Lord Halifax, intimating that it was desired that I should be in town at the opening of the Parliament. In about a week after Lord Sandwich came to me from the same authority, with the most execrable papers in his hand that I believe ever polluted the light. They were parodies in print of the Essay on Man and the Universal Prayer by Pope, and of the Veni Creator in the "office of making Priests and Bishops." The Essay on Man is called an Essay on Woman," with Notes and Commentary by Dr. Warburton." He desired to know whether I was willing to have him prosecuted for breach of privilege. I said, that though I was so diabolically treated as to have my name put to such a heap of diabolic lewdness and blasphemy, and other insults in the book, yet I despised the man as so infinitely beneath me, that I was in no disposition to prosecute him, unless the King desired it as for his service. He said it was much so; and I consented that he (Lord Sandwich) should move it, and I would speak what I thought fit on the occasion.

When I had wrote thus far I was called to the House; else it had been my intention to give you a minute history of the whole of yesterday's transaction. But I must defer it to my next, and shall only tell you at present, that the crime was received by the House with the utmost astonishment and detestation. It was fully proved, and he was voted guilty of it. But before punishment he was

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to be heard, as to-morrow; but this morning Wilkes fought a duel with Martin, and had two bullets lodged in his body, which Hawkins extracted, and declares he may live. So that this action of madness and despair will retard the continuance of his prosecution, both in our House and in the House of Commons; for the same day a message came to the King from that House, complaining of the North Briton, No. 45, which was proved to be his by the same evidence that proved his diabolic parodies in ours. The House voted it scandalous, infamous, and tending to a treasonable insurrection. Mr. Pitt objected to the word treasonable, and divided with a minority of 111 against 270; C. Townshend with the minority, but spoke nothing. If he lives he will be expelled that House, and pilloried, fined, and imprisoned, I suppose, by ours.

I would not lose this early post, just to give you the sum of things. I reserve the particulars to my

next.

I am, honoured Sir,

Your most dutiful nephew

and faithful servant,

W. WARBURton.

P. S. You cannot conceive the horrors of this crime. I shall send you a copy of my speech: * I exaggerate nothing, and by that you may judge.

This speech, together with another on the same subject, will be found at the end of the General Correspondence.

I told you some time ago that I was sure the opposition would degenerate into a faction. It has done so. The people see it; and they are likely

to be ruined.

BISHOP WARBURTON TO RALPH ALLEN, ESQ. Grosvenor Square, Nov. 17, 1763.

HONOURED SIR,

In my letter of yesterday I was forced to break off my narrative, where I told you I consented, for the King's service, to prosecute Wilkes. The whole proceeding was well planned, digested, and executed; and the secret so well kept, that when Lord Sandwich opened it, there were only two or three of the Cabinet Council that knew any thing of the matter. But it being immediately on the King's retiring after his speech, the House, I think, was fuller that ever I knew, and a great crowd of the foreign ministers just before me; but when Sir Sept. found I intended to speak, he very dexterously removed them all to another part of the House.

Lord Sandwich began with all the expressions of horror to open the affair. He read many parts that he supposed were not too shocking; and it was necessary to support the charge, that some should be read. In the midst, Lord Lyttelton affected to be so much shocked, that he rose up, and desired no more might be read; but the House said, Go on. When he had gone through

those parts which it was possible to be heard read, he was then to proceed to examine witnesses to prove Wilkes to be the author. When he had done his speech, and before the witnesses were examined, I rose up, and made a speech to the House, a copy of which I here enclose, that you may judge of this diabolic enormity; for nothing is aggravated.

When I had done, Lord Sandwich proceeded to the examination of witnesses; the sum of which was, that Wilkes gave them to be printed to the evidence, corrected them himself, owned that he he was the author, and that it cost him great pains and labour; that thirteen copies were printed, and no more. By the way, Lord Sandwich told me that, before the Parliament met, Wilkes, who had dispersed these copies to his friends, called them all in for fear that any one should escape into the enemy's hands; and then thought himself secure.

In the course of the examination, it appeared that some letters which were produced of Wilkes, to show he was the author, had been seized by the Secretary of State's warrant. On which Temple rose up, and said he had as great an abhorrence of the Parodies as any Lord in the House (when it is generally reported and believed, that he had them in his possession, shewed them to others, and was much delighted with them); but that the legality of the method by which they were obtained ought to be inquired into; that the liberty

of the subject was concerned in it; and a great deal of nonsense to that purpose. He spoke wretchedly ill, as usual, and was as wretchedly seconded by Lord Sandys, who is gone over to the opposition. They were answered by the Duke of Bedford, Lord Halifax, Lord Sandwich, and by the Chancellor with his usual heat. Still Temple hung upon it, and I believe rose up half a dozen different times, till Lord Mansfield, finding there would be no end, rose up, and, as he always does, ended the dispute at once. He said he knew nothing of this prosecution till he came into the House (which was true, for I first told him of it at his coming into the House). He said nothing was more absurd than the objection. The coming by evidence illegally does not make that evidence illegal in the trial of a criminal. That frequently criminals have been taken up by such as had no authority to do so; but that hinders not their being brought to justice. In short, he exposed and ridiculed the objection so effectually, that the House called out to go on. So that the wretch was fully convicted, and the House proceeded to the severest vote against the criminal. But here again Lord Mansfield interposed, and said he had his doubts whether it was regular to come to that vote till Wilkes had been heard. On which Lord Sandwich said, if he had such doubts, he would defer the vote to this day. While this was doing in the House of Lords, they were prosecuting the