The Oxford Magazine: Or, Universal Museum

Mr. Garrick, in the Character of Sir John Brute,

in the Provokd Wife.

( 137 )

To the EDITOR of the OXFORD MAGAZINE.

SIR,

fic

after the Birth of Christ.

VERN Fader thic arth in heofnas, gehalgud thin noma; to cymeth thin oric; fic thin willa, fue is in heofnas and in eortha; vren hlaf ofer wirtlic fel us to daeg; and forgef us fcylda urna, fue we fogefan scyldgum vrum; and no inlead a vfiith in custnung, ah gefrig vrich from ifle. Amen.

HEN your Magazine firft made The Lord's Prayer, as ufed 700 Years its appearance, I commenced reader, thinking that the productions of fuch a refpectable fociety would be worth while perufing, and it has anfwered my expectation. Some time fince, a book falling into my hands, intitled, Camden's Remains, (which feems to be a very scarce edition) in which I found the Lord's Prayer, as ufed 700 years after the Birth of Chrift, and the then English adapted to it, which for its curioufnefs I transcribed. If you think it will be amufing to any of your readers, by giving it a place in your useful Magazine, will much oblige,

SIR,

Your most obedient humble fervant,

B. CLEYPOLE,

Witham o'th Hill, Lincolnshire.

In English then thus conftrued.

OUR Father which art in Heaven, be hallowed thine name; come thy kingdom; be thy will fo as in Heaven and in Earth; oure lofe fuper substantiall give us to day; and forgive us debts oures, fo we forgive debts ours; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver every one from evill. Amen.

An Original ANECDOT E.

N the reign of Charles the Second, time, and a member of the infamous Cabal) came one day to court in Lord Rochefter's week of waiting; Lauderdale defired admittance to his Majefty, was refused, and told by Rochester, that he was very ill; Lauderdale came conftantly every day during Rochefter's week, and as regularly received the fame anfwer; at which being furprized, he asked Rochefter what was the nature of his Majefty's illness? who told him the King had got a fore nofe. Lauderdale came to court the next day, and another Lord being in

waiting, was immediately introduced expreffed his amazement at not seeing him for fo many days, and on being informed of the impediment, the King called for Rochefter, and demanded his reafons for faying he had got a fore nofe: Rochefter replied, May it please you Majefty, had I been led fo long by the nofe as you have been by Lauderdale, I am fure mine would have been fore; fo I conceived it at leaft my duty to deny all access to the immediate caufe of your Majesty's diforder."

VOL. VII.

Το

HE people of England are not their obligations to you. They have feen yet no adequate idea of the endless variety of your character. They have feen you diftinguished and fuccesful in the continued violation of thofe moral and political duties, by which the little, as well as the great focietics of life, are collected and held together. Every colour, every character became you. With a rate of abilities, which Lord Weymouth very justly looks down upon with contempt, you have done as much mitchief to the community as Cromwell would have done, if Cromwell had been a coward, and as much as Macchiavel, if Macchiavel had not known, that an appearance of morals and religion are useful in fociety. To a thinking man, the influence of the crown will, in no view, appear fo formidable as when he obferves, to what enormous exceffes it has fafely conducted your Grace, without a ray of real underRanding, without even the pretenfion to common decency or principle of any kir.d, or a fingle fpark of perfonal refolution. What must be the operation of that pernicious influence (for which our kings have wifely exchanged the nugatory name of prerogative) that, in the higheft ftations, can fo abundantly fupply the abfence of virtue, courage, and abilities, and qualify a man to be the minister of a great nation, whom a private gentleman would be a named and afraid to admit into his family! Like the univerial paisport of an ambafador, it fuperfedes the prohibition of the laws, banishes the ftaple virtues of the country, and introduces vice and folly triumphantly into all the departments of the state. Other princes, befides his majefty, have had the means of Corruption within their reach, but they have used them with moderation. In former times, corruption was confidered as a foreign auxiliary to government, and only upon extraordinary energencies. The unfeigned picty,

the fanctified religion of George the the civil forces of the ftate. The natural refources of the crown are no longer confided in. Corruption glitters in the van :- -Collects and maintains a standing army of mercenaries, and, at the fame moment, impoverishes and inflaves the country

-His Majefty's predeceffors, (excepting that worthy family, from which you, my Lord, are unqueftionably defcended,) had fome generous qualities in their compofition, with vices, I confefs, or frailties in abundance. They were kings or gentiemen; not hy procrites or priefts. They were at the head of the church but did not know the value of their office. They faid their prayers without ceremony, and had too little priestcraft in their understanding, to reconcile the fanctimonious forms of religion with the utter defiruction of the morality of their people. My Lord, this is fact, not declamation.-With all your partiality to the houfe of Stuart, you inuft confefs, that even Charles the Second would have blushed at that open encouragement, at thofe eager, meretricious careffes, with which every fpccies of private vice and public proftitution is received at St. James's. The unfortunate House of Stuart has been treated with an afperity, which, if comparison be a defence, feems to border upon injuftice. Neither Charles nor his brother were qualified to fupport fuch a fyftem of measures, as would be neceffary, to change the government, and fubvert the conftitution of England. One of them was too much in earnest in his pleafures,the other in his religion. But the danger to this country would ceafe to he problematical, if the crown fhould ever defcend to a Prince, whofe apparent fimplicity might throw his fubjects off their guard,-who might be no libertine in behaviour,-who fhould have no fenfe of honour to retrain him, and who, with just religion enough to impole upon the multitude,

Junius, to his Grace the Duke of G

might have no fcruples of confcience to interfere with his morality. With thefe honourable qualifications, and the decifive advantage of Situation, low craft, and falfehood are all the abilities that are wanting to deftroy the wifdom of ages, and to deface the nobleft monument that human policy has erected. I know fuch a man; My and with the Lord-I know you both; bleffing of God, (for I too am religious,) the people of England fhall know I am not very you as well as I do. fure, that greater abilities would not in effect be an impediment to defign, which feems at firit fight to acquire a A better underfuperior capacity. ftanding might make him fenfible of the wonderful beauty of that fyftem he was endeavouring to corrupt. The danger of the attempt might alarm him. The meanness, and intrinfic worthlefinefs of the object (fuppofing he could attain to it) would fill him with fhame, repentance, and difguft. But thefe are fenfations which find no entrance into a barbarous, contracted heart. In fome men there is a malignant paflion to deftroy the works of genius, literature, and freedom. The Vandal and the Monk find equal gratification in it.

Reflections like thefe, my Lord, have a general relation to your Grace, in and infeparably attend you, whatever company or fituation your character occurs to us. They have no connection with the following recent fact, which I lay before the public for the honour of the best of fovereigns, and for the edification of his people.

A prince (whofe piety and felf-denial, one would think, might fecure him from fuch a multitude of wordly neceffities) with an annual revenue of near a million flerling, unfortunately wants Money.-The navy of England, by an equally ftrange concurrence of unforeseen circumstances (though not quite fo unfortunately for his Majefty,) is in equal want of timber. The world knows in what a hopeful condition you delivered the navy to your fucceffor, and in what a condition we found it in the moment of diftrefs. -You were determined it fhould continue in the fituation in which you left

139

it.It happened, however, very lucki
ly for the privy purfe, that one of the
above wants promifed fair to fupply
the other. Our religious, benevolent,
generous fovereign has no objection
to felling his own timber to his own
admiralty, to repair his own ships, nor
to putting the money into his own
pocket. People of a religious turn
naturally adhere to the principles of
Whatever they acquire
the church.
falls into Mortmain.-Upon a représen-
tation of the Admiralty of the extra-
ordinary want of timber, for the in-.
difpenfible repairs of the navy, the
Surveyor General was directed to
make a furvey of the timber in all the
Royal chaces and forefts in England.
Having obeyed his orders with accu-
racy and attention, he reported, that
the finest timber he had any where met
with, and the propereft in ever respect
for the purposes of the navy, was in
Whittlebury Foreft, of which your
Grace, I think, is hereditary ranger.
In confequence of this report, the
ufual warrant was prepared at the
Treasury, and delivered to the Sur-
veyor, by which he or his deputy were
authorized to cut down any trees in
Whittlebury Foreft which should ap-
pear to be proper for the purposes
above-mentioned. The deputy being
informed that the warrant was figned,
and delivered to his principal in Lon-
don, croffes the country to Northamp
tonfhire, and, with an officious zeal
for the public fervice, begins to do
his duty in the Foreft. Unfortunately
for him, he had not the warrant in
his pocket. The overfight was enor-
mous, and you have punifhed him for
it accordingly. You have infifted that
an active, ufeful officer fhould be dif
miffed from his place. You have ru-
ined an innocent man and his family.
—In what language shall I address
fo black, fo cowardly a tyrant :-Thou
worfe than one of the Brunfwicks, and
all the Stuarts!-

-To them, who knew Lord North, it is unneceffary to fay, that he was mean and bafe enough to fubmit to you.-This however is but a fmall part of the fact. After ruining the Surveyor's Deputy, for acting without the Warrant, you You deattack the Warrant itself.

S 2

clared

140
Junius, to his Grace the Duke of G.
clared it was illegal, and fwore, in a
fit of foaming, frantic paffion, that
it never should be executed. You af-
ferted, upon your honour, that in the
Grant of the Rangership of Whittlebury
Foreft, made by Charles the Second,
(whom, with a modesty that would do
honour to Mr. Rigby, you are pleased to
call your ancestor) to one of his baftards,
(from whom I make no doubt of de-
fcent,) the property of the timber is veft-
ed in the Ranger. I have examined the
original Grant, and now, in the face
of the public, contradict you directly
upon the fact. The very reverfe, of
what you have afferted upon your
honour, is the truth. The Grant ex-
prefsly, and by a particular clause, re-
ferves the property of the timber for
the use of the Crown.-In fpite of this
evidence, in defiance of the reprefen-
tations of the Admiralty,-in perfect
mockery of the notorious diftrelles of
the English navy, and thofe equally
preffing and almoft equally notorious
neceffities of your pious Sovereign,
here the matter refts.-The Lords of
the Treafury recall their Warrant;-
The Deputy Surveyor is ruined for do-
ing his duty; Mr. John Pitt, (whofe
name I fuppofe is offenfive to you) fub-
mits to be brow-beaten and infulted;

-the oaks keep their ground ;---the
King is defrauded, and the navy of
England may perifh for want of the
beft and fineft timber in the island.
And all this is fubmitted to---to ap-
peafe the Duke of Grafton !---To gra-
tify the man, who has involved the
King and his kingdom in confufion
and diftrefs, and who, like a treacher-
ous coward, deferted his Sovereign in
the midft of it!

"There has been a ftrange altera tion in our doctrines, fince you thought it advifeable to rob the Duke of Portland of his property, in order to

ftrengthen the intereft of Lord Bute Son in-law, before the laft genera election. Nullum tempus occurrit regi, was then your boasted motto, and the cry of all your hungry partifans. Now it feems, a grant of Charles the Second to one of his baftards is to be held facred and inviolable! It must not be queftioned by the King's Servants, nor fubmitted to any Interpetation but your own---My Lord, this was not the language you held, when it fuited you to infult the memory of the glorious deliverer of England from that detefted family, to which you are ftill more nearly allied in principle than in blood.---In the name of decency and common-fenfe, what are your Grace's merits, either with King or Miniftry, that should intitle you to aflume this domineering Authority over both ?---Is it the fortunate confanguinity you claim with the House of Stuart?--Is it the fecret correfpondence you have for fo many years carried on with Lord Bute, by the affiduous affiftance of your cream coloured Parafite? Could not your gallantry find fufficient employment for him, in thofe gentle offices by which he firft acquired the tender friendship of Lord Barrington ?---Or is it only that wonderful fympathy of manners, which fubfifts between your Grace and one of your fuperiors, and does fo much honour to you both?---Is the union of Blifiel and Black George no longer a romance? From whatever origin your influence in this country arises, it is a phenomenon in the hiftory of human virtue and understanding.Good men can hardly believe the fact; wife men are unable to account for it; religious men find exercife for their faith, and make it the laft effort of their piety not to repine against Pro-: vidence.

JUNIUS.

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The Oxford Magazine: Or, Universal Museum, Volumes 6-7