ould wish to be silent; but the
pretence of securing against such causes of uneasiness, is the
corner-stone of the court-party. It has however so happened, that if I
were to fix upon any one point, in which this system has been more
particularly and shamefully blamable, the effects which it has produced
would justify me in choosing for that point its tendency to degrade the
personal dignity of the sovereign, and to expose him to a thousand
contradictions and mortifications. It is but too evident in what manner
these projectors of royal greatness have fulfilled all their magnificent
promises. Without recapitulating all the circumstances of the reign,
every one of which is, more or less, a melancholy proof of the truth of
what I have advanced, let us consider the language of the court but a
few years ago, concerning most of the persons now in the external
administration: let me ask, whether any enemy to the personal feelings
of the sovereign could possibly contrive a keener instrument of
mortification, and degradation of all dignity, than almost every part
and member of the present arrangement? Nor, in the whole course of our
history, has any compliance with the will of the people ever been known
to extort from any prince a greater contradiction to all his own
declared affections and dislikes, than that which is now adopted, in
direct opposition to everything the people approve and desire.

An opinion prevails, that greatness has been more than once advised to
submit to certain condescensions towards individuals, which have been
denied to the entreaties of a nation. For the meanest and most dependent
instrument of this system knows, that there are hours when its existence
may depend upon his adherence to it; and he takes his advantage
accordingly. Indeed it is a law of nature, that whoever is necessary to
what we have made our object is sure, in some way, or in some time or
other, to become our master. All this however is submitted to, in order
to avoid that monstrous evil of governing in concurrence with the
opinion of the people. For it seems to be laid down as a maxim, that a
king has some sort of interest in giving uneasiness to his subjects:
that all who are pleasing to them, are to be of course disagreeable to
him: that as soon as the persons who are odious at court are known to be
odious to the people, it is snatched at as a lucky occasion of showering
down upon them all kinds of emoluments and honors. None are cons