Lord Bute, finding that Mr. Legge would not tarnish L.'s honour, nor be the tool of his political machinations, smothered his resentment until the first opportunity occurred, and an indelible stain rests upon the character of lord Bute, in respect to the means which he selected to satisfy his revengeful disposition. It is not to be disputed that in this instance, lord Bute compromised the honour of his prince, and in the following one, he compromised that of his sovereign, immediately on his accession to the throne. Lord Bute was informed by one of his emissaries, that lord Egmont had written to his steward, Biddlecombe, with orders to shew the letter to the mayor of Bridgewater, wherein he informs him, that in consequence of the demise of the king, an election would soon take place, and that as there was every probability of his (lord Egmont) being called up to the house of peers, it was his intention to propose lord Percival in his room as member for Bridgewater. Lord Percival was however by no means agreeable to lord Bute, and as lord Egmont's intentions were known, on the supposition that he was to be made a peer, which it was never Bute's intention that he should be, a deep-laid scheme was formed by Bute in conjunction with Doddington, by which his majesty was represented as inclined to raise lord Egmont to the peerage, solely, on the condition that he relinquished all interference in the Bridgewater election, it being his majesty's wish to see that place represented by a particular individual, in reward for his services to him, when prince of Wales. Lord Egmont snapped greedily at the bait; he not only relinquished all idea of representing Bridgewater, but transferred the whole of his interest to lord Bute. This being secured, lord Bute wrote to lord Egmont, telling him, that the king was resolved to make no more peers, at present, than those, who were before him. This naturally incensed lord Egmont, and he demanded an explanation from lord Bute, whether he was to understand that his majesty refused him the peerage for ever, or for this time only. No answer was returned. Lord Egmont lost his seat and his peerage, and Bute and Doddington exclaimed "We are now quit of his lordship." We have been thus minute in these particulars, being actuated with the sole view of removing, as far as possible, the stigma which the party historians of the day have attempted to attach to our late monarch, in having exercised his influence in a clandestine manner to control the elective franchises of the people. It is natural to suppose that the Bute party would most cheerfully throw from their shoulders the dreadful responsibility of having influenced the elections in the king's name, without his privity or consent, in which he was made the dupe of a designing faction, and rendering him at the same time, guilty of acting in direct violation of the established and most sacred principles of the constitution. The ground-work, however, is here exposed of that extraordinary schism which took place in the councils of his majesty on his assuming the reins of government, and which exposed him so unfortunately to the clamour of an infuriated people. It must have been highly pleasing to the moral and religious part of the community, to observe the strict attention which his majesty always paid to the observance of the Sabbath, and he had not been many weeks seated upon the throne before he saw the impropriety of holding his drawing-rooms on a Sunday, as they had a tendency to encourage a laxity of morals, by no means compatible with the solemn duties which our religion has imposed upon us, and in the performance of which, he, as the head of the nation, ought to exhibit himself as the | vour, he would not hesitate a moment in com 4 66 plying. The countess most readily assented to the monarch's request, which was, that she would have no more routs nor assemblies at her house on a Sunday. I am but a satellite, please your majesty," said the countess, "moving in the orbit of a superior planet." "I understand your reproof," said his majesty, "the orbit of the planet shall be altered." "Then," said the countess, "the satellite must follow." This was one of the first steps which his majesty took in private for the amelioration of the morals of the higher classes; and by setting the example himself, his endeavours were ultimately crowned with as great a portion of success as could be rationally expected. The year 1760 closed without the occurrence of any very important event of a private or political nature; and the new year was ushered in by the following ode, composed by Whitehead, and which was performed before his ma brightest example. It is indeed true, that the Strophe. Still must the muse, indignant, hear Or breathes but notes of woe: Her floating bulwarks hovering round, What dread, through all her watʼry bound? As breaks the white wave on her coast, For alien sorrows heaves her gen'rous breast, Antistrophe. Thee, Glory, thee through climes unknown Fresh subjects for the British muse. O potent queen of ev'ry breast, Which aims at praise by virtuous deeds, Where'er thy influence shines confest The hero acts, the event succeeds. But ah, must glory only bear, Bellona like, the vengeful spear? To fill her mighty mind? Must bulwarks fall, and cities flame, On ruins piled, on ruins must she rise, And lend her rays to gild her fatal throne: Must the mild power who melts in vernal skies. By thunders only make his godhead known? No, be the omen far away, From yonder pregnant cloud a kinder gleam, Tho' faintly struggling into day, Portends a happier theme. Epode. And who is he, of regal mien, Reclined on Albion's golden fleece, Whose polish'd brow, and eye serene, Proclaim him elder-born of peace? Another George! ye winds convey Th' auspicious name from pole to pole: Thames, caten the sound, and tell the subject sea The hoary monarch of the deep Who sooth'd its murmurs with a father's care, And leaves his trident to his blooming heir. O, if the Muse, aright divine, Fair Peace shall bless his opening reign, Shall weave their foliage round his throne, 'Till kings abash'd, shall tremble to be foes, And Albion's dreaded strength secure the world's reposé. On the 6th of January his majesty went to the Chapel Royal, and offered gold, myrrh, and frankincense, as usual. On account of the mourning, there was no playing at hazard at night, nor any ball. His majesty was at this time pleased to declare, by an order in council, that his servants should have and enjoy all ancient rights, privileges, and liberties; and that none of his servants in ordinary, with fee, should be obliged to bear any public office, serve on juries or inquests, or be subjected to any mulct or fine for not submitting thereunto, agreeably to the practice of his majesty's royal predecessor. Amongst the many laudable dispositions which his majesty manifested on his immediate accession to the throne, a desire to maintain the public peace was particularly apparent; he was well aware, that the extraordinary degree of acrimony which distinguished the transactions of the two principal contending political parties, had in several quarters engendered a spirit of discontent, which broke out on all occasions, into the most violent clamour, tending to an open breach of the public peace, and which if not restrained by the wholesome energy of the laws, might eventually terminate in riot and rebellion. He had himself 1 1 a party mob, and was often obliged to listen to the most indecorous expressions uttered against an individual, whom he had every reason to love and revere, but panoplied as he was by the laws of the country, he rested his support on them; and, with the firm resolution of maintaining a strict adherence to them himself, he was equally disposed to punish those, who infringed them, as he was those, who abused the power with which he had invested them. A particular instance of this displayed itself in the early part of January, 1761. Colonel Hale, who commanded a regiment of light dragoons, quartered at Haddington, Musselburg, &c., with some other officers of the same regiment, assaulted a toll-gatherer at Ravenshaugh tollbar, for which they were tried before the court of session, and fined. The king, on hearing of the circumstance, displayed his strict regard to the preservation of our laws and liberties in a very conspicuous manner; lord Barrington, in a letter to lord Beauclerc, says: "The king has commanded me to acquaint your lordship, that he is highly displeased at the officers who have been concerned in this affair. As the officers have already satisfied the laws of the country, by their submission unto the sentence of the court of justiciary, the king does not think fit to bring them to a second trial by a court martial; but it is his majesty's pleasure, that your lordship reprimand them as officers, in his majesty's name, and in the strongest terms, for this breach of the military discipline, as well as of civil duties; and that you should recommend it to them for the future, by a prudent and inoffensive demeanour, to regain the good opinion and confidence of their fellow-citizens, as the surest means of restoring themselves to his majesty's favour, who will always be particularly offended whenever the public peace is disturbed, and the laws insulted, by those whom his majesty has honoured with his commission for the protection of both." Amongst the various charges which were brought against lord Bute, that of testifying on all occasions a strong partiality to his countrymen, was not one of the least, and although many have attempted it, no one has been able wholly to rebut it; on the contrary, every day disclosed some new favour or grant conferred on his countrymen, and sometimes on occasions, in which his partiality would have been "more honoured in the breach than the observance." One case in particular occurred at this time, which was traced to the influence of lord Bute, and which added not a little to his unpopularity, and to an increase of disaffection towards the king. By the death of a Scots nobleman, who died as a Roman catholic priest, the title descended to a man-cook, then living with a general officer in England, who, in regard to his cook's dignity, could not think of employing him any longer in that station, but very generously raised a subscription for his support. This affair was represented to his majesty, who ordered the ci-devant cook a pension of 2001. per annum. A humorous poem appeared on this occasion, entitled, "A Cook's Travels from Scotland to London without a Shoe, and he finds a Boot with 2001. a year in it.” The character of our late sovereign is often elicited in the flippant remarks of Horace Walpole, in his celebrated letters; in one of which he thus speaks of him, "The new reign dates with great propriety and decency, the civilest letter to princess Emily; the greatest kindness to the duke; the utmost respect to the dead body; no changes to be made but those absolutely necessary, as the household, &c., and what some will think the most unnecessary in and, there were many living at the time who the representative of power." He further adds, "There is great dignity and grace in the king's manner; I don't say this like my dear madame de Sevigné, because he was civil to me; but the part is well acted. The young king has all the appearance of being amiable; there is great grace to temper much dignity and good-nature, which breaks out on all occasions." In another letter he says, "The city, however, have a mind to be out of humour; a paper has been fixed on the royal exchange with these words, No petticoat government! no Scotch minister! no Lord George Sackville!' two hints totally unfounded, and the other scarce true. No petticoat ever governed less; it is left at Leicester-own gardens will produce it in perfection, and house. For the king himself, he seems all good nature, and wishing to satisfy every body; all his speeches are obliging. I saw him on the throne, where he is graceful and genteel; sits On the 20th of January his majesty went to with dignity and reads his answers to addresses the house of peers, and gave the royal assent well." Speaking of the king's wish to conciliate to several acts, amongst which, was one for all parties, being influenced by a true love of granting to his majesty an additional duty upon his country, Walpole says, "It is unpardonable strong beer and ale, and for further encouraging to put an end to all faction, when it is not for fac- their exportation*. tious purposes. When the last - could be beloved, a young man with a good heart has little chance of being so. Moreover I have a maxim. that the extinction of party is the origin of faction." One of the first steps which his majesty took on his accession, was the regulation of his household, for he strongly suspected that some very gross impositions were practised in it; then let me have the privilege which every gentleman in the kingdom enjoys, of partaking of my own, instead of buying from others." This was the most unpopular measure of the early part of his majesty's reign, and exposed him, whenever he presented himself in public, to the rude insults of the populace. This tax, with many other noxious measures originated with lord Bute, and it was said at the time, that the people were not only obliged to pay most dearly for his measures, but that he would not allow them to have their own measures full, By this beer act, which took place the 24th of January, an additional duty of 3s. per barrel was laid on all beer or ale, above 6s. the barrel, brewed for sale in England. A proportionable duty was to be paid for every barrel of two-penny ale, brewed for sale in Scotland. Beer brewed before the said 24th of January, if any time thereafter mixed with any fresh guile or brewing, is to pay the additional duty. A drawback of 8s. a barrel was to be allowed by the commissioners of excise, on all beer and ale brewed after the said 24th of January, and exported to foreign parts; deducting 3d. a ton for charges of the officers. Even a bounty of 1s. a barrel was to be paid by the commissioners of excise, on all strong beer and ale exported, for which duties had been paid, brewed after the said 24th of January, from malted corn, when barley was at 24s. a quarter or under. |