unentertaining to you, when I have the pleasure of converfing with you at leisure; and I am not without hope of enjoying that pleasure, if you continue at Rufcombe, before the term begins. I ftay here till the Seffions are over, and would immediately after take my chance of finding you in Berkshire, but am called upon to keep an old promise of visiting the Bishop of St. Asaph near Andover, and must spend a day or two with my friend Poyntz. I can easily conceive how little time you can have to write letters, yet if could find a moment to let me know how long you propofe to remain in the country, I would not be in your neighbourhood without paying my respects to you, and I would indeed have taken Rufcombe in my way to Oxford, if I had not been engaged to make a vifit in Buckinghamfhire. As to myself, I find such distraction among my political friends, that I should be glad (if I had no other motive) to be fixed in India, at the diftance of 16,000 miles from all their animofities, but I am unhappily

you

more unsettled than ever; for **** writes me word, that he has nothing more at heart than to open some situation for me in India. What this means I know not, but it looks like fome new plan, which may probably hang undecided from feffion to feffion. On the whole I greatly fear, that it would have been happy for me, and perhaps for millions, if India had never exifted, or if we had kuown as little of it as of Japan.

Mr. JONES to Lord ALTHORP.

MY DEAR LORD,

Oct. 5, 1782.

Your friendly letter caught me in Buckinghamshire, before I came to college, where I have been for fome days fole governor, and almoft fole inhabitant of Alfred's peaceful manfion, till Mr. Windham furprised me agreeably, by coming with a defign of paffing fome time in this academical retreat. You, in the mean while, are taking healthful and pleafing exercise in Norfolk, where Mr. Fox, I understand, is also shooting partridges; and you are both ready,

no doubt, to turn your firelocks against the Dutch, fhould they make their appearance in your fields: when I was in Zealand they expected us, and if they ftand upon the cere

mony of the first visit, we shall not, I imagine, meet very foon.

In regard to my expectation of seeing a little good attained for our miserable country, I am not apt to be fanguine, but rather inclined to fear the worft than to expect the beft. I rejoice, however, at the diftruft conceived by many honeft men of thofe now in power; my opinion is, that power should always be difrufted, in whatever hands it is placed. As to America, I know not what ***** thinks: but this I know, that the sturdy tranfatlantic yeomanry will neither be dragooned nor bamboozled out of their liberty. His principles in regard to our internal government are, unless I am deluded by his profeffions, fuch as my reafon approves, and which is better, fuch as I know to be approved in clear terms by our recorded conftitution. The friends of ***** were too monarchical, and those of

*far too ariftocratical for me; and if it were poffible to fee an administration too democratical, I fhould equally diflike it. There

must be a mixture of all the powers, in due proportions weighed and measured by the laws, or the nation cannot exift without mifery or fhame. I may write all this confiftently with good manners and with friendfhip, because I know the excellence of your understanding and foundness of your principles; and independently of my prefumption that all your actions must be wife and juft, I fee and applaud the motive which must have induced you to refign an office, which you were not at firft much inclined to accept. I am confident also, that you would as little endure a Swedish monarchy, as a Venetian aristocracy. I enclofe a little jeu d'efprit which I wrote at Paris.

It was

* The jeu d'esprit mentioned here, is the dialogue between a Farmer and Country Gentleman on the Principles of Government. In Dr. Towers' Tract on the Rights of Juries, the following passage relating to it

Occurs:

"After a Bill of Indictment had been found against "the Dean of St. Asaph, for the publication of the

printed here by a fociety, who, if they will steer clear of party, will do more good

to Britain, than all the philosophers and antiquaries of Somerset House. But to speak the truth, I greatly doubt, whether they, or any other men in this country, can do it fubftantial good. The nation, as Demofthenes faid, will be fed like a confumptive patient, with chicken-broth. and panada, which will neither suffer him to expire, nor keep him wholly alive. As to myself, if my friends are refolved to affail one another, instead of concurring in any great and laudable effort for the general safety, I have no course left, but to act and speak rightly to the best of my understanding; but I have an additional motive for wishing to obtain an office in India, where I might have fome profpect of contributing to the happiness of millions, or

"edition which was printed in Wales, Sir William "Jones sent a letter to Lord Kenyon, then Chief Jus"tice of Chester, in which he avowed himself to be the "author of the dialogue, and maintained that every po"sition in it was strictly conformable to the laws and "constitution of England." p. 117.