1768. Mobs assembled round his prison that in all of them was heard the to offer him help, and succeeded cry of Liberty and its champion. so far as to involve Scotch sol- Liberty by itself, to not a few of diers, and their ministerial its advocates, had ceased to employers and defenders, convey any meaning. "I take Et. 40. in the odium of having "the Wilkes-and-liberty to infired fatally upon unarmed men. "form you," wrote a witty merThe laws seemed to have lost chant to his correspondents. * their terror, the magistracy their It was now that Whitefield put means of enforcing them. In up prayers for Wilkes before his one part of London there was a sermons; that Dukes were made riot of Irish coal-heavers which to appear in front of their houses lasted nine hours, and in which and drink his health; that city eighteen persons were killed, be- voters in a modest way of trade fore the Guards arrived upon the refused to give him their votes scene. The merchant-sailors on unless he'd take a gift of money the river, to the number of four as well, in one instance as much thousand, rose for an increase of as 201; ** and that the most wages, and stopped outward- notoriously stately and cerebound ships from sailing till their monious of all the ambassadors demands were compromised. (the Austrian) was tumbled out The Thames watermen, to the Wilkes's Let best of their ability, followed the *Coll. Lett. v. 210. Wilkes used to example; so did the journeymen tell with much glee that as he was achatters, with what assistance they she saw his head upon a sign-post, and cidentally walking behind an old lady, could give to the general con- murmured, "He swings everywhere but fusion; and a riot even of jour-"where he ought." He passed her, turned neymen tailors threatened to be round, and politely bowed. formidable, till Sir John Fielding **Other tradesmen sent him gifts in succeeded in quelling it. Wal-kind, of which he specially records one pole has connected these various of forty-five dozen of candles from a disturbances with the "favorable "Wilkes season," and tells us ters, 1. 112. chandler. An unknown and more wealthy patriot sent him 500 guineas in a handsomely embroidered purse. Apart from these strictly personal tributes, 20,000l. was also raised by more general 'sont imprimés et contiennent la Lettre subscription for him. I might prolong "de ce prisonnier aux habitans du Comté the account indefinitely. See his Letters, "de Middlesex. Il est représenté au 1. 111. Lord Mahon quotes a letter of "milieu, une plume à la main." Bachau- Franklin's to his son, dated 16th April, mont, Mem. Soc., IV. 80. "I happened," 1768. "I went last week to Winchester, says Watson, afterwards Bishop of "and observed that for fifteen miles out Llandaff, in the Anecdotes of his Life (Ed."of town there was scarce a door or 1818), I. 55, "to be at Paris about that" window-shutter next the road un"time" (1768-9); "and the only question "marked" (with Wilkes and Liberty, "which I was asked by a Carthusian and Number 45), "and this continued "monk, who showed me his monastery, "here and there quite to Winchester, 66 was, whether Monsieur Vilkes, or the "which is sixty-four miles." History, "King, had got the better?" v. 193. 1768. Æt. 40. of his coach head over heels, to insensate and reckless of dishave his heels chalked with grace. Number 45. In the midst of a That language of Walpole is Wilkes mob the new Parliament not to be adopted to its met. "Good God," cried the full extent, it may be true, Duke of Grafton, when the Duke any more than the expresof Richmond laughed at Lord sions of the more terrible asSandwich's proposition to send sailant who was now, with such and see if the riots had ceased, signatures as Mnemon, Lucius, "is it matter for laughter when and Atticus, * sharpening his "mobs come to join the name of nameless weapons for a more "Wilkes with the sacred sound enduring aim; but in neither case "of Liberty!" The poor Duke is the desperate bitterness to be saw none of the causes that had condemned as uncalled for, brought this about, nor dreamt simply because it involved inof connecting them with the dividual injustice. The time had social disorganisation all around come when, even at the expense him: with the seat of govern- of individual suffering, it was ment in daily disorder, Ireland well that such things should be insurrectionary, the colonies on thought and said; and when it the eve of rebellion, and the was fitting that public men, pricontinent overbearing and arro-vately not unamiable or disgant; while, to himself, a woman honest, should at length be made or a horse-race was first in the bitterly responsible for public duties of life, and his allies the wrongs, whether sanctioned or Bedfords, "with each of them committed. Lord Chatham was "his three thousand a-year and no worshipper of the mob; but "his three thousand bottles of this year roused him from his "claret and champagne," ""* were apathy, and replumed his popular great families who were the chief actors in these scenes, which during the last twenty or thirty years have been given to the world. *Coll. Lett. v. 206. For excellent descriptions of these scenes I may refer also to Walpole's George the Third, and the second volume of his Letters to Mann. Let me add that, waiving the question of *The first known communication by whether or not Lord Bute still exercised the writer of Junius appeared in the personal influence at this time over the Public Advertiser on the 28th of April, young king, which the letters I have 1767; but the letters, sixty-nine in numlately quoted (ante, 50) show at least to ber, signed Junius, and forming the colhave been a belief entertained in other lection with which every reader is than "vulgar" quarters (Memorials of Fox, familiar, extend only over the space from I. 111), it is quite certain that the system the 21st of January, 1769, to the 2nd of introduced by Lord Bute continued to November, 1771. The 69th Letter, adhold undisputed sway, and that the dressed to Lord Camden, is without a scenes named in the text were but the date; and there are other private letters natural fruit it bore. I will add that I to Woodfall, the printer of the Public know of no more painful or humiliating Advertiser, the last two of which are 'study than that of the various private dated 10th May, 1772, and 19th January, papers and "Correspondences" of the 1773. fame. He saw much of what at ignorance of; though it is just as last was impending. In "timber-likely that his purchase of an “merchants,” who began now to estate induced the talk, as his contest seats in the large late fiery speeches in the House 1768. cities against the Selwyns of Commons. Burke became this Et. 40. and men of the aristocratic year a landed proprietor. With families, he saw something more money bequeathed him by his than Gilly Williams's "d --d car- father and brother, and with "penters" who (according to large help from Lord RockingLord Carlisle) should be "kept ham (at once intended to requite "in their saw-pits." A new service and render it more efpower was about to make itself fective), he purchased an estate felt, and it found Chatham pre-in Buckinghamshire called Grepared. He withdrew his name gories, or Butlers-court, about a from the ministry, already reel-mile from the market town of ing under the storm of Wilkes; Beaconsfield, and subsequently Shelburne soon after followed known by the latter name. * Ashim; Camden was not long in sisted as he was, the effort must following Shelburne; the poor have straitened his means; for in Duke of Newcastle, inapt for new the following year he asks a loan notions, sank into the grave of a thousand pounds from Garwith his old ones; * and young rick, which his "dear David," his Charles James Fox, to whom the "dearest Garrick," at once acgreat friend and associate of his cords. ** The estate was twentymature life was already in- four miles from London; and timately known, for the first time within a hundred yards of the heard Mr. Burke familiarly talked house were the ruins of what about at his father's table. ** The latter incident may mark what the great families found it now no longer possible to affect *See Chesterfield's Letters (Ed. Lord Mahon), Iv. 478-9. *He writes to Shackleton on the 1st of May, 1768: "Again elected on the same turned him for Wendover), "I have made "interest" (Lord Verney had again re"a push, with all I could collect of my "own, and the aid of my friends, to cast "a little root in this country. I have pur** His father's first recorded remark "chased a house, with an estate of about upon the new man was highly charac-"six hundred acres of land, in Buckingteristic. He supposed he was a wonder-"hamshire, twenty-four miles from Lonfully clever man; but (alluding to Burke's excessive pratice of talking) "he did not "like those clever fellows who could not "plainly say yes or no to any question you asked them." Memorials of Fox, 1. 66. Lord Holland would thoroughly have appreciated Goldsmith's couplet: "Who, too deep for his hearers, still went on refining, And thought of convincing, while they thought of dining." 46 "don, where I now am. It is a place ex"ceedingly pleasant; and I propose (God "willing) to become a farmer in good "earnest. You, who are classical, will "not be displeased to hear that it was formerly the seat of Waller the poet, "whose house, or part of it, makes at "present the farm-house within an hun"dred yards of me." Correspondence, I. 153-4. ** Gar. Cor. 1. 353-4. 1768. What are your Britons, Romans, Grecians, had once been Edmund Waller's "nounced it, and as heartily home. Gregories itself, con- "joined with a party to support sumed by fire, has since become "the piece he had before dea ruin; but nobler memories than "voted to destruction." * the old poet's linger now round If credit is to be given at what had once been the home of all to so doubtful a state- Et. 40. Edmund Burke, and Goldsmith ment, it was probably renewed has his share in them. spleen at Garrick, whose recent Exciting news at the Edge- patronage of Kenrick, for no apware cottage that Beaconsfield parent reason than his means of purchase at least must have mischief and his continued abuse been, even though the noise of of more successful men, had not Wilkes might have failed to tended to induce oblivion of force an entrance there. In Oc- older offences. Kenrick's latest tober, Goldsmith was again in form of malice was the epigram; the Temple; and is to be traced but in using it to connect Goldat his old haunts, and in the smith's with other names now theatres. Somewhat later in the rife in the playbills, the wit was season that now began, Garrick much less apparent than the brought out a new tragedy by venom. Home, which its writer had called Rivine; but so hateful had Wilkes again made the Scotch, that the Compared with thorough-bred Milesians? author's name had to be sup-Of Goldsmith, Bickerstaff, and Kelly... Step into Griffin's shop, he'll tell ye, pressed, its own name to be And take one Irish, evidence for t'other, anglicised, and a young Oxford Ev'n Homer's self is but their fostergentleman to be brought up to the rehearsals to pass himself off The last allusion was to a as the writer.* Goldsmith dis- story the humbler wits were covered the trick, and is said by now telling against Goldsmith. Davies to have proposed a hos- Bickerstaff had invited a party to tile party against the play, not his house to hear one of his inaptly re-christened by Garrick dramatic pieces read; and among the Fatal Discovery. "It would the company were Goldsmith "hardly be credited that this and one Paul Hiffernan, already "man of benevolence, for such mentioned as one of his Grub"he really was, endeavoured to street protégés, of the Purdon "muster a party to condemn it;" and Pilkington class. He was an but this, the same authority after- eccentric, drunken, idle, Irish wards remarks, "was the tran- creature; educated for a phy"sient thought of a giddy man, sician, and not without talents "who upon the least check, and even scholarship; but a con"would have immediately re * See Carlyle's Autobiography, 509-19. brother. *Life of Garrick, II. 155, 168. And see Lord Campbell's Chancellors, VI. 85. 1768. tinual victim to what he called Irish efforts in that line, when he impecuniosity, and so unprovided ought to have been practising his with self-help against the disease profession, having been thought that he lived altogether mighty pleasant by Burke, then upon the help of other a lad at Dublin College; and Et. 40. people. Where he lived, this, with its usual effect upon however, nobody could ever find the Drury-lane manager, had reout: he gave his address at the cently obtained him a sort of Bedford; and beyond that, curi-pension from Garrick. It was osity was baffled, though many the great actor's worst weakness and most amusing were its at- to involve himself thus with the tempts to discover more: nor meaner newspaper men; and it was it until after his death that was only this very year he was his whereabout was found, in warned, by a letter from Foote, one of the wretched little courts of its danger in the case of Hifout of St. Martin's-lane. He fernan. "Upon the whole,” wrote newspaper paragraphs in wrote that master in the art of the morning; foraged for his literary libel, and there is nodinner; slept out the early part thing like the voice of a Gracchus of the night in one of the for effective complaint against theatres; and, in return for cer- sedition, "it is, I think, worthy tain critical and convivial dis-"of consideration, whether there plays which made his company "is not something immoral, as attractive after play-hours, was "well as impolitic, in encouragalways sure of a closing enter-❝ing a fellow, who, without tainment at the Black Lion in "parts, principles, property, or Russell-street, or the Cyder "profession, has subsisted for Cellar in Maiden-lane. * Lat-"these twenty years by the qualiterly, he had taken altogether to "ties of a literary footpad." dramatic criticism, for which he Precisely that newspaper jobbery had some talent,- his earliest it was, however, to whose success the absence of parts, prin * I derive my account of this curious ciples, property, and profession literary mortal from some papers by is essential, which had procured Cooke in the Europ. Mag. (xxv. 110-15, and 179-84). Cooke incidentally remarks Hiffernan his invitation to the in the course of them, that one of Hit- reading of Bickerstaff's play. A fernan's extraordinary and unaccountable publications (the Philosophic Whim) good dinner preluded the readgave rise to "one of the last flashes of ing, and much justice was done poor Goldsmith. 'How does this poor to this, and to the glass which "devil of an author,' says a friend, circulated for half an hour after"'contrive to get credit even with his "bookseller for paper, print, or adver- wards, by "Hiff:" but his judg"tising?' 'Oh, my dear sir,' says ment, or enjoyment, of the play "Goldsmith, 'very easily-he steals the "broom ready made.' was much less clearly evinced; Europ. Mag. XXV. 180. and when the first batch of |