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all work, and at one time fit for the management of the largest houses, I am reduced to a mere cypher.

It has been faid, I know, that when I was abroad, I took to drinking. It is a great falfehood, Sir: I do not indeed deny that my mafters were then frequently intoxicated, and often abused me moft grofsly; but it was no fault of mine: and if by your kind means I fhould get into favour again, my employer will find that my real character and principles are too deeply fixed and foundly compacted, to be hurt by what madmen or fools may do, or even by the contrivances of thofe wonderful conjurors who think that the best way to lengthen my progrefs is to fhorten my limbs, and have no idea of fecuring a building but by cramp-irons. Left to myfelf, I have made fome folks what they are, and placed them where they are; and I defy them to bring a juft charge against me. I am

aware there are impoftors who have done mifchief, under pretence of being authorized by me, and others who are in the practice of taking my name in vain, and proftituting my principles: but all this is no bufinefs and no blame of mine. It has even been faid that I am an enemy to religion. Sir, excufe my warmth; but this is a flander as foul and abominable as it is ridiculous. It will not bear one moment's examination. If it had not been for me, I can prove clearly, from authorized written and printed records, that one and all of you would at this time have been kiffing the Pope's toe; and I believe there are many, now making a fufs about religion, whofe covert purpofe is to reduce you to kifs that, or any thing else he may prefent.

As to an idea now prevalent, that there are whole nations fighting for me, it is a grofs miftake. It is not my way to fet people a-fighting, unless for felfdefence; and then the cafe is too plain to require my advice. As to thofe nations, if there are any fuch, who

may

may be fighting for me, they may be left to difcover their error: for, if what I have heard be true, they know very little about me, and at the conclufion of the bufinefs the victors may probably acquire as little of my fpirit as the vanquished.

And now, Mr. Editor, permit me to hope that this ftatement of my cafe will meet the eyes of my real friends, who, I am convinced, are not few in this country. Where elfe, indeed, am I to look for fupport? I never gained much by quarrelling; and I with to be at peace with all mankind. I plainly fee I can get nothing by going abroad; and if I am to be buried, I would fain lay my old bones in my native country. But I have better hopes: I fhall not enter into flattering encomiums on my own character. Suffice it to fay, "I have done the ftate fome fervice, and they know it." My demands are not unreafonable; the prejudices againft me are, I truft, difpelling; I admit of no licentious proceedings, although I know I have been falfely accufed of that. People have affected to do many things for me, who never knew me in their lives. I have met with much ingratitude; I have helped many fair-fpoken young men into places, who were the firft to turn their backs upon me; but I will not indulge either cenfure or complaint. I wish for a quiet habitation in this country, and, although naturally averfe to confinement, I will confent to be prohibited from going abroad, unlefs I can travel in peace. Indeed I have no reafon to be fond of gadding: I never got any thing by it but hard thumps and an ill name. I could fay a great deal more, but shall conclude. I write rather a cramp hand, but it is at your service;

Being ever yours,

LIBERTY.

VOL. V.

CRIM.

CRIM. CON.

[From the Albion.]

AT THE SITTINGS AT WESTMINSTER HALL, BEFORE LORD K-N.

John Bull verfus the Right Hon. William P*it.

THE Counsel for the Plaintiff, who is a tradesman, opened the cafe with ftating, that in the year 1688, his client was married to Mifs Naffovia Liberty, who was of poor but honourable Dutch extraction : that from the day of their marriage to the hour in which the defendant unhappily became acquainted with Mrs. Bull, fhe fupported the character of a chafte and blameless wife: that the defendant, whom Mr. Bull had vainly imagined to be his friend, had infinuated himself into his family, under the fpecious pretext of REFORMING the domeftic concerns of Mr. Bull; and in particular, he had undertaken to manage Mr. Bull's eftates in the BOROUGH, which he affirmed had gone to complete decay by the CORRUPT management of fome preceding ftewards: that the defendant never feriously meant to perform thefe engagements, but had only ufed them for a cover to procure accefs to Mr. Bull's houfe, that he might colleague with his fervants, and corrupt his wife: that the plaintiff had from time to time miffed large fums of money, which were SECRETLY made away with, with the connivance of the defendant-(Here Lord Kn interpofed, and obferved that thefe allegations were irrelevant to the caufe, and might more properly become the ground of a CRIMINAL Prosecution). The learned counfel proceeded to ftate, that his client, from undoubted evidence, was prepared to fhew that an adulterous intercourse had fubfifted between the defendant and

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Mrs. Bull, ever fince the year 1784, about which time the defendant had crept into the family of Mr. Bull: that being a well-fpoken gentleman, he had infinuated himself into the favour of the lady, by flattery and FINE SPEECHES: that in the year 1793, the defendant, the better to cloak his wicked defigns against the honour of Mr. Bull, had the addrefs to perfuade his client, that a FRENCH GENTLEMAN maintained a criminal intercourfe with Mrs. Bull; and with the affiftance of an IRISH GENTLEMAN, a Mr. B-rke, who took uncommon pains to inftil the flander, for which he received a handfome allowance out of the defendant's peculations, finally prevailed upon the plaintiff to enter into a profecution at common law against the Frenchman, in the progrefs of which fuit, from the extortion of attornies, and the difficulty of proving the charges alleged to the fatisfaction of the Court, he had incurred very heavy charges, and was brought to the verge of bankruptcy, the fuit yet depending. The learned counfel then called feveral witneffes to prove that certain liberties had paffed between the defendant and Mrs. Bull (the detail of which, though highly curious and interefting, and leaving no doubt of the guilt of the defendant, could not fail of being offenfive to our readers; for which reafon we omit to give it); and, finally, one witnefs depofed, that a year or two back the defendant inveigled Mrs. Bull out, under pretence of taking an airing, and conveyed her in a coach to a SOLITARY HOUSE in COLD BATH FIELDS, where having firft GAGGED her, and shut out the light, he in conclufion prevailed upon her to fubmit to his unlawful embraces-this witnefs, whose name was Ar-s, was obferved to prevaricate a good deal; but, the evidence on the whole was fo clear and explicit, that the counsel for the defendant was inftructed to admit the fact in its fullest extent, but prayed to be heard in mitigation of damages. Here he went into

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a long

a long and laboured train of proof, that Mrs. Bull had always borne the character of a light woman; that The had been fufpected of various criminal intercourfes from the beginning of her cohabitation with Mr. Bull, particularly with the late Earl of Orford's father, with Lord Bute, &c. That the defendant being fatiated with the poffeffion of her charms, and juftly fufpecting her of inconftancy, had fince voluntarily made a furrender of her perfon to his own chairman! that in all these transactions the plaintiff had bafely connived at his wife's difhonour; that he had fuffered the defendant to take liberties with her in his prefence; that one day, at the fuit of the defendant, he wantonly tore the MARRIAGE DEEDS OF SETTLEMENT, and gave the fcraps into the unlimited poffeffion of the defendant; that, induced by violent animofity against the French gentleman, and defirous at any rate of carrying his fuit against him, he had liftened to the overtures of the defendant, who had been a lawyer, and, to engage him to her caufe, had (with the joint confent of his wife) invested the defendant with the right to all that part of Mrs. Bull's eftates which were contiguous to RUNNYMEDE; in fhort, that Mr. Bull (whom the learned counfel, with infinite humour, and repeated burfts of laughter from a crowded court, defcribed to be a true-born Englishman, who cared not what happened at home, fo long as he could keep out Popery, Frenchmen, and wooden shoes) had been acceffary to his own difgrace. All thefe allegations were clearly and fatisfactorily proved by competent witneffes, one of whom declared upon oath, that the plaintiff, partly by threats, and partly by wheedling, had induced an IRISH lady to enter into an adulterous UNION with him, and introduced her into the company of his own wife: all which evidence being attentively heard by the court, the learned counsel humbly prayed for a mitigation, &e. Lord K-n fummed up the whole of the evidence on

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