on the populace, that a certain learned gentleman thought it his duty to interpose.

I look upon a First Minister as a political carpenter, carver, or statuary, and to have a sort of delegated power of creation, which in former ages was carry'd to great excesses, both by political and real sculptors. Caligula made a consul of his horse. Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image, which he order'd al! his subjects to worship, tho' Le Clerc thinks the golden image was only typical, and denoted the King's First Minister, to whom he had given all his power. As to our modern sculptors one may see at Hyde Park Corner, what absurd and incongruous figures they expose to view.

I knew a statuary in the country, who had a quarry of stone of a bad sort, porous, and susceptible of dirt and corruption. Being a very impudent fellow and of a flippant tongue, he made the country believe, there was no good stone but his, and no good sculptor but himself. They all employ'd him, but at last found his materials bad, and his workmanship worse; and were obliged, for their own security, to get rid of it as soon as they could, and to prop in all haste to prevent ruin.

This would be the case of such a political sculptor, who should deal in nepotism, and cut only out of his own quarry; the same materials not being fit for all sorts of figures. For instance, should a First Minister be nearly related to a person, who had neither head nor heart to recommend him; who began the world with being laughed at as a buffoon, and became still more ridiculous by attempting to be grave; saucy and insolent when merry, and absurd when serious; . equally ignorant and self-sufficient; equally greedy of money and power, and equally incapable of using either; whose experience in business served only to give him pride without dignity, and presumption without knowledge; if such a creature, by his relation to a First Minister, be erected into a Minister, the workman would be exclaim'd against and the work despis'd.

JOHN ENGLISH.

The Craftsman, from his own chambers, informs us, that the newspapers continue to give us pompous accounts of the manner, in which several cities and corporations have received those gentlemen who opposed the Excise-Bill; and says, if we may credit private advices, another set of gentlemen are distress'd how to behave, or justify their late conduct. Many of them, 'tis said, congratulated their neighbours on defeat of the scheme, and gave themselves an air of being against it;

but the lists, now published, have undeceived the people, and reduc'd those gentlemen to several shifts.

Some of 'em are so modest as to confine themselves at home; while their creatures are employ'd to put the best gloss they can upon a bad cause; and corrupt, where they cannot persuade. Others put a bold face on the matter, and persist in it sturdily that they opposed the project in some shape or other. For this purpose, they have procur'd false lists to be dispers'd to impose on those, whose confidence they have already abused. Some ingenuously acknowledged they were for the scheme, but allege, they did it to prevent frauds, and relieve the LandTax.

But of all their arguments, none pleases me so much as this. It is true, say they, we voted for the Excise; but did it only to gain credit with the projector, and by those means prevail'd upon him to drop it. I am told this plea hath been already used in several boroughs, and I shall not be surprised to hear that the projector hath issued out certificates of this kind to every one of his creatures, assuring their corporations, that it was solely at their request, he laid aside such a glorious project. But I think the best way for these gentlemen would be, to take the advice of one of their advocates in the Courant, June 19, who proposed that every gentleman, who voted for the Excise, should be catechis'd upon a little stool by the Minister, and be obliged to explain the grounds and motives of his conduct, in the face of a full congregation.

91. THE OPPOSITION TO JOHN WESLEY (1743).

The rise of Methodism is the leading phenomenon in English religious history during the eighteenth century. John Wesley, its founder, was an Oxford graduate, an original writer, a translator and an effective field preacher. In the course of his progresses he frequently endured insult, which sometimes amounted to attack. An instance of this violent opposition is presented in his own words. The date is 1743, and the scene Wednesbury, in Staffordshire.

SOURCE.-Works. John Wesley (1703-1791). London, 1809. Vol. ii., p. 214.

I was writing at Francis Ward's in the afternoon, when the cry arose that "the mob had beset the house". We prayed that

God would disperse them. And it was so: one went this way, and another that so that in half an hour not a man was left. I told our brethren, "Now is the time for us to go". But they pressed me exceedingly to stay; so, that I might not offend them, I sat down, though I foresaw what would follow. Before five the mob surrounded the house again, in greater numbers than ever. The cry of one and all was, "Bring out the minister; we will have the minister". I desired one to take their captain by the hand and bring him into the house. After a few sentences interchanged between us, the lion was become a lamb. I desired him to go and bring one or two more of the most angry of his companions. He brought in two, who were ready to swallow the ground with rage; but in two minutes they were as calm as he. I then bade them make way, that I might go out among the people. As soon as I was in the midst of them I called for a chair, and standing up, asked, "What do any of you want with me?" Some said, "We want you to go with us to the Justice". I replied, "That I will with all my heart". I then spoke a few words, which God applied; so that they cried out with might and main, "This gentleman is a honest gentleman, and we will spill our blood in his defence". I asked, "Shall we go to the Justice to-night or in the morning?" Most of them cried, To-night, to-night". On which I went before, and two or three hundred followed, the rest returning whence they came.

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The night came on before we had walked a mile, together with heavy rain. However, on we went to Bentley-Hall, two miles from Wednesbury. One or two ran before to tell Mr. Lane, "They had brought Mr. Wesley before his worship". Mr. Lane replied, "What have I to do with Mr. Wesley? Go, and carry him back again." By this time the main body came up, and began knocking at the door. A servant told them, “Mr. Lane was in bed ". His son followed and asked, "What was the matter?" One replied, "Why, an't please you, they sing psalms all day; nay, and make folks rise at five in the morning. And what would your worship advise us to do?" "To go home," said Mr. Lane, “and be quiet.”

Here they were at a full stop, till one advised, "To go to Justice Persehouse, at Walsal". All agreed to this. So we hastened on, and about seven came to his house. But Mr. P. likewise

sent word, "That he was in bed". Now they were at a stand again; but at last they all thought it the wisest course to make the best of their way home. About fifty of them undertook to convoy me. But we had not gone a hundred yards,

when the mob of Walsal came, pouring in like a flood, and bore down all before them. The Darlaston mob made what defence they could; but they were weary, as well as out-numbered; so that, in a short time, many being knocked down, the rest ran away, and left me in their hands.

To attempt speaking was vain, for the noise on every side. was like the roaring of the sea. So they dragged me along till we came to the town; where, seeing the door of a large house open, I attempted to go in; but a man catching me by the hair, pulled me back into the middle of the mob. They made no more stop till they had carried me through the main street from one end of the town to the other. I continued speaking all the time to those within hearing, feeling no pain or weariness. At the west end of the town, seeing a door half open, I made toward it, and would have gone in, but a gentleman in the house would not suffer me, saying, "They would pull the house down to the ground". However, I stood at the door, and asked, "Are you willing to hear me speak?" Many cried out, "No, no; knock his brains out! down with him! kill him at once!' Others said, "Nay, but we will hear him first". I began asking, "What evil have I done?-which of you all have I wronged in word or deed?" And continued speaking for above a quarter of an hour, till my voice suddenly failed. Then the floods began to lift up their voice again; many crying out, "Bring him away, bring him away".

In the meantime my strength and my voice returned, and I broke out aloud into prayer. And now the man who just before headed the mob, turned and said, "Sir, I will spend my life for you; follow me, and not one soul here shall touch a hair of your head ". Two or three of his fellows confirmed his words, and got close to me immediately. At the same time the gentleman in the shop cried out," For shame, for shame, let him go". An honest butcher, who was a little farther off, said, "It was a shame they should do thus"; and pulled back four or five one after another, who were running on the most fiercely. The people then, as if it had been by common consent, fell back to the right and left; while those three or four men took me between them, and carried me through them all. But on the bridge the mob rallied again: we therefore went on one side, over the mill-dam, and thence through the meadows; till a little before ten, God brought me safe to Wednesbury, having lost only one flap of my waistcoat, and a little skin from one of my hands.

92. £30,000 REWARD FOR THE YOUNG PRETENDER (1745).

When the Young Pretender landed on British shores, George II. was absent in Hanover, and the responsibility of immediate action fell to his ministers. This proclamation offering the huge reward of £30,000 is a sign of their activity. It was drafted before the Jacobite leader had reached Scotland, for the government possessed full intelligence of his purpose. The main point which it emphasises is the extent of Highland loyalty. After Culloden Prince Charlie became a fugitive, and his life was for months at the mercy of any man who would inform on him and get the money. Considering the poverty-stricken state of the clansmen, their steadfastness in shielding an acknowledged if defeated king, should be included among the noblest deeds of honour.

SOURCE.-Royal Proclamation, 1745. Cited from text in Gentleman's Magazine, vol. xv., p. 419.

By the Lords Justices.

A PROCLAMATION.

Ordering a reward of 30,000l. to any person who shall seize and secure the eldest son of the pretender, in case he shall land, or attempt to land, in any of his majesty's dominions.

Whereas by an act of parliament made in the seventeenth year of his majesty's reign, it was enacted, that if the eldest, or any other son or sons of the person who pretended to be prince of Wales in the life-time of the late king James the Second, and since his decease assumed the name and title of James the Third, king of England, Scotland and Ireland should, after the first day of May, in the year one thousand seven hundred and forty-four, land or attempt to land, or be