172 Letters between Mr. Wilkes, and the Rev. Mr. Horne is not dead, as well as Mr. Lavinz, the LATE Receiver General of the Cuftoms, whom you quote as your authority that you had a Promife you Should be appointed one of the Chaplains to his Majefty, as well as a Profpect of fuch other particular preferment as was fufficient to fatisfy your wishes. When you mention the city-election, you affert, "you talked of the follies of your youth, as if you had not been at that time between forty and fifty, and as if folly was all that could be alledged against you." Whatever could be alledged against me would probably come from others rather than from myself. I am fure this could only pafs in a private converfation. I was not guilty of that abfurdity to the refpectable body of the livery. You' cannot produce any expreffion in my various addreffes to them, which has fuch a tendency. As to my age at that time, you have given the truth. I wish you had in every other part of your letter. The city election was in March 1768; I was forty the October preceeding. Mr. Horne has there tore in four long letters advanced one truth, that at the city election in March 1768, Mr. John Wilkes was between forty and fifty. If any man doubts the fact, because Mr. Horne has afferted it, he may have full evidence, although its validity would be controverted by the minister of New Brentford, Bible Evidence from a large family book, or the Bible Oath of a midwife, a nurse, and half a dozen goffips. In your first letter you declare," it is neceffary to give a short history of the commencement, progrefs, and conclufion of the intercourfe between us." In your fecond you fay, the nature of our intercourfe (for it cannot be called a connection) will beft appear from the fituation of each of us at its commencement." Your fituation thall be explained by yourself from the words of the first letter you ever wrote to me. "You are entering into a correspondence with a parfon, and I am a little apprehenfive left that title should difguft you: But give me leave to affure you I am not ordained a hypocrite. "It is true I have fuffered the infectious hand of a bishop to be waved over me; whole impofition, like the fop given to Judas, is only a fignal for the devil to enter. It is true that ufu-fugiunt Pually at that touch you dor, Verumque, Fidefque. In quo- To Mr. JOHN WILKES. SIR, Hough I do not intend that you Trial artfully draw me off from my courfe of a regular explanation; yet I think it proper to take some notice of the two letters you have given by way of reply. And firft I muft obferve what you You have not done in your letter. have not even pretended any reason for my diffatisfaction with your conduct. You have not denied that our acquaintance began in the manner, and at the time I have mentioned. You acknowledge that you received my letter from Montpellier, because you have made an extract from it; and yet you have not denied that you difowned Letters between Mr. Wilkes, difowned to me the receipt of it. You have not denied the fhewing about this letter, with an intention to intimidate and injure me; but as Cæfar's and De Retz's examples are to justify your dishonest debts, fo Cicero's letters, it feems, are to juftify your treachery. You have admitted that I had no communication with you from May, 1767, till March, 1768, and that my first vifit to you in London was when you had evidently loft your city election; and yet you have offered no reafon why our acquaintance should be in this manner broken off, as foon as it was begun; and why, after that interruption, it should be refumed again juft at that critical time. You have not imputed to me any motives of action, either when I commenced, or when I quitted any intercourfe with you; ei ther when I have approved, or when I have difapproved your conduct. Instead of giving a confiftent, probable account of any thing, let us now fee what you have done. I your first letter, you have declared me to be "the leaft moral, and the leaft confcientious of men; that my life has paffed in a conftant and direct oppofition to the purity and precepts of the Golpel; and that my creed, from the first article to the laft of it, is known to be Non Credo, &c." Such charges as thefe, from the mouth of Mr. Wilkes!- But I fhould be ridiculous, if I paid any regard to general abufe: It is fufficient for me to anfwer, that were my character fo bad as you fay, it must be very notorious indeed, and you would not be forced to deal in generals, and instead of my actions, to accufe the fecret thoughts of my heart, which no man can fcrutinize; becaufe, fince I was eight years old, my whole life has paffed before hundreds of witneffes, and you would eafily be able to collect all the particulars of my mifbehaviour from my infancy. Weftminster, Eton, Cambridge, the Temple, my living at Brentford, which I have had upwards of ten years, travelling with the fons of two gentlemen who live within a mile of my houfe, who applied to me, and to whom I had no recommendation, but that notorious character you speak of. All thefe are not fituations in which a man's very bad conduct is likely to be and the Rev. Mr. Horne. 4875 concealed. To general charges, fuch general anfwers only can be given. Your fecond letter is more particular, and fhall have a more particular answer. The following is your account of the tranfaction with Mr. Wildman. "Mr. Wildman formerly kept the Bedford-Head, in Southampton-street, Covent-garden; for feveral years I belonged to a club, which met once a week at the Bedford-Head; when I was in England, I LODGED at his house in Argyle-buildings; he defired to be confidered as my warm partizan; he defired to be useful to me and my friends; I defired him to buy a horfe, I fixed the price, and paid him beforehand. This was the fingle tranfaction of my own with Mr. Wildman. I gave him two or three trifling commiflions from Monf. Sainte Foy, I believe the articles were fent; they never passed through my hands, nor do I know whether Mr. Wildman has yet been paid for these trifles." You are abfolutely filent about what paffed between you and Mr. Wildman, at Paris: You do not feem to know that this Tavern Man, at whofe house you lodged, ever called upon you there : In fhort, you know and care nothing about the matter; you paid for your harfe beforehand, and have nothing to do with the other trifles, whether he was paid or not; he may go again for payment to Monf. Sainte Foy! The reader who cannot fee your bafenefs through this fhuffling, muit be ftupid indeed. But, Sir, I have your letters to Mr. Wildman now before me. You left Mr. Wildman's houfe, Nov. 7, 1766: The next day you wrote thus, amongst other things, to this Tavern Man. "Ship at Dover, Sat. Nov. 8, 1766. "Dear Wildman, "My heart is too full to fay one word of the events of yesterday, except my feelings of gratitude to you and Mrs. Wildman, for all the kindness you fhewed me. Pray direct to me, at Paris Rue des Saints Peres au coin de la Rue de l'Univerfite, and let me know every farthing of expence you are at for me, my Horfe, &c. I am, Dear Wildman, your affectionate humble fervant, John Wilkes.' Again, $74 Letters between Mr. Wilkes and the Rev. Mr. Horne Again, in another letter, you fay, "Paris, Rue de Saints Peres, March 29, 1767. "Dear Wildman, "If you would deliver a friend of yours from daily, almost hourly perfecution, you will contrive to get me the little horse I asked of you for a lady. I will repay you all charges of every kind. You were fo kind to undertake a few commiffions for a friend of mine here. Will you forgive me troubling you in this manner? Your readiness to serve me on every occafion, makes me more willingly afk thefe favours of you. I hope your gout has kept aloof this winter, and that Mrs. Wildman enjoys perfect health. I beg you to remember me to her very af fectionately, and to affure her, that I fhall never forget the obligations I received under your roof. I am, Dear Wildman, your fincere friend, and moft humble fervant, John Wilkes." Again, in another letter, you fay, "Paris, Rue des Saints Peres. "Dear Sir, "We have been fellow-fufferers in a good caufe, and we will keep up our fpirits, with the hope of fecing it at laft triumphant. Do not you come this fummer to tafte our Champaign and Burgundy? I fhall be very happy to see you here. I beg you to remember me to all my good friends, to Mrs. Wildman in particular, whofe kindnefs to me I shall never forget. If the gout fpares your fingers, you may employ them ufefully in now and then writing to your affectionate humble fervant, John Wilkes. "P. S. Since I wrote the above, I have the favour of yours of the 23d. Ten thousand thanks for the trouble you have had about the horse. Shall I pay the 71. 10s. od. to Foley and Panchaud, on your account? As foon as you fend me Mons. Sainte Foy's bill, I will take care the money fhall be paid in to Foley and Panchaud's, and you may afterwards order them to pay it to Monf. Le Marquis de Puyzieux. Pray where does he live in Paris, or where in Champagne? If I can ferve you, or fave you trouble, let me know. If you will fend me your commiflion in English, I will tranflate it into French, and fend it to him, Thefe letters paffed before Mr. Wildman went to Paris. How he was trifled with, and treated there, I have already mentioned. After he was returned to England, you fent him the following artful letter. "Paris, Rue des Saints Peres, Oct. 19, 1767. "Dear Sir, "I was forry to mifs the pleasure of feeing you at the Hotel de York, the morning I came to Paris on purpose to fee you. Why did you not leave me a note about Monf. St. Foy's business, and if it was fettled or not? You know very well the letter you fent me to Paris, fome months before, about it, you found undelivered. St. Foy never had received but the arrack. Did you enquire about the other things, when you returned by Calais? If you will fend me the lift of the things, and what you have paid, and the name of the ship and mafter, with the direction of the goods, I will fet all to rights, and fee you paid. I advife you likewife to empower Mr. Panchaud to receive the money for you of St. Foy, I long ago enclofed you a direction how to draw for it. Send me likewife the account of the little horse, and I will pay the remainder to Mr. Panchaud. I lament, my dear Sir, that you have had fo much trouble on this occafion. Be fo good only to take the pains of writing to me by the poft, and I will foon bring this into order. If I can be of any service to you, I need not fay that you may always command me; and furely there has been no delay on my part. I beg you to remember me, with much regard, to Mrs. Wildman, and to Mr. Horne. I am, Dear Sir, your affectionate humble fervant, JOHN WILKES. P. S. Goy is with the Duke of Choifeul at Fontainbleau." The following is a lift of the articles which you commiffioned Mr. Wildman to buy. 25 bottles of the very best old Jamaica rum. 25 Arrack. For three gowns, chintz; one light blue, one pink, and the other fine yellow ground. Pamphlets. Romeo Letters between Mr. Wilkes, and the Rev. Mr. Horne. Romeo and Juliet. Churchill's works. Forty yards of fine flannel. Two profligate articles, Mr. Wildman would not furnish. La Philofophie de l'Histoire. which Le Philofophe ignorant. Le dernier Ouvrage de Boulanger. Every thing new from Voltaire." Tho' you pretend not to know whether Mr. Wildman has yet been paid for thefe trifles, you know it can be proved that Mr. Wildman's clerk called upon you whilft you were in the King's Bench for the money, to which application you answered, that you had nothing to do with it. And I fuppofe you know that Mr. Reynolds, not many months ago, endeavoured, at Bath, to perfuade Mr. Wildman to fubfcribe this debt, or, if he would not do that, at leaft to accept the compofition for it. Mr. Wildman has very chearfully fubfcribed on your account, fince your return to England, more than this fum, but he would not fubfcribe this debt, in which he had been fo fhamefully treated.. You next deny that Mr. Wildman afked you for my clothes; and you are perfuaded that what is faid of Monf. Goy is an abfolute falfhood. Mr. Wildman's affirmative would be much undervalued, if it was to be weighed against your negative. But perhaps this matter does not depend alone on bis veracity. You have made an extract from the letter I fent you from Montpellier, which wants no excufe, and does not relate to any thing in agitation. If it required any explanation, I could easily give one you would not like. I laft night found, amongst my papers, a copy of this my letter to you, with which you have fo much threatened me: It finishes with the latter of the following extracts: "I have received yet no letters; I believe I have fome at the post-house at Marseilles, but I do not expect any intelligence in them: I hope for fome from you, relative to yourself, that may give me pleasure; though I am half afraid your hopes of the prefent minitry have mifcarried: For Lord St John, of Bletho, not long fince fhewed me a letter from the Duke of Grafton, excufing himself for not ap 175 pointing his Lordship to the embaffy of Conftantinople, and mentioning the appointment of Mr. Murry; at the fame time his Lordship told me that he too had long been foliciting that employment. I wish there had been no great obftacle in you way than his Lordship's interest and merit. "I this moment receive a letter from England that tells me Fitzherbert has fent you power to draw on him to the amount of 1000l. a year: Eutrapelus, cuicunque nocere vo lebat Veftimenta dabat pretiofa :I am afraid this is Eutrapelian generofity; and that by furnishing you with the means of pleasure, they intend to confign you over to diffipation, and the grand points of national liberty and your glory to oblivion. I am fure they will be mistaken; nothing little or common is for the future to be pardoned you. The public have done you the juftice to form extravagant notions of you; and though they would be very forry to see you neglect any opportunity of ferving your private intereft, yet they hope never to have cause to reproach you as Brutus did Cicero-That it was not fo much a mafter that he feared as Anthony for that mafter. This language was pretty plain, Sir, from fo new an acquaintance to you as I then was, and I think my fentiments expreffed in the latter extract cannot easily be misunderstood. From this latter extract of my letter you evidently borrowed the thought and the quotation from Horace, which you have used in your letter of Monday; but unfortunately you do not understand the paffage, an accident that happens very frequently to Plagiaries. You fay, "This is all I know of the Veftimenta pretiofa of Eutrapelus. I hope, Sir, the putting them on will not have the fame effect on you as formerly on HIM."-If they have no more effect on me, than Horace fuppofes them to have had formerly on Eutrapelus, they will not do me much mischief. Eutrapelus, cucunque nocere volebat, Veftimenta DABAT pretiofa. The fact is, Sir, (as any fchool-boy can tell you) that Eutrapelus did not wear 176: Letters between Mr. Wilkes, and the Rev. Mr. Horne. wear the clothes himself, as you fuppofe, but left them with a profligate at Paris, and the bad effects enumerated by Horace in the following lines relate to the fellow who pawned them, and not to Eutrapelus who gave him the opportunity. It was You have made another Extract from a Letter you call it, which I fent to you at Fulham. I defire you would give the Whole of that letter and the extract will then, I believe, have a very different appearance. It is true that note to you at Fulham had escaped my memory, but I now well recollect the occafion of it. Mr. B of Fulham, who had been exceedingly useful in your election, came to folicit me laft May that I would write to you in behalf of fome tradesmen there, who had voted for you or otherwife ferved you in your election. much against my will to tell him my thoughts of his requeft; and yet I could not be fo unjust as to conceal my opinion and do them an injury under the appearance of a favour, I afked him fmiling (for you know I cannot laugh) if he really thought fuch a recommendation of them would be doing them a favour? He replied, they would think it fo. I told him, I would not pretend to answer for their being paid; and that I fhould be forry to make them fuch a return for their good public fpirit, as to recommend them to a bad private debt. He faid, they would use their prudence, which I begged he would caution them to do, that I might not hereafter be reproached. On this occation I recollect I did write you a fhort note, of which I have likewife a copy fomewhere; and I remember too the fubftance of it.I expreffed to you my furprize that your credit was fo good and that there were still to be found any perfons willing to truft you: The line of my note, which you have extracted, was inferted by me to let you understand that you were not conferring an obligation on me, but that it was an act of friendship in me towards you to let you know your friends. Sir, my furprize to find any Tradefmen willing to truft you was the greater, because I knew feveral of the fraudulent pretences you had used fince your enlargement from the King's Bench, to obtain goods from Tradefmen, What you fay concerning Mr. Onflow's letters is not true; but it needs no refutation, being nothing to the prefent purpose, and bearing eviIdent marks of falfhood on the face of it; for who can be fo grofs as to believe that it was printed without your confent from a copy you suffered me to take," and this too after acknowledging that you printed the firit letter yourself! JOHN HORNE. [The fucceeding Letters between Mr. Wilkes and Mr. Horne, fhall be regu larly continued in our next Magazine.] To the EDITOR of the OXFORD MAGAZINE. (With an Engraving of a young Heir liftening to the ill. Advice of his Tenants) SIR; 1 Knew a young gentleman, who when he firft became poffeffed of a large eflate, was idolized and adored by the tenants of his grandfather, from whom he inherited; but, unhappily for him, he fuffered himself to be swayed by a north country fervant, who led him into all manner of errors.-The first article that was recommended to his practice was ingratitude; and the defcendants of thole, whole ancestors brought the family of this young man into the actual poffeffion of the eftate he now enjoys, at the hazard of their lives and fortunes, are now discarded with contempt; and those who have more than once traiteroufly endeavoured to rob him of his poffeffions, are the only perfons whom he esteems and carettes. Your's, &c. |