The Common Council, neither intimidated nor imitating the moderation of Parliament, put a negative on a motion for thanking the sheriffs, and for prosecuting Franklin, the fellow apprehended in the tumult.
Wilkes, in the meantime, went on triumphantly with his prosecutions; and on the 6th of December, obtained a verdict of 1000l. damages, and costs of suit, against Mr. Wood, the Under-Secretary of State.403
The Court was exerting its authority on the other hand. Lord Shelburne was dismissed from being aide-de-camp to the King; Colonel Barré from being Adjutant-general and Governor of Stirling Castle; and Calcraft lost some little places, which served to provoke more than to hurt him.
The Chevalier d’Eon, the mimic of Wilkes, was less fortunate. Being recalled by his Court, and refusing to return, he was declared to be no longer employed here in a public character, and was accordingly forbidden to appear at St. James’s.404
While the world was anxiously expecting the event of Wilkes’s affair, protracted by his wound, a new alarm was given of an intention to murder him. Mr. Onslow on the 9th acquainted the House of Commons that one Alexander Dun, a Scotchman, had on false pretences got into Mr. Wilkes’s house the night before, intending to assassinate him. A person who appeared, and made oath that he had heard this Dun declare that he and twelve more had made a vow to murder Wilkes, had given notice to the latter of their design, on which he had prepared persons to seize the assassin, which they had done. A new penknife was found upon him, and he prevaricated on the time and place of buying it. The House the next day examined witnesses on this accusation; but it being proved that Dun had been discharged from a ship as a lunatic, he was dismissed out of custody. But the multitude were far from not continuing to believe the plot (nor indeed was a madman an improper subject to be set on, if there was such a design), and the animosity against the Scotch was accordingly augmented. About the same time the printers of the North Briton obtained in the Court of Common Pleas damages to the amount of four hundred pounds against the messengers of the Secretary’s office.
The East India Company were untractable, too, and came to an unanimous resolution of neither restoring his jaguire to Lord Clive, nor of allowing him three hundred thousand pounds, which the ministry had engaged to obtain for him in lieu of it. It occasioned much diversion that his father, an old unfashioned man, who did not understand how decently corruption was practised, and how ridiculous it is to talk of what few are ashamed of doing, being asked by the King, in the drawing-room, where his son Lord Clive was, replied, with all the honesty of bargain and sale, “He is coming to town, Sir, and then your Majesty will have another vote.”
The House of Commons having ordered that Wilkes should appear before them on the 24th, and suspecting that his delays were affected, Lord North, George Grenville, and Rigby, in a very thin House, proposed that Dr. Heberden, and Mr. Hawkins the surgeon, should be ordered to attend him. This was warmly opposed; and Charles Townshend, who knew that Pitt was provoked at his late silence, and who saw Grenville and North towering above him, and perhaps offended too that the Court seemed to despise him, broke out with much vehemence, turned Lord North into ridicule, and being told by Grenville that it would be wiser to submit to this motion, replied, he should often differ with that gentleman, and hoped he should not have more wisdom to encounter than he had met with that day. The motion was carried by 71 to 30. Wilkes, however, would not admit the parliamentary physician and surgeon; and, to add mockery to disobedience, sent for Doctors Duncan and Middleton, two Scotchmen. He had at first, at Martin’s request, who fled to Calais till Wilkes was out of danger consulted both Hawkins and Heberden. Being told that he must see little company for fear of augmenting his fever, he said, “I will not see so much as my own wife,”—I had mentioned that they were parted.
It was to the no small satisfaction of the Ministry that on the 26th they heard that Wilkes was privately gone off to France. It was a sort of confession of guilt, disburthened them of the odium of punishing him personally, and left them at liberty to rage against him by outlawry and forfeitures. With a proper executioner they had just provided themselves, having raised Norton to be Attorney-General. He was succeeded as Solicitor by De Grey,405 a man of a fair character and moderate principles.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Lord Sandwich’s unpopularity.—He offers himself for the High Stewardship of Cambridge.—Animosity between him and Lord Royston, the other candidate.—Lord Sandwich’s “Flying Pension.”—Disgraceful Grant to Count Virri.—Dismissal of General A’Court.—Grenville, Walpole, and General Conway.
The effects of Lord Sandwich’s conduct began already to be felt. He having, to thwart the Duke of Cumberland, who espoused Mr. Luther, taken the opposite side on the election for the county of Essex,406 the Court lost the election by dint of Sandwich’s unpopularity. He himself, foreseeing the approaching death of Lord Hardwicke, presented himself as candidate for the High Stewardship of Cambridge. Nothing could occasion greater ridicule than a character so flagitious offered to a religious and learned society. It counter-worked even his own indefatigable industry. Lord Royston,407 son of Lord Hardwicke, was the other candidate; and the animosities ran so high, that the two parties preached against each other. The sequel will appear hereafter. In the meantime Sandwich obtained what was called a flying pension, that is, it was to commence if he lost his place. The grant was of 3000l. a year on Ireland; but when the order went to Dublin, Lord Northumberland, having promised that no addition should be made to the pension-list during his administration, was forced to represent so strongly against what was granted to Lord Sandwich, that the Court was obliged to recall it. The Irish House of Commons had just then set itself to examine the state of pensions charged on that country, and it had been found, as they published to the world in their votes, that since the commencement of this reign, a period only of three years, 17,000l. a year had been added to that list. There likewise appeared the disgraceful grant to Count Virri, the purchase of the peace. It stood in the name of one Charles.
The year concluded with the dismission of General A’Court, whose regiment was taken from him for having voted for the Privilege of Parliament. The man was obscure and of no importance, had a large family and no fortune;408 the tyranny therefore was the more flagrant, but from those very circumstances made the less noise. Lord Sandwich had carried into the King a list of sixteen officers who had dared to act with spirit and independence against the arbitrary measures of the Court. The poor man in question was selected for an example of terror; but, except in his ruin, the ministers found no cause to exult. A much more considerable man had taken the same part, of which it is necessary here to give some account.
I have said that General Conway,409 under pretence of bringing home the troops, had been kept abroad till the peace was voted, the ministers apprehending that they should not be able to influence him to approve an event so ruinous and shameful to his country. At his return, no man being less factious, he had entered into no cabals, had attached himself to no party. His chief friendships were with the Duke of Devonshire, with his own brother the Earl of Hertford, and with me. The Duke, though grievously insulted and provoked, was of so decent and cautious a nature, that he was the last man on earth to think of exciting his friends to violent measures; and, indeed, after the first sally of passion, bore his affront with too much patience. Lord Hertford was a perfect courtier, and more likely to dissuade his brother from, than incite him to, Opposition. I, much more