132-067.xml

Title: [[copyist’s hand] nd [wm 1818]]

Description: [copyist’s hand]

nd [wm 1818]

To Erskine

4.

in your Lordship’s band of patriots (p. 7. l. 9) in your Lordship’s “men of honour, manliness and wisdom” (p. 13. l. 29) in your Lordship’s “men of true wisdom” (p. 23. l. 11.) in your Lordship’s men who follow the dictates of a pure and honest sense of duty, envious of their talents and their honest disposition” (p. 24. l. 15) in your Lordship’s acknowledged profession of the highest sense of honor” (p. 24. l. 24.) in your Lordship’s enlightened and independent men” (p. 30. l. 12.) and so forth.

“Shade of Hampden! look down, and in a list of Tradesman and Shop-keepers, behold thy yet living and altogether worthy successors” Parl. Cat. Introd. p. cxxix. Such was the exclamation called forth by the contemplation of the Merits of these My fellow citizens of Westminster, of such of their merits as in the year 1817 had already manifested themselves. Now in 1819 do I see any reason for lowering this voice? No: I see encreased reason for raising it.

And was this mere froth? Was it an attempt at an anticipation of your Lordship’s eloquence? was it a substitute to reasoning? No, my Lord: it was the result of determinate facts brought together by reasoning: it was produced by a picture of the conduct of the persons in question, detached and correct to dulness, ranged under 12 heads. There it has been to be seen these two years: there it has been actually seen by purchasers in thousands: by readers in thousands more: by every body I had almost said but your Lordship and M r Perry:– seen even by M r Cobbett, who, with gnashing of teeth and unlocked jaw, unable to lock his eyes as your Lordship’s and M r Perry’s are locked, confesses in his agony his knowledge of the existence of the work, of which the merits of this real band of patriots form the most striking object

But your Lordship is a very slave to duty: and above all to professional duty: duty as towards clients – the first | | of the whole duty of man in learned eyes: and with an energy rising in proportion as he is convinced of his being unanswerable, whatever is advanced on the other side, it is the duty of the advocate to keep his eyes fast closed against: yes: fast closed against it: or if haply for any one purpose the object has been seen, yet if, for any other purpose, it requires to be forgotten, the last thing he forgets is to forget it.

But

JB_128_023.xml

Title: [nd Lord Erskine’s Flowers dark-coloured]

Description: nd

Lord Erskine’s Flowers dark-coloured

V. VI

Epithets &c vituperative p. l. The Persons &c vituperated

hot, undisciplined 2. 17. Reformists

Violences 2. 20. d o.

Visionary theories 2. 23. d o.

Revolutionists 3. 20 d o.

Defamers of the Whigs of England 6. 22. The Reformists

Calumnies 9. 28. The Ultra-Reformists

Then suspected and now

calumniated Whigs 10. 23. The Reformists

Criminally and dangerously

licentious 11. 2. The Reformists or Ultra Reformists

of 1793

Now Calumniated Whigs of 1793. 11. 23. Reformists of 1819.

Violence and rashness of bolder

and more active reformers 12 21. The Reformists or Ultra-Reformists

Calumniated Whigs 16 1 The Reformists.

Corrupt tool of a corrupt faction 18. 8 The Reformists (for using these

words).

Useless and even Childish to

complain of influence 20 8. The Reformists

Railing 20. 20. Sir F Burdett (as so doing)

Suffers his passions to overpower

his good sense 20. 29. D o

Provoking hostility 21. 7. Sir F. Burdett

132-055.xml

Title: [[copyist’s hand] nd To Erskine]

Description: [copyist’s hand]

nd

To Erskine

3.

Now then as to the persons to whom in the first place under the name of Whigs, Your Lordship’s eloquence has, on this occasion, been pleased to direct our eyes. These are the Whigs of 1688. Hoping for Your Lordship’s pardon, I decline lifting up my eyes, for the present at least, towards any of those | | Yes, were there any of them in a way to become Candidates for Westminster: or even for any other seat. But M r Lamb’s Great Great Grandfather is too generous I am persuaded to entertain, on this or any other occasion, a thought of attempting to supplant his Honourable Great Great Grandson. This much for the House of Commons. Though all the Erskines, if I understand right, have Kings for fore-fathers, your Lordship and your Lordship’s great Great Grandfather are not exactly the same person. A truth so vulgar, your Lordship’s eloquence seems not to have been perfectly aware of: but to us, who are plain men, it has become necessary to have it in remembrance. Thus much for the House of Lords.

The shades of departed heroes being thus dismissed, I proceed to existing flesh and blood. | | in the concisest manner possible, follows a list of their alledged merits, acknowledged by me beforehand in the quality of good deeds.

1. Merit I. p. 5. A o 177 . American War. This gave rise to ‘a general Spirit of reform’. Opposing the war, Whigs favoured reform.

2. Merit II. A o 17 . Vindication of the Rights of Juries. Rex versus Shipley. Per Kings Bench, we are entitled to make the jury verdict. Per Erskine for Defendant: Not so, but the Jury. Argument after argument, Erskine ultimately and virtually triumphant. N.B. Erskine a Whig.

3. Merit III p. 6. Fox’s Libel Act A o 17 . Juries established in the right of giving their own verdict, law as well as fact included.

4. Merit IV. p. 7. A o 1789 &c. French Revolution. Whigs took advantage of it: supported the Revolutionists: opposed Britain’s interference: formed themselves into a Society – that of the Friends of the people – for introducing reform into the parliamentary representation.

5. Merit V. p. 9. A o 1793. Publishing a Declaration exposing the vices of the existing system of Representation.