brought upon him the indignation and refentment of the Court, and deprived him of the ftrength and support of the party. The first appeared in taking from him the Lieutenancy of the county of Buckingham; an employment which, though neither of emolument nor confequence, yet could not fo naturally be vested in any other, as none other stood fo high in the esteem and favour of the county. The last was manifested by an almost general desertion of the whole party; and particularly of those who had affected to put themselves a little forward, in order to extort the title of leaders. These made a scandalous figure; for inftead of appearing openly and firmly in fupport of the man, who had fuffered in their fervice, and had given them a great cause of triumph, they, in a few days after his discharge from the Tower, publickly fhewed themselves at St. James's; hoping, no doubt, by fuch an unexpected and fingular appearance, at that time, to convince the whole Court, that they disclaimed all connexion with Mr. WILKES, and every

part

part of his caufe. Finding, however, that this was not fufficient to open a door for them into offices, they went further to affure the Court of their fincerity in this offered defertion of their friends, and the cause they had pretended to efpoufe. They publickly talked and wrote of the conduct of Mr. WILKES being wholly indefenfible; of government having done no more than what was ufual in fuch cafes, and of fuch ufage being both justifiable and legal. But as a Judge of great authority had pronounced a breach of the privileges of Parliament, they confidered this part of the proceedings as most dangerous to the Administration; and therefore they apprehended nothing would or could be more agreeable to the Court, than an offer to accommodate and facilitate this knotty point to their wishes; accordingly those who affected to call themfelves the principals of the MINORITY, but whom the public did then, and does now well know, were only the rotten part of it, entered into a league with an eminent PrerogativeLawyer, fince dead, whofe

name

name was repeatedly hung out in the public papers, as the enfign of this perfidious and contemptible faction, to betray and give up the whole caufe. the whole cause. What the conditions of entering into that league were, have not yet transpired, nor are they of any importance to the public: but this much is certain as to the purpose and defigns of it, that feveral of the Junto, of whom it was compofed, engaged to defend and uphold the indifpenfible neceffity, use, and ineftimable service of General Warrants to the State; and fome of them offered to add, the legality of thofe Warrants. Then, as privilege had been lately decided upon to the disadvantage of government; and as it might be their more immediate intereft to join in the ruin of that unfortunate perfon, whom they faw, and said, was the destined victim of minifterial malice; and as he could not be fo eafily come at while his privilege remained; they unanimously engaged to vote that privilege away, in order to affift the views of the crown, and preferve the administration from cenfure. These are certain facts, and muft, to the lateft pofterity,

mark

mark the individuals who engaged in fuch dark and bafe transactions, as the most infamous of all traitors: for furely no treachery can be equal to that which is not only unprovoked, but wholly undeserved, and involved in it, as this was most manifeftly intended to do, not only the facrifice of those intrepid and upright perfons, who had bravely ftood in the gap of Public Liberty; but the Conftitution itself was to be given up, and destroyed, for fo fmall a price as a lucrative office.

CHAP

СНАР.. XIV.

Letters between Mr. Wilkes and the Secretaries of State. Meffengers profecuted. Lord Halifax ftands out in contempt of the Court. Trial of the action brought against Mr. Wood. Mr. Wilkes acquitted as Author and Publisher of the North Briton. An attempt made to assassinate him by one Alexander Dun. Erects a printing prefs in his houfe. Publishes proposals for a fubfcription. Prints the North Britons, and Effay on Woman. His imprudencies. Goes to France, where be is infulted by one Capt. Forbes.

PON Mr. WILKES's discharge by

UP

*

profecutions were immediately commenced

against

*The inftant Mr. Wilkes came home from the Court of Common Pleas, he fent the following letter to the Secretaries of State :

Great George-ftreet, May 6, 1763.

"My LORDS,

"On my return here from Westminster-hall, where I have been discharged from my commitment to the Tower under your Lordfhips warrant, I find

that