tended with fome beneficial circumftances to his native country. His treatife on tar-water rendered him more popular than any of his preceding productions, at the fame time that it was the moft whimsical of them all. Here he pretends to prove, a pricri, the effects of this, fometimes, valuable medicine; but then he extends them to every, and even oppofite diforders.-The public were long undeceived before his lordship, who was the inventor, could be fo. He had built an hofpital at his own expence, near his gate, and to it all the poor were welcome; he attended them himself as phyfician; dosed them with tar-water, of the virtues of which he was entirely confident. His intention in this particular cannot be fufficiently appiauded, though, perhaps, the fuccefs might not have anfwered his expectations. l'erhaps he carried his veneration for tar-water to an excefs: he drank it in abundance himself, and attempted to mend the conftitutions of his children by the fame regimen: this, however, he could never effect; and, perhaps, his defire of improving their health, and their understanding, at which he laboured most affiduoufly, might have impaired both. But his faults, if we know of any, all proceeded from motives of humanity, benevolence, and good-nature.

He preferved the closest intimacy with the gentlemen of the neighbourhood; and while he cultivated the duties of his station, he was not averfe to the innocent amusements of life mufic he was particularly fond of, and always kept one or two exquifite performers to amuse his leisure hours.

His income he was entirely contented with; and when offered by the earl of Chesterfield, then lord lieutenant

of

of Ireland, a bishopric much more beneficial than that he poffeffed, he declined it, with thefe words, "I love "the neighbours, and they love me; why then should. "I begin, in my old days, to form new connections, " and tear myfelf from thofe friends whofe kindness to "me is the greatest happiness I enjoy?" acting, in this inftance, like Plutarch, who being asked, why he refided in his native city, fo obfcure and fo little?" I stay, said he, left it should grow lefs." But at length, finding his health and constitution impaired beyond the power of medicine, even of his own tar-water, he removed, towards the end of the year 1752, to Oxford, an university he always loved, and at which he received a great part of his education, in hopes of receiving fome benefit from the change of air. His principal motive, however, was that he might himself fuperintend the education of his fon, whom he took along with him; and the prospect of enjoying two or three years among the literati of that famous feminary.

After a fhort paffage, and a very pleafant journey, he arrived at that famous feat of learning, where he was vifited by many of his former friends and admirers: but the certainty there was of fpeedily lofing him, greatly damped the pleafure they would otherwife have had in his company. In a fhort time after his arrival he expired, on the 14th of January, 1753, greatly regretted, by the poor, whom he loved, and the learned, whom he had improved.

A LET

*A LETTER to a Member of Parliament in the Country, from his Friend in London, relative to the Cafe of Admiral BYNG.

Alfo an APPEAL to the People, containing the genuine and entire Letter of Admiral BYNG to the Secretary of the Admiralty: Obfervations on thofe Parts of it which were omitted by the Writers of the Gazette: And what might be the Reasons for fuch Omiffions.

T

'O hear both parties, and to condemn no man without a trial, are the unalterable laws of justice. The man who lately commanded the English fleet in the Mediterranean; after having had his effigies burnt in a hundred places, and his name difgraced by innumerable lampoons; after having fuffered all that the malice' of wit or foily could inflict on his reputation, now ftands forth, and demands an audience from those who have almoft univerfally condemned him, but condemned him in his own opinion without juftice, and certainly without any calm or candid examination.

In this extract we fhall join the two apologies together, and give the argument which fhall refult from their

concurrences.

The general pofition which both pamphlets endeavour to prove is, that Mr. Byng is ftigmatised with infainy,

Both this and the fubfequent article were originally printed in the Literary Magazine. They are afcribed to Dr. Johnson on conjecture.

and

and purfued with clamours artfully excited to divert the public attention from the crimes and blunders of other men; and that while he is thus vehemently purfued for imaginary guilt, the real criminals are hoping to escape. To make this probable, a detail is given of the conduct of the admiral, and the practices of his enemies; and reasons, at least specious, are offered why the perfecution has exceeded the crime.

The first offence which the admiral is fuppofed to have given the ministry was by the following letter.

SIR,

Ramillies, in Gibraltar-Bay, May 4, 1756.

"This comes to you by exprefs from hence by the way of Madrid, recommended to Sir Benjamin Keene, "his Majesty's minister at that place, to be forwarded "with the utmost expedition.

"I arrived here with the fquadron under my com"mand, the 2d inftant in the afternoon, after a tedious

paffage of twenty-feven days, occafioned by contrary "winds and calms, and was extremely concerned to "hear from capt. Edgcumbe (who I found here with "the Princefs Louifa and Fortune floop) that he was obliged to retire from Minorca, the French having "landed on that ifland by all accounts from thirteen to "fifteen thousand men.

Сс

They failed from Toulon the 10th of laft month, "with about one hundred and fixty, or two hundred "fail of tranfports, escorted by thirteen fail of men of war; how many of the line I have not been able to learn with any certainty.

"If I had been fo happy to have arrived at Mabon, "before the French had landed, I flatter myself, I should "have been able to have prevented their getting a

footing on that island; but as it has fo unfortunately "turned out, I am firmly of opinion, from the great "force they have landed, and the quantity of provifions, "ftores and ammunition of all kinds they brought with

tr

them, that the throwing men into the caftle will only "enable it to hold out but a little longer, and add to "the numbers that must fall into the enemies hands; "for the garrifon in time will be obliged to furrender, "unless a fufficient number of men could be landed to

dislodge the French, or raise the fiege: however, I am "determined to fail up to Minorca with the fquadron, "where I fhall be a better judge of the fituation of "affairs there, and will give general Blakeney all the "affiftance he fhall require; though I am afraid all "communication will be cut off between us, as is the

opinion of the chief engineers of this garrifon (who "have ferved in the island) and that of the other officers "of the artillery, who are acquainted with the fituation "of the harbour; for if the enemy have erected batteries

ἐσ

on the two fhores near the entrance of the harbour,

(an advantage scarce to be fuppofed they have ne"glected) it will render it impoffible for our boats to "have a paffage to the fallee port of the garrison.

By the inclosed lift, delivered to me by capt. Edgcumbe, their lordships will obferve the ftrength of the "French fhips in Toulon; and by the copy of a letter " from Marseilles to general Blakeney, which I herewith "transmit to you, their lordships will perceive the equipment