great honour abroad, and in full peace at home all England, Scotland, and Ireland, dwelling safely, every man under his vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beersheba.

He is gone to reft, and we are entered into his labours; and, if the Lord hath ftill a bleffing for thefe lands, (as I trust he hath) as our peace hath been lengthened out to this day, fo fhall we go on to reap the fruit, and gather the harvest, of what his late highness hath fown and laid the foundation of *.

For my own part, being, by the providence of God, and the disposition of the law, my father's fucceffor, and bearing that place in the government that I do, I thought it for the public good to call a parliament of the three nations, now 'united, and conjoined together in one commonwealth, under one government.

It is agreeable, not only to my trust, but to my principles, to govern thefe nations by the advice of my two houfes of parliament: I find it afferted in the Humble Petition and Advice, (which is the corner-stone of this building, and that which I shall adhere to) "That parliaments are the great council of the chief magistrate, in whofe advice both he and thafe nations may be most safe and happy." I can affure you, I have that efteem of them; and, as I have made it the first act of my government to call you together, fo I fhall further let you fee the value I have of you, by the answers I fhall return to the advice that fhall be given me by you, for the good of these nations.

You are come up from your feveral countries, as the heads of your tribes, and with hearts (I perfuade myself) to confult together for their good: I can fay, I meet you with the fame defires, having nothing in my defign, but the maintenance of the peace, laws, and liberties, both civil and Chriftian, of these nations; which I fhall always make the measure and rule of my government, and be ready to spend my life for.

We have fummoned you up at this time, to let you know the state of our affairs, and to have your advice in them: And I believe a parliament was never fummoned upon a more important occafion.

It is true, as I have told you, we are, through the goodness of God, at this time in peace; but it is not thus with us because we have no enemies: no, there are enough both within us and without us, who would foon put an end to our peace, were it in their power, or should it at any time come into their power.

It will be becoming your wisdom to confider of the fecuring of our peace against thofe, who, we all know, are, and ever will be, our implacable enemies; what the means of doing this are, I shall refer unto you.

This I can affure you, that the armies of England, Scotland, and Ireland, are true and faithful to the peace and good intereft of thefe nations; and it will be found fo: and that they are a confiftent body, and useful for any good ends; and if they were not the very

best

beft army in the world, you would have heard of many inconveniencies, by reafon of the great arrear of pay, which is now due unto them, whereby fome of them are reduced to great neceffities: but you shall have a particular account of their arrears, and I doubt not but confideration will be had thereupon, in some speedy and effectual way. And this being matter of money, I recommend it particularly to the house of commons.

You have, you know, a war with Spain, carried on by the advice of parliament; he is an old enemy and a potent one, and therefore it will be neceffary, both for the honour and safety of these nations, that that war be vigorously profecuted.

Furthermore, the conftitution of affairs in all our neighbour countries, and round about us, (as well friends as enemies) is very confiderable; and calls upon us to be upon our guard, both at land and fea; and to be in a pofture able to maintain and conferve our own state and interest.

Great and powerful fleets are preparing to be fet forth into thofe feas, and confiderable armies of feveral nations and kings are now difputing for the maftery of the Sound, with the adjacent islands and countries; among which is the emperor of Germany, and other Popish ftates. I need not tell you of what confequence thefe things are to this state.

We have already interpofed in these affairs, in fuch manner as we found it neceffary for the intereft of England; and matters are yet in fuch a condition

in those parts, that the state”may, with the affiftance of God, provide that their differences may not prejudice us.

The other things that are to be faid, I fhall refer to my lord-keeper Fiennes and close up what I have to fay, with only adding two or three particulars to what I have already faid.

And, Firft, I recommend to your care the people of God in these nations, with their concernments: the more they are divided among themfelves, the greater prudence should be used to cement them.

Secondly, The good and pecessary work of reformation, both in manners, and in the adminiftration of juftice, that profanenefs may be difcountenanced and fuppreffed; and that righteousness and juftice may be executed in the land.

Thirdly, I recommend to you the Proteftant cause abroad, which feems at this time to be in fome danger, having great and powerful enemies, and very few friends; and I hope, and believe, that the Old English Zeal to that cause is still amongit

us.

Laftly, My Lords, and you gentlemen of the house of commons, That you will in all your debates, maintain and conferve love and unity among yourselves; that therein you may be the pattern of the nation, who have fent you up in peace, and with their prayers, that the fpirit of wisdom and peace may be among you: And this fhall alfo be my prayer for you. And to this let us all add our utmost endeavours for the making this an happy parliament.

GENTLEMEN,

a

NO fpecies of compofition is generally thought more eafy than epistolary writing, though perhaps there are few more difficult. It is not hard to affign the reafon of this prepoffeffion; as letter is confidered as an ebullition of the heart, to labour it is looked upon as fuperfluous, and for that reafon it is liable to be more feverely criticifed, than works of greater importance. But, to use the

expreffion of Horace, Habet tanto plus oneris quanto veniæ minus. Amongst those antient authors, who have occasionally turned their genius this way, Pliny the younger, Cicero, and Seneca seem to deferve the preference. The epiftles of the first are, however, fuperior to those of the other two; though he is not to be compared to Cicero as an orator, or to Seneca as a moralift and philofopher, Pliny's

pane

panegyrick upon Trajan is univerfally allowed to be the beft oration he ever compofed, yet every judicious critic is of opinion, that it is inferior to the leaft elaborate harangue of Cicero's. The great Roman Orator, in his epiftles, has indeed given us a fuccinct hiftory of the most remarkable tranfactions of the times in which he lived; but that in a familiar manner, rather calculated to fatisfy the persons to whom he wrote, than posterity; and intermixed with words and phrases from the Greek, a practice which he himself has condemned in his treatise De Officiis. Seneca's epiftles to Lucilius abound with fhining thoughts and happy turns, but he often degenerates into a common-place declaimer, though perhaps no author, antient or modern, was ever poffeffed of a greater fund of wit. Add to this, that his epiftles are wrote in fuch a manner, as puts it out of all doubt that they are not genuine, but jeux d'efprit addressed to a fictitious correfpondent, a circumstance which cannot fail to disgust even those readers, who are moft apt to be truck with the fallies of a glowing imagination. Amongst our neighbours the French, Voiture and Balzac were long poffeffed of a high degree of reputation for epiftolary writing, but the letters of the former, (as Monf. de Voltaire juftly obferves) abound with antithefes and falfe wit, and

thofe of the latter are too ftiff, laboured, and pedantic. There is not a thought in Voiture, that feems to come from the heart, nor a period in Balzac, that does not smell of the lamp. Madame Sevigné greatly furpaffes them both, as her stile is altogether eafy and natural, and her thoughts feem to flow from her, without premeditation. This branch of literature has not been much cultivated by our countrymen, who, according to Mr. Dryden's remark, are not of fo oftentatious a temper, as to think their private letters worthy of the notice of the public; yet we can boast one excellent collection of this kind. The literary correfpondence of Mr. Pope affords as complete models in this way, as are to be met with amongst the antients or moderns. We muft, however, except the epiftles of Pliny the younger, of whom it is but juftice to fay, that he has furpaffed all others in this eafy and familiar fpecies of eloquence. I fay nothing of the Greek epiftles of Phalaris, as the best criticks are now of opinion, that they are fpurious, notwithstanding the ipfe dixit of the celebrated Sir William Temple, who has ranked him among the first-rate authors of antiquity.

I am, Gentlemen, yours, &c.
T. W.

MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,

AT the opening of the first parliament,

fummoned and elected under my authority, I with pleasure take notice of an event, which has made me compleatly happy, and given univerfal joy to my loving fubjects. My marriage with a Princefs, eminently diftinguished by every virtue, and amiable endowment, whilst it affords me all poffible domestic comfort, cannot but highly contribute to the happiness of my kingdoms; which has been, and always fhall be, my first object in every action of my life.

It has been my earnest with that this first period of my reign might be marked with another felicity; the restoring of the bleffings of peace to my people, and putting an end to the calamities of war,

under which fo great a part of Europe

fuffers. But tho' overtures were made to me, and my good brother and ally the king of Pruffia, by the several belligerant powers, in order to a general pacification, for which purpose a congrefs was appointed; and propofitions were made to me by France, for a particular peace with that crown, which were followed by an actual negotiation; yet that congress hath not hitherto taken place, and the negotiation with France is entirely broken off.

The fincerity of my difpofition to effectuate this good work has been manifefted in the progrefs of it; and I have the confolation to reflect, that the continuance of the war, and the farther ef

fuGon

fufion of Chriftian blood, to which it was the defire of my heart to put a stop, cannot with justice be imputed to me.

Our military operations have been in no degree fufpended or delayed; and it has pleafed God to grant us farther important fucceffes, by the conquests of the inlands of Belleifle and Dominica; and by the reduction of Pondicherry, which hath in a manner annihilated the French power in the Eaft-Indies.

In other parts, where the enemy's numbers were greatly fuperior, their principal defigns and projects have been generally difappointed, by a conduct which does the highest honour to the diftinguished capacity of my general prince Ferdinand of Brunswic, and by the valour of my troops. The magnanimity and ability of the king of Pruffia have eminently appeared in refifting fuch numerous armies, and furmounting fo great difficulties.

It

In this fituation, I am glad to have an opportunity of receiving the trueft information of the sense of my people, by a new choice of their reprefentatives. I am fully perfuaded you will agree with me in opinion, that the fteady exertion of our most vigorous efforts, in every part where the enemy may ftill be attacked with advantage, is the only means that can be productive of fuch a peace, as may with reafon be expected from our fucceffes. is therefore my fixed refolution, with your concurrence and fupport, to carry on the war, in the most effectual manner, for the intereft and advantage of my kingdoms; and to maintain, to the utmost of my power, the good faith and honour of my crown, by adhering firmly to the engagements entered into with my allies. In this I will perfevere, until my enemies, moved by their own loffes and diftreffes, and touched with the mi

series of fo many nations, fhall yield to the equitable conditions of an honourable peace; in which cafe, as well as in the profecution of the war, I do affure you, no confideration whatever shall make me depart from the true interests of these my kingdoms, and the honour and dignity of my crown.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

I am heartily forry, that the neceffity of large fupplies appears fo clearly from. what has already been mentioned. The proper estimates for the fervices of the enfuing year shall be laid before you; and I defire you to grant me fuch fupplies, as may enable me to profecute the war with vigour, and as your own wel-. fare and fecurity, in the present critical. conjuncture, require, that we may happily put the laft hand to this great work.. Whatsoever you give fhall be duly and faithfully applied.

I dare fay your affectionate regard for me and the queen makes you go before me in what I am next to mention; the making an adequate and honourable provifion for her support, in cafe she should furvive me.

This is what not only her royal dignity, but her own merit calls for; and I earnestly recommend it to your confideration.

My Lords and Gentlemen,

I have fuch a confidence in the zeal and good affections of this parliament, that I think it quite superfluous to use any exhortations to excite you to a right cen duct. I will only add, that there never was a fituation in which unanimity, finnefs, and dispatch were more neceffary for the fafety, honour, and true interent of Great Britain.

MOST GRACIOUS SOVEREIGN,

WE. your majesty's most dutiful and loyal

fubjects, the lords fpiritual and temporal in parliament assembled, begleave to return your majefty our humble thanks for your!most gracious fpeech from the throne. It is impoffible to approach your royal November, 1761.

prefence at this time, without making our first offering to your majesty, of our most joyful congratulations on the aufpicious occafion of your royal nuptials. We want words to defcribe how warmly we are affected with an event, fo highly ine terefting to your majesty, and to all your 4 E

faithful

faithful fubjects; or to exprefs our gratitude to your majefty, for giving us a queen, who, whilft the compleats your happiness, promifes, by every virtue and amiable accomplishment, the greatest addition to that of your people. May Heaven grant the longest duration to this felicity! And may it be attended with a numerous progeny, to tranfmit the great examples of their illuftrious parents, and perpetuate the bleffings of your reign to future ages.

We thankfully acknowledge your majefty's goodness, in communicating to us, that overtures had been made, by the feveral belligerant powers, in order to a general pacification; and by France, for a particular peace between your majesty and that crown, whereupon a negotiation had followed, which is fince entirely broke off. No other proof could be wanting to us, that the continuance of the war, and the effufion of Chriftian blood, can not, with any fhadow of justice, be imputed to your majesty, befides the known generofity and benevolence of your own innate difpofition.

Your royal wifdom has appeared in nothing more, than in not fuffering your military operations to be fufpended or delayed and we beg leave to congratulate your majefty on the present signal fucceffes of your arms. Befides the important conquefts with which they have been bleffed, your enemies have, in other parts, been made once more to feel, that fuperior numbers, cannot avail them against the fuperior capacity and conduct of your confummate general prince Ferdinand of Brunswic, and the unfhaken bravery of your officers and troops. We can not fee without admi-. ration, thofe repeated proofs of magnanimity and ability, which your great ally, the king of Prufia, tho' furrounded with fo many difficulties, has given to the world.

Your majefty's fentiments cannot fail

MY LORDS,

to have the greatft weight with us, because we are sure that they proceed upon wife principles, founded in the love of your people. It is therefore from conviction, that we declare our humble concurrence in your opinion, that it is neceffary steadily to exert our most vigorous efforts in every part, where the enemy may still be attacked with advantage.

*

We beg your majefty to accept the strongest and most affectionate affurances, that we will, with the greatest zeal and ardor, and at the hazard of every thing that is dear to us, ftand by and support your majesty, in profecuting the war in the most effectual manner for the intereft of your kingdoms, and in performing, to the utmost of your power, your engagements to your allies; nothing being more evident, than that this is the only method to procure fuch equitable and honourable conditions of peace, as may with reafon be expected from our fucceffes.

We should be greatly wanting to ourfelves, as well as to your majetry, if we did not teftify our particular thanks for your paternal goodnefs, in having fo exprefly declared, that both in carrying on the war, and in making peace, no confideration whatsoever shall make you depart from the true interests of these your kingdoms, and the honour of your crown.

This refolution, fo truly worthy of a British monarch, and fo engaging to all your loyal subjects, calls for adequate returns on our part. Penetrated with the livelieft fenfe of your unbounded tendernefs and concern for our welfare, we do, from the bottom of our hearts, affure your majefly, that we will, with the ut most duty and zeal, correfpond to that confidence, which your majesty repofes in us; being fully perfuaded of the neceflity of unanimity, firmness, and difpatch, in the prefent critical fituation; and animated thereto, by the gracious admonition of the best of kings.

I thank you for this very dutiful and Joyal addrefs. The joy which you exprefs upon my marriage, and your affectionate regard for the queen, give me the highest fatisfaction. I make no doubt but your ready concurence in my fentiments, and the becoming zeal, which you have fo

unanimously declared, for carrying on the war with vigour, will have a good effect both upon our friends and enemies; and strengthen my hands, to purfue fuch measures as may be most conducive to the true interefts of my Kingdoms.