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234 
List of Books, -with Remarks.

no virulence to escape his unmannerly expression to disgrace the subject he is engaged to defend: yet, if Sir John Dalrymple could be shocked on finding AlgernoonSydney charged with being a pensioner to France, and Lord Russell with intriguing with the French Ambassador, how much more sensibly must he be touched on finding his own weakness so ably exposed, for so readily yielding implicit credit to a fact resting singly upon the evidence of an interested Papist, an enemy both to the religion and liberties of England, and confessedly a man destitute of reputation and principle; in opposition to the testimony not only of every cotemporary writer, but of every historian of credit that has written since the Revolution.
"It is a piece of justice to Sir John, says this writer, to say that he has acknowledged, that when he wrote his memoirs he too easily gave credit to a paper concerning Lord Shaftsbury in the Paper-office, written by one Massal, whom, on a complaint of that Nobleman's descendants, he really found to be a man of so bad a character, as not worthy of the least credit, and accordingly retracted what he had taken from it. But ought he not from this instance to have suspected, that he had too readily admitted the authenticity of the French papers concerning Lord Russell and Algernoon Sydney? Should he not have well considered the nature of the evidence, a single, interested, unprincipled man; the distance of time 100 years; the opportunity of fabricating or altering; the inclination some might have in France to set British friends of liberty in an odious light; with their implacable aversion to protestantism and the rights of subjects? And should he not have transcribed the papers himself, and had a friend to have seen and examined the vouchers with him, and so far have authenticated the copies? Besides, if they were genuine, was there not some reason to suspect that Barillon and Courtin might exaggerate, to raise their master's opinion of their own conduct and success?
"The same may be observed of the account of money distributed among the male-contents, in which it is remarkable, there is no mention of any sum given either to Lord Shasisbury or Lord Howard, though both of them were determined opponents to King Charles's measures, and the last of them a needy, and, as Smollet says,

an abandoned nobleman, who sought only to gratify his own interest and ambition. Surely, such an one would have been offered, and he might not have refused present; but the steady patriots, men celebrated as staunch friends to virtue and their country, these we find peculiarly marked in the Frenchman's lists. However, till other evidence is produced of Sydney's being a French pensioner, than that of a perfidious French minister, who was himself the paymaster, and who came to England poor and returned rich, no dispassionate person can believe, that the man who disdained even to ask his life of an unprinicpled king, and pistoled his horse rather than it should be forced from him by the arbitrary will of an absolute one, would ever accept of a paltry pension, for the vile purpose of betraying his country.
"Again, if Lord Russell had engaged in a criminal intercourse with France, as Danby, his enemy, received timely intimations of the design of Rouvigny's journey, from Montague, the British Ambassador at Paris, would that Lord have escaped with impunity at the time; or would not use have been made of it against him at his trial, when evidence was wanting to authorize a legal conviction?"
However, to form a clear judgment of this matter, this able writer gives a sketch of the intrigues and views of Charles, James, their ministers and adherents; and afterwards confiders the part said to be acted by Lord Russell, which, even from Sir John's boasted evidence, instead of reflecting disgrace on, or tarnishing the character, rather adds to the honor of that illustrious patriot.
On impartially stating Charles's se-cret intrigues, his receiving pensions from the French king, conniving at his ministers taking presents, and himself bribing his own subjects with French money, in order to subvert the constitution, extend the prerogative, and introduce popery and arbitrary power, with the dismal prospect of a bigotted, cruel, popish successor, all well known to Lord Russell, it seems so far from blameable in Lord Russell to confer with his friend and relation*

*Lady Ruilchl's mother was sister to the Marquis of Rouvigny, whose son was afterwards created Earl of Galway by KingWilliam, and, having quitted France, served King William in his wars with honour and fidelity.

Rouvigny

List of Books, -with Remarks. 235

Rouvigny (though a French agent), that it evidently showed the most exalted virtue and love for his country, in undertaking to defeat those dangerous designs, at the peril of his life, for the national benefit. To Lord Russell's activity and vigilance it was owing, that the fears for liberty from the power of France were removed; that a mini- ster (Lord Danby) who seconded his master's arbitrary designs was disgraced; that the Duke of York was sent abroad; that a parliament was dissolved, which had in general shown more ardor to enlarge the king's prerogative than maintain the constitutional rights of the people; that the army was disbanded, which seemed intended rather to enslave the nation than to attack a foreign enemy; and that friends to their country were admitted into council in opposition to the king and his cabal.
Having sufficiently exposed the designs and intrigues of the royal brothers Charles and James, and shewn the absolute necessity of counteracting their measures, in order to preserve the constitution, the writer proceeds to col- lect the testimonies of historians of all parties concerning the integrity, principles, and public conduct of Lord Russell; from all which it appears, that his lordship was a man of noble and generous sentiments; the honour of the age he lived in; a zealous protestant; eminent for the simplicity of his manners and the purity of his life; incapable of telling a lie; and that he fell a martyr for the true religion and liberties of his country.
 
15. Observations on a late publication, entitled, "Memoirs of Great Britain, by Sir John Dalrymple." In which some errors, misrepresentations, and the design of that compiler and his associates, are detected. 4to. Almon. THESE observations do not seem more a vindication of the noble patriots against the charge brought against them by Sir John Dalrymple, than an accusation of Sir John for giving false intelligence. The writer denies the fact which Sir John has asserted at first setting out, That his Majesty gave orders that he should have access to the cabinet of King William's private papers at Kensington. The papers, he says, were found by Rachael Lloyd, the house keeper, and were shewn to several persons of eminence, among whom were Lord Holland, and Mr. G. Selwyn. The King heard of it,

and was offended, and sent Lord Roch- ford for them. ... He asks, Did the King return the papers to Kensington, and order that Sir John should have access to them there? or did he give such parts or parcels of them to Sir John as Lord M-s-d and himself judged expedient for publication?"
And he questions likewise the motives which Sir John has assigned for his Majesty's condescension, which are, his justly considering history to be the science of Kings, and willing that the actions of other Princes would be tried by that tribunal of public enquiry, which, he trusts, will do honor to his own; for, were this the truth, there are, continues this writer, many interesting particulars, of which even intelligent persons, owing, doubtless, to the want of better information, cannot help forming opinions not very favourable to the present system of government, which his Majesty might remove by a faithful publication of the state papers in his possession. He wishes, that, among other state secrets, the promises were published that were made to the Prussian Resident in London in the year 1762, with the reasons for breaking those promises; asks what was the correspondence set on foot with the Court of Petersburgh about the same time, when the then minister declared we did not wish to see the Prussian power increase? What the treachery was to his Prussian Majesty which he cannot forget? And what was the object of the alliance that was to be made with the Court of Vienna at His Prussian Majesty's expence? Besides a Depot des Affaires Etrangeres at Versailles, there is one also at Berlin.

Since it has been thought proper, continues the observer, to change sides, to adopt the politics of Charles II. and to live on terms of the strictest amity with his Most Christian Majesty, a friend to his Majesty's public character wishes the favourable opportunity not to be lost of obtaining out of the Depôt at Versailles the correspondence relative to the last peace with France: and till that is procured, he has supplied the following particulars to clear, as he says, every Englishman from the imputation of treachery in that transaction.

"The outlines of the treaty were drawn up and agreed upon between Lord Bute and the Sardinian Minister at London, and the Duc de Choiseul
and

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Please note the difference between the form of f and s in this typeface. The long S lacks the crossbar. The modern s shape is used at the end of a word. ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 09:33:28 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 09:40:05 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 11:34:35 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 13:49:02