withstanding all the advantage it has given me because it has alfo given occafion for a malicious fufpición in this cenforious town, as if I had done thefe Lords fome fort of private injury; of which yet I am so inno cent, that they will not add it to their other accufations against me, I am confident.

NEITHER Will I take up your Lordships time with recriminations; I confess it is hard to hold, when 'tis fo easy to do it; the subject is ample enough, and your Lordships will not think it so unbecoming a gentleman to return an accufation, as it was to be the first accufer: but, tho' never so much tempted, I have too much refpect for this great affembly to entertain you fo ill.

THE only thing I fhall trouble you with, is the defence of what a man cannot be too careful of, my honour; and accordingly fhall tell your Lordships a true story very plainly. If I should fail in any thing, it wou'd be no wonder, fince I have neither ufed counsel without doors, nor troubled you with any here; being of opinion any man is able to fpeak truth without any affistance.

ABOUT four years ago I defign'd to build a house, and therefore difpos'd of that I lived in to the Spanish Ambaffador; inquir'd every

where

where for ground; treated with Mr. NEAL for his beyond Berkley-house, and with many others alfo; but at last fixed on that spot of ground you have now heard fo much of. Upon my propofing it to those concern'd, I found two difficulties; firft, the title was fo perplex'd, there was no buying without an Act of Parliament to clear it; the fecond was, that the inheritance of this ground after seventy four years is in the City of London. I endeavour'd to overcome the firft of these difficulties, by procuring an agreement among the proprictors in the present lease of seventy four years, in order to have an Act of Parliament; and for the other, I treated with the City, defiring only four acres in all, for a house, a court before it, and a small Garden behind it. I think the first time I propos'd it was here in the bishops lobby to Sir HUBLAND, Sir R. CLAYTON, and three more of the city all together, who then affur'd me the inheritance could not be parted with. Upon this I defir'd a lease of one hundred and fifty years, which yet was refufed; and after many months I obtained one of one hundred years only.

WHILE this was treating above a twelvemonth, one of the city officers brought me

articles to fign; of which one was, that the lease should be void, unless I procur'd fuch an Act of Parliament to pass for settling all matters about it; wherein fome clauses of his penning might be inferted for the City's advantage. This condition appear'd fo unreasonable to me, (who was only one of the many parties that were to confent to fuch a private Act, before ever the Parliament, I knew, would pass it) that in a little heat I told this small officer Mr. Lane (the worthy witness) that it must be his own propofal, and too extravagant a one to come from the City, who had never asked fuch a condition. Mr. LANE grew exceffive angry, as the other person then present has fworn; and very pertly told me he was not to be ruffled out of his care for the City by any fubject whatsoever; and yet, to pacify the good man, who might by his place do ill offices by a mifrepresentation, I agreed (not that an Act should pass, tho' a private one) but only that I would, as a party, give my confent to it as foon as all the other proBut the true reason

prietors did fo too. why I refused his proposal, was not for the leaft doubt I had of your Lordfhips paffing the Bill (which now lies on the table ready

drawn

drawn by Mr. FOULK's, who fent it at my requcft) but only because in justice your Lordships require all parties agreement to any private Bill, which I fear'd so many of them would hardly be perfuaded to; and then my Grant from the City was to have been void, if I had fign'd his fine propofal.

a

To make an end of a long ftory, the City granted the Leafe at laft, and it lics also on your table, full of covenants so much to the City's advantage, and fo little to mine, (there being fome articles of charge to me befides the rent) that I have fold to the Lord JEFFREYES for one hundred guincas this great prefent of the City (of which some have made fuch a noise) because it is of no use to me without building my houfe; which defign fails only for want of the mortgagee's being able to make a fure title; and they are not enough agreed to get an Act to pass about it. Upon this I will make a few rcmarks, and fo conclude. First,

THE value of this is, you fee, fo very inconfiderable, that it alone anfwers all fufpicion about it: For tho' a bribe of a meer bawble is inexcufable; yet when circumftan. ces are examined in order to judge if it be a bribe, or not, I fuppose a plain gold ring

3

is

is not to be fufpected as much as a diamond of one thousand pounds.

THE next objection vanishes about my undertaking for this Act, when it is confidered how many inftances there are every day of members in both houfes who article, not only as I have done, to endeavour at, but also to procure a private Act of Parliament; because indeed they can be under-' ftood to mean no more by it, than to confent themselves, to perfuade others what they can, and fometimes to pay the fees of the clerks, which in this very Leafe I am oblig'd to free the city from, whenever the Act paffes.

THE length of the Lease is as odd a cavil as the reft; fince one hundred years is certainly as proportionable a term for fuch a great house, as forty years for a little one, especially confidering how flightly they build thofe little ones now-a-days.

WHEREAS there was fome mention of my obliging the city about GULSTON's Bill; I confefs my memory did not lay that value upon it, as it feems their gratitude did, who own'd the obligation. It appears to have been a private bill which invaded the City of London's rights, against which I