I have the pleasure of conversing with you at your leisure; and I am not without hope of enjoying that pleasure, if you continue at Ruscombe, before the Term begins. I stay here till the Sessions 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 you could find a moment to let me know how long you propose to remain in the country, I would not be in your neighbourhood without paying my respects to you, and I would indeed have taken Ruscombe in my way to Oxford, if I had not been engaged to make a visit in Buckinghamshire. 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 distance of 16,000 miles from all their animosities, but I am unhappily 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 some new plan, which may probably hang undecided from session to session. On the whole, I greatly fear that it would have been happy for me, and perhaps for millions, if India had never existed, or if we had known as little of it as of Japan.

Mr.

Mr. JONES to Lord ALTHORPE.

MY DEAR Lord,

Oct. 5, 1782.

Your friendly letter caught me in Buckinghamshire, before I came to college, where I have been for some days sole governor, and almost sole inhabitant of Alfred's peaceful mansion, till Mr. Windham surprised me agreeably, by coming with a design of passing some time in this academical retreat. You, in the mean while, are taking healthful and pleasing exercise in Norfolk, where Mr. Fox, I understand, is also shooting par tridges; and you are both ready, no doubt, to turn your firelocks against the Dutch, should they make their appearance in your fields: when I was in Zealand they expected us, and if they stand upon the ceremony of the first visit, we shall not, I imagine, meet very soon.

In regard to my expectation of seeing a little good attained for our miserable country, I am not apt to be sanguine, but rather inclined to fear the worst than to expect the best. I rejoice, however, at the distrust conceived by many honest men of those now in power; my opinion is, that, power should always be distrusted, in whatever hands it is placed. As to America, I know what ***** thinks but this I know, that the sturdy transatlantic 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 professions, such as my reason approves, and, which is better, such as I know to

be

be approved in clear terms by our recorded constitution. The friends of *

were too mo

narchical, and those of * *** far too aristocratical for me; and if it were possible to see an administration too democratical, I should equally dislike it. There must be a mixture of all the powers, in due proportions weighed and measured by the laws, or the nation cannot exist without misery or shame. I may write all this consistently with good manners and with friendship, because I know the excellence of your understanding and soundness of your principles; and independently of my presumption that all your actions must be wise and just, I see and applaud the motive which must have induced you to resign an office, which you were not at first much inclined to accept. I am confident also, that you would as little endure a Swedish monarchy, as a Venetian aristocracy. I inclose a little jeu d'esprit* which I wrote at Paris. It was printed here by a society, 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

*The jeu d'esprit mentioned here, is the Dialogue between a Farmer and Country Gentleman on the Principles of Governnient. 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 edition which was printed in 'Wales, Sir William Jones sent a letter to Lord Kenyon, then Chief 'Justice of Chester, in which he avowed himself to be the author of "the dialogue, and maintained that every position in it was strictly "conformable to the laws and constitution of England." p. 117.

doubt, whether they, or any other men in this country, can do it substantial good. The nation, as Demosthenes said, will be fed like a consumptive 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 resolved to assail 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 some prospect of contributing to the happiness of millions, or at least of alleviating their misery, and serving my country essentially, whilst I benefited my fellow-creatures.

When the sessions are over, I shall hasten to Chilbolton, and perform an old promise of passing a few days with the best of Bishops; after which I shall take Midgham, and Baron Eyre's at Ruscombe, in my way to London, where I must be at the beginning of the Term. A Persian book is just printed here, said to have been composed by Tamerlane, who confesses, that he governed men by four great arts, bribing, dividing, amusing, and keeping in suspense. How far it may be an object with modern Tamerlanes, or sultans of India, to govern, me, I cannot tell; but as I cannot be bribed, without losing my senses, nor divided, without losing my life, I will neither be amused, nor kept long in suspense; and, indeed,

I have so high an opinion of Lord Ashburton, who never professes more than he means, that I do not suspect any artifice in that business.

Mr. JONES to Lady SPENCER.

Though I wrote so lately to your Ladyship, and cannot hope by any thing I can now say to make amends for the dulness of my last letter; yet, as some of the ladies here are this. moment writing to St. James's Place, I cannot prevail on myself to decline joining so agreeable à party, especially as the very favourable accounts which were last night received of Lord Spencer's health have given me spirits, and made me eager to offer my sincere congratulations. Yes; I rejoice with the truest sincerity, that his Lordship's health is so likely to be re-established, for I cannot name a man of rank in the nation, in whose health the public and all mankind, as well as his family and friends, are more truly interested. I have passed my time at Chilbolton so agreeably, that ten days have appeared like one; and it gives me concern that the near approach of the Term will oblige me to leave so charming and improving a society at the end of this week after which I shall hope to find my friends at Midgham in perfect health; and then farewell, a long farewell to all my rational and interesting pleasures, which must be succeeded by the drudgery of drawing bills in equity, the toil of answering cases, the squabbles

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