66 "vernment, than honourably supporting the Dignity of the different branches of the "Royal Family." And the previous Queftion being put, That that Question be now put;" It paffed in the negative. Mr. Wilkes obferved, that the + two honourable gentlemen with the blushing ribbands, who opposed the Motion, declared that they did it chiefly from what they thought a want of delicacy to the Crown, but that in his opinion the real honour and delicacy of the Crown were effentially and deeply wounded by the present unhappy fituation of our Sovereign's own brothers, which was of the moft univerfal notoriety, and highly to be lamented; that the elder had been driven into a kind of honour able Sir John Griffin Griffin, Member for Andover, and Sir George Howard, Member for Stamford, have both regiments in his Majefty's fervice, beth of cavalry, are both Lieutenants-General, and both Knights of the Bath. Fortunati ambo Ambo animis, ambo infignes præftantibus armis. Hic pietate prior. VIRGIL. able exile at Rome, and the younger was not enabled to fupport the dignity of his high birth and rank among us; that as to the cafe of the late Duke of Cumberland, which had been mentioned, although he enjoyed an income of above 40,000l. a year, he lived with his royalt Father, that great patron of liberty, by whom all † So excellent a King, that was to this---- the SHAKESPEARE. Long his lofs fhall England weep, Ne'er again his likeness fee; GRAY. This humane Prince on many occafions ventured his life in the cause of liberty. His distinguished bravery at the battles of Oudenarde and Dettingen was the frequent fubject of the unfufpected praise of our inveterate enemies, the French. He was always a fteady friend to the liberties of mankind, and like the former princes of his house, and of the Naau line, kept a watchful eye over the Houfe of Bourbon, well knowing their determined enmity to this free government, and their long meditated fchemes for grafping at univerfal monarchy. He often checked the reftlefs ambition of France in its mad career, by the most firm, wife, and fuccefsful mealures. At his death he left England in poffeffion of the capitals of the French in Afia and America, and of many other important conquefts there, as well as in Europe and Africa. The most valuable of thefe conquefts were loft soon after by a ftroke of his grandfen's pen, which proved more the expences of his household were defrayed, and that he died unmarried, whereas the pre fent King's Brothers were both married, and had, with very incompetent revenues, feparate families and establishments, which conftituted no part of his Majesty's household arrangements or expences. He added, that we' ought not to be prodigal to the Sovereign, and penurious to his Brothers; that the whole ilJuftrious Houfe of Brunswick claimed our regard and gratitude; that the wifdom of Parliament more fatal to England than all the fwords of all our enemies. It is juftice to the memory of the late King to declare, that he no lefs endeavoured to make his people free and happy at home, than to carry the glory of the British arms to the highest pitch every where abroad. During his reign the laws were refpected and obeyed. Liberty and juftice fat with him ou the throne. The execution of Earl Ferrers impreffed all foreign nations with the greatest idea of the facredness of our laws, and the protection they afford the meanest fubject, under a firm and mild fovereign. It was likewife believed, that if the Court-Martial on Lord George Sackville had pronounced the fentence, which was expected by all Europe, the juftice of his late Majefty would have ordered it to have been carried into execution. The perfined Doctors, Shebbeare and Johnson, and all the other minifterial writers of the court, have been indefatigable for many years in vilifying the memory of our late Sovereign, and tearing the laurels from his Hament should carry the Houfe into a view of futurity, and of poffible contingencies, to provide in all events for the public fafety, good order, and tranquillity; that what the honourable + gentleman, who made the motion, had mentioned with due horror, of our being obliged to fetch from Rome a Sovereign born and educated there, was not fo wild and abfurd an idea as it had been reprefented by other gentlemen; that purple fevers, and various epidemical difeafes, had fometimes in a very short period fwept away whole families; his tomb. The first address of the House of Lords to the present King, on Nov. 18, 1760, is the beft confutation of all the volumes of a legion of these hirelings. "The long experience which we had of his royal "virtues, the benignity of his government, and his "uniform care of our laws and liberties, not interrupt"ed in any one inftance, during the course of fo many 86 years, demand from us the most grateful acknow ledgements; and will make his memory as dear to "us as the height and splendor to which he had raised "the greatness of these kingdoms will render it glo"rious to all pofterity." After the demise of the crown, will there be found any Lord prostitute enough, will there be a Sandwich, to move fuch a paragraph in the firft Addrefs of the Houfe of Lords to his present Majesty's Succeffor? Sir James Lowther, Baronet, Member for Cumberland. milies; that towards the beginning of this century feveral Dauphins of France had died within a few months of each other, and the Bourbon line was believed to be in fome danger of being extinct; that the + numerous, immediate pofterity of George II. had been reduced to a very small number; that all families might fuffer these moft cruel loffes, but in cafes of this great national concern, we could not be too provident, too vigilant for the general fafety. Mr. Wilkes farther remarked, that it was impoffible to mifunderstand this bufinefs; that it was, "Will you drive the "King's own Brothers into exile?" or "de"grade them to the rank of private noble"men?" or "will you fhew your duty to the 66 King, whose heart glows with all the ten"dernefs of true fraternal affection, and tefti"fy your regard to the honour of the na"tion, by making a princely and competent ❝ provifion Every true friend of the House of Brunswick fees with affliction, how rapidly fome of the prin cipal branches of the family have dropped off. Junius, vol. 2. page 89. |