military title moft appropriate to the times) with particular triumph, while it appears to me the highest proof of his judgment and kill. Pray, Sir, let us confider a moment what is meant by a ftrong Adminiftration. In my mind, there cannot be a greater error than to fuppofe, that a vigorous Administration must have all its Members vigorous. Obedience is ten times more important. Give me a Prime Minifter who knows how to ufe his authority, and I hall require nothing from his colleagues (as they are improperly called) but obedience and fubmiffion. The people have been grofsly abused when they have been encouraged to cry out for Fox, and Grey, and Grenville, and Windham, and other men of abilities, to be taken into the Cabinet. They could not fee that, inftead of adding power to the Colonel, fuch coadjutors would only curtail it. They would deliberate away his projects, and (to borrow an excellent phrafe from Mr. Canning) "throw a wet blanket" on his infpirations. Sir, I do not wish to ufe hard words; but I cannot help remarking, that this scheme of making an able Adminiftration may be traced to the fame daring faction, who, not long ago, propofed to strengthen the national defence, by appointing a Council of General Officers to affift the Commander in Chief-as if, forfooth, his Royal Highnefs wanted advice from those whom he is appointed to command. Sir, this is not a time to fritter down and divide authority. In those days when we had only a flumbering Bourbon to oppofe, we might indeed employ a deliberating Cabinet, and men of civil talents to fill the offices of State; we could go on well enough notwithstanding our habeas corpus, and our other conftitutional clogs, and (with whiggish jealousy of ftanding armies) cling to our old militia. But, now that we have an Emperor to oppofe, we muft ourfelves be come come Imperial, and fight with Imperial weapons. Down, then, with the Militia! Call up a ftanding force! Prepare the prifons! Let not Princes of Wales nor Dukes of Norfolk command Englishmen! Hire the hungry Heffian and the countrylefs Hanoverian to guard our hearths and our laws! Oh, Pitt! oh, Colonel! I long to fee thee in the plenitude of power. Would thou wouldst create a new office for thyself, and be Lord Advocate of England! I hope the reader will pardon this apostrophe, efpecially as it is no digreffion; for I have been fhew ing the neceffity of railing the Colonel up to that elevation which would enable him to cope advantageoufly with the Emperor of the French. And I have the fatisfaction to believe that our Colonel himself has long been meditating on the means. In the last war he found himself not fully a match for Bonaparté ; because, although he furpaffed him in the ftudy of human nature, he knew little or nothing of the practice of war. Many people of good information fuppofe that the confcioufnefs of this defect was the true caufe of his refigning his place, and that he gave the reins to the Doctor juft to hold for him till he fhould learn the field exercife. It is not my bufinefs to comment on the roguery of the Doctor in keeping the place after the Colonel had picked up a proper knowledge of drilling; but of this. I am certain, that, in doing fo, the Doctor has unwittingly conferred a great and lafting benefit on his country, by keeping the Colonel employed for two campaigns in military fervice, and, upon one occafion, fourteen days together on permanent duty. I know the Colonel too well to think he would endure an extravagant compliment; but I may take upon me to fay, that thofe who have féen Colonel Pitt at the head of his Volunteer Corps, will not be surprised that Bonaparte has hitherto been fo fhy about invading us. I might here, likewise, allude allude to the Colonel's new Defence Bill, the evidence and proud monument of his military fkill, which must excite the most warlike fenfations over the whole country, by introducing the drum and fife into the workhouse, the prifon, and the hofpital; and furnishing with cockades and beating orders the meek beadles of our holy church. - The Colonel's treatment of the Doctor is the next point that occurs to me; but as that is a very nice fubject, and likely to run into fome length, I muft referve it until I afcertain whether you have liberality enough to print what I have already written. ·July 19. JOHN BULL'S INVITATION TO BONAPARTÉ. [From the General Evening Post.] MAY IT PLEASE YOUR CONSULSHIP, 1 WE, the undersigned, Minifters Plenipotentiary of John Bull, our mafter, appointed to make a report to your high and mighty Confulfhip, beg to inform you, that John Bull has heard, with much pleafure, the repeated declarations of your Confulfhip's intention to vifit the good people of England; and that he has accordingly, made every neceffary preparation to give you a hearty welcome. Among every defcription of his people the utmoft anxiety prevails to have the honour of guarding your august perfonage in this land of Liberty. The wealthy citizens of London in particular stand forward with an ardour not to be paralleled, and, heart in hand, are ready to meet you with a fraternal embrace. The Lord Mayor is eager to prefs you to dine with the beef-eaters in the Tower; and the Sheriff's officers will wait on you with their beft-bodied porter. They have preferved for for you a new drop, in good wood, at the Old Bailey, which will foon be up. It is rather ropy, and apt to fly to the head; but if taken coolly, though at firft it may take away the breath, it never fails to fit eafy on the ftomach afterwards. But not only in the imperial. city does this refpect for your Confulfhip difplay itfelf; the fame ftrong proofs of attachment will be cheerfully fhewn you in every part of John Bull's dominions, from the Cornish hug at Penzance to the grand falute of the Portsmouth garrifon. John Bull, moreover, in his defire to fhew you every polite attention, has ordered fome of his beft men to cruise off all your principal ports, for the purpose of affording you cafer accommodation in your paffage to the little island of Great Britain; and if your Confulfhip will have the goodness to put to fea in one of your wonderful flat-bottomed boats, you will find thefe fteady pilots ready and willing to convoy you over the herring-pond; or, if you prefer it, they will fend you a fhorter way to David Jones, who has long been on the look-out for you. Should you, however, unfortunately miss thefe brave fellows in the dark, and by accident get near our fhores, you will be fure to find our trufty brother, Sam Signal, ftationed to give us the earlieft notice of your approach; on which we will inftantly fly with open arms to give you a warm reception, and make ready to prefent to your Confulfhip the load of kindness which the fire of our friendship has in referve for you. We have it alto in command from John Bull to fay, that the favours which he has on fome former occa fions conferred on the French Nation, justify him in the hope that your Confulthip will not decline this opportunity to teftify your gratitude, and make the return which he fo anxiously defires. He begs to remind you, that in the year 1346, Edward III. king of England, fhewed great partiality to France, by vi fiting it with 30,000 attendants; and, at a place called Creffy, was wonderfully civil and obliging. Afterwards, accompanied by his fon, the Black Prince, he gained fuch influence over the French monarch at Poitiers, that he felt himself bound (though rather reluctantly) to come to England; where, having been fome time taken great care of, he, at his departure, left behind him 300,000l. Again, in the year 1415, Harry V. did another memorable act of kindness to the French people at Agincourt, when he treated 100,000 of them with true English fare until they got a complete bellyful. And, in a more recent inftance, which ought not to escape your recollection, John Bull fent a few of our fellow-fervants, under the command of Sir Sydney Smith, to meet you at Acre; when that gallant officer, with his accuftomed addrefs, perfuaded you by the most forcible arguments to defift from the dangerous enterprife which you had then undertaken. Should this act of kindness, from the fmall number of Englishmen concerned in it, be thought to give John Bull no great claim on your gratitude, he prefumes to think that the impreffion it made on you at the time, and the feasonable relief he afterwards gave to your deferted army in Egypt, will not be very foon forgotten. Thefe well-known inflances of John Bull's friendly difpofition towards your Confulfhip may convince you of the fincerity and good ground on which he makes his prefent pretenfions. We therefore only defire to fay farther for ourselves, that if you will accept his kind invitation, and give him a perfonal interview, we will engage to difcharge our duty, and immediately come to the point. We beg to offer our beft wishes that your Confulfhip may become the diftinguished mark of high confideration at which we aim. JOHN CANNON, FRED. MUSKET, BOB BAYONET, |