ix malice in their sports, I shall never
consent to throw them any living, sentient creature whatsoever, no, not
so much as a kitling, to torment.

"But if I profess all this impolitic stubbornness, I may chance never to
be elected into Parliament."--It is certainly not pleasing to be put out
of the public service. But I wish to be a member of Parliament to have
my share of doing good and resisting evil. It would therefore be absurd
to renounce my objects in order to obtain my seat. I deceive myself,
indeed, most grossly, if I had not much rather pass the remainder of my
life hidden in the recesses of the deepest obscurity, feeding my mind
even with the visions and imaginations of such things, than to be placed
on the most splendid throne of the universe, tantalized with a denial of
the practice of all which can make the greatest situation any other than
the greatest curse. Gentlemen, I have had my day. I can never
sufficiently express my gratitude to you for having set me in a place
wherein I could lend the slightest help to great and laudable designs.
If I have had my share in any measure giving quiet to private property
and private conscience,--if by my vote I have aided in securing to
families the best possession, peace,--if I have joined in reconciling
kings to their subjects, and subjects to their prince,--if I have
assisted to loosen the foreign holdings of the citizen, and taught him
to look for his protection to the laws of his country, and for his
comfort to the good-will of his countrymen,--if I have thus taken my
part with the best of men in the best of their actions, I can shut the
book: I might wish to read a page or two more, but this is enough for my
measure. I have not lived in vain.

And now, Gentlemen, on this serious day, when I come, as it were, to
make up my account with you, let me take to myself some degree of honest
pride on the nature of the charges that are against me. I do not here
stand before you accused of venality, or of neglect of duty. It is not
said, that, in the long period of my service, I have, in a single
instance, sacrificed the slightest of your interests to my ambition or
to my fortune. It is not alleged, that, to gratify any anger or revenge
of my own, or of my party, I have had a share in wronging or oppressing
any description of men, or any one man in any description. No! the
charges against me are all of one kind: that I have pushed the
principles of general justice and ben