He was next fent with his brother John Hiley to Winchester School, where Dr. Wharton prefided; and, laftly, they were both removed to Oxford.

Medical knowledge did not wholly occupy the mind of the father: he entered confiderably into the fubject of politics; and as his tenets therein were congenial with thofe of the late Earl of Chatham (whofe phyfician he was at this time), he was employed by that nobleman in a negociation with the Earl of Bute, refpecting the Ex-minifter's return to power. Though this negociation did not fucceed in bringing the Earl of Bute and Lord Chatham into office together, yet it laid the foundation for the future greatnefs of the Addingtons; fince it improved the intimacy between the Doctor and the latter Nobleman to the day of his death. Sir James Wright was the Plenipotentiary of the Earl of Bute on the above fubject; and as the two Ambaffadors could not agree upon the precife verbal terms faid to have been in the first propofal made ufe of, Dr. Addington reforted to the pen, and wrote a fhort pamphlet concerning the whole affair. This, with a little tract on the fcurvy, was all the Doctor ever wrote for the prefs, except in the way of paragraph now and then in the newspapers.

It is eafy to conceive that the tranfaction just spoken of, muft have led to a great intimacy between the families: accordingly, we trace the fons of the Earl and of the Doctor fedulously cultivating a friendship, which was drawn ftill clofer between Henry Addington and William Pitt, by both becoming Members of the Society of Lincoln's Inn, and eating commons in the fame Hall. One of the firft, if not the very firft, brief Mr. Pitt ever received was from Mr. Petrie, in the cafe of the famous Cricklade election. We cannot fay fo much for certain of the progress of Mr. Addington in

the way of his profeffion; but we have little doubt that, in the dry ftudy of the law, he might in a reafonable time, have obtained a filk gown, and perhaps, a feat on a bench as a Welsh or puifne judge.

There was a wig, however, more inviting than the forenfic; and the way his young friend was opening for him flattered him, that at no great diftance of time he should be able to try how it would fit his head.

His first feat in the Houfe of Commons was for the Devizes, and an early opportunity offered for engaging attention: it was the coalition between Lord North and Mr. Fox. He afterwards ftrongly oppofed the India bill of the latter gentleman, and thereby helped to raise Mr. Pitt to the eminent ftation he fo long maintained, and through which he almoft exclufively owed his own advancement.

Upon the chair of the House of Commons becoming vacant by the promotion of Mr. Grenville to a peerage, Mr. Henry Addington, as we have already obferved, was elected to fill it. His nomination was by the Marquis of Graham, and his majority over Sir Gilbert Elliot was 73; the numbers being 215 against 142.

Upon the calling a new Parliament a few months after, Mr. Addington was unanimously re-elected ; and an event quickly after occurred which gave him an opportunity to exercise those talents, and that power of difcrimination which feem to have been Nature's beft gifts to him.

The affiduity and judgement he difplayed in his researches after precedents, and his clear statement of them to the committee, proving that an impeachment, as in the case of Warren Haftings, Efq. then before the Houfe, would exift after the dif folution of Parliament, gained him great refpect. The manner in which he pointed out the close connexion in principle between impeachments

and writs of error, excited the admiration of most of the law members; and the whole Houfe could not but be pleafed with his conduct as Speaker throughout, fince it was not only ftrictly conftitutional, but calculated alfo to add to the dignity and importance of the third branch of the legislature, by fecuring to it the exercife of its own rights and privileges. He proved, in many inftances, his zeal to preserve the franchises of the Houfe over which he prefided; for upon the Peers, in 1791, making a flight alteration in a bill intended to amend the 6th of Anne, refpecting the reward to .be given on the conviction of felons, he caufed the bill to be thrown out, by referring to a precedent on the Journals, where a fimilar bill had been rejected, because it affected the revenue. But Mr. Addington unexpectedly leaves this poft of no fmall degree of honour, and which he had filled with great credit to himself, and fatisfaction to others.

Mr. Pitt was obliged to quit the helm. The catholic queftion is affigned as the oftenfible caufe, and one which is not without its weight. It is known, however, that other reafons contributed to bring about that extraordinary measure.

The government of France changed, but the fentiments of the French remained nearly the fame. All conditions of men in that country have fuffered too much by foreign and civil war to forgive thofe who occafioned or prolonged the warfare. A peace was mutually defirable; and Mr. Pitt, who had been declared, by the Convention of France,

66

an enemy to the human race," could not be thought a proper pacificator. It was faid that the French would not treat with him. Mr. Addington was thought adequate to the negociation. A peace he brought about, and he had the momentary popularity attendant upon it; but he has changed the antient maxim in Cornelius Nepos,

"Paritur pax bello," for he has produced a war undefinable in object and duration by his peace! ! !

This occurrence has placed him in a truly delicate and dangerous fituation. He may be confidered as the chief trustee of a vaft empire, in which every individual is a proprietor, and confequently interested not only in the integrity of his conduct, but alfo in the credit he deferves and obtains for his capacity to execute fo arduous a task. Refponfibility in this cafe is not a fhadowy image. There is real danger attached to it, and fo there ought to be; for otherwife, the fovereign, from illufion or fufpenfion of judgement, might offer the reins of government to very weak and inexperienced hands. Woe be to thofe who should accept them without that confcioufnefs of ability to guide the car!! A man might confole himself by thinking, that fhould he, like the rafh Phaeton, mistake the course he ought to purfue, and fet the world on fire, he could fuffer no more than others; but Mr. Addington has hazards to run, which more peculiarly affect himself, and those who may be thought to congratulate him on his elevation.

In all governments, whofe growing expences must be provided for by new or extended taxation, a great portion of the people will neceffarily be difcontented; and, though they would not look on as inactive fpectators of invafion by the common foe, yet may they be more than indifferent to a change in the government itself.

Let our prefent Minifters, therefore (not Mr. Addington folely), reflect, before it is too late, on the importance of the engagement they have entered into. Let them look to the probable iffue of their best, perhaps their honeft, endeavours. Do they believe there are no men better qualified from age, or, in other words, from obfervation and

experience in the affairs of Europe and of courts, to carry the vessel with fafety through the perilous fea it rides in at prefent? It is not only requifite the Minifter of Great Britain thould be well acquainted with the forms of the old fchool of diplomacy, but also of the new order of things introduced by the new Alexander of the Weft. The balance of power which the old statesman, Lord STORMONT, fo often spoke of, il befits the mouth of a modern diplomatift. It may be fearched for, like the philofopher's ftone; but will no where be found. The events of a whole century are now crowded together in a twelvemonth. In a few short years, nay, perhaps months, a great part of Europe may exhibit a change, which to foretell at this moment might be thought rafh, nay, even criminal, One of the charges against Anacharfis Cloots, when on the deadly fellette, was, that he had urged the people of France to endless war, by holding out the probability and confequently the lure of extending the boundaries of the republic to the Rhine!! Thofe who fat in judgement upon him thought him a madman, because he poffeffed more difcernment than themfelves; they, therefore, to make short of the bulinefs, ordered his head to be chopped off; and it was done accordingly!!! But to conclude our fubject. Our old minifters may be faid to have tuined the hopes of the new one, by the conditions they exacted from them as fucceffors. "We will not refign, unless you will pafs an act to throw an oblivion over all we have done." This was treafon to the conftitution, and Mr. Addington and his friends became, every one, a particeps criminis to the deed. But Mr. Addington has not accomplished the oftenfible object for which his friends affirm he entered the miniftry. He and Bonaparte wish to be termed PACIFICATORS; but the Frenchinan has more craft in his profeflions than

our Minifter. All the work is fill to be done; and abilities of the moft commanding order are requifite to effect it. Alliances mult be made before an honourable stop can be put to the war. It must be fhewn, by a wife and matterly policy, that other powers follow their own intereft by becoming parties with us. They must be perfuaded that weare more than able to defend ourselves, before they will rifque a quarrel with one, who, by a concurrence of fortunate circumftances, has attracted the admiration of one part of Europe, and excited the fear of the other.

The adminiftration of the Right Honourable Gentleman, except in the inftance of the bill of indemnity, a bill of defiance to the nation, has excited no difguft. He has refrained from fome of the odious acts which rendered his predeceffor's miniftry peculiarly obnoxious and unpopular. No mercenary view is afcribed to him for accepting his place. He is well and amply provided for, and his family may be faid all to be rich; yet he has been too grofsly partial to his near relation to leave his character, in this refpect, completely pure. Mr. Pitt, with all his faults, would not have done what he has. Some of his friends blushed for him on the occation. In the recent melancholy occurrence, which has involved the whole nation in anxiety, Mr. Addington has hitherto conducted himielf and treated the atlair with becoming difcretion and dignity; but in that, too, the greateft, the niceft, part of the bulinefs is to be arranged. He stands between the oppofite wishes of two powerful parties; and fuch a difficulty demands an imperious, a fwaying judgement, to conciliate thofe who muft feel the difappointment.

To remind him of all that is neceffary to be done to tranquilize the Country at large, and extricate it from its difficulties and dangers, might intimidate an Herculeau mi

nifter; but to infpire that timidity is what we would avoid. He may have hidden refources of intellect in himfelt, and of ftrength in the country; but we must again repeat, that the beft of both are not more than the diftreffes of the empire abfolutely require.

We have no wish to difcourage, no defire to cry down; being free from all influence and regard, but

the Amor Patria. If it be the determination and the fate, we will fay, that our prefent Minister and his colleagues fhall remain in office, we fincerely with them all the fuccefs attendant on the beft and wifest of adminiftrations. We will not be niggardly in apportioning our fhare of praife to their merits, and invoking a national recompence for their labours.

A CURSORY CHARACTER OF THE FOUR PRINCIPAL REVIEWS.

To the Editor of the Univerfal Mag. SIR,

IT

T will be needlefs to inform you, that I felt myfelf highly gratified by the infertion of my letter in your laft Magazine (p. 112). Your compliance with my requeft neceffarily impofes upon me the perform ance of my concluding promife; a task which I the more readily devote myself to, as I am not with out fome hope, that, if properly executed, it may not be altogether unproductive of advantage.

It is not my intention, Sir, to revert to the origin and progrefs of literary journals, or to define the boundaries of periodical criticifm. The one is, at best, but an amusing fpeculation, and the other too fluctuating to admit of being treat ed in a fatisfactory manner. I do not deny the importance of this laft, but I think it nearly impoffible to arrive at any decifive criteria. In order, however, to obferve fomething like coherence in my defign, I shall notice, firft, thofe journals which are profeffedly Critical; and therefore commence with

The Monthly Review. This work has long enjoyed to a very great extent the confidence and the efteem of the public; and no work

ever advanced more folid claims to that pre-eminence fince the existence of periodical mifcellanies. Conducted in every refpect with learning, candour, liberality, and good fenfe, its decifions never difguft by their arrogance, or hurt by their feverity. Attentive to the interefts of literature, and conscious of the deference which is due to public opinion, it always concedes a juft portion of appeal to authors, by producing their own dicta, not in a mutilated incoherent state, but with order, regularity, and relative ftrength. In its cenfures, there is no mean, lurking passion betrayed; no petty perfonalities; no pufillanimous perverfions; no vulgar, grofs, and illiberal infinuations: all is open, manly, and decifive. Not afraid to blame, they are yet ready to applaud; and their encomiunis have often been productive of the moft gratifying confequences. After a long fpace of time, in which they have ftood forth as the judges of cotemporary literature, they may now look back upon their progress with the confcioufnefs of having been uniform in their fupport of religion, morality, and found politics.

The Critical Review should change its title, and affume the more appropriate one of "Annals of Ignorance; or, the Recorder of Flippan

reign,

And what they won by dulness still maintain;

Legions of factious authors throng at

wrought,

The polifh'd falfehood's into public brought.

Quick circulating flanders mirth afford, And reputation bleeds in every word."

Not gifted with one particle of folid judgement, they are unable to difcriminate with perfpicuity ;flaves to the meanest passions that ever warped the human mind, they are illiberal to the laft excess in their criticisms; grossly unjuft towards authors, and towards the public; fuperficial even where a fchoolboy would be profound'; fcurrilous in their language, and abusive in retaliation; fplenetic in their temper, and fuperlatively ignorant of their real duty; fuch are the predominant characteristics of this contemptible journal. I fay predominant, for I have only Sketched their defects: to delineate them minutely, would

The Critical Reviewers.

lead me beyond the limits which I have proposed to myself in this communication *.

The British Critic, which is, perhaps, the next in point of time, holds a modeft and unaffuming place in the ranks of literature. If not diftinguished for its erudition and critical fagacity, it may at leaft claim the praife of refraining from repulfive oftentation; it never gives pain by its contumely, nor infults by infidious inuendos. It may be characterifed as a literary advertifer, which fometimes prefents a tolerably faithful analysis of the books fo advertised; but when it attempts the higher walks of criticifm, or prefumes to enter upon a difcuffion of bold and abftracted truths, or of complicated questions, it only evinces that it is too weak to rife from its humble attitude of crawling.

The progrefs of my enquiry has at length brought me to the AntiJacobin, which prefents fo great a portion of excellences and defects, that it is difficult to fay which is predominant. This journal once promifed to be a real acquifition to literature; but it has iniferably de

* I am enabled to fpeak from experience, and from ocular demonfiration, and therefore I fpeak it boldly, that one of the writers for this Review almoft uniformly faved himself the trouble of reading the works which he criticifed. To begin with jet itfelf; to quote the author's preface, a few remarks upon the nature of the fubif there were one, and more particularly if it were in any manner illuftrative of the nature

of the book under confideration; to extract a few other fortuitous paffages, and then to con of clude by giving (according to the dictates of his fertile imagination) a general cha racter, either good or bad, was his ufual method. This character depended almoft entirely upon the temper he was then in; or more especially the temper of his wife, who was a very Xantippe. Such are the methods employed by thefe "mightiest inkhornifms" in dictating to the public tafte. Is this as it should be? Are we for ever to be the dupes of fterile ignorance, concealed beneath the guise of mysterious wisdom ?