been avowedly founded, was not fairly obtained, and had neither received the concurrence, nor even been communicated to the people in general; on the contrary, that had been carried about in a fecret manner, and figned by a few of the Nobleffe, Advocates, and others who were in their confidence, through the fuggettions, and under the influence of the clergy; and they affirmed, that the inhabitants in general, the French freeholders, merchants, and traders, were as much alarmed as themselves, at the introduction of the Canadian laws They concluded by praying, that the faid act may be repea:ed or amended, and that they may have the benefit and protection of the English laws, in fo far as relates to perfonal property; and that their liberty may be afcertained, according to their ancient conftitutional rights and privileges.

The Gentleman who introduced the petition, having exercised that acutenefs of disquisition, and that liveliness of imagery, by which among other eminent qualities he is diftinguifhed, in examining and laying open the weak or obnoxious parts

of the Quebec act, and throwing a new light even upon thole which had already undergone the highest degree of colouring, concluded his fpeech with a motion, for repealing the late act for the better governrent of the province of Quebec Though this motion produced fome confiderable debates, the subject was already to much exhaufted, that they could not be very interetting; excepting that the Minifter, in the courie of them, avowed his intention, if it thould become neceflary, of arming the Canadians against the other colonies. He, however, declared his firm perfuafion, that the troubles in America would be fettled fpeedily, happily, and without bloodshed. The motion was rejected upon a divifion by a majority of more than two to one, the numbers being 174 to 86.

In the speech from the Throne, at the clofe of the feffion, May 26, 1775, the molt perfect fatisfaction in their conduct, during the courfe of this important felhon, was expreffed. It was faid, that they had maintained, with a firm and fleady refolution, the rights of the Crown and the authority of Parliament, which thould ever be confidered as infeparable; that they had protected and promoted the commer cial interests of thefe kingdoms; and they had, at the fame time, given con

vincing proofs of their readiness (as far as the conftitution would allow them) to gratify the wifhes, and remove the apprehenfions of the fubjects in America: and a perfuafion was entertained, that the moft falutary effects muft, in the end, refult from meaftres formed and conducted on fuch principles. A favourable reprefentation was made of the pacific difpofition of other powers, and the ufual affurance given of endeavouring to fecure the public tranquillity. Much concern was expreffed, that the unhappy difturbances, in fome of the colonies, had occafioned an augmentation of the land-forces, aad prevented the intended reduction of the naval establishment from being completed; and great thanks were returned for the chearfulness and public fpirit with which they had. granted the fupplies. It concluded with the ufual recommendation, to preferve and cultivate, in their feveral counties, the fame regard for public order, and the fame difcernment of their true interefts, which have in these times diftinguished the character of his Majesty's faithful and beloved people; and the continuance of which cannot fail to render them happy at home, and refpected abroad.

[End of Chap. XXXIV. ]

MR. Cumberland, Author of the Brothers, The Weft-Indian, The Fahionable Lover, The Battle of Hattings, and Calypfo, is the avowed Author of this new Piece, which is written in a style that bears a ftriking refemblance to the middle comedy of the Greeks, and ftill more to the dialogues of Lucian, that wicked wit, who dared to treat the whole affemblage of Pagan Deities with the most pointed and farcaftic ridicule, at a time when they were held in the highest veneration by the greatest part of the world. The fable is pleafing, and the dialogue eafy and natural. By the interpotition of the Deities, this piece feems to border clofely on romance, and thence becomes almost a new species of dramatic amufe

ment.

The Characters were thus reprefented: Phormio, Mr. Lewis; Megadorus, Mr. Quick; Pertinax, Mr. Wilton; A. pollo, Mr. Mattocks; Mercury, Mr. Edwin Tranio, Mr. Lee Lewes; Venus,

Mifs Brown; Lucretia, Mrs. Wilfon; Philenis, Mrs. Kennedy; Agapea, Mrs. Hartley.

The story is fimply this: Apollo and Mercury having defcended to Delphi, fet up at the houfe of Lucretia, a hostess, and are joined by Venus, who has affuined the habit of a Priestess, and has descended in search of her fon Phormio, who lives as a flave with the widow of Delphi, with whom he is in love. Megadorus is alfo in love with the widow, and is alfo a guett of Lucretia. Mercury and Apollo promife their affiftance to Venus, and the former having difcovered Phormio's fituation, goes to the house of the widow, in difguife as a merchant, vending curiolities; here he fhews her a picture of herself, and informs her, that whoever shall attain polfeffion of it, will become her husband, notwithstanding all her refolutions to live fingle; and at the fame time thews her a mirror, in which the views the face of Phormio, who the Deity declares is the

perton

perfon Fate has allotted for her fecond Ipoufe. Previous to this, however, Mercury exercifes his divinityfhip, by rendering Phormio moveable, who had attempted to ftab him for taking fome trifling fiberties with the widow-The widow, notwithstanding the predeftination of Mafter Mercury, perfeveres in preferving her faith inviolable to her deceased Lord, upon which Venus induces her to make an offering at the temple, where he is introduced to Phormio in the dark, who, by a

fratagem in that fituation, obtains the picture. Mercury, at the fame time, places Lucretia in the temple, who ako, by affitance of the light-fingered Deity, got poffeffion of the rich offerings of Megadorus; and a double match between the widow and Phormio, Megadorus and Lucretia, conclude the Piece.

The reprefentation was ornamented with new fcenery, and had received the utmo affiftance from the Managers.

T

HOUGH method and regularity are often exposed to the ridicule of thofe who know not the advantages of an order-ly conduct; to act in all cases by fome rule, and to fome end, is fo effential to our happiness, and fo conformable to the defigns of our Creator, that it cannot be neglected without a violation of the laws of God. It is this regard to duty and propriety, by which peace is preferved in kingdoms, and union in families: it is this which regulates the conduct of the fervant towards his master, and the fubject towards his Prince; it is this which engages parents to love their children, and Itudy to promote their happiness; and children to make due returns of obedience, honour, and grateful affistance to their parents.

It is this regularity of condu&, which makes us good parents, good mafters, good friends, and good citizens; which gives us a right judgment of things, and affifts us both in the choice of the fittest time and the propereft method of doing whatever is to be done. It is one of the greatest misfortunes in the world to live without any stated rule of conduct, in perpetual tumult and confufion. Our life hould be a tranfcript of the harmony of the univerfe, which could not fubfift, much less attract our admiration, were it not for that just proportion, which is difcoverable in all its parts. Take order from the world, and you reduce it to a frightful chaos; leave man without any other guide than his own paffions and caprice, and there will be nothing but perpetual difcord between his judgment and his will.

Ruin ensues, when a man exhibits in his own ill-regulated mind the miferies of anarchy: his ideas are confufed; his ima

gination bewildered his confcience mifled; his reafon obfcured; and his foul becomes the feat of tumult and confusion.

If you do not accuftom yourfelves, at your first fetting out in life, to lay down fome regular plan of conduct, you will never attain to that rectitude of judgment, which estimates things according to their worth, and which in the midit of errors and prejudices will enable you to give the preference to truth. With the Philofopher, we ought to weigh the motives of our conduct; and every evening to enter into an examination of our actions.

The man who lives at random, is a flave to his own whims and caprice. The world reprobates fuch an one, as a moniter which disturbs its harmony; and fociety rejects him as a being incapable of friendskip. We fee, in hort, that whoever is thus irregular in his own mind is deftitute of every quality, which can contribute to the ornament or benefit of human life: his manners are difgutting, his expences are excellive, and his whole conduct unaccountable. Do not think that imagination carries this difplay beyond the truth; the too fad experience of many confirms it, and may ferve to teach, that it is impolfible rightly to manage your affairs, or difcharge your duty, without a proper command of your mind and paffions; every movement of which fhould be as nicely regulated, as thote of a well finished clock.

The exact proportion obfervable in every work of God is intended to teach us, that order is the greate beauty in Nature, and that to defpile this is to counterac one of the greatest laws of the Creator of the univerie. Endeavour then to imitate in your behaviour that general harmony in the creation, which, in the cours