then refuse to spare what they themselves confess they could not miss; and those men, now so honest and so grateful, shall in return for its peace and protection, send their vile agents into the House of Parliament, there to sow the seeds of sedition, and propagate confusion, perplexity, and pain. Be not dispirited, then, at the contemplation of their present happy state; I promise you, that anarchy, poverty, and death, shall by my care be carried even across the spacious Atlantic, and settle in America itself the sure consequences of our beloved Whiggism."

But every portion of the speech abounds with noble illustration. In allusion to the undoubted fact, that the true way to secure a revenue is to begin, not by fiscal regulations, but by making the people masters of their own wealth; it suddenly starts from the simplest form of statement, into various and luminous figures. "What, says the financier, is peace to us, without money. Your plan gives us no remedy. Yes, but it does, for it secures to the subject the power of refusal, the first of all revenues. Experience is a cheat, and fact a liar, if this power in the subject, of proportioning his grant, or of not granting at all, has not been found the richest mine of revenue ever discovered by the skill or the fortune of man. It does not indeed vote you any paltry or limited sum. But it gives the strong-box itself, the fund, the bank, from which only revenues can arise among a people sensible of freedom. Posita luditur arca. Most may be taken where most is accumulated. And what is the soil or climate where

experience has not uniformly proved, that the voluntary flow of heaped up plenty, bursting from the weight of its own luxuriance, has ever run with a more copious stream of revenue, than could be squeezed from the dry husks of oppressed indigence by the straining of all the political machinery in the world?"

CHAPTER V.

Prevents the Rockingham Secession-Franklin-Absentee TaxAlliance of France with America-Burke loses his Seat for Bristol-Speech on the Household-French Finance-Neckar.

DURING this anxious period; while all the elements of public life were darkening, and the tempest which began in America threatened to make the round of the whole European horizon, Burke found leisure and buoyancy of spirit for the full enjoyment of society. There he was still the universal favourite. Even Johnson, adverse as he was to him in politics, and accustomed to treat all adversaries with rough contempt or angry sarcasm, smoothed down his mane, and drew in his talons in the presence of Burke. On one occasion, when Goldsmith, in his vague style, talked of the impossibility of living in intimacy with a person having a different opinion on any prominent topic, Johnson rebuked him, as usual. "Why, no, Sir. You must only shun the subject on which you disagree. For instance, I can live very well with Burke. I love his knowledge, his genius, his diffusion and affluence of conversation. But I would not talk to him of the Rockingham party.”

In his reserve upon this topic, Johnson probably meant to exhibit more kindness than met the ear, for the Rockingham party had become the tender point of Burke's public feelings. That party had been origi nally led to take refuge under its nominal leader, by the mere temptation of high Whig title, hereditary rank, and large fortune. But the Marquis had been found inefficient, or unlucky, and his parliamentary weight diminished day by day. Burke still fought, kept actual ruin at a distance, and signalized himself by all the vigour, zeal, and enterprise of an invincible debater. But nothing could resist the force of circumstances; the party must change its leader, or give up its arms. In this emergency, the Marquis proposed a total secession from Parliament. To his proposal Burke, with due submission, gave way; but accompanied the acquiescence with a letter, in which, in stating his reasons for retreat, he so strikingly stated the reasons for the contrary, that the Marquis changed his opinion at once; and the field was retained for a new trial of fortune. Burke's impression, doubtless, was, that nothing can be gained, though every thing may be lost, by giving up the contest; that nothing is sooner forgotten than the public man who is no longer before the public eye; and that, whatever the nation may discover in vigorous resistance, it will never discover courage in flight, or wisdom in despair.

His opinion on this point was touched on, in a subsequent conversation with his friend Sir Joshua Reynolds. "Mr Burke, I do not mean to flatter," said

Sir Joshua, "but when posterity reads one of your speeches in Parliament, it will be difficult to believe that you took so much pains, knowing with certainty that it could produce no effect-that not one vote would be gained by it."

66

Waiving your compliment to me," was the reply, "I shall say, in general, that it is very well worth while for a man to take pains to speak well in Parlia ment. A man who has vanity speaks to display his talents. And if a man speaks well, he gradually establishes a certain reputation and consequence in the general opinion, which sooner or later will have its political reward. Besides, though not one vote is gained, a good speech has its effect. Though an act which has been ably opposed passes into a law, yet in its progress it is modelled, it is softened in such a manner, that we see plainly the minister has been told, that the members attached to him are so sensible of its injustice or absurdity from what they have heard, that it must be altered."

He again observed," There are many members, who generally go with the Minister, who will not go all lengths. There are many honest, well-meaning country gentlemen, who are in Parliament only to keep up the consequence of their families. Upon most of those a good speech will have influence."

"What next," asked Sir Joshua, "would be the result; if a Minister, secure of a majority, were to resolve that there should be no speaking on his side ?" Burke answered;"That he must soon go out. The plan has been tried already, but it was found it would not do.”