Retrofpective view of fome matters previous to the General Election. Mr. Wilkes elected for the county of Middlefex Great licentiousness prevails, which is not fufficiently restrained by the civil power. Conduct of administra-tion. Causes of diffatisfaction. State of the miniftry. Parliament meets. Speech from the Throne, Parliament adjourns for the holidays.

fequence of his not appearing to the indictments that were laid against him, was run to an outlawry. The great popularity which he had acquired, was, in confequence of fome circumftances that attended that profecution, a good deal lowered. A book written by him, of an obscene and. immoral tendency, though, in appearance, not intended for general publication, and brought into public notice by means not very honourable to the managers of the profecution against him, had however a confiderable influence on the public opinion, and, for a time, abated even the fervor of his warmeft advocates... Other matters, of great national import, became foon afterwards fubjects of general difcuffion, and drew away the attention of the public.

In this fituation, an exile from his country, diftreft in his circumftances, and, in a great measure, abandoned by his friends, Mr. Wilkes feemed not only totally ruined, but also nearly forgotten. The outlawry having run beyond the limits allowed by the law for a reverfal, he was apparently cut off from the benefit of the laws, and the protection of his country; and it feemed that nothing but a pardon from the crown, could reftore him to the civil rights of a citizen.

This ray of hope feemed however to fhine upon his affairs, by the promotion to power of fome perfons late ly in high office, and of fome who are fill in confiderable employments. Thefe had not only been his intimate friends, but they had also a great lead in the party with whom he had originally embarked, and in whofe caufe he had encountered

all his fufferings. It was therefore fuppofed by many, and not unnaturally, that thefe gentlemen would use all their influence, to procure a pardon for a man, who it was conceived had done them real fervices, and who at leaft. had fuffered feverely in the courie of their common oppofition. Many of his friends alfo thought, that what he had already undergone, might fufficiently fatisfy the dignity of the crown; and, that it would be better confulted and provided for, by grace and lenity, than by pursuing, y an occafional act of with the appearance of a vindic tive and perfonal refentment, the ruin of an individual, infinitely below its notice, to the utmost line of extremity.

น

On the other hand, those who had been active in his original profecution, afferted, that his offences, and the popularity, which, by a ftrange perverfenefs in the people, had arifen from them, had jointly rendered him a perfon of importance enough to be ftrictly watched, and feverely punished; that as his misfortunes feemed not to have infpired him with any degree of penitence for his crimes, a pardon from the crown would be an act rather of weakness than of benignity. Above all, they infifted that it was neceffary a fevere example fhould be made, to prevent other perfons from afpiring to a popular character by outrageous infults on government. We must obferve, that notwithstanding the frequent changes in administration, the greatest number of the perfons who had been the most direct objects of Mr. Wilkes's attacks ftill preferved their places, and feemed, at this particular time, to have

rather

This circumstance did not prevent Mr. Wilkes from applying, through the duke of Grafton, who was now at the head of the treafury, for a pardon; and it is probable made no doubt of his ufing all his influence to procure it. In this however he was difappointed. Whether it was, that the political fentiments of this noble perfon were changed, or that the opinion held of the man was altered, or that the application to be made, was of fo critical a nature as not to be attempted with fafety; from whatever caufe it proceeded, the request was not only rejected, but treated with fome appearance of neglect.

rather rifen in intereft and im measure; to reflect that he was at pórtance. any rate a victim to the popular caufe, and that even the exposure of many faults in his private cha racter, was a part of the punishment which he incurred upon that account. The miniftry, by being fuppofed, (upon whatever foundation) even more than any former adminiftration, under an influence difrelished by the people, daily loft ground in the general opinion; and any very active inftrument of oppofition to them, was likely to advance confiderably in the public favour. Here he laid in a frefly claim to their approbation; and as his imputed private failings had formerly been taken in the grofs, to increase the fum of his alledged public offences, fo now the meafures that sprung from accident, refentment, or neceffity, were liberally laid to the account of public virtue.

It may be conceived, from fome traits of Mr. Wilkes's character, that have appeared upon other occafions, that he was not likely to remain totally dormant, or to acquiefce in a treatment, which he probably confidered to be as unjuft, as it was full of indignity. He accordingly upbraided the first lord of the treafury, and feveral other old friends, with the greateft acrimony, in a number of publications; and a letter to the D. of G, which was only wrote to be published, abounded with anecdotes, reflecting on the confiftency of their public conduct, and on their friendship and fincerity in private life.

Thefe difcuffions began again to draw the attention of the public, to a fubject which had nearly funk into oblivion, and a man whom they had almoft forgotten. The defertion of his friends ftrongly excited their compaffion; they be gan to think his fuffering out of

So far we have thought it neceffary to premife, as to matters which in order of time do not come within the line of our prefent narrative; but which lead to fucceeding points of great and immediate confequence. Mr. Wilkes, who was not ignorant of the great change fo much to his advantage, which had taken place in the public opinion, and whofe private affairs were in a most defperate fituation, determined to make a bold attempt to benefit by it, fenfible that if it failed of fuccefs, the confequences could not place him in a much worfe ftate than that in which he was already. He accordingly came over to England previous to the general election, and to the aftonishment of mankind, though he ftill lay under the fentence of outlawry, declared him

felf

felf a candidate to reprefent the city of London in parliament,,

The acclamations of joy with which he was received by the populace, are inconceivable; nor were the marks of public regard which he received, confined folely to the lower order of the people; feveral merchants and other gentlemen of large property and of confiderable intereit, openly efpoufed his caufe, and a fubfcription was immediately opened in the city for the payment of his debts. The faccefs however upon the poll, was not equal to what might have been expected from the first fanguine appearance in his favour. The electors were obliged to record their names, and the confequences of an oppofition to great corporate and commercial connections, were too obvious not to be understood.

county in which it is
refident, he was elected
by a prodigious majo-
rity

March 28, 1768.no

The legal proceedings upon the furrender of Mr. Wilkes, on the reverfal of his outlawry, on his fentence and imprisonment, have been circumstantially related in the year in which they happened. During these transactions a very great degree of extravagance and licentioufnefs prevailed among the populace; which being encouraged by the inactivity of the civil power, broke out at length in acts of the moft lawless and outrageous nature. Upon the committal of Mr. Wilkes by the court of king's-bench, the mob ftopt the coach upon Westminster bridge, and having taken off the horfes, dragged it back in triumph, notwithstanding his most earneft intreaties, through the two great cities of Westminster and London, all the way to Spitalfields, being almoft from the farthest extremity of the one to that of the other of thefe cities. The officers of the court in whofe cuftody the prifoner was, were happy to obtain leave to depart; and he, after being kept fome hours at a tavern, which was carefully furrounded and guarded, made his efcape with great diffi culty and address by night to the prifon, where he voluntarily, furrendered himself. No oppofition was attempted to this act of violence, and no enquiry was made about the offenders. This remifs nefs of government brought on feveral other tumults and difor ders. The enemies of administra

Though foiled upon this occafion, Mr. Wilkes had however received fuch an earneit of the attachment of the people, that it en couraged him to another attempt, which appeared almoft as hazardous. He accordingly fet up immediately for the county of Middle fex, in oppofition to the established interest of two gentlemen, who had reprefented it for feveral years; who were fupported by the whole interest of the court; and who had confiderable fortunes and great connections in it. As the fame caufes did not here operate upon the freeholders at large, which had before prevented the inclinations of the livery of London from taking effect in his favour; fo, notwithstanding the natural intereft and ftrong connections that option did not hesitate to attribute pofed him, and the great weight this relaxation of civil authority, and influence of the court in a to defign rather than to neglect;