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44

Original Anecdotes.---John Wilkes, Efq.

in the management of public affairs, and that the jealoufies which he occafioned between king and people, gave rife to many if not a the misfortunes of the prefent reign. Certain it is that his conduct created a moft formidable oppofition, bottomed on conftitutional motives, and that the moft zealous advocates for the houfe of Brunswick, entrenching themfelves in the revolution principles of 1688, combated the doctrines and proceedings of the favourite, with the fame zeal that that their ancestors had oppofed the ty ranny of the houfe of Stuart. It was this fingular circumftance that gave birth to the political career of the fubject of thefe memoirs; and not only his own biography, but the hiftory of the prefent times, is intimately connected with the foregoing events. The father of Mr. Wilkes was an eminent diftiller in Clerkenwell, where John is fuppofed to have been born, on the 28th of October, 1725. The elder fon Ifracl, who is still alive, followed the fame bufincfs, and ultimately failed. The fecond, of whom we now treat, and who had received a liberal education early in life, was a brewer; but as he had, in a great meafure, become unfitted by claf fical purfuits from obtaining wealth as a tradelman, it is more than probable that he would not have fucceeded in his commercial pursuits. For, is it poflible to fuppofe, that the enthufiaftic admirer of the elegant Tibullus, fhould relish the dull round of bufinefs, in the neighbourhood of St. Sepulchre's that he who banifhed care like Anaceron, and daily quaffed the Falernian of Horace, fhould pay fuch a fedulous attention to the procels of fermentation, and be converfant in all the properties of two-penny,porter, and brown-ftout? Difguft, accordingly, foon fucceeded, as a neceffary confequence, and the golden dreams arifing from the mingled fumes of hops and malt, vanished with the mafh-tub and the compting-houfe.

Mr. Wilkes was calculated, by nature, education, and habit, for far different purfuits, and he foon gratified his inclinations, Having married a daughter of the celebrated Dr. Mead, the author of the Treatife on Poifons we find him exchanging the dull and foggy atmosphere of the city for the thinner and politer air of the weft end of the town. Poffeffed of a genteel fortune, clegant manners, and a fparkling wit, he eafily obtained the acquaintance of many of the most fashionable people of the age. Educated in Whig principles, he was at the fame time an ardent affertor of Eng.

3

[Jan.

lifh liberty. It was the latter circumftance, indeed, that gave a colouring to the future purfuits of his life; to the former, he was indebted for a feat in parliament, and a regiment of militia.

A ftanding army has always been confidered as the opprobrium of liberty, and a difgrace to a free country. To counterbalance this palpable defect in the fyftem (for it is not inherent in our polity) fome generous fpirits conceived the idea of a national and conftitutional defence. This plan, fo long fcouted, and fince, in a great meafure, emafculated by fubfequent regulations, was at length carried into effect, but not without much oppofition, and confiderable diffatisfaction on the fide of f the people.

Mr. Wilkes, who was a great ftickler for the meafure, made an offer of his fervices in Buckinghamfhire on this occafion; and as he lived in great intimacy with earl Temple, the then lord lieutenant, he foon became member for Aylesbury, and colonel of the county regiment. It is to be recorded among the other fingular anecdotes of his life, that nearly at the fame time, he was expelled from the one office by the Houfe of Commons, and difmiffed from the other by a mandate from the firft executive magiftrate.

The member for Aylesbury foon participated in the general refentment against lord Bute, and, poffeffing a happy talent for fatire, contributed not a little to increafe the hatred which he had every where excited. But this was not all; in the bitterness of his refentment, he accufed the nation, among whom that nobleman was born, of an hereditary attachment to flavery, and, without much ceremony, attacked certain perfons, who fondly hoped that their rank was not only too lofty for plebeian animadverfions, but even dif folved all connection between guilt and fhame.

Mr. Wilkes began his carcer, as an author, 1762, and his first political publication, at prefent known with certainty, was intitled, "Obfervations on the Papers relative to the Rupture with Spain." On the 5th of June, in the fate year, he became the editor of a periodical paper of much notoriety, called the "North Briton," which gave a particular turn to, and not only influenced, the future progrefs of his affairs, but actually decided the tenour of his whole life. No publication that ever came from the Englith prefs was read with more intereft, or circulatedwith greater avidity than this,

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798.]

Original Anecdotes.-John Wilkes, Efq.

he Letters of Junius, and the works
of Paine, alone excepted. Nor were the
effects difproportionate either to the end
with which it was launched on the ocean
of popular opinion, or the high expec-
tations that were conceived of its fuccefs.
It was in vain that the ministers attempted
to oppofe its progrets, by means of the
"Briton" and the "Auditor;" the lat-
ter of which was conducted by Mr. Mur-
pay, a man of confiderable parts, who,
in the courfe of his variegated life, has
defended the arbitary principles inculcated
by a Tory adminiftration, and prefented
us with a Whig verfion of Tacitus. His
pen, however, on this occafion, was made
to drop from his hand, by the mere force
of ridicule alone, and his journal itfeif
expired in the flames of his own Florida-
turft. He, however, did not fall alone,
for his patron foon lay proftrate by his
fide; and although he was fufpected of
regulating the notions of the minifterial
puppets long after he left the ftage, yet,
fo obnoxious had he rendered himicif,
that, from this moment, he was forced to
bid adieu, at leaft, to the oftenfible ex-
ercife of power.

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The crown lawyers were accordingly on the watch, and fome unguarded, perhaps, improper expreffions in No. 45for I write not an eulogium-afforded ample opportunity for profecution.

It has luckily been always the fortune of arbitrary councils, not only to render the means difproportionate to the end, but to have recourfe to odious measures for the attainment of their object. It was this very circumftance, that, in one age, bereaved Charles of his life, James of his crown; and, in another, endeared Mr. Wilkes to the nation.

Had a common action taken place against the editor of the North Briton, and, after due conviction, a moderate fentence been inflicted, Mr. Wilkes would have been branded as a recorded libeller. It was the illegal proceedings which occafioned that gentleman to be confidered as a fuffering patriot, through whofe fides the liberties of a whole nation were wounded. His, therefore, from that moment, ceased to be a private caufe-it was the cause of the people.

On the 50th of April, 1763, he was arrested in the street, by a king's meffenger, in confequence of a general warrantTM, against the authors, printers, and pub

The Thane was fucceeded by Mr. Grenville, the father of the prefent lord Grenville and the marquis of Bucking-lishers of the North Briton, No. 45, and ham; who, partly from hatred to the au thor, and party from animofity to his own brother, with whom he had quarrelled (he is alfo faid to have been inftigated by another motive) determined, if he could not fupprefs, the publication, that he should, at leaft, punifh the editor.

* Smollet was the editor.

+ Such as wish to be better acquainted with this inftance of literary jockeyship, are referred to a note in p. 52, vol. 1, of Bell's fecond edition of Churchill's works, or to the North Briton. Here follows the epitaph occafioned by the discomfiture of the "Auditer;" and it may be neceffary to premife that this event was produced by a waggifh letter figned "Viator,' in which the advantages derived from the paffeffion of Florida (obtained by the peace of Paris) are ironically pointed out, particularly the peats and turf, that were to warm the por American planters in the winter feafon!

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carried to his own houfe. The publicity of the act having occafioned much noife, he was inftantly vifited by a number of his friends, and, among others, by Charles Churchill, a fellow-labourer in the political vineyard, whom he faved from imprifonment, by that prefence of mind which never deferted him on trying occafions. In the mean time, he delired two other gentlemen to repair to the court of Common Pleas, and fue out a writ of Habeas Corpus, in confequence of his being detained a prifoner in his own houfe, by an illegal arreft.

As lord Halifax did not choofe to pro

*(Copy)

L. S. "George Mountague Dunk, Earl of "Halifax, Viscount Sunbury, &c. rife and require you (taking a conftable to your "Thefe are in his majesty's name to authoaffiftance) to make strict and diligent fearch after the authors, printers, and publishers of a fe Briton, Number 45, Saturday April 23d, 1763, ditious and treafonable paper, entitled the North printed for George Kearfley, Ludgate-street, London, and them or any of them having found, to apprehend and feize, together with their papers, and to bring in fafe cuftody before me,

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Original Anecdotes.-John Wilkes, Efq.

ceed directly to extremities, he fent feveral polite meffages to Mr. W. requesting his company; but the latter refolutely retufed, and could not be prevailed upon to repair to his lordship's houfe, until he was threatened with perfonal violence, and given to underftand, that a regiment of guards would, if neceflary, be called in. On this, he proceeded in a chair, attended by the meffengers and their followers; he, however, refuted to answer any questions whatever, and treated lord Egremont, the other fecretary of ftate, who exhibited too much of the infolence of office, in his demeanour, with great fpirit.

On his being committed to the Tower, he was preffed to offer bail; but he ftre Buously refufed, as it would have looked like an acquicfcence in the injustice of the proceedings against him, although two noblemen offered to become fureties to the amount of 100,000!. each. In confequence of frict orders for that purpose, he was kept a close prifoner, and earl Tenple, and the reftf his friends, denied acces to him, until two habrajes were iffued, the first having been evaded by clucanery. At length, on Tuelday, the 30 of May, he was brought up to the bar of the Common Pleas, where, in an appofite freich, he complained of the violation of the laws, and affèrved. that he had been treated wofe" than if he had been a Scotch rebel."

The court having taken time to deuberate, he was remanded, and brought up once more, on the 6th, when the lord chief justice, fir Charles Pratt, afterwards lord Camden, ordered him to be difcharged. Flushed with this victory, in the courfe of that very night, he wrote a bitter and farcaftic letter to the two fecretaries of state, in which, after recapitulating the circumitances relative to the feizure of his papers, he demanded the reftitution of them, under the title of "ftolen goods," and actually applied to Bow-ftreet, for a warrant to search their houfes, in order to recover poffeffion of his property, which had been felonio fly taken away. It may be cafily fuppofed, that a magiferate, under the immediate influence of the miniftry, refuted his countenance to this proceeding, but recourfe was foon had to a higher authority, and ample fatisfaction received.

While Mr. Wilkes was yet in the Tower, unlawfully imprifoned, and unconvicted, therefore, in the eye of the law, fuppofed to be at once innocent and pprcffed, he was doomed to experience

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all the rigour of royal vengeance, havin been actually dismissed from his fituatio of colonel of the Buck's Militia, by mandate, with which the lord lieutenan reluctantly complied. But this was r all; an attempt to difgrace, was foon fol lowed by another, calculated to run him it proved, however, contrary to ali be man calculation, to be the basis on whic he erected the edifice of his future for tune.

In the course of next term, an inform ation was filed against him, in the King's' Bench, as author of the North Brit No. 45; and, on the meeting of parts ment, being voted "a fa fe, fcandalos, and feditious libel," it was ordered to be burned by the hands of the common hang. man; a fentence which was carried in ex cut on, with much difficulty,in the city; when Mr. Sheriff Harley, who difplayed great ze 1 on the occifion, was mal-treated and even wounded by the populace.

Mr. Wilkes having, in his turn, com.l plained to the houfe of a breach of privi lege, was not only refused redrefs, but a refolution paffed, "that the privilege of parliament des not extend to the cate of writing and publishing feditious libek, nor ought to be allowed to obstruct the ordinary courfe of the laws, in the steady and effectual profecution of fo heinous and dangerous an offence."

Some word. that poffed on this occa fion, in conjun&A with puffage in the North Briton, occafio ed a duel between Mr. Wilkes and Mr. Martin, member for Camelford, and late fecretary to the Treatury, which took place in Hyde Park, the 16th of December. The reprefentas tive of Aylefbury behaved with great galanty on this occation, and the wound he received in the groin greatly encreased the number of his pactifans, who were pleafed with his fpirit, and confidered him as a martyr in the public cause.

Soon after he found it neceffary to retire to France; but this did not in the leaft tend to abate the vindictive spirit of

(Copy)

"My lord, Whitehall, May 4, 1763. "The king having judged it improper, that John Wilkes, Eiq. fhuld any longer continue to be colonel of the militia for the county of Buckingham, I am commanded to fignify his majefty's pleasure to your lordship, that you do forthwith give the neceflary orders for difplacing Mr. Wilkes as an officer for the militia, for the county of Buckingham'

To the Earl Temple."

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Original Anecdotes.John Wilkes, Efq.

enemies for on the 19th of January, 54, we find him expelled the Comns, and a new writ was immediately dered to be iffued for Aylesbury. The Dufe of Peers alfo thought its privies violated, in the perfons of the bip of Gloucefter, whofe name had been ixed, as editor to an obfcene pamphlet, inted at Mr. Wilkes's private prefs,and hibited a remarkable refentiment on that count. In addition to this, he was and guilty, in the court of King's ch, of the republication of the "North iron, No 45, with notes," and for inting and publishing the "Effay on oman." Of the firit of thefe producwas avowedly the editor; it as to the fecond, which is a parody on pe's Effay on Man, he was no farther minal than by allowing twelve copies to printed at his apartments: the real auor was a fon of an archbishop of Canroury! In both inftances, the works queftion were obtained by the bafeft aud, his own fervants having been ibed and fuborned for that very pur

ns, he

fe.

At length, a change of miniftry having ken place, and the parliament being iffolved, Mr. W. returned to his native untry; and notwithstanding the terrors f an outlawry, actually ftood candidate or the firft city in the empire, and only ft his election by a mall majority. He roved more fuccefsful in the first county, s he was returned a knight of the thire or Middlesex, after a great and decifive

onteft.

The violated laws were, however, ftill * be atoned for, and, accordingly, the ew member, with his ufual intrepidity, oluntarily furrendered himfelf, in the ourt of King's Bench, on April 20th, 768; and on Saturday morning, June 8n, fentence was pronounced; in conequence of which he was imprisoned for wenty-two calendar months, and obligd to pay a fine of 1000l. He found means, however, to get his out-lawry reverted, and this was accomplished with lefs difficulty than had been expected, as lord Mansfield, who, on great occafions, exhibited evident fymptoms of timidity, was alarmed at the odium attached to all thofe concerned in the proceedings, and did not, perhaps, think the

A fimilar cafe to that of Capt. Perry, till languishing in the prifon of Newgate, had not then occurred, or it might have been urged as a precedent! The fituation of this gentleman is particularly hard,

47

bench itfelf, although furrounded by mace bearers and tipftaves, facred from the fury of an incenfed multitude.

No fooner was this neceffary prelimi nary achieved, than the action again ft lord Halifax, who had hitherto pleaded the out-lawry as a bar, was recommenced, and a verdict of 4000l. obtained. This fum, together with 1000l. recovered from Mr. Wood, the under fecretary of state, and the amount of the verdicts, damages, and cofts of fuit, were all paid out of the civil lift, by an exprefs order of council!

To balance the victory, he was doomed to fuffer a fresh profecution. His long and rigorous imprifonment having enfured the indignation of all liberal and independent men, and enflamed large bodies of the populace to a degree of frenzy little fhort of madnefs, many riots took place, and St. George's-fields became the fcene of much confufion. There were two legal modes of proceeding in this cafe. The firft, molt gracious and affuredly moft politic, would have been a fpontaneous exercife of the royal mercy, which, by its extenfion to the prifoner, would have diffoived the affociations entered into for his protection and fupport, and left him without complaint, and, confequently, without adherents. The fecond was the conftitutional employment of the civil power, in order to keep the peace, and, in cafe of infraction, to punish the offenders. A third was, however, recurred to, unknown to our ancient laws, equivocal in its nature, and problema:ical in its application; this was the calling in a military force, a meafure ftrenuoufly recommended by lord Weymouth, then fecretary of itate, and as warmly combated by Mr. Wilkes. This produced a fecond expulfion, and as one injuftice. naturally leads to another, gave birth to the nomination of Mr. Luterèil, now lord Carhampton, as the fitting member for Middlet.x, although Mr. Wilkes was duly returned by the theriffs, and fairly elected by an iminente majority.

If he was excluded however from parliamentary, civic honours poured. thick upon him. While immured within the walls of a prifon (in 1759) he was elected alderman of Farringdon Without, the moit confiderable and, patriotic ward in the metropolis. Two years afterwards, he afpired to and ob tained the dignity of the fhrievalty, and in 1774, he wa elevated to the city chair. In all thefe different relations, he exer

cife d

48

Original Anecdotes.-Mr. Wilkes.

cifed the magifterial functions, with great fpirit and integrity, and in the laft of them, he incurred fresh* debts, by fupporting the honour of his station. While oppreffed by the accufation of minifters, the gale of popular attachment fet in ftrongly in his favour, and he was never fo great, or perhaps fo happy, as when afflicted by the perfecution of the court. His caufe was fupported by the best and ablest men in the kingdom; his debts were more than once paid by the generous care of his friends, and every immediate want was anticipated by the ardour of their bounty t. But this was not all: they were determined to procure him a more permanent provifion, and according y ftarted him as a candidate for the lucrative office of chamberlain of the city of London. Mr. Hopkins however prevailed, notwithstanding his character was tainted refpe&ting foine money negotiations with a minor; and an annual contelt took place until his death, which occurred in 1779, fince which period Mr. Wilkes occupied that fituation, for the remainder of his life.

During the whole of the American war, he was a ftrenuous oppofer of lord North's administration, and heartily joined his own perfonal enemies in oppofing the measures, aud difplaying the guilt of that juftly odious ftatefman. No fooner was the noble lord hunted into the toils, and brought within the reach of a punishment, from which he efcaped, in confequence of the eagernefs difplayed in dividing the fpoils of the delinquent, than Mr. Wilkes feized that opportunity of procuring juftice to the public and to himself, refpecting the Middlefex election. The day this fcandalous decifion was refcinded from the journals of the houfe of commons, may be faid to have been the laft of his political career. Indeed, from that moment, he feems to have fuppofed his mision at an end, and in his own exprefs words to

*Thefe were the only debts incurred in the public fervice, and I understand that they have been all liquidated.

Among other prefents received by him was a cup of gool. value, made by Mr. Stephenfon, of Ludgate hill, on which he caufed the following lines to be engraved: "Proud Buckingham, for law too mighty grown, A patriot dagger prob'd, and from the throne Sever'd its minion. In fecceding times, May all thofe favourites who adopt his crimes Partake his fate, and ev'ry Villiers feel The keen deep fearchings of a Felton's steel."

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In his perfon, Mr. Wilkes was tall agile, and fo very thin towards the la ter part of his life, that his limbs seemed cadaverous. His complexion was f low, and he had an unfortunate caft of h eyes, that rendered his face particular liable to be caricatured. The minify of that day were fo fenfible of the 25 vantages to be derived from this fpec of ridicule, that Hogarth was actu bought off from the popular party, means of a penfion, and earned a do honourable reward, by employing graver in fatirifing his former friend Notwithstanding the defects of his perfe Mr. Wilkes at one time actually for the fashions, and introduced blue air perade on his return from France in 1769.

Towards the latter part of his life, became regardlefs of his dress, and h wardrobe for the last fifteen years fem to have confifted of a faded farlet ca white cloth waistcoat and breeches, and a pair of military boots, in which he wr accustomed to walk three or four time a week, from Kenfington to Grofver fquare, and from Grofvenor fquare Guildhall. Like most of the old schools, never defcended from the dignity of ac bat, and it is but of late that he abjured re long exploded fashion of wearing a git burton and loop.

His ready wit was proverbial, and it never miffed an opportunity of being jocular, at the expence of his colleages Sometimes he would difconcert the gr vity of a city feaft by his fatire; a when he told the late alderman Burr. (formerly a bricklayer) who feemed be unable to manage a knife, in the fr

*

"When that great charter which
fathers bought,

With their best blood, was into question broug
When big with ruin, o'er each English head,
Vile flavery hung fufpended by a thread,
When liberty, all trembling and aghaft,
Fear'd for the future, knowing what was paft.
When ev'ry breaft was chill'd with deep depar,
Till reafon pointed out that Pratt was there,
Lurking most ruffian-like behind a screen,
So plac'd all things to fee, himself unfeen,
Virtue with due contempt faw Hogarth stan
The murd'rous pencil in his palfy'd hand
What was the cause of liberty to him,
Or what was honont let them fink or fwim,
So he may gratify without control,

The mean refentments of his felfish foul:
Let freedom perish, if to freedom true,
In the fame ruin Wilkes may perish too."

Churchill's epif, to Hogarth

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