ipceffant pains were taken to infuse into the minds of his rifing offspring, and more particularly into that of his eldestborn," the second hope of Britain," juft and elevated fentiments of government, and of liberty civil and religious*. But from the period of the untimely and lamented death of the Prince, the system of education adopted by the Princess Dowager of Wales, to whom the guardianship of the royal iffue was entrusted, appeared to be impreffed with a bias entirely new; and the ominous refignation of Lord Harcourt. and the Bishop of Norwich, with the reasons affigned in vindication of their conduct, was the fubject of much anxious apprehenfion-efpecially as it was but too well known that the Earl of BUTE, a nobleman haughty in his manners, contracted in his capacity, defpotic in his fentiments, and myfterious in his conduct, was fuccefsfully infinuating himself into the confidence of the Princess of Wales, and of her fon the Heir apparent of the Crown. On the 27th of October 1760, Sunday only having intervened fince the death of the late King, the Earl of Bute was fworn a Member of the Privy Council-a mark of distinction so striking and peculiar as apparently to portend changes of great political importance. After a fhort interval the Rangership of Richmond Park was taken from the Princefs Amelia, the only unmarried daughter of the late King, and whom he had * In an occafional Addrefs or Prologue, fpoken by Prince George, on acting a part in the Tragedy of CATO, performed at Leicester-Houfe, about the year 3749, he was inftructed thus to exprefs himself The poets' labors elevate the mind, Teach our young hearts with generous fire to burn, T' attain these glorious ends, what play so fit 1 KNOW, 'TWAS THE FIRST GREAT LESSON I WAS TAUGHT. had ever delighted to diftinguish by marks of his affection, and bestowed upon the Earl of Bute; and by an order of the King in Council, the name of the Duke of Cumberland, dear fince the memorable day of Culloden to the Whigs, was ftruck out of the Liturgy. The Parliament, which, agreeably to the falutary provifions of an Act paffed for that purpose, continued to exercise its functions for a period of fix months after the death of the Sovereign, met on the 18th November, when the King, feated on the throne with all the fplendid decorations of royalty, delivered a speech calculated in the highest degree to confirm all the fond and flattering prepoffeffions of the public in his favor. After a decent expreffion of concern for the lofs of the late King, and imploring the bleffing of Heaven on his endeavors to fuftain the weight of Government which now devolved upon him, the young Monarch, with great propriety and dignity of elocution, proceeded in these remarkable words: “Born and educated in this country, I GLORY in the name of BRITON, and the peculiar happiness of my life will ever confift in promoting the happiness of a people whofe loyalty and warm affection to me I confider as the greatest and most permanent security of my Throne.-The civil and religious rights of my loving subjects are equally dear to me with the most valuable prerogatives of my Crown." After an ample delineation of the flourishing circumstances of the Kingdom, he concludes as follows: "In this ftate I have found things at my acceffion to the throne of my ancestors-happy in viewing the profperous part of it; happier ftill fhould I have been had found my Kingdoms, whofe true intereft I have entirely at heart, in full peace; but fince the ambition, injurious encroachments, and dangerous defigns of my enemies rendered the war both juft and neceffary, and the generous overture made laft winter towards a Congrefs for a pacification has not yet produced any fuitable return, I am determined, with your cheerful and powerful affiftance, to profecute this war with vigor, in order to that defirable object -a fafe -a fafe and honorable peace. The eyes of all Europe are upon you. From you the Proteftant Intereft hopes for protection, as well as all our friends for the preservation of their independency, and our enemies fear the final difappointment of their ambitious and deftructive views. Let these hopes and fears be confirmed and augmented by the vigor, unanimity, and dispatch of our proceedings. In this expectation I am the more encouraged by a pleasing circumstance, which I look upon as one of the most auspicious omens of my reign. That happy extinction of divifions, and that union and good harmony which continue to prevail amongst my subjects, afford me the most agreeable prospect. The natural difpofition and wifh of my heart are to cement and promote them; and I promise myself that nothing will arife on your part to interrupt or disturb a fituation so essential to the true and lafting felicity of this great people." Although this celebrated speech was conceived in the true fpirit of Whiggifm, and was expreffed with all the energy and animation which characterized the prefent Minister, it is probable that Mr. Pitt was not infenfible, or inattentive, to the intrigues and cabals already formed for the purpose of effecting a general removal of the present Administration from office. In a few days fubfequent to the meeting of Parliament, Lord Bute declared to his confidential friend Mr. Doddington, foon afterwards created Lord Melcombe, that Lord Holderness, who appears to have been the earliest convert to the new fyftem, "was ready, at his defire, tọ QUARREL with his fellow-minifters, on pretext of flight and ill ufage, and throw up in SEEMING ANGER, in order that Lord Bute might come in without appearing to displace any body." This complaifant and courtly, or, to speak in jufter terms, this mean and fervile, offer Lord Bute did not deign for the present to accept. Very early in the month of January (1761), ten weeks of the new reign not being as yet completed, Lord Bute informed his confident Mr. Doddington," that Mr. Pitt MEDITATED A RETREAT." Shortly Shortly after this Lord Bute faid " it would be easy to make the Duke of Newcastle refign-but who should be the fucceffor? He thought it not advisable to begin there." Doddington replied," that he faw no objection; but, if Lord Bute was averse, it might be put into hands that would refign it to him whenever he chofe to take it." It is obfervable that Lord Bute declared his belief that the Duke of Newcastle harbored no hoftile intentions, nor, in cafe of refignation, would he oppose the future Miniftry. Doubtless this Nobleman, who had grown old in the fervice of the House of Brunswic, and had long poffeffed the favor and confidence of the late King, felt at this period little propensity to oppose the measures, or refift the inclinations, of a young Monarch borne along by the full tide of popularity and prosperity. Perceiving his political confequence loft, and conscious of being at once hated as a rival and contemned as an incumbrance, he appears to have been now folicitous only to fecure an honorable retreat. But from the difficulty of appointing an immediate fucceffor, his Grace was permitted yet awhile to linger in office, the mere cypher of a Minister, and the phantom of his former greatnefs. The enormous fupplies demanded for the profecution of the war amounting to nineteen millions, of which twelve millions were funded at an high intereft, were granted without inquiry or hefitation. Amongst the moft remarkable articles of the national expenditure was the fum of 200,000l. voted by the Commons, in confequence of an exprefs meflage from the Throne, as a compenfation to the feveral provinces of America for the extraordinary expences incurred by them in their vigorous and ftrenuous efforts during the present war, and which the Parliament virtually acknowledged by this grant to be more than adequate to their proportional ability. Nor was the prefent grant the firft of this nature wifely and indulgently conceded by the Parliament; and affording a pleafing and ftriking contraft to the enormous folly difplayed in the extravagant fums lavished in German and and Pruffian fubfidies. The civil Lift was fixed at the clear annual fum of 800,000!. payable out of the Aggregate Fund, in lieu of the hereditary and other fpecific revenues fettled on the late King. Towards the close of the feffion, a very popular measure was recommended by the new Monarch in a speech from the Throne, by which much reputation of patriotism and difintereftedness was gained at a very inconfiderable expence. Notwithstanding the Act paffed in the reign of King William, by which the commiffions of the Judges were continued during their good behaviour, their offices determined at the demife of the Crown; though no inftance had in fact occurred fince the Revolution in which a Judge had been removed at the acceffion of a new Sovereign. The King however now declared that he confidered the independency and uprightness of the Judges as effential to the impartial administration of justice, and one of the best securities of the liberty of the subject, as well as conducive to the honor of the Crown. He therefore recommended that fuch farther provifion fhould be made for fecuring the Judges in the enjoyment of their offices, and the permanency of the falaries annexed to them, notwithstanding fuch demife, as fhould be thought expedient. The Commons acknowledged, in a very loyal address, their grateful fenfe of his Majefty's attention to an object fo interefting to his people, and a Bill framed for the purpose paffed both Houses in a very short time. It is evident that no real facrifice was made on the part of the Crown in this inftance-for neither was any purpose to be answered by the removal of the Judges promoted under the late reign, nor would any Minister have ventured previously to advise, or fubfequently to juftify, so unprecedented and unconftitutional a measure. As Princes are however in general not only fond of power, but of the fhadow of it, praise is due to every indication of a disposition favourable to liberty; and it is a conceffion, however occafionally over-rated, which ought not to be mentioned but in terms of approbation and applaufe. Mr. Onflow, |