are lavishing thousands on the public cause, and to enlarge the happiness of individuals; the exemplary regularity of your life; your patience and fortitude, and even chearfulness, under the infirmities of a weak and tender conftitution; and, laftly, the munificent favours you have conferred on me, are fubjects of fufficient power to animate the dulleft writer; but these are subjects, my friend, which I am convinced will pleafe every Reader better than yourfelf: and as the love of your country, and the welfare of the human race, is the only ruling paffion I have ever difcerned in your character, I fhall avail myfelf of this inclination, and endeavour to fix your attention by the interesting detail of thofe caufes and circumftances, which have infenfibly led us from the airy height of imaginary fecurity, profperity, and elevation, to our prefent ftate of danger and depravity.

We have printed the concluding part of the foregoing paragraph in Italics, because the words there used, seem to point, directly, at the main defign of the prefent work. In another place, again addreffing herself to her aged and reverend correfpondent, fhe adds, in connexion with what we have here quoted, nor do I pretend to tell you novelties, or to have any other end in this narration, but to revive in your memory the facts neceffary to connect that train of events, which have compleated the overthrow of the Whig principles, and bids fair to render the government of this country as intolerable a defpotifm as the Romans endured after the ruin of their commonwealth.'

Thus, we fee, even in these times of political apoftacy, and amidft the prevalence of oppofite ideas, this fpirited writer continues firmly attached to those manly principles of liberty, for which the preceding parts of her hiftory have been fo remarkably diftinguifhed. And, here, it may not, perhaps, be improper to repeat a remark of our own, with refpect to this part of the lady's public character, and that of her hiftorical productions:-we were fpeaking of the frequent opportunities afforded her, in writing the reign of Charles I. "of difplaying that love of freedom which the avows to be the object of fecondary worfhip in her delighted imagination." We repeat, too, that we are glad, however, to perceive, that although the gives a liberal scope to thofe noble principles, fhe does not "(except in a few casual overflowings of her zeal for the common rights of mankind)

We are truly concerned to meet with any occafion for qualifying the praise of impartiality which we could, with pleasure, bestow without limitation on this ingenious writer, and which, in general, The well deferves; but the truth is (and TRUTH ought not to be violated, in compliment to any human being) that our author hath, in a few inftances, fuffered expreffions to drop from her pen, and fentiments to escape her, which are inconfiftent with the candour of an hiftorian.

Thus,

mankind) "run into the extravagant enthusiasm of republican bigots." "We Reviewers, who, from age, and long experience, have acquired moderation, and who, in our critical capacity, have no paffions, and are of no party, are ever upon our guard against bigotry, even though it should affume the alluring hape of FREEDOM."

If we may be allowed to hazard a conjecture of our own, with regard to the views of our fair patriot, in detaching this part of her hiftory from the main body of the work,-she, perhaps, had other objects in contemplation, befide the amusement of her reverend friend, and the furnishing him with helps for his recollection of paft events, She, poffibly, confidered the critical circumstances of the times in which we live, and was attentive to the immediate demand which the might suppose the public to have, at this peculiar juncture, upon every friend to its most important interefts, especially to the guardian care and fecurity of our excellent conftitution. She might, in this view of things, think it high time to ftand forth, and join with other public fpirited perfons, in the various ranks and stations of fociety, in order to unveil the hidden myfteries of modern politics, and modern measures, to bring matters home to our immediate fituation,-to fhew us what treacherous ground we ftand upon,and, like another Caffandra, warn us of our impending danger.If this intention is not directly avowed, it is, in our apprehenfion, fufficiently implied, in almoft very page of the volume before us.

We will now proceed to the work under confideration, and Jet it speak more directly for itself, in the following extracts:

In the remarks which our Author makes on the criminal neglect of our forefathers, in regard to the glorious opportunities offered to them, for rectifying, at the reformation, and the revo lution, the enormous abules which had crept into the government, both in church and state, there is much truth, uttered with much severity: but, what is more fevere than truth!

The reformation,' fays Mrs. M. and the revolution, are the two grand æras in our history, which are celebrated by every

Thus, for inftance, in her fecond letter, fhe, unguardedly, paffes the following harsh fentence on the Tory party:

-The Jacobites, [in the reign of Will. III.] whose political errors flow entirely from religious bigotry, were but a small number in comparison to the Tories, whofe corruptions primarily flow from the badness of their hearts, and from thence infect their understanding.'

This account of the origin and fource of Tory-principles, is too abfurd (begging the lady's pardon) for a ferious refutation: a Torywriter might, with equal truth and candour, pafs the fame judgment on Whigs and Whiggism.

political

political writer, as productive of the most perfect ftate of civil and religous freedom which human fociety is capable of enjoying; and yet, my friend, your penetrating fagacity must have led you to difcover, that the reformation was more the result of interefted policy, than an honeft zeal to restore the primitive purity and fimplicity of the Chriftian fyftem; a purity no longer preferved, than while the church was totally unconnected with the civil power. But a reformation on these principles would have ill fuited the defigns of a court.

The view of Henry VIII. was to gratify his refentment against the Roman pontiff, to enrich his coffers with the spoils of the clergy, and to render his power completely defpotic by the union of the ecclefiaftic with the civil fword. Thefe pious views have been religiously followed by his fucceffors; churchgovernment, instead of being new-modelled on a plan proper to preferve the freedom of the conftitution, and the morals of the people, is rendered a mere minifterial engine; the fpiritual kingdom of Chrift, a fubordinate limb of the ftate politic; and the regular teachers of Chriftianity, the profeffed creatures of government, and the base inftruments of wicked policy.'

With refpect to the REVOLUTION, our Author acknowledges that it gave a different afpect to the conftitution from that which it had worn through the government, or rather the tyrannies, of the Tudors and the Stuarts; that the maxim of hereditary, indefeafible right, which those princes had established, chiefly by the affiftance of the church, was altogether renounced by a free parliament; that the power of the crown was acknowledged to flow from no other fountain than that of a contract with the people; and that allegiance and protection were declared reciprocal terms; yet, fhe obferves, on this great occafion, when the, nation had folemnly renounced their allegiance to the male line of the Stuarts, for their abuse of power, and their repeated at

With refpect to the court, this appears to be ftri&tly juft; but it would be wrong to extend this obfervation (which Mrs. M. evidently does not) to the views of many individuals among the active promoters of the reformation; numbers of whom proved the fincerity of their intentions by the ruin of their fortunes, and even the facrifice of their lives.-This note may feem unneceffary, as the remark is fo obvious; but fuffer us to add, that we cannot be too cautious, too fcrupuloufly careful, in refpect to the facred memories of thofe good men-that not the leaft fhadow of a reflection may feem to be caft upon them, by any appearance of a conceffion, of which the eternal traducers of that 'reformation may take an ungenerous advantage; and from which they may affect to triumph, although confcious that they have obtained no victory. The reformation will ever reflect the highest honour on the body of the people who carried it on, whatever may be thought of the court-policy, which at length adopted it.

tempts

tempts to destroy all the balances of the conftitution, and render the monarchy purely defpotic; when they had adopted into the regal rights a family who had no pretence but that of election; the zeal of the patriots to eftablifh the perfonal intereft of their leader, co-operating with thofe irrational prejudices which the deteftable doctrines of the church had fown very deep in the hearts of the people, occafioned the convention of eftates which eftablifhed William on the throne, to neglect this fair opportunity of cutting off all the prerogatives of the crown, to which they had juftly imputed the calamities and injuries faftained by the nation, and which had ever prevented the democratical principles of the conftitution from acting to the fecurity of liberties. and privileges vainly fet forth in the letter of the law.

The plan of fettlement,' continues our hiftorian, was neither properly digefted, nor maturely formed; it was neither agreeable to the regularity of the Saxon conftitution which effectually fecured every privilege it beftowed; nor did it admit of any of thofe refinements and improvements, which the experience of mankind had enabled them to make in the fcience of political fecurity. On the contrary, the new monarch retained the old regal power over parliaments, in its full extent; he was left at liberty to convoke, adjourn, or diffolve them at his pleafure; he was enabled to influence elections, and opprefs corporations; he poffeffed the right of chufing his own council, of nominating all the great officers of the ftate, the houfhold, the army, the navy, and the church; the abfolute command over the militia was referved to the crown; and fo totally void of improvement was the revolution fyftem, that the reliques of the ftar-chamber was retained in the office of the attorney-general, who, in the cafe of libels, has the power of lodging a vexatious, and even a falfe information, without being fubjected to the penalty of coft or damage!'

We must not overlook the following observation, which shews that nothing can be more detrimental to the liberties of a nation, than an unimproved revolution in its government; viz. When the fucceffion in the government is changed, without a fubftantial provifion for the fecurity of liberty, its total deftruction is accomplish d, by the very meafure intended for its prefervation; and the reaton is plain; a military establishment becomes neceffary to defend the government from the pretenfions of the dethroned fovereign. Befides, thofe who, on principles of patriotifm, are the authors of fuch a revolution, are imperceptibly warmed into the injudicious heat of partizans; and the dread of pains and penalties attendant on a restoration, infenfibly leads. them to concur in ftrengthening the power of the reigning fovereign, though at the expence of that conftitutional freedom they had run the hazard of their lives and fortunes to obtain !

This remark evinces the juftness of the Writer's notion of the point under confideration, and the clearness of her difcernment of human nature,-its weaknefs, and its inconfiftencies; but it may, likewife, hint to us this difcouraging conclufion, that if fo little dependence can be placed on the firmnefs of those who take the lead, even in the best of causes, and with the best intentions to fupport it, how cautious ought we to be, of engaging in great and hazardous attempts for the redrefs of national grievances, by violent means: fince we have fo feldom feen that the benefit refulting to the public, from fuch means, however fuccefsful, has proved adequate to the poffible danger, and the certain coft.-In brief, revolutions in government, generally, through mifmanagement, refemble that which happened in the garden of the farmer, who defired the 'fquire to bring his huntfman and hounds, in order to catch the hare which was foraging among his cabbages.

With respect to the Tories, whatever may be thought of the flavish complexion and mischievous tendency of their political tenets, it is but juftice to them to acknowledge, that they have been always ftaunch and true to their principles. Of this, our Author gives a notable inftance in their fudden attachment even to King William, in order to carry their favourite point of regal prerogative.--Speaking of the endeavours of the Whigs, foon after the revolution, to fecure the only remaining conftitutional check on the power of the crown,-the fettlement of the royal revenue, and the command of the purse,—with the mortifications endured by William, in confequence of those measures;-the hiftorian adds,- William did not long labour under these mortifications; the Tory faction, whofe principles led them to oppofe every limitation to royal powers, had been only induced to comply with the Whigs, [in eftablishing William on the throne, which had been abdicated by James] through the terror of attainders, to which they were liable, from the guilt they had incurred as abettors of the cruel and tyrannical measures of the laft reign. This party no fooner perceived that William was as tenacious of power as his predeceffors, than they began to form defigns to difappoint the Whigs of all the falutary fruits of the revolution.'-Our Author fhews in what refpects they fucceeded in this laudable defign, and how cordially William met their advances. In a word, the Whigs' fays Mrs. M. were fo entirely foiled in every effort they made to vindicate the liberties of the people, and to obtain juftice on public delinquents, [meaning the obnoxious inftruments of the late king's arbitrary proceedings] that a bill to attaint the blood, and forfeit the eftates of the execrable Jeffries, proved as unfuccessful as their other attempts; and while the family of this deteftable citizen were permitted to enjoy the fruits of his vil

lainy,