'thofe fair celestials of the Grecian bard, whofe attributes of divinity never appeared fo brilliant as when forming a fhield for the heroic leader of an oppreffed people!

The ridicule that has been fo perfectly levelled against honeft Jack Churchill, has evidently more levity than juftice in it. However miftaken in politics, or mifguided in fome of his more recent perfonal attachments, he undoubtedly has many good qualities, amongst the moft fhining of which is to be enumerated, his extreme ingenioufnefs and candour. He exhibited a ftriking teftimony of this latter virtue in a fpeech which he addreffed to his friend Sir Cecil a few hours before he fet out for Bath-taking him by the hand, "My dear friend, fays he, you had better quit the field now when you may 66 go eff in credit to ourfelves and caufe-I know Weftminster as well as any man in it-and by G- I pronounce your cafe perfectly defperate, with refpect to your pre"fent Election-pretend an intention for a future fcrutiny and decline. After the "pains I have already taken, I fhall not stay to be a witness of your defeat and difgrace-fo if you won't take my counfel, why give me your hand and God blefs you."A friend who happened to be prefent, records, he believes the very words of this parting harangue with ftrict accuracy, but certain he is that the general fenfe is most faithfully reprefented in this account of it. It is not yet too late, Sir Cecil, to difcover a fmall fymptom of expiring grace. Do it, for God's fake; a friend recommends it; think what will become of the credit of Churchill, your friend, and the Court your employers, if you fhall adopt no expedient for breaking the effect of a fall fo injurious to the feelings of the one, and the interefts of the other? Try for once to reflect a little.

666

The Houfe of Commons has always been rigorous in its proceedings against returning officers for illegal, arbitrary, or partial conduct during Elections. On the 22d of December, 1741, Mr. John Lever, High Bailiff of Westminster was, for fuch practices, committed to the cuftody of the Serjeant at Arms.

Extract of a letter from Bath, dated Saturday the 22d inftant. "Yefterday evening our old acquaintance Jack Ch-11 made his appearance in the "rooms here; if I may judge from his defponding countenance, he has given up all hopes of his friend Sir Cecil W's fuccefs in Weftminster, Poor Cl! he looks "extremely ill, principally owing, I fuppofe, to the violent fatigue which he has un"dergone in canvaffing. If the Bath waters do not recruit his fpirits foon, I fear he will fall into a decline."

The prints exhibited on the late change of politics, are in general fcurrilous, abufive, deftitute of merit, wit, and humour, feemingly calculated to draw a gaping and idle multitude together; and indeed, were we not charitably inclined, we could almost fufpect the print fellers to be in league with the handkerchief merchants of Field-lane: for the prints daily exhibited during the prefent conteft in Weftminster, we cannot help faying, are unmanly, bafe, and infamous. A female character of illuftrious rank and beauty, to he exhibited to the vulgar in the moft indecent and obfcene attitudes and converfations, is a difgrace to the artist, a difgrace to his employer, but more fo to the police: at leaft, our City Magiftrates fhould have taken notice of, and put a flop to fo glaring a nuifance, tending to extinguifh the remaining fpark of morality of the prefent age; but it feems as if religion and morality underwent a change in the city as well as politics!

The Committee at Wood's, with a ftroke of fome humour, have perpetualized the abdication of Jack Churchill, their defponding Chairman. No fooner were they informed he was arrived in the dumps at Bath, on Thursday laft, than they fent to Parliamentftreet, with Sir Cecil Wray's compliments, and requefted the ufe of Mr. Churchill's chariot for a few days: this being immediately complied with, Mr. Salter, the bricklayer, of St. Margaret's, whofe great refemblance of his friend Churchill has occafioned

the

the latter fo many aukward embarraffinents, was prevailed upon to mount a fi of rufty fables-to take "the chariot for the day"-drive through the fire.rsus s hand to the colours of Hood and Wray, and by this electioneering fe fimile, prevent thofe fatal confequences which the general knowledge of Churchill's recreat in despair, must have on the prerogative caufe !-The trick fucceeded admirably the firft day; but on Saturday it was unfortunately difcovered by a particular friend of C's, abruptly ftopping the chariot, and begging immediately his Galenical aid for his lady then in hyllerics. There was no parrying this unpropitious fhaft, and therefore the plot could no longer be concealed; for the gentleman, not in a temper of mind to favour the impofition, wrote by that night's poft to Churchill, informing him of the particulars of the deception.-What will be the event of this barmlefs joke, as the contrivers call it, a few pofts will probably difcover;-Sum folus! is honeft Jack's motto, as well as Powell's the unparalelled fire-eater, fo that all things confidered, the remonftrance is expected to be acrimonioufly fevere from the offended party!

N. B. With their most intimate friends, Mr. Salter is only known from Mr. Churchill, at the first glance, by a fmall wart under his left eye!

It is now faid that Mr. Fox's present votes are to a man bad, and that Lord Hood and Sir Cecil Wray's are all good. There can be no doubt of the truth of this affertion; the High Bailiff's extreme partiality for the caufe of Mr. Fox, and his zealous endea vours to favour his re-election, moft fully explain and confirm it.

Poor Lord Hood! how often, in the courfe of the last twelve days has this pitiable peer lamented that departing from the bonourable courfe of his own profeffion, he fhould have been abfurd enough to embark on the stormy fea of politics!

The military exertions of Sir Cecil Wray's party do not content them, after having polled at least 500 horfe-guards and foot-guards, to the tune of nine in a houfe !-For on Saturday laft, a French deferter was daringly brought up to the Huftings to poll for the prerogative Candidates! On an appeal to the Returning Officer (whofe lack of knowledge in the French lingo was to be his excufe) he was about to be declared a Philadel phian, begotten of English parents, and therefore an eligible vote;-when the perturbed Gaul, with a facre Dicu, declared himfelf a native of France, and inftantly retired, giving the High Bailiff and all his host a tous les Diable!

A large detachment of the Swifs guards are faid to be just landed at Dover, and now on their full march for the Huftings at Covent Garden, in order to poll for the Court Candidates, and thus defend the franchises of British Electors from further invafion!

April 24.] One vote was polled for Mr. Fox at the clofe of this day's poll, which, by accident or defign was omitted in the cafting up, and therefore cannot appear in his favour till the books are opened this morning: this reduces Sir Cecil's once boafted majority of 318, to 65 only!

The Ifcariot Baronet is fo fenfible of his impending overthrow, that he now very rarely expofes his amiable perfon to the indignation of the infulted Electors of Westminfter; even his late triumphant partizans, who fo long difgraced the Huftings with their noife and nonfenfe, have at length ceafed their Io Peans, and defpairing of the return of their treacherous leader, affect to confole themselves with the hopes of a fix months ferutiny!

The modeft, and liberal Mr. Jackfon did not treat the people with any of his aristocratic convulfions during the last week. The domeftic diftreffes of Newcastle Houfe are faid to have required his unremitting attendance!-defpair reigns through that gloomy manfion with fuch a train of horrors, that knives, ropes, and razors, with all other inftruments of fudden death are removed from thence by phyfical injunction L

X x

April

April 26.] The meeting at the Crown and Anchor Tavern on Friday evening was the inoit numerous ever known of Mr. Fox's friends, and filled every room in the tavern, fo as to make it impofiible to accommodate upwards of two hundred, who were obliged to return for want of room. Mr. Fox took the chair about half after four, and in a fpeech in which the tranfcendent abilities of that eminent Statefraan were moft ftrikingly confpicuous, ftated the purpofe of the meeting, and the grateful fatiffaction of his own heart, at the appearance and zeal of fo very refpectable and numerous a fupport. The warmest effufions of cordiality feemed univerfally to animate the whole allemmbly, and Mr. Fox with uncommon cheerfulnefs appeared moft pleafingly fenfible of the refpectable and flattering light in which his friends beheld him. Several conftitutional healths were drank by Mr. Fox, Lord Ludlow, Lord Robert Spencer, Colonel North, Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Townfend, &c. &c. till about fix o'clock, when Captain Morris made his appearance in the room; an inftant uproar of applaufe took place, and Capt. Morris was conducted through the croud, and placed in the chair by Mr. Sheridan, which Mr. Fox had vacated for a few minutes to go into the different Doms. Capt. Morris was then defired to mount on the top of it, and the whole aiembly, in one univerfal clamour, called out for the Baby and Nurfe; Capt. Morris fang it with uncommon fpirit and exertion; the tumult of applaufe was beyond all belief, and furely there never was a compofition which fo well deferved it.A fucceffionof conflitutional toafts then took place; Mr. Fox returned, and other fongs were called for, but the whole company feemed to look to Captain Morris as the very life and foul of convivial wit and pleafure. The Captain, therefore, in compliance with their friendly folicitations, gave them another of his fongs, a most elegant and fterling compofition, made for the day, and called the jet, which was encored with fuch a clamour of applaufe, that the Captain fung it a fecond time with equal fpirit and effect; and it was then agreed, after drinking Captain Morris's health in three cheers, to undertake an univerfal canvafs, and not lofe in the charms of convivial enjoyment the great purpofe of the meeting. Mr. Sheridan, therefore, in a moft ingenious and elegant harangue on the liberty of the prefs, which the new prerogative Adminiftration have began to invade in our fifter kingdom, gave, as a conclufive toast, The Liberty of the Prefs." This being drank, Mr. Fox made a grateful adieu to the company for the evening, and the whole company, except a few who had facrificed too freely to the jolly god, difperfed themfelves on a canvafs with full confidence of complete

fuccefs.

The intention of the fuppreffion of the freedom of the prefs has ftruck with horror every paper in London, except one, that infainous one, devoted to the panegyric of the principal crime, which difgraces the name of man, and which is rivetted to the purpofe of rendering the female fex obnoxious. The courtly Sampon himfelf, and like his former felf on this occafion, throws away all ideas of the decorations of a Court, when the trappings of full fledged Royal favours are to be plucked from the pinions of the Conftitution, and from the breaft of that glorious nymph, fair Liberty. The Morning Phas adopted the debilitated idea of Rome-unhappy Rome! once the triumphant mafler, now the proftituted miftrefs of the world.

The toafts of the Meeting at Wood's Hotel on Saturday laft, are certainly replete with wit, and are worthy the obfervation of the public. Lord Hood toasted the Lord Lieutenant of the Coun y, as became the profeffed Candidate of the Court ;-Sir C— Wtoafted the D- of N-, as became the betrayer of the caufe of the indpendent Electors of Weftminsters;-Lord M- tms drank a toaft, full of wit and hunour, fuch as became his Lordfhip, who is remarkable for the brilliancy of his imagination; the nominal Mr. Cl (for the real Mr. C is known to be abfent)

gave a toast, which feemed to indicate a fpeedy triumph to the caufe of the Court; but unfortunately the state of the poll proves a direct contradiction to all thefe empty rhodomontades.

The friends of one of our morning papers begin to perceive, that every attack on the much valued D of D has failed of fuccefs, and have therefore given up the chace, or rather it may be thought that fuch infinuations caufed the public to examine the deportment of her Grace in every walk of private and public life, and to examine hers, is to approve and commend.

The great complaint against Mr. Fox is, that he is not a man of very affluent fortune; and his enemies, or rather the enemies to the grandeur of our country, fay, that fuch a man may ufe the public money for his own advantage; but let us fee the anfwer, Mr. Fox has been twice a Minifter, and yet it is not pretended that he has improved his fortune, so that it is not poffible to win the good word of an enemy, for had he acquired property from official fituation, he would be called a public peculator; and now, because he prefered the good of the country to his private intereft, and has departed from office with clean hands; the friends of Secret Influence muft in truth declare, that he has not a stake in the country, &c. and that because he has proved himself an honest Minifter.

April 27.] The event of this day's poll will no doubt prove fo far decifive as to refcue the city of Weftminster from the painful mortification of any longer feeing the man of their averfion ftand on the poll fuperior in numbers to the man of their free choice.-The undaunted champion of conftitutional freedom!

The phalanx of Independent Electors, who have reserved their fuffrages for the completion of this day's victory, will be received as they approach the Huitings, with the grateful acclamations due to the heroic protectors of the people's rights.

The bets last night were, a hundred guineas to ten, that Mr. Fox was fitting Member for Westminster!

The abfurd partizans of the unfortunate Sir Cecil give out, that as a fcrutiny will be demanded on the part of the Iscariot Baronet, the High Bailiff will not return Mr. Fox till that ferutiny is finally concluded: but the legal fact is, that the proper officer must make a return, on or before the 18th of May, agreeable to the tenor of the King's writ; or abide the penal confequences of his difobedience. In cafual Election, no day is fixed for the return; but in general ones, the time is precifely fpecified, and muit be duly

obferved.

Sir William Gordon, who enjoys no lefs than a thousand pounds per annum, obtained under the immediate patronage of Mr. Fox, has very gracefully declined voting at this crifis in favour of his political benefactor.

Mr. Salter the bricklayer has but one admiffible pretence for perfonating Mr. Churchill, which is, that he, as well as the medical gentleman is a dealer in plaifters—for stucco work!

Such gentlemen of the royal band, who are Electors of Westminster, have to a man been taught who it is that pays the piper, and the first fiddle has been the leader of their votes! Many of them in the beginning attempted to indulge in an ad libitum, but as this was likely to produce difcord in the overture, they were told that all paufes gave offence; -they prudently availed themfelves of the hint, and have fince voted altogether in allegro

time!

The difiniffion of Mr. Whitehead, the Yeoman of the Guards, from his office, for voting in support of Mr. Fox, exhibits a fad reverfe of the auspicious fate of his Laureat

X X 2

namefate!

iamefake! he, in his facrifices to the folar God, experiences all the bleffings of funfhine! but the firft mentioned gentleman, un-fchooled in the page of fiction, voted according to the dialates of confcience and an independent mind, and erred in being honest.

April 27.] The propitious moment, which we have long prefaged, and of the cer. tainty of which we never entertained a doubt, is at laft, this day, happily arrived, and Mr. Fox has obtained that fuperiority upon the poll for Weftminfter which he would long fince have obtained, if the moft defperate and unconftitutional expedients had not been exerted against him, that were ever adopted upon any fimilar occafion. The triumph upon this occafion is not more complete, on account of the victory obtained over every exercife of every influence, that is at once corrupt and unconftitutional; but as it contains an evidence the moft decifive and incontrovertible, that the popular delufionof the moment is now rapidly on the decline, and that the people are proceeding fast to the recovery of that good fenfe and generous regard for the true conftitution of the country, which is their general characteristic, but of which they had evidently undergone a momentary derilection, and of courfe, that the triumph of prerogative is likely to be as brief in its duration, as it was bafe and underhand in the mode of obtaining it. If this temporary deception begins to wear off in Westminster, in the immediate fcene of political action, where the nature of a ftatefman's conduct is fubject to the most thorough inveftigation, and the motives of it beft understood, it furely affords a fair and reafonable opportunity for this interference, that the more the general body of the people understand the public principles and conduct of Mr. Fox, the more they will refpect them; and that nothing is wanting but a little time to reftore him once more to that univerfal efteem which he has fo long held with his countrymen, and which the undeviating confiftency of his principles, the decifive fuperiority of his talents, and the length of his political experience fo eminently entitle him to. Upon the clofe of this day's poll, the numbers ftood,

April 27]. This day upwards of eight hundred Electors in the interest of Mr. Fox dined together at the Free Mafon's Tavern, Mr. Fox in the chair: after the glorious triumph of the day, it were needlefs to add that this meeting prefented an uninterrupted fcene of convivial mirth. Various patriotic toafts were drank-among which were, "the Ducheffes of Devonshire and Portland, and the other fair fupporters of the whig caufe." Captain Morris entertained the company with his much admired political fong, "The Baby and Nurfe."-Mr. Bannifter, with "Give me Death or Liberty, &c." after which, the company broke up about seven o'clock, in order to refume their canvafs with fresh vigour.

It must be acknowledged that Mr. Churchill's retreat to Bath was not ill timed; he did not chufe to be an eye-witness to the late defeat and complete overthrow of the caufe he has efpoufed, and which his vanity had prompted him to think would prove fuccefsful through his exertions, becaufe, upon a former occafion, he had the honour of being Chairman of Mr. Fox's Committee, when the fpirit of the independent Electors first triumphed over their opponents in Weftminfter. Like the Fly upon the Chariotwheel, he foolishly conceived that he had raifed that cloud of duft which firft overwhelmed and ftified the influence of the Court in this city, and which he has now in vain endeavoured to revive, by deferting his former principles, and meanly enlisting under the banner of minifterial corruption.