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profperity would naturally continue truft in those hands which had ufed it fortunately. The patriots gratified themselves with expectations that fome finiftrous accident, or erroneous conduct, might diffuse discontent and inflame malignity. Their hope is malevolence, and their good is evil.

Of their zeal for their country we have already had a fpecimen. While they were terrifying the nation with doubts whether it was any longer to exist; while they represented invasive armies as hovering in the clouds, and hoftile fleets as emerging from the deeps; they obftructed our levies of feamen, and embarraffed our endeavours of defence. Of fuch men he thinks with unneceffary candour who does not believe them likely to have promoted the mifcarriage which they defired, by intimidating our troops or betraying our counfels.

It is confidered as an injury to the Publick by those fanguinary statesmen, that though the fleet has been refitted and manned, yet no hoftilities have followed; and they who fat wifhing for mifery and flaughter are disappointed of their pleasure. But as peace is the end of war, it is the end likewife of preparations for war; and he may be justly hunted down as the enemy of mankind, that can choose to fnatch by violence and bloodshed, what gentler means can equally obtain.

The ministry are reproached as not daring to provoke an enemy, left ill fuccefs fhould difcredit and difplace them. I hope that they had better reafons; that they paid fome regard to equity and humanity; and confidered themfelves as entrusted with the fafety of their fellow-fubjects, and as the

deftroyers

deftroyers of all that should be fuperfluoufly flaugh tered. But let us fuppofe that their own fafety had fome influence on their conduct, they will not, however, fink to a level with their enemies. Though the motive might be selfish, the act was innocent. They who grow rich by adminiftering phyfick, are not to be numbered with them that get money by dif penfing poison. poifon. If they maintain power by harmleffness and peace, they must for ever be at a great distance from ruffians who would gain it by mischief and confufion. The watch of a city may guard it for hire; but are well employed in protecting it from those who lie in wait to fire the streets and rob the houses amidst the conflagration.

An unfuccessful war would undoubtedly have had the effect which the enemies of the ministry fo earneftly defire; for who could have fuftained the difgrace of folly ending in misfortune? But had wanton invasion undefervedly profpered, had Falkland's Island been yielded unconditionally with every right prior and pofterior; though the rabble might have shouted, and the windows have blazed, yet those who know the value of life, and the uncertainty of publick credit, would have murmured, perhaps unheard, at the increase of our debt and the lofs of our people.

This thirft of blood, however the visible promoters of fedition may think it convenient to fhrink from the accufation, is loudly avowed by Junius, the writer to whom his party owes much of its pride, and fome of its popularity. Of Junius it cannot be faid, as of Ulyffes, that he scatters ambi

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guous

guous expreffions among the vulgar; for he cries havock without referve, and endeavours to let flip the dogs of foreign or of civil war, ignorant whither they are going, and carclefs what may be their prey.

Junius has fometimes made his fatire felt, but let not injudicious admiration mistake the venom of the fhaft for the vigour of the bow. He has fometimes sported with lucky malice, but to him that knows his company, it is not hard to be farcaftick in a mask. While he walks like Jack the Giant-killer in a coat of darkness, he may do much mischief with little ftrength. Novelty captivates the fuperficial and thoughtless; vehemence delights the difcontented and turbulent. He that contradicts acknowledged truth, will always have an audience; he that vilifies established authority will always find abet

tors.

Junius burst into notice with a blaze of impudence which has rarely glared upon the world before, and drew the rabble after him as a monster makes a show. When he had once provided for his fafety by impenetrable fecrecy, he had nothing to combat but truth and juftice, enemies whom he knows to be feeble in the dark. Being then at liberty to indulge himself in all the immunities of invifibility; out of the reach of danger, he has been bold; out of the reach of shame, he has been confident. As a rhetorician, he has had the art of perfuading when he feconded defire; as a reafoner, he has convinced those who had no doubt before; as a moralift, he has taught that virtue may difgrace; and as a patriot, he has gratified the mean by insults on the high. Finding fedition afcendant, VOL. VIII. K

he

he has been able to advance it; finding the nation combuftible, he has been able to inflame it. Let us abstract from his wit the vivacity of infolence, and withdraw from his efficacy the fympathetick favour of plebeian malignity; I do not fay that we fhall leave him nothing; the cause that I defend fcorns the help of falsehood; but if we leave him only his merit, what will be his praise?

It is not by his livelinefs of imagery, his pungency of periods, or his fertility of allufion, that he detains the cits of London, and the boors of Middlesex. Of style and fentiment they take no cognizance. They admire him for virtues like their own, for contempt of order and violence of outrage, for rage of defama.. tion and audacity of falfehood. The fupporters of the Bill of Rights feel no niceties of compofition, nor dexterities of fophiftry; their faculties are better proportioned to the bawl of Bellas, or barbarity of Beckford; but they are told that Junius is on their fide, and they are therefore fure that Junius is infallible. Thofe who know not whither he would lead them, refolve to follow him; and those who cannot find his meaning, hope he means rebellion.

Junius is an unufual phænomenon, on which fomehave gazed with wonder and fome with terrour, but wonder and terrour are tranfitory paffions. He will foon be more closely viewed or more attentively examined, and what folly has taken for a comet that from its flaming hair fhook peftilence and war, inquiry will find to be only a meteor formed by the vapours of putrefying democracy, and kindled into flame by the effervefcence of intereft ftruggling with con

viction;

viction; which after having plunged its followers in a bog, will leave us inquiring why we regard it.

Yet though I cannot think the ftyle of Junius fecure from criticism, though his expreffions are often trite, and his periods feeble, I should never have ftationed him where he has placed himself, had I not rated him by his morals rather than his faculties. What, says Pope, must be the priest, where a monkey is the god? What must be the drudge of a party of which the heads are Wilkes and Crosby, Sawbridge and Townsend?

Junius knows his own meaning, and can therefore tell it. He is an enemy to the miniftry, he fees them growing hourly ftronger. He knows that a war at once unjust and unsuccessful would have certainly difplaced them, and is therefore, in his zeal for his country, angry that war was not unjustly made, and unsuccessfully conducted. But there are others whose thoughts are lefs clearly expreffed, and whose schemes perhaps are lefs confequentially digefted; who declare that they do not wish for a rupture, yet condemn the miniftry for not doing that, by which a rupture would naturally have been made.

If one party refolves to demand what the other refolves to refuse, the difpute can be determined only by arbitration; and between powers who have no common superiour, there is no other arbitrator than the fword.

Whether the ministry might not equitably have demanded more, is not worth a queftion. The utmoft exertion of right is always invidious, and where claims are not easily determinable is always dangerous.

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