to that day, consulted by the first physicians in existence. The right honourable gentleman had asked for good grounds to be shewn, why opinions were entertained that his majesty's recovery was more improbable than it had been four weeks since; and he, in like manner, called upon the right honourable gentleman to shew what grounds there were for the opinion which he entertained, that a greater probability of his majesty's recovery existed at present than was perceived before. The right honourable gentleman had absolutely compelled him to say something, in consequence of his having thrown out a most malignant and unmerited imputation. To charge him with not wishing his majesty to recover, was as foul an aspersion as could have come from the lowest man in that House; and he, Mr. Burke observed, should be the last free man in it, if he suffered himself, at any time, to be brow-beaten by that right honourable gentleman. The right honourable gentleman was fond of throwing about his treasons and his ill wishes; but, for his own part, he would never tamely submit to either. With regard to any warmth which he had betrayed, he should not hesitate to affirm that he had not let a word escape him, that he should be ashamed to have recorded. His voice was weak, and therefore he was forced to raise and exert it; but it did not follow that he was in a passion; he might say, with one of the ancients, who had been charged with being in a passion, "Feel my pulse, and see if it does not beat temperately." When he spoke of a fact, without being ready to adduce any authority for it, then let him be arraigned by the right honourable gentleman, and then let unworthy motives be ascribed to him. He hoped to meet with judges more favourable, than to attempt to criminate him from imputed wishes, when he had argued from authentic information. When he fled from inquiry, then let the right honourable gentleman aim his envenomed shafts at him. He was ready to go into a full and free inquiry at the bar; because there he could do justice to himself, but not in a committee. Let Dr. Warren be placed against another eminent physician, and a keeper of

a mad-house with thirty patients against the keeper of a mad-house with three hundred, and thus the House would become possessed of well-founded and complete intelligence.

After much debate, it was agreed that a new committee should be appointed, and that the physicians should be reexamined.

January 13.

THE Committee sat till this day, when their report was presented to the House by Mr. Pitt. On the motion, that it be now read,

Mr. BURKE rose and observed, that he would confine what he had to say to a few words, and a few words only. It always gave him pain to differ in opinion from gentlemen with whom he was associated for the purpose of discharging a public duty; and, on the present occasion, it gave him as much pain so to differ, as it ever had done on any one occasion that had occurred in the whole course of his life; but there was a point of duty, and, in that duty, a point of importance superior to every personal consideration. It was, therefore, in compliance with that important duty, that he then felt it incumbent on him to rise, to object to the report being read, to move for its recommitment, to complain of the conduct of the committee, and to accuse them of not having faithfully discharged their duty. The first matter which he should beg leave to state was, that instead of construing the order of the House which appointed them, in its largest sense, and extending their inquiry to that degree which alone could be likely to furnish ample evidence, they had narrowed it within the literal construction of the order, and confined themselves to the bare examination of his majesty's physicians, without calling before them any of the surgeons, apothecaries, and others, who had attended on his majesty, and by that exclusion had debarred themselves of the opportunity of learning

from the most likely channels of authentic information, the actual state of his majesty's health, and the progress of that alteration and approach towards convalescence, from whence they were to collect their hopes of his recovery. From this circumstance of their having narrowed their ground, and included themselves within the letter of the law, they had deprived themselves of the possibility of reporting the whole truth; and, thus, by a partial and imperfect report, had given what it contained of truth, in such a maimed and mutilated state, that it could not be relied on.

Mr. Burke added, that he was aware that the committee had acted under the order of the House; but still he thought it right to state what he had said, in support of his charge against the committee; at the same time, he did not rest his complaint to the House chiefly on the circumstance of the committee having narrowed their ground of inquiry, and confined it too literally to the order, upon the authority of which they had proceeded. There were other grounds of complaint, consisting of the omission of certain material circumstances, tending, in his opinion, to give the committee a just estimate of the state of his majesty's health, and of the probability of his cure. Mr. Burke explained these to consist of two points, the chief of which was, that of two of his majesty's physicians having been set against each other, and examined as equal in point of skill. He did not so much complain of Dr. Warren and Dr. Willis having been put upon an equality, and so considered, because it was impossible for him to know, whether in point of fact they were so or not; but where there was a manifest difference of opinion between two professional persons, in respect to the nature of the king's case, the only way for unlearned men to enable themselves to decide which authority ought to preponderate and govern their opinion, was by calling other physicians before them, and by examining them, collecting to which of the two so set against each other, the greatest degree of credit ought to be given.

Mr. Burke here observed, that it appeared plainly to him, in consequence of what had come out in the course of

the examination, that his majesty's life was not safe, nor had it been safe since he had been put into such hands. He did not mean by this declaration, that there was any where a treasonable design to take away his majesty's life. Heaven forbid, that there should be any such design! He imputed a murderous design to no man, but he must take the liberty of repeating, that it appeared to him and he believed he might say, that it thus appeared to others of the committee - that his majesty's life was not safe, and all this owing to no bad design in any person, but to the rashness of those to whom the care of his royal person was intrusted. That trust, if he might so phrase it, was of too sacred importance to be suffered to be executed rashly, carelessly, and improperly. In it were involved the life of the sovereign and the interests of his people.

Mr. Burke declared that he should, on the grounds which he had stated, move to recommit the report, because it was, in his opinion, highly essential, that, having contrasted two physicians together, the other physicians ought to be fully examined upon the points in dispute between those two physicians so contrasted; and, if the committee did not possess sufficient powers to pursue such an examination, they ought immediately to have come to the He was aware that House and asked for farther powers.

his motion would be attributed to delay; but although the report upon the table certainly would appear important; it still must acquire an additional consequence if rendered more extensive, and it would at the same time prove more faithful, more fair, and more full, as well with regard to its object, as to the physicians themselves.

The question for reading the report was put and carried; and as soon as it had been read pro formâ, Mr. Burke moved that it be recommitted. This motion was negatived without a division. The report was ordered to be printed, and to be taken into consideration in a committee of the whole House on the state of the nation upon the Friday following, on which day Mr. Pitt opened his plan to the House. The resolutions moved

by him being carried, were reported to the House on the 19th, and ordered to be delivered to the Lords at a conference.

January 26.

THE masters in chancery having brought a message from the House of Lords, requesting a present conference,

Mr. BURKE remarked, that he wished earnestly to be made acquainted with the subject matter of the intended conference. Reports were circulated, that a proceeding of considerable importance was about to take place in the other House of parliament. He trusted, therefore, that the chancellor of the exchequer would give them some information on the subject, and, the resolutions having been sent up from that House, would state to them what was the next step which they were to be called upon to take; since, without such information, the whole matter must continue dark and unintelligible.

Mr. Pitt said that he was not aware of any irregularity in the present proceeding, nor, indeed, in any measures which hitherto had been pursued, upon this important and melancholy occasion. They had sent the resolutions, as soon as the House had voted them, up to the House of Lords, and now a conference was demanded by the Lords; but it was impossible for him to state what would pass at that conference; although he should suppose that the object of it very properly was to let them know, that the House of Lords had agreed to the resolutions sent up by that House; and, surely, a request of this reasonable nature could not be seriously considered by any honourable gentleman as objectionable.

Mr. BURKE replied, that if he had discovered even the most distant intention of objecting against the conference, the right honourable gentleman's answer would have been