they deem the public weal, is an enemy to the country. If any thing tantamount to this should be proposed, I will vote for it. "I leave London at the farthest on the 18th of next month. "Yours sincerely, "MY DEAR SIR, R. LANDAFF." April 1, 1807., "All minds do not hate to be at rest. Mine is different from yours I wish for rest, and cannot obtain it. I have business enough of my own, et aliena negotia centum assail me on every side, and this must be my excuse for declining the consideration of your Infanticide speculation, important as it certainly is. * "Your political sentiments are true enough, but I reserve my opinion for our conversation. "I am printing the Sermon preached at the Chapel Royal in February, and one preached there in 1799, under the title of A Second Defence of Revealed Religion,' and I mean to present them to the King at his Levee before I leave town. "You are a bad logician, my good friend, when you conclude that I despise advice because I do not follow it. The proper inference is, that I see reason to follow my own opinion rather than yours. The inclosure is correctly enough written; but it is not your writing. Yours faithfully, R. LANDAFF." "MY DEAR SIR, April 4, 1807. I am "You and I differ essentially on a constitutional point. sorry that 1 hinted it to you, as it has occasioned you the trouble of a long discussion, upon which I forbear animadverting, having no wish to enter into an altercation with you or any one, in defence of any opinion of mine on any subject, and least of all on a political subject. Very sincerely yours, R. LANDAFF." "MY DEAR SIR, Dover-street, April 30, 1807. "I beg you would not think that I ridicule arguments because I do not answer them, or that I scorn advice because I do not follow it. But believe me, that I think little, and care less, about politicks; and that I am, &c. R. LANDAFF." "MY DEAR SIR, Calgarth Park, March 4, 1810. "I return you Mr. Davies's letter. He has with great modesty and prudence declined entering into the depths of the controversy relative to the Pope's supremacy, which, as Tillotson says of Barrow, many others have handled before, but he hath exhausted it. I am so great an admirer of Barrow, that I prefer him both for matter and manner to any of the Divines which have wrote since his time.-My health is re-established, and my spirits have never failed me. I lament the impending ruin of the country, and have on many occasions done my utmost to avert it; but I begin to wean my attentions from political considerations, to direct men to higher concerns. My woods flourish, and my heart is at ease respecting a provision for my family. The neg * See before, in Mr. Hardinge's Letter to Bp. Horsley, p. 126. lect and ill-usage of the Court would have embittered the life of an ordinary man;-they have never disturbed mine. "Yours faithfully, "MY DEAR SIR, "MY DEAR SIR, R. LANDAFF." March 25, 1810. "Mrs. Watson had mislaid the inclosed, or I would sooner have obeyed your orders in returning it. The Author of it has much merit in the pains he has bestowed on a subject which will probably never be decided. Whether Peter was or was not ever at Rome, has been frequently argued; the main argument for his having been there is bottomed on the authority of Papias, who is mentioned by Eusebius as a weak-headed man, much given to story-telling. Yours faithfully, R. LANDAFF." Calgarth Park, Dec. 17, 1810. "I think very highly of Mr. Davies's ability, and consider his Preface as containing sentiments founded in truth, in my opinion, and honourable to himself, but not as new. Mr. Locke, the Remonstrants in Holland, and thousands in England, arguing for the right of private judgment, in scriptural interpretation, have frequently and forcibly maintained the same. The fact is, that my mathematical education has quite spoiled my taste for doubtful disputations in other sciences. The reciprocatio serræ controversia in theology is always grating to my ears, and often leaves me as diffident of having attained truth on any controverted subject, as if I had been in my youth a disciple of Carneades, or of any other doctor of the old or new academy. "Your expectations of seeing me in London, on the supposition of a Regency being formed *, are not well founded. At my time of life, I will not debase the character which I have through life endeavoured to establish, by soliciting promotion either from a Regent or a King; nor am I certain (if I could stoop to such meanness) that I should ever become acceptable at St. James's. Courts were not made for me, nor am I made for Courts: but I love my Country; and, could I assist in its Councils, infirm as I am, I would take my seat in the House of Lords, which I have not yet done. It is now above seven years since I gave to the Court my advice (in an intended Speech) on four points of the greatest importance. Had the first of these been then adopted, we should have had at this moment 350,000 young men instructed in the use of arms in addition to our regular troops; had all of them been brought forward, we should not only have put out of peril our own independence, but secured that of the Continent of Europe. The time, I fear, is fast approaching when every man will say to his neighbour, Cedo qui nostram rempublicam tantam amisimus tam cito? The proveniebant oratores novi, stulti, adolescentuli, will constitute the principal part of the answer. R. LANDAFF." Mr. Hardinge had expressed such an expectation. Extracts Extracts from the Correspondence of Mr. HARDINGE with the Hon. HORACE WALPOLE *. " Inner Temple, Monday, April 16, 1770. "Mr. Hardinge presents his most respectful compliments to Mr. Walpole. If Mr. Walpole should have it in his power to oblige Mr. Hardinge with a ticket of leave to ride through St. James's Park by speaking a word to my Lord Orford, it will be a serious obligation to Mr. Hardinge; who flatters himself that Mr. Walpole will do him the justice to believe that he does not solicit this privilege for the sake of the idle distinction that is annexed to it, but as a matter of real convenience. The truth is, that Mr. Hardinge is obliged perpetually to ride to Kingston upon business; and, in his way, to bump it upon the stones for upwards of two miles between the Temple and Hyde-Park-Corner; so that such a favour is particularly desirable to him.However, if the request should strike Mr. Walpole as an improper one, he will treat it as it deserves; or, if he should not chuse to lend his recommendation to it, Mr. Hardinge hopes to be forgiven the freedom he has taken in applying; which nothing could have tempted him to do, but his experience of the flattering and kind notice Mr. Walpole has honoured him with." " Inner Temple, April 20, 1770. "Mr. Hardinge is infinitely thankful to Mr. Walpole for the service that he has done him in so engaging a manner; a circumstance that always accompanies and heightens the goodnature of Mr. Walpole. The same elegance of manner that has, if possible, added to the credit of Mr. Walpole's ingenuity as a Writer seems to extend itself to his friendship-or, if that is too bold a word for Mr. Hardinge upon this occasion, to his favour and obliging condescension." [1771.] [This Letter is imperfect.] * * * * * * the world to write well. Let me add the article of mere style, upon which a great deal depends; for I can by no means agree that words • Provisam rem non invita sequuntur.' "An Essay of this kind requires great clearness and precision of language, with a certain degree of energy, neither too careless, nor too prim; too simple, nor too much adorned, &c.: nor is the outline of method a trifling circumstance; in which, by the way, there never was my Lord Mansfield's equal. Let the call upon him be ever so abrupt and sudden, his mind immediately comprehends the whole subject, he disposes all his materials in order, and the most judicious too that could have been catered for his use by others after a month's application ;-and this talent has great charms-it fascinates the hearer, and often passes for sound reason when it is the vehicle of arrant sophistry. * See the "Literary Anecdotes,” vol. VIII. p. 527. VOL. III. N "To "To leave the great man, and resume the little one. I have learnt the useful virtue of diffidence, and without disgrace, by compelling my own acknowledgment of the quid ferre recusent. I have at the same time stole myself into a habit of industry, which is not amiss to correct my natural idleness-and I have conciliated your good opinion by attempting an imitation of that liberality of sentiment which accompanies what I never shall aspire to (though I am saucy enough to relish it)-an original vein of genius and wit in the writings of Mr. Walpole. Who therefore has, in this view of things, more ground of respectable vanity, than, dear Sir, "Your much honoured, and most affectionate friend and servant, G. HARDINGE." "P.S. It was a favourite subject of Lord Chancellor Hardwicke's, and my Lord Camden has a very high opinion of it; so that I have not much fear of its reception, though it is not an interesting or amusing subject. I shall, at all events, beg to consult your friendship, which I must hope you will not refuse to me. G. H." "DEAR SIR, Inner Temple, Tuesday, April 16, 1771. "Your very good-humoured notice and forgiveness of my bold request has obliged me extremely. I shall certainly take the first opportunity of stealing half an hour of your frail life in a little chat, and will be sure to avail myself of your kind information as to the proper days and hours. I find you have construed my words, deserved the hand of Lord Somers, in a different sense from that which I meant to annex to them: for you seem to collect that my Lord Somers writ upon this topick which I have taken up-whereas I only meant to say that he might have writ upon it without letting himself down, the point being of the greatest constitutional moment, though it passes through a dry medium of Law reasoning and science. In short, it is an enquiry into the competency and duty of Juries in the case of a publie libel, introduced by a more general investigation of their compe tency and duty wherever law and fact are comprized in the general issue. I have been exhorted by some improvident friends to publish it, but against this rash step I am almost determined; however, I shall get some copies of it printed, and will certainly present one to you, if you will deign to give it a reading. "I am, dear Sir, with the truest respect, "Your most obedient servant, G. HARDINGE." "DEAR SIR, Inner Temple, Tuesday, May 7, 1771. Many and many after-thoughts have made such havock in my youthful Essay, that I cannot bring it yet awhile into any thing like a system. However, the part I have sent you being detached from the rest, and less dry than what I am now at work upon, takes the liberty of submitting itself to the honour of your friendly criticism. To say the truth, I am not without a faint hope that, in return for my volunteer exhibition of this paltry work in puris naturalibus, you will admit me now and then to a peep at some beautiful essay of your own; which, by the way, re minds me of Homer's arch Hero, who gave a suit of honest brass armour-and took one of gold in exchange. When shall I drop in upon you? Breakfast hours are the most convenient to me; but any time that may suit you best will supersede every other engagement of mine (a fee only excepted). Believe me, dear Sir, your most affectionate and obliged servant, G. HARDINGE." "DEAR SIR, Inner Temple, June 12, [1771.] "As I am drawing near to the conclusion of my little work; and as I have no copy of the part which I took the liberty of sending to you, I shall be obliged to you if you will be kind enough to return it. I am not without a very flattering hope to be the guest of Mr. Walpole at Strawberry Hill some day this summer: but I tell you this in confidence.-It must not go any further.Do not let him know that I am vain enough to dream of such a distinction. I beg you will believe me, with the highest respect and esteem, dear Sir, &c. G. HARDINGE." " June .., [1771.] "Long as my letters are, I am not so fond of writing as you, my dear Sir, affect to believe. Yours have so agreeable and original a cast, that I would expose mine even more than you suffer me to do, for the sake of extorting from an arrant miser a little of his pelf in such valuable articles. But I will save you from the penance of any further correspondence, at least for a time, on the condition that you will permit me to make you a visit, which I have long desired, at Strawberry Hill.-As to the time, I leave it respectfully to your own leisure, and your own humour for such frolicks; but I must command you to be as quick in your invitation as the caprice of our tempers may appear to require.— I will not even decide beforehand how soon I may be tired of you. But modesty compels me to limit your cordiality for me to one year at the farthest, commencing at the date of these presents. How ingratiating is your polite reproof to me on the subject of confining our intercourse to the ceremonious medium of the Post-office! The real truth is, that I am afraid equally of intruding upon you in letters and in person; but in the former case I avoid being eye-witness to your coldness, the just punishment of my forwardness. "If Dalrymple's book had no other fault but Scoto-Anglicism, I could read it with a tithe of my disgust. May I ask what is to be collected from the whole of that work (supposing it impartial and faithful)—that, in the most critically affecting situation of politics which this country ever saw, neither side of the two leading parties produced a single public man who did not deserve to be hanged?-A comfortable hearing this for us young adventurers!-pour encourager les autres! as Voltaire said, with a most cruelly-just sarcasm, of Byng's fate. I cannot persuade myself that the liberality (as Macaronis may call it) of exposing in the broad glare of day-light the corrupt hearts, and the duplicity of great and favourite characters, be the liberality of a good citizen, or of a benevolent man. As to myself, base and abject as the times are, I |