say they, other things were promised, without which they would never have consented to the Union. For my part, I have as bad an opinion of oral tradition in Politicks, as in Religion; and therefore nothing of this kind can weigh at all with me. But supposing that there is some inconvenience, in the present situation of the Peerage, to the House of Lords, that difficulties may happen in relation to the seats of some Noblemen amongst them; are not those difficulties arisen entirely from themselves? And is it not an odd compliment to the Commons, that if the Lords feel a thorn in their feet, they should desire the Commons to take it out, to put it into their own? Surely they will never be brought to do this; much less to endanger their utter ruin, for the convenience of another body of men. Whilst I am writing this, the OLD WHIG, Number II. is come to my hands. I really thought he had been departed; and whether it be himself, or his Ghost that walks, I am not thoroughly satisfied. The first OLD WHIG, I must confess, had stated his argument, and was going on very regularly, if he had not been disturbed in his progress; but this second is as inconsistent as possible. In the first paragraph of the performance before me, he treats the PLEBEIAN as a Grub street-writer; but in the last, and several other paragraphs, as a very able shrewd fellow As to his remarks on the PLEBEIAN, Numb. II. he owns himself, "That he was very unwilling to have been concerned any farther in the dispute, and nothing could have engaged him to have given himself or the publick any more trouble, had he not been so peremptorily called to it by the last PLEBEIAN. But as to what that PLEBEIAN calls upon him for, which was to make good what he had asserted in relation to his Majesty's Concession, he does not say one word about it. Indeed in his Motto he hints at it, and a Fellow Labourer of this Author has spoken out something more plainly on this subject. Upon the whole, it is very extraordinary. Here is at present the greatest favour or bounty, call it which you will, offered to the Commons, that ever was known, and the like it is probable will never be made to them again; and yet I do not know how it happens, they are so blind, or so perverse, that they will not see what is so prodigiously for their good; nay, one can hardly tell how to get them into it by any means whatever. The PATRICIAN says, "It is an affront of the highest nature to the Crown, and a petty kind of rebellion to refuse this offer." And the OLD WHIG seems to be of opinion, that they deserve to have their ears boxed for it. As to the rest of his Motto, Nil ultra quæro Plebeius.* But whether this project was chiefly intended for the benefit of the Commons, I leave every one to judge from both these Authors, one of which plainly discovers, "That he has a prodigious concern for innocent Ministers, and trembles for what may happen to them from Kings who are yet unborn." But the PATRICIAN has two paragraphs, which I shall transcribe without any Commentary. "The general clamour, &c. as if the design of limiting the Number of Peers, and restraining the Prerogative of the Crown, was at first projected with a view of insulting the Prince of Wales, who by this proceeding will be debarred the liberty of creating Peers as his predecessors have done, is so low a reflection on the present Ministry, that I should not have regarded it, but that I find it a popular one. "In short, we never know into whose hands the reins of Government may devolve. It therefore behoves us to secure our privileges, that we may not fall the victims of any aspiring Prince's enraged dispositions." But to return to the OLD WHIG. I confess, I am uncapable to answer what he calls his Remarks, or his Objections. When I talked to him last, it was, as to the Commons, upon a foot as he had stated it himself, That the Crown could have a House of Commons of what complexion it pleased; which are his own words. As to the Lords, That they had a very considerable property of one million a hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds per annum : But now he says all that was only a Jest. And as to the Commons, the Crown has no power at all over them; and as for the Lords, he pleads poverty in their behalf. And he behaves in the same evasive contradictory manner, on every other point in dispute between us. But what is worst of all, he very frequently, for want of any the least shadow of an argument, has recourse to telling old stories, as if they were things that happened but yesterday; which, I confess, is another of the defects of age. And if he will not continue to be testy, I shall admonish him, that he has every where proved himself OLD but no where a WHIG. As to what he seems to insinuate in relation to what is said in the second PLEBEIAN concerning the Ephori, the PLEBEIAN can maintain it by the best authority. Crags is the man I have all along depended upon on this head, and he says, they led the most abandoned dissolute lives; and certainly he ought to know. His words are these, Quamvis ipsi Ephori viverent indulgentius et dissolutius; p. 78. The rest of this paragraph is very mean; and this Author's menaces in this place are as vain, as his compassion in another part of his pamphlet is insolent. I shall take notice but of one thing more in this pamphlet, which is the last paragraph, in these words: "I must own, however, that the Writer of the PLEBEIAN has made the best of a weak cause; and do believe, that a good one would_shine in his hands; for which reason I shall advise him as a friend, if he goes on in his new vocation, to take care that he be as happy in the choice of his subject, as he is in the talents of a Pamphleteer." Authors in these cases are named upon suspicion; and if it is right as to the OLD WHIG, I leave the world to judge of this cause by comparison 343 say they, other things were promised, without which t Whilst I am writing this, the OLD WHIG, Nun hands. I really theorhi he had been departed; and er is fit that walks, I am not thoroughly satisfi The first to Wax. I must confess, had stated? going on very regularly, if he had not been dist but this around is as consistent as possible. In the performance before me, he treats the PLEBEIAN but in the last, and several other paragraphs, as a ↑ As to has remarks on the Pasmax, Numb. II. . be vas tay muling to have been concerned an smi mochi ne ronid have empaped him to have given lễ mrt trade, bad he not been so peremptorily But as to what that PLESSIAN calls upon hi cond what he had asserted in relation to his M. act say one werd about it. Indeed in his Mo Latourer of this Author his spoken out son. subject. Upon the whole, it is very extraord greatest favour or bounty, call it which you that ever was known, and the like it is p them again; and yet I do not know how so perverse, that they will not see what is may, one can hardly tell how to get them: Parsanay says “It is an affront of th a petty kind of rebellion to refuse th.. to de of opinion, that they dese" the rest of his Metta, Nil ultra gr was chiefly intended for the be to judge from both these Auth he has a prodigious eoneer pressing to be put in possession? believe they must, and likewise h for any thing so much as to be me, then I will venture to affirm, he ardent desires of those gentlede of those that are in, and from ne in, but the Dissolution of this Bill should not be offered to the ald not pass, I leave every one to tish Peers will not be very solicitous tennial term, to wear off the impres attempt as is talked of may have al Paper, Vol. III. Numb. X. Of Genius." there may be had, the second edition of "The Plays and Masquerades." St. James's Post, of this performance to his other Writings. And I shall say no more of what is writ in support of Vassalage, but end this paper, by firing every free breast with that noble exhortation of the Tragedian: Remember, O my Friends, the Laws, the Rights, The generous Plan of Power, deliver'd down O let it never perish in your hands! But piously transmit it to your Children.-MR. ADDISON'S Cato. POSTSCRIPT. I BEG pardon for giving my Reader this irregular trouble, having omitted something of consequence in this affair. It is said, that by the Bill, which perhaps may be proposed to the Commons,* his Majesty is to have the naming of the twenty-five hereditary Scottish Peers; that they are all to be named before the next session: But that if it should happen that any of the present sixteen should not be of the number of those named by his Majesty, in such case the present temporary Peers are to remain Lords of Parliament so long as this Parliament subsists, and their hereditary successors are during that term to be withheld from what, it is probable, they may be more than a little desirous of viz. a seat in the House of Peers. If this is to be the case, I beg leave to ask these two questions: The first is, Whether any of those Lords, who at present are of the House of Peers, will continue to be very easy company, when they shall find themselves excluded at the end of this Parliament? For that some of them are to be excluded seems to be indisputable, if what is mentioned above is a right state of the case; for otherwise the sixteen might have been all declared hereditary, and his Majesty only left to add nine to the Scots, as he is six to the English. The next question I would ask, is, Whether it is not very natural to think, that those Scottish Peers who are to be the hereditary successors of *On Monday, April 6, 1719, the day on which the Fourth PLEBEIAN was published, the PEERAGE BILL was reported in the House of Lords, and ordered for a third reading on the 14th; but when that day arrived, a noble Lord in a very high station observed, "That the Bill had made a great noise, raised strange apprehensions; and since the design of it had been so misrepresented, and so misunderstood, that it was like to meet with great opposition in the other House, he thought it adviseable to let that matter lie still, till a more proper opportu nity:" And thereupon the third reading of the said Bill was put off to that day fortnight. The Bill, which was in consequence dropt for that session, was revived in December following, when STEELE again figured away on the subject, as may be seen in page 381 and seqq. Several also of the pamphlets relating to that affair, printed during the preceding session, were revived, and new ones printed; among these were, 1. "An account of the Conduct of the Ministry with relation to the Peerage Bill, in a Letter to a Friend in the Country." 2. Considerations on the Peerage Bill, addressed to the Whigs, by a Member of the Lower House." 8. "The Constitution explained; in relation to the Independency of the House of Lords; with Reasons for strengthening that Branch of the Legislature most liable to Abuse; and an Answer to all the Objections made to the new-revived Peerage Bill." |