an innocent perfon, as this afflicted girl is fuppofed to be, and as Job moft undoubtedly was, and afflicted by the devil, both with the lofs of his health, fortune, and reputation. So that upon the whole, I cannot fee how the jury could, from the nature of the evidence, bring in the perfons accufed, guilty, in which verdict they seemed to me, to have acted inconfiftently, because the perfon afflicted was prefumed by them innocent; and at the fame time allowed to be tormented by the devil, by the mediation of thefe images; and by parity of reason, I cannot fee why the jury fhould not fuppofe the devil as capable of reprefenting the images of innocent perfons, as of tormenting a perfon allowed by them to be innocent; that they must have acted inconsistently, in concluding the fuppofed tormentors guilty, when the perfon actually tormented, was by them prefumed innocent. If it be objected, as was hinted in court, that the devil could represent the images of innocent perfons, as in the cafe of Samuel, but not of the living, I defire any reafon may be affigned for his power in the one and his impotency in the other; it seems past dispute with me, that he may in the one, as well as in the other; and the facts in this trial amount to a demonftration in that point. Judge Upton, who with great judgment remarked that the purport of the whole evidence, was not fufficient to fnd them guilty; advanced this popular argument to the jury, which feemed rather calculated to influence them (who feemed predetermined against the witches) than from any force which was in the argument itself; he told them he could not well imagine that perfons utterly abandoned to the devil, and who had renounced God (as he prefumed to be the cafe of all real witches) could retain fo much of the form of religion, as to frequent the religious worship of God, both publickly and privately, as the accufed were proved, upon oath, to have done. But this argument feemed to me by no means conclufive. Neither do I fee why a real witch may not have permiffion to perfonate a real faint, as well as the devil has been permitted to perfonate an angel of light; or why a perfon in contract with the devil, may not be guilty of this worst hypocricy, which gives her apoftacy a deeper dye; if, as a witch, fhe was deprived of the power of praying, and receiving the facrament, vifibly, the must be deprived of this power either by the devil or by God himself. It cannot be fuppofed that the devil would hinder her from the bafeft and vileft acts of hypocrify; or that God would interpofe miraculously, to deprive this witch, of her natural faculties, any more than he doth other profligate finners who receive unworthily, and eat and drink their own damnation. But upon prefumption that witches were deprived of this power of hypocritical praying and receiving, yet it could not acquit thefe perfons, because the devil might have made this contract with them fince their receiving the facrament, and enter into them as he did into Judas immediately after. I am quite tired writing, and therefore as this is the only copy I have made of the trial, I fhall be pleased to think it is grateful to you. I defire you may give my fervice to the Provoft and Dr. Ellwood, and let them read it. I am, dear fir, Your moft obedient fervant, Belfast, April 4, 1711. Mr. B. MY Y Lords, you are welcome to the banks of the Styx I was afraid I should find none of my acquaintance here. Lord C. And I was afraid I fhould. find too many; but I have not yet met with an Afiatic nabob or black merchant to upbraid me for my perfidy; but I fuppofe they think they have fufficiently tortured me upon earth, and that I am entitled to fome little repofe after I have given up my last breath, Lord H. Egad, I am doubtful whether I am awake, or it's all a dream. It is true I have been afleep thefe ten years, but (rubbing his eyes) if this be a dream, it is one of the most extraordinary I ever had. Lord C. Indeed, Stephen, I did not think of meeting with you fo foon, confidering you had nothing to difturb your repofe; and that you could enjoy your nap with the utmoft compofure, in the midit of the warmest and moft clamorous debates in St Stephen's chapel. Mr. B. You're fo right, my lord, that even a peerage could not rouze him; but, on the contrary, prompted him to take an eternal doze. Lord H. Well, Gentlemen, I admit your raillery; but if I flipt into the fhades G 2 in in a dream, I at least came here in a natural way, without the affiftance of either pistol or razor. Will pofterity credit that in one month the minion of the minifter, with places and emoluments, far beyond his moft fanguine expectations, and a fecond Crofus, titled and ribboned, fhould be fo fick of the fweets of life, as voluntarily to rush into eternity, and leave behind them all the good things of the world? Mr. B. The world feldom judge but from appearances, which are generally erroneous; they know not the fecret fprings of action, which are often fo latent, that it is fcarce poffible for the curfory eye to see them.- -A fplendid equipage, an apparent great falary, and the like, dazzle the eyes of the multitude, and they pronounce thofe hap py, who are perhaps compleatly miferable. Lord H. Could this be your case? Mr. B. In a great measure it was-too fenfible of the fhafts of fatire, which were daily pointed at me through the public papers, though I fmiled at the impotent attacks, as I called them, I fecretly wept in my heart, and could not help concuring with Dr. Young, when he fays, "How many are there who look gay, and fmile against their confciences.' Lord C. Though the public prints were not lefs fevere upon me, I acknowledge they made but little impreffion, as I had conftantly fome worthy friends, who affifted me with their pens in my defence; and my fpeech in the houfe cleared me fo well in the eyes of the public, that had not the ftings and remorfe of confcience preyed upon me, I should have been very easy as to the opinion of the world. Lord H. From what you have faid then, I find that wealth is not the only balm of life Mr. B. And yet the want of it was greatly conducive to my rafh conduct-I had anticipated my income by annuities.--Creditors were clamorous, and my pride was fo greatly mortified, that the complicated burthen was too heavy to fupport. Lord C. Here comes Mr. Y-k, who is a far more glaring inftance of rafhnefs and folly united than can be afcribed to either of us, Mr. B. You are indeed right, my lord that a man of his fenfe, judgment, and knowledge of the world, thould, when he had attained the fummit of his profeffion, and the ultimate with of thoufands, commit fo rafh a deed, becaufe he met with the frowns of an obftinate partizan in a brother, is, indeed, aftonifhing! Lord H. You fee from thence that the operations of the human mind are as different as countenances and complexions, and what would make little or no impreffion on fome men, torture others to a degree of phrenzy. Your apologies for your conduct would not be admitted by the majority of mankind, and yet you urge them as if they were fufficiently forcible to extenuate the greatest of crimes, for which they can be no repentance. Mr. B. Befides the excufes that I have already made, I could urge the natural gloom that hangs over Englishmen at this feafon of the year, when the month of November is proverbial for destroying ourselves; and though philofophers may reafon upon the urgency of our maintaining our pofts, and the poltroonery of our deferting it, these sophisms are more than counterbalanced by a dreary perspective, without a ray of hope, when all the enjoyments of life ceafe to have any relish, and when nothing but pain and anguifh, corporeal and mental, remain to our lot. Lord C. They fmile at fcars who never felt a wound. Six years bodily pain, accompanied with the keeneft tortures of the mind, may fufficiently apologize for terminating a wretched being, that was incapable of communicating or receiving pleasure from the world, of which he was no longer a member, but a mere vegetation, scarce equal to the fenfitive plant. Lord H. You can never convince me, by thefe fophifticated reasonings, founded on the most erroneous principles, of the rectitude of your conduct, and so good morrow. To the Editor of the Hibernian Magazine. SIR, HAVE fent the inclofed drawing, which I you may lay before your readers, in a wooden block, as it will lead to point out the chief actors in the American tragedy which is upon the point of being reprefented in that quarter of the globe. The three moft elevated characters confift of a well known trio, who conftantly act in conjunction, and may be confidered as the first movers of the late American acts that have given the Bostonians and and the other colonifts fo much difquietude. The gentleman on the right hand fide with his glafs, and one of the bills in his hand, is confidered as the oftenfible agent of the trio. America is reprefented under the figure of a venerable lady, whofe critical fituation requires the aid and afsistance of all the patriotic band, who are exerting their utmost endeavour, to quench the flames that threa ten the existence of our colonies, for little more than the demolition of an old tea pot. In the patriotic groupe are. fome well known faces, that may be of ten feen in and near the Mansion-houfe, and among the members of the fociety of the Bill of Rights. How far their endeavours may prove fuccefsful, time only can determine, as we see the chief engines on the oppofite fide keep in conftant play to blow the flames of difcord, As an impartial by-ftander, I have endeavoured to reprefent the conduct of both parties, leaving your readers to determine upon the rectitude of their meafures. Quebec Bill Μασα chuset Bay BostonPort Bill Account of the Proceedings of the American Colonifts, fince the palling the Bofton Port-Bill. (Continued from p. 730 of our Mag. for Dec. 1774.) Y the mail which arrived from New the people by the measures now purfuing, the vigorous execution of the portbill with improved feverity,-the acts for altering the charter and administration of juftice in the colony, manifeftly de BY York on Tuesday the 13th inftant, figned to abridge the people of their the following authentic advices from America were received: That the members chofen in confequence of Governor Gage's late writs for calling a general affembly, met at the court-house in Salem, pursuant to the precepts; and after waiting a day without being met by the Governor, or other conftitutional officer or officers by him appointed, upon a motion being made and feconded, it was voted, That the members aforefaid do now refolve themselves into a provincial congrefs, to be joined by fuch other perfons as have been or fhall be chofen for that purpose, to take into confideration the dangerous and alarming fituation of public affairs in this province, and to confult and determine on fuch measures as they fhall judge will tend to promote the true intereft of his Majefty, in the peace, welfare and profperity of the province. A provincial congrefs being thus formed, and having chofen the Hon. John Hancock, Efq; chairman, and Benjamin Lincoln, Efq; clerk, they adjourned to the court-house in Concord, there to meet on Tuesday the 11th day of October, at ten o'clock in the afternoon. At which time and place it was refolved, That the collectors of taxes throughout the province and the Sheriffs and Deputy-Sheriffs, who have in their hands province monies, be advised to retain the fame in their hands respectively, until the further advice of a provincial congrefs, or order from a conftitutional affembly of this province. And that the prefent affeffors do proceed to make affeifments of the tax granted by the great and general court of the province at the laft May feffion; and the congrefs ftrongly recommend the payment of the tax accordingly. At the fame time a committee was appointed to wait upon his Excellency Gov. Gage, to reprefent to him the diftreffed and miferable ftate of the province, which had rendered it indifpenfably neceffary to collect the wisdom of the province by their delegates in this congrefs; to concert fome adequate remedy from preventing impending ruin, and providing for the public fafety; to exprefs the painful apprehenfions excited in the minds of rights, and to licence murders,—the number of troops in the capital encreasing by daily acceffions drawn from the whole continent, together with the formidable and hoftile preparations now making in Bofton-Neck,-all tending to endanger the lives, liberties, and properties, not only of the town of Boston, but of the province in general; and to entreat his Excellency, as he regards his Majefty's honour and intereft, the dignity and happiness of the empire, and the peace and welfare of the province, immediately to defift from the fortress now constructing at the South entrance into the town of Bofton, and to restore the pass to its natural state. To this remonftrance his Excellency returned for anfwer-That it was highly exafperating, as well as ungenerous, even to hint, that the lives, liberties, or properties of any perfons, except avowed enemies, were in danger from Britons; Britain could never harbour the black defign of wantonly deftroying or enflaving any people on earth; and notwithstanding the enmity fhewn the King's troops, by withholding from them almost every neceffary for their prefervation, they had not as yet difcovered the refentment which might juftly be expected to arife from fuch hoftile treatment. "Whilft you complain, faid he, of acts of Parliament that make alteration in your charter, you will not forget that, by your present affembling, you are yourfelves fubverting that charter, and now acting in direct violation of your own conftitution. It is my duty therefore, however irregular your application is, to warn you of the rocks you are upon, and to require you to defift from fuch illegal and unconstitutional proceedings." Other advices affert, that orders are given by the provincials to prevent all fupplies for English troops. Straw, purchafed for their ufe, is daily burt; veffels with bricks funk; carts with wood overturned; and thus even the property of the King is deftroyed, in every manner in which it can be effected; yet fuch is the General's defire to preferve to the laft, as far as in his power, the peace and quiet of the people, that all thefe diforders, diforders, though not the effect of rafh tumult, but of evident system, are endured with patience. There can, therefore, be no reality in the apprehenfions which it appears the people conceive of dangerous designs entertained by the troops against them, when these very people are not afraid to provoke the troops by every wanton infult they can devife. By the fame mail advise was received, that the continental congrefs that met at Philadelphia the 5th of September laft, broke up on Wednesday the 26th of Oct, and that they had caufed their folemn declaration, refolutions, and affociation, to be made public, for which fce P. 26. A copy of a letter to Gen. Gage was brought into Congress, and agreeable to order, figned by the Prefident, and is as follows: Philadelphia, O. 10, 1774. "Sir, "THE inhabitants of the town of Boston have informed us, the reprefentatives of his Majefty's faithful subjects, in all the colonies from Nova-Scotia to Georgia, that the fortification erecting within that town, the frequent invafions of private property, and the repeated infults they receive from the foldiery, hath given them great reafon to fufpect a plan is formed very deftructive to them, and tending to overthrow the liberties of America. "Your Excellency cannot be a ftranger to the fentiments of America with respect to the late acts of parliament, under the execution of which those unhapPy people are oppreffed; the approbation univerfally expreffed of their conduct, and the determined refolution of the colonies, for the preservation of their common rights, to unite in their oppofition to thofe acts. In confequence of thefe fentiments, they have appointed us the guardians of their rights and liberties, and we are under the deepest concern, that, whilst we are pursuing every dutiful and peaceable measure to procure a cordial and effectual reconciliation between Great Britain and the colonies, your Excellency fhould proceed in a manner that bears fo hoftile an appearance, and which even thofe oppreffive acts do not warrant. "We entreat your Excellency to confider, what tendency this conduct muft have to irritate and force a people, however well difpofed to peaceable measures, into boftilities, which may prevent the endea vours of this Congrefs to reftore a good understanding with a parent state, and may involve us in the horrors of a civil war. "In order therefore to quiet the minds, and remove the jealoufies of the people, that they may not be driven to a fiate of defperation, being fully purfuaded of their pacific difpofition towards the King's troops, could they be affured of their own fafety, we hope, Sir, you will difcontinue the fortifications in and about Botton, prevent any further invafions of private property, reftrain the irregu larities of the foldiers, and give orders that the communication between the town and country may be open, unmolested, and free. Signed, by order, and in behalf of the General Congress. PEYTON RANDOLPH, Prefident." Refolved, as the opinion of the Congrefs, that it will be neceffary that a Congrefs fhould be held on the 10th day of May next, unless the red refs of grievances which we have defired, be obtained before that time. And we recommend that the fame be held at the city of Philadelphia, and that all the colonies in North America chufe deputies, as foon as poffible, to attend fuch Congress. An authentic Account of the Refloration of the old Parliament of Paris, November 25, 1774. THE Princes, Peers, the Grand Offi cers of the crown, and other perfons who had feats in the bed of justice, having taken their places, and the keeper of the feals having received, on his knees, his Majefty's orders, he thus addreffed himfelf to the Grand Master of the Ceremonies. "Sir, it is his Majesty's exprefs command that you forthwith repair to the hall of St. Lewis, and acquaint the magistrates who are there affembled, that his Majefty orders them to come and refume the feats which thy occupied in the year 1770." They attended immediately, and the King made the following fpeech; "The King, my moit honoured Lord and grandfather, was compelled, by your refiftance to his repeated command, to adopt fuch a meafure as his wifdom fuggefted, for maintaining his own authority, and fulfilling the obligations he lay under of rendering juftice to his fubjects. I have thought proper this day to recal you |