Letters between Mr. Wilkes, juftice of Mr. Wildnían's claim. And here, Sir, I will take the liberty to give you fome advice which may be ufeful to you; and to recommend it, I will convey it in the form moft pleafing to you.-A Quotation.-Hominem ingeniofum Marcum Antonium aiunt folitum effe dicere, idcirco fe nullam unquam orationem SCRIPSISSE; ut fi quid aliquando non opus effet ab fe effe dictum, poffe fe negare dixife. I perceive you do not chufe to deny having received the penfion from fome part of the Rockingham adminiftration; but instead of it, give us a letter to Mr. Onflow on the 12th of December 1765. The word precarious, in that letter, is a very ugly reason for a patriot to give against accepting a penfon, which was offered to him in order to keep him quiet abroad: But what fhall we fay if he afterwards received the money? I EXPECT you to give a clear, unequivocal aníwer on the fubject, remembering always the above quotation. Why do you fay nothing of the other extract from my letter about the expectations you had formed of being fent ambaffador to Conftantinople, a thort time before your letter against the Duke of Groften was published. The extracts you have meanly made from my letter, had not the least relation to any thing in difcuffion; you gave them merely to injure me in my profeffion; It was needlefs. I gave up all hopes of preferment from the moment I first embarked in the public caufe. I did then determine to be as prudent as I could, but, if it was neceffary, to facrifice all that I could call my own I continue in the fame and when I shall have spent refolution; the last farthing, I will retire and earn my bread before I eat it; and carrying with me my own approbation, I fhall not blush when my elbow comes through my coat; nay, fhould I even be reduced to the state of our firft parents, I fhould, like them, be naked without being afhamed. JOHN HORNE. To the PUBLISHER. IN my letter of the 18th, of May, 211 But I and the Rev. Mr. Horne. I To the Rev. Mr. HORNE. SIR, Dd 2 Hilly 212 Letters between Mr. Wilkes and the Rev. Mr. Horne. filly found, in the tragedy of Douglas. The torrent rushing o'er it's pebbly banks Infufes filence with a filly found. I have heard of the babbling, the mimic, the fhrill echo. The difcovery of an unfaithful echo was referved for Mr. Horne. Really, Sir, I fhould have thought, notwithstanding all your rage, you might have fuffered an echo to be faithful. I did not expect novelty or variety, much less infidelity, from an echo. Every thing you have advanced relative to the town-clerkship and Mr. Reynolds, you well know to be wholly a lying impofture of your own. I never had a moment's converfation with you on the fubject, nor have I at any time in my life mentioned to Mr. Reynolds, his being town-clerk. I declare the whole of this acculation against me is one entire falfhood. No courtier seems to me to enjoy the luxury of lying equal to the minister of New Brentford. As to the chamberlainfhip, you and many others, have warmly and frequently preffed me to offer my fervices in cafe of a vacancy. My anfwer has regularly been, "I never will accept it. I know it indeed to be the most lucrative office in the of the city, but I can be more ufeful in my present station. I am not avaricious. My wifhes are now few, and eafily gratified." All my friends know this has been my constant anfwer. Early in the laft fummer, my brother ftarted to me the idea of his offering his fervices for the chamberlainfhip on the first vacancy, and faid that he hoped he fhould fucceed, both from his near relationship to me, and the interest of his private friends. I endeavoured to diffuade him from the project, which I thought would be hurtful to himfelf, as well as me. I obferved, that it would be fufpected by those who did not know me, that I was to fhare the profits with him; that I was infinitely fuperior to fuch ideas, that I would in no way be concerned, that the chufing one brother for the fervices of another, was the filly Popish doctrine of imputed merit, that he muft necefiarily quit his present business, &c. &c. &c. I wish- verfation with Mr. Alderman Oliver You are forced to acknowledge " Mr. John Wilkes denied that he had ever approved the measure; but infifted upon it, that his brother had as good a right to be a candidate as any other perfon." In your former writings you painted me as a monfter of Ingratitude, facrificing my best friends to my own In the letter to private advantage. Mr. Cotes you fay, "Mr. Wilkes, who never yet helitated about facrificing his friends for the most trifling momentary advantage to himself." In this fixth letter I am drawn by the fame painter as the moft generous of mankind, thinking of nothing but providing for my friends, and confining all the emoluments of the city to my attornies, agents, and particular adherents, facrificing the public cause, all my own views, and all my patriotism, Letters between Mr. Wilkes, and the Rev. Mr. Horne. to them." Reynolds has done fo much, and is every day doing so much for me, that I think he ought to be fixed upon as Town Clerk." "I think I ought to confider fomething about providing for my friends and being prepared with candidates for the city offices." I was reprefented before as facrificing my friends to my own private advantage, now I am made to facrifice myself and the great cause to the private advantage of my friends. Is it poffible, Sir, the fame man could fit for both the pictures, and to the fame artift? Such an artist must furely be as unfaithful as—an echo. You fay I have been diligent to gain you powers which may be perverted to mifchief." I defire to know what "powers may not be perverted to mischief," and what Powers have actually been perverted to mifchief by Mr. Wilkes, is the question. You infolently pretend to have made him an alderman. Are the powers he exerted about the press warrants, the illegal proclamation, the imprisonment of the printers, the delivering himself the recognizances into court against an exprefs refolution of the House of Commons, are these the powers he has perverted to mifchief? come forward, Sir, with a fingle proof of his abufe of power. You declare, "fuch a practice would very well fuit those who wish a change of minifters; for my own part, I wish no fuch thing." In this I believe you to be fincere, for you have private hopes from the traitors both to their king and country, and the ftrongest affurances that your prefent fervices shall not pass unrewarded. But did you not fign the Middlefex Petition to his majefty," to banish from his royal favour, trust, and confidence, for ever, thofe evil and pernicious counfellors, who have endeavoured to alienate the affection of his majefty from his moft fincere and dutiful fubjects, and whofe fuggeftions tend to deprive his people of their dearest and most effential rights," &c. &c. Have we not nearly the fame minifters now, and has not the Chancellor of the Exchequer particularly distinguished himself against the facred rights of election? 213 yet you declare you do not wish the removal of the actual ministers. What have been all your efforts for the laft four years? have you have been acting a lie, and pretending to bring about a thing, in which you did not wish to fucceed? the folly of your prefent confeffion can only be equalled by the duplicity of your paft conduct. Your treachery at length ftands revealed by yourself to all mankind, but your powers of mifchief are paffed away, never to return. Your feventh letter of this day merits little notice. At laft you are forced to fay, that Mr. Wildman acknowledges the receiving five gui neas. I declare the fum was feven, for the horse. Before I left England, I paid the article of washing the linen. Mr. Reynolds never did apply to Mr. Wildman about that pretended debt. I left your original letters at the printer's to prove that I was exact in my quotations, I expected the fame treatment from you, because I fufpected that the paffages cited from my letters were not correctly given, and a date omitted. Your answer is a refufal to leave the original letters of mine for inspection at the printer's, and you add, "you may EXPECT that the authenticity of your letters will be better proved than by leaving them at the printer's." Can the authenticity of a letter be better proved to the writer than by leaving them at the printer's? let the public likewife have attefted copies, if neceffary. Your fhuffling anfwer will not impofe. I again infit that the original of every letter you have quoted, or hall quote, be left at Mr. Woodfall's, in his cuftody, for my perufal. As to your brotherin-law, Mr. Wildman, let him deliver his account on oath, I will follow him into Westminster Hall. When you mention the injuring you in your profession, recollect the unfair and unprovoked treatment of Mr. Adair in his profeffion. He furely has his profeffion at heart as much as the Rev. Mr. Horne. The injury of which you complain, is received from yourfelf, from a letter of your own, of which you kept a copy, published in confequence of the treachery of your own 214 Letters between Mr. Wilkes, and the Rev. Mr. Horne. own conduct. Scorpion like, you have ftung yourfelf to death. I am, Sir, your humble fervant, I JOHN WILKES. To the PUBLISHER. N his letter of this day, Mr. Horne faye, Mr. Reynolds came to me, and told me he defired my advice and affiftance; that Mr. Wilkes had been talking to him about being TownClerk. I repeated to Mr. Reynolds the arguments I had ufed to Mr. Wilkes, with many others, particu. Harly affecting Mr. Reynolds; and Mr. Reynolds told me, he was convinced by what I had faid, and thould think no more of it." I declare, upon my honour, that I have never at any time had any converfation, either with Mr. Wilkes or Mr. Horne, about being Town-Clerk, and that the above paragraphs, in Mr. Horne's letter, are abfolutely falfe. JOHN REYNOLDS. Lime-freet, Monday, May 27. To the PUBLISHER. IN answer to Mr. Cotes's polite Note JOHN HORNE. line-freet, Piccadilly, May 29, 1771. a right to truth, I cannot by my fllence admit you to have given an exact reprefentation of your conduct refpecting Mr. Horne's letter from Montpellier. The fentiment you would have the world adopt, is, that the firft production of that letter was in confequence of what I faid, and to corroborate your anfwer; therefore not a wanton or defigned publication of a private confidential letter. I am periuaded, that no 'converfation patted between us, which can justify fuch a conflruction upon your conduct. I first heard of the letter, not from yourfelf, but from perfons to whom you had previously fhewn it; and it was first produced to me at a meeting at the Devil Tavern, called the Retribution Club, where I believe I was the only ftranger to its contents amidst a dozen other gentlemen in the room, and before which time you had never spoken to me of fuch a letter. Some of the company asked me, "whether I had not feen the letter, which Mr. Wilkes had of Mr. Horne's;" and as foon as the letter was mentioned, you produced it. I confefs that I frequently took occafion, and probably did fo at that meeting, to declare that Mr. Horne had made fome fuch affertion as you mention; becaufe his former connection or intercourfe with you, which he had then quitted, created the only difficulty in my mind refpecting Mr. Horne's conduct, in other refpects equally honourable to himself and ferviceable to you. But your action is now coupled with my declaration, in a manner to which they have no relation. Having rendered this juftice to Mr. Horne, I thall be equally ready to do the fame juftice to you; whenever I find him trefpaffing upon truth, either through wilfulness or mistake, in any matters which come immediately within my knowledge. As to the parties who are now contefting, I have no reason to with fuccefs on one fide more than on the other; and I certainly thall not decide upon a difpute, till it is ended. As yet, I may fay with Lucan, Quis juftius induit arma Scire netas; magno fe judice quifque tuetur. It Fatal tendency of frequenting Spouting Clubs. It is the cause of liberty I wish to promote, and I care not by whofe hand it triumphs. Of that caufe alone I defire to be efteemed a partizan, and not of any individual. I have the honour 215 to be, with regard, Sir, your moft obedient humble fervant, ROBERT MORRIS. Lincoln's Inn, May 27. [To be continued in our next.]` To the EDITOR of the OXFORD MAGAZINE. SIR, W HERE there is great danger, we cannot be too frequently warned of it; and though the fubject of the following lines may have been often difcuffed, there can be no impropriety in pursuing it, fince the infatuation it complains of, increases rather than abates. The great number of meetings held in this etropolis, under the denomination of Spouting Clubs, calls loudly for the interpofition of legiflature; for we may fairly conclude, from the fupineness of our magiftrates, they are left without a power to controul them. The youths who meet at thefe places are, for the most part, apprentices of the lower clafs, whofe ignorance and want of education can only be equalled by the mad ambition they have to become actors. The money expended upon these occafions, though extravagance often takes the lead, is a triting confideration, compared with that of total neglect of butiness; and the expofure of themselves to ridicule, barely worth a thought, in the fame moment that we reflect it may end in beggary and shame. Neceffary, indeed, are cautions to the weak and uninformed, fince men of - fenfe afford us inftances of their not being able to refift the force of the Dramatic Furor. I fhall therefore endeavour to difcharge a duty I owe my fellow-creatures, and hang out the ftory of diftretes I have known, as a friendly beacon to thofe, who with not to experience a fhipwreck both of character and fortune. I am, then, the only fon of a reputable tradefinan in this city, who, after giving me a tolerable education, apprenticed me to a linen-draper of repectable character. With the utmost fidelity, for the first three years, I per formed the articles of indenturemy fhip; but in the courfe of the fourth, I unfortunately formed an acquaintance with one of the leading members of the ***** Spouting Club, which led me into a fcene of wretchedness it is no easy task to defcribe. I received an invitation from this gentleman to make a visit to the fociety; accordingly one night accompanied him, and from that moment became fo deeply enamoured of the tragic muse, that I refolved to dedicate myself to her fervice. My friend encouraged me, and, in fhort, the next meeting was fixed for my appearance in the part of Horatio. Inconceivable are the throbbings and flutterings of my heart till the hour of trial arrived, when, poffeffing the advantages of a decent figure and a voice tolerably clear and forcible, I acquitted myfelf to the great fatisfaction of a fuller Club than had met some time. I was now fairly entered; I could fpeak in nothing but blank verfe, nor would keep company with any perfons not of a theatrical turn. I fupped at the Black Lion, or the Queen's Head, every night, and knew every player on or off the ftage. Frequently did I devote myfclf to the nocturnal diverfions of the Garden, and frequent were the complaints of my father and my mafter. Their friendly admonitions availed nothing, and I imagined myfelf ill-ufed by the restraint they endeavoured to put upon my actions. In this humour I determined to apply to the manager of a country company for an engagement; and as there was one in town with whom I had drank porter very often at Rowland's, I broke the affair to him. He commended my plan; obferved that a country expedition would not only afford great pleasure, but let me into the |