cuffion of fuch a topic. Of the memorable trial of Dr. Sacheverell we despair of reading a fair and impartial history. The prejudices of the Whig, or of the Tory, will ever interfere to foil the page of the hiftorian; and it can, indeed, fcarcely be expected, that one of the most important events in British history can be difcuffed with becoming freedom, after the new-fangled crime of a libel on the revolution has been invented by a British Houfe of Commons. Dr. Somerville appears to us greatly to undervalue the abilities of Sacheverell; to mifconceive the motives which influenced his conduct; and to mifrepresent the nature of the attachment which the people evinced for him. An attentive perufal of the incomparable writings of Leflie would have tended to correct many of the falfe notions evidently entertained by our author, to chaften his judgement, and to ftrengthen his mind. At the trial of Sacheverell the Whigs thought proper to difcufs the general questions at iffue between them and the Tories. The doctrines promulgated by them on his trial may be regarded as the creed of the Old Whigs. The utmoit ingenuity and labour were therefore employed in ftating and explaining the principles of the British conftitution, as conceived by them, and applying them in defence of the revolution, and of the Hanoverian fucceffion. The Doctor and his council eluded the fnare prepared for them by the most explicit and unreferved admiffion of all the propofitions advanced by his accufers relative to the conftitution, and the neceflity and juftice of the revolution; and confined their replies merely to difproving the application of the Doctor's fermons to the articles charged in the impeachment. The defence of Sacheverell was moft ably managed by his counfellors; he was, nevertheless, condemned. The amount of his fentence was, that he should not preach for three years. After it was pronounced, he was conducted in triumph to the city, and received the congratulations of thoufands. In the evening the windows were illuminated, and bonfires kindled in every street, furrounded by the populace, fhewing their zeal for his doctrines by drinking his health to intoxication. The influence of the high church clergy appeared so great during Sacheverell's trial, that the Houfe of Commons announced their intention of patronizing fuch clergy as should manifeft abilities in defence of oppolite principles. From the time of Sacheverell's triumph, the decaying influence of miniftry became daily more obvious. Conferences were opened at Gertruedenberg, between the French and the con *The reader will fee them quoted, compreffed, and generalized in Burke's "Appeal from the Old to the New Whigs." federates, federates, for the refloration of peace. Louis offered to give up the fucceffion of his grandfon to the crown of Spain, but was answered that, unless he joined in difpoffeffing Philip of that crown to which he himself had raised him, the allies would not treat. At laft they infifted that Louis himself fhould undertake the expulfion of his grandfon from Spain. The French King declaring this to be beyond his power, the conferences broke up. The Whig party pretended to doubt the King of France's fincerity in his propofals for peace. The author very ably argues, that whatever his general character might be, he was fincere then, because it was his intereft to be fo. All the plenipotentiaries of the confederates, even Prince Eugene, were guided by the fuperior genius of Marlborough. Him he confiders as the obftacle to peace. In the Low Countries, in 1710, although the French avoided a decifive engagement, they were fuccefsful in capturing feveral fortifications. In Spain, after Philip had been more completely defeated than during any former period of the war, he became victorious and triumphant. Before the meeting of Parliament, 1710-11, the effects of Sacheverell's trial were more manifeft than ever. The danger of the church refounded in every village; the doctrines of indefeasible right and non-refiftance were revived, and inculcated with as little referve as under the reigns of her Majesty's uncle and father; the revolution was compared to the breach made upon the conftitution in 1648; and the trial of Sacheverell was reprefented as the counterpart to that of Archbishop Laud. Such was the popular avidity for publications of this ftamp, that the hawkers and pedlars who retailed them found a ready fale and kind reception in every part of the country, while those in defence of the Whigs remained unfold, and exposed the authors and publishers to the fury of the populace. The Queen, by this time, had repofed her principal confidence in Harley and Mrs. Marfham, and was by no means averfe to the high church doctrines become in vogue. The Whig articles of political belief were quite contrary to her earliest opinions. Notwithstanding that her own title to the crown was founded upon the revolution fettlement, and the authority of Parliament, fhe did not relish the difparagement of her lineal rights, nor was the pleafed to hear the managers for the Commons infifting fo vehemently upon the limitation of prerogative, and the lawfulness of refiftance. From these circumftances, the party, which had long been banished from court, was elated with the hopes of an honourable recall. Mr. Harley was again admitted to fecret conferences with the Queen; fhe was already well difpofed for a Bb 4 rupture rupture with the party in office, provided fhe could find the means of doing it with effect. The Tories procured addreffes from every part of the country against the prefent Parliament and prefent minifters. Her Majefty began to make changes in administration, at first partial, and in the lefs important offices. Harley, then her favourite, appears to have wifhed for a miniftry compofed of both parties; but the Whigs would confent to no coalition. Her Majesty diffolved Parliament. At the meeting of the next Parliament the Tories were evidently fuperior in numbers; the Queen changed her minifters; the Duke of Marlborough, however, ftill continuing at the head of the army. Enquiries were inftituted refpecting the mifmanagement of the revenue, and the abufes in office. Manifold crimes were charged upon the former miniftry. Enquiries were at the fame time instituted concerning the management of the war, and indirect cenfures were paffed on the Duke of Marlborough. The chief men in adminiftration were now Meffrs. Harley and St. John, both of whom, notwithstanding their profefled attachment to the Tories, were fecretly paying their court to his Grace. In 1711 the campaign opened, under the conduct of the Duke of Marlborough. His genius and talents rendered the war fuccessful wherever he prefided; by a masterly ftratagem he forced the French lines, and afterwards capturing Bouchain, though defended by a powerful army, under that able General, Marthal Villars. The armies, by the feverity of the season, being obliged to go prematurely into winter quarters, the illuftrious career of Marlborough ended. The Tories had often complained of the Whig miniftry, for neglecting affairs in Spain, and attending almoft folely to the army under the Duke of Marlborough; but when they came themselves into office, fuffered the troops in the Spanian dominions to be in a much worfe condition than they had ever been in during the preceding administration, and fhewed how much more easily they could cenfure others, than do their duty themselves. The death of Jofeph and the fucceffion of Charles to the Imperial dignity, and to the Sovereignty of Auftria, and all her extenfive and rich territories and dependencies, had produced an important change in the policy of pursuing the original object of the confederacy, fuch an immenfe mafs of power as must have accumulated from the union of the Empire and Spain, was not lefs formidable to the independence of Europe than the extenfion of the dominion of France. (To be concluded in our next.) ART. WE ART. II. Tooke's Diverfions of Purley. (Concluded from P. 16.) E fhall proceed in Mr. Tooke's Etymologies of quondam Adverbs. ASKANT, ASKANCE, are from the Dutch Schuin, wry, oblique. Aswoon, from the Saxon afuand, of the verb fuanian, deficere animo, according to Mr. Tooke. But as this derivation conveys not a precife idea to a reader, for it may be applied to a coward as well as a person that faints, we prefer on fwefen, in a fwoon or vifion, as Pharaoh, (Gen. XLI. 8.) upon the fame principle as ADAY, on dæg, ANIGHT, on night; ALONG, on lenge; ABROAD, on bræde: ABACK, on bac; ALIVE, on life; AMID, on mid; ARIGHT, on right; ATWO, on twa; AWAY, on weg; ANON, on an, in one, by an ellipfe, probably in a moment. ASTOUND, is the French eftonnéd, astonished. at Dr. Johnson, because he cannot determine whether this FAIN, is fagn, glad, Saxon. LIEF, LIEFER, LIEFEST, are the Saxon, leaf, leafre, leofeft, formed from lufe-love. ADIEU, from the French à dieu, from the Italian ad dio. FAREWELL, from faran, Saxon, to go with the adjunct conveying the fenfe profper in your journey. HALT, is our old Saxon heald, hold. (Luke xx11. 63.) NEEDS, is ufed parenthetically need is, antiently written nedes, as CERTES, for certain is. PRYTHEE, is I pray thee. Το TO WIT, Mr. Tooke obferves, "does not mean to know, though the infinitive of witan, as Skinner and Johnfon have fuppofed, but to be known." Wecannot always affent to the fupercilious dogmatifm of this hyper-etymologift. We think Skinner approximates as near to the truth as the author of Επεα Πτερόεντα; but we believe this term to have been firft ufed in writs, or mandamufes, to fheriffs, bailiffs, or other officers of the Monarch, commanding them to circulate the contents of fuch proclamations or rolls through their respective counties, bailiwicks, or diftricts, and that originally it was the or de-witan, or wit, do make known, for to and do were the fame word with our ancestors. PERCHANCE, according to Mr. T. is par-efcheant, par-efcheance; the participle of efcheoir, echeoir, echoir, to fall; but might it not have been fimply stated, with greater clearness, by or through chance; and PERCASE, in the fame manner, by or through cafe? PERADVENTURE, by or through adventure, without the pa rade of learning, antiently peraunter, paraunter, inaunter, inaventure. MAY BE, MAY-HAP, are may be and may-happen. PERHAPS, is, by or through haps, that is, what may happen by chance, &c. UP-HAP, is upon a hap. BELIKE, is from the Dutch lykke, luck or chance, by luck; we might with equal propriety, derive it from the German gluk, by gluk, or by luck. AFOOT, is on-foot, and here he corrects an error of Warton, relative to foot-hot, which doubtlefs means immediately, inftantaneously, without giving time for the foot to cool. ASIDE, ABREAST, AFRONT, AHEAD, ABLAZE, ABOARD, ABROAD, ADAYS, ANIGHT, AFIRE, ALIVE, ALOFT, AROW, ASLEEP, are afide, on-breaft, on-front, &c. &c. though we may obferve, relative to on-loft, that lyft in Saxon is the clouds, and that AWHILE is a while, that is a time, and WHILST is a corruption of whiles. AUGHT OF OUGHT, Mr. Tooke fays, is the Saxon wit, (we believe more generally hwat, as Exodus xx11. 14,) a whit, oro whit, that is, any thing; as NAUGHT or NOUGHT, is NA WHIT or NO WHIT. FORTH, in our opinion, is very juftly derived by Mr. Tooke, from the Latin foris, by dropping the final s, and the adoption of th, the favourite termination and pronunciation of our ancestors, and from this we have the almoft obfolete |
