of any one, whoever he may be,
who shall deem himself authorized to call my motives into question,

"I have the honour,

"John Tyrrell."

It was not till I had thrice read this letter that I could credit its
contents. From all I had seen of Tyrrell's character, I had no reason
to suspect him to be less courageous than the generality of worldly men;
and the conclusion of his letter, evidently pointed at myself, should
I venture to impugn his conduct, seemed by no means favourable to any
suspicion of his cowardice. And yet, when I considered the violent
language of Glanville's letter, and Tyrrell's apparent resolution
the night before, I scarcely knew to what more honourable motive to
attribute his conduct. However, I lost no time in despatching the whole
packet to Glanville, with a few lines from myself, saying I should call
in an hour.

When I fulfilled this promise, Glanville's servant told me his master
had gone out immediately on reading the letters I had sent, and had
merely left word that he should not return home the whole day. That
night he was to have brought an important motion before the House. A
message from him, pleading sudden and alarming illness, devolved this
duty upon another member of our party. Lord Dawton was in despair; the
motion was lost by a great majority; the papers, the whole of that week,
were filled with the most triumphant abuse and ridicule of the Whigs.
Never was that unhappy and persecuted party reduced to so low an ebb:
never did there seem a fainter probability of their coming into power.
They appeared almost annihilated--a mere nominis umbra.

On the eighth day from Glanville's disappearance, a sudden event in the
cabinet threw the whole country into confusion; the Tories trembled to
the very soles of their easy slippers of sinecure and office; the eyes
of the public were turned to the Whigs; and chance seemed to effect in
an instant that change in their favour, which all their toil, trouble,
eloquence, and art, had been unable for so many years to render even a
remote probability.

But there was a strong though secret party in the state, which reminded
me of the independents in the reign of Charles the First, that,
concealed under a general name, worked only for a private end, and made
a progress in number and respectability, not the less sure for being
but little suspected. Foremost among the leaders of this party was Lord
Vincent. Dawton, who knew of their existence, and