gle vote
for the court since the Revolution. Vor my own peart, I value not the
ministry three skips of a louse, as the zaying is--I ne'er knew but one
minister that was an honest man, and vor all the rest, I care not if they
were hanged as high as Haman, with a pox to' un. I am, thank God, a
vree-born, true-hearted Englishman, and a loyal, thof unworthy, son of
the Church--vor all they have done vor H----r, I'd vain know what they
have done vor the Church, with a vengeance--vor my own peart, I hate
all vorreigners and vorreign measures, whereby this poor nation is
broken-backed with a dismal load of debt, and the taxes rise so high that
the poor cannot get bread. Gentlemen vreeholders of this county, I value
no minister a vig's end, d'ye see; if you will vavour me with your votes
and interest, whereby I may be returned, I'll engage one half of my
estate that I never cry yea to your shillings in the pound, but will
cross the ministry in everything, as in duty bound, and as becomes an
honest vreeholder in the ould interest--but, if you sell your votes and
your country for hire, you will be detested in this here world, and
damned in the next to all eternity: so I leave every man to his own
conscience."

This eloquent oration was received by his own friends with loud peals of
applause, which, however, did not discourage his competitor, who,
confident of his own strength, ascended the rostrum, or, in other words,
an old cask, set upright for the purpose. Having bowed all round to the
audience, with a smile of gentle condescension, he told them how
ambitious he was of the honour to represent this county in parliament,
and how happy he found himself in the encouragement of his friends, who
had so unanimously agreed to support his pretensions. He said, over and
above the qualifications he possessed among them, he had fourscore
thousand pounds in his pocket, which he had acquired by commerce, the
support of the nation, under the present happy establishment, in defence
of which he was ready to spend the last farthing. He owned himself a
faithful subject to his Majesty King George, sincerely attached to the
Protestant succession, in detestation and defiance of a popish, an
abjured, and outlawed Pretender; and declared that he would exhaust his
substance and his blood, if necessary, in maintaining the principles of
the glorious Revolution. "This," cried he, "is the solid basis and
foundation upon which I stand."

These las