THE OCCASIONAL WRITER. NUMBER I. TO THE SAME. Quis te, juvenum confidentiffime, noftras Juffit adire domos? Quidve hinc petis? inquit. At ille, VIRG. MOST NOBLE SIR, WHEN I writ the postscript to my last letter, I believed firmly that the Answer to the Occafional Writer was neither writ by you, nor published by your order. Many confiderations determined me to this opinion. For inftance: I could not think, that in order to vent yourself in a fit of railing, you would draw a picture out of your own imagination, which cannot pass for that of the person who writ to you, even in the low and vile character he af fumed, and which you will hardly venture to own that you meant to be the refemblance of any man in Britain. I could not perfuade myfelf that you would give occafion, as I apprehend very much that you have done, to the drawing of another picture picture after the life, which no one will mistake, and which you will not be curious to place in your collection of paintings. I have, with the reft of mankind, a great regard for fome of your friends; but I have, with the reft of mankind likewise, a great regard for your particular enemies, among whom it feemed impoffible to me that you, who knew them fo well, fhould prefume to find either flaves or criminals, or infolvent debtors. I dare affirm, that there is not one of them, who ever" mortgaged "his eftate for more than its value, or reduced "himself near the neceffity of living by contri "bution." These are some of the motives which induced me to acquit you of the scandal, as I then thought it, of writing this paper. But, upon better information, and farther reflection, I have changed my opinion; and I fee nothing inconfiftent with my respect for you, in believing that you did write it. As great an advantage as it is in all the affairs of life for a man to keep his temper, it is often excufable, and perhaps fometimes even praife-worthy, to lofe it. When a minifter is contradicted in matters relating to his administration, and when bufy people fhall prefume to ask his reafons, instead of fubmitting to his authority, can we wonder if his paffion transports him into rhodomontades, and if he behaves himself a little wildly? But when the virtue of a minifter like you, whofe whole life has been one bright example of public and private vir tue, fhall be fufpected, fo far as to be tempted, to paffion; who can refuse him even applause, if his generous foul, transported with a just indignation, breathes forth fuch expreffions, as might, upon a lefs occafion, pafs for indecent ribaldry? This was your cafe, most noble Sir, in the trial which I prefumed lately to make, with too much boldness boldnefs perhaps, but furely with a very good defign. A man writes to you from his garret, defcribes himself as a prostitute fcribbler, and offers you the fervice of his pen: this, and this alone, appears to you; upon which a noble indignation feizes you, and you ftrike boldly, though you ftrike in the dark. There is really fomewhat fine in this fally of refentment, and it confirms, in the highest degree, the fentiments I have long entertained of your integrity, of your ability, and of a certain grace which accompanies and gives a luftre to every part your conduct. of The fhare I have had in this adventure affords me great fatisfaction. Your anger fell on a feigned character, and hurts me not; but the honor of having drawn an answer from a first minister, and an anfwer in print, accrues to me, and is fuch a one, as the greatest of our weekly authors could never boaft. Give me leave, therefore, to be tranfported in my turn, but to be tranfported with joy, and to infert an abstract of your anfwer in this paper, as Balzac placed at the head of his works, a letter from the Cardinal de Richlieu. I confult my own honor, it must be confeffed, in doing this; but I confider ftill more that juft applause and admiration which I, with the rest of the world, am obliged on this occafion to give you. To thofe parts of the Occafional Writer's letter, which fhew that you are at this juncture in want of fuch fervices as the fcoundrel he perfonated might be fit to do, you make no reply. The want you feem to admit, but the offer of fervice you reject: let the public hear in what manner. ABSTRACT Page 1. "THOUGH you have not figned your name, I know you. Because a man who "is without all principles of honefty, who in no "one thing can be relied upon, a betrayer of "his friend, a traitor to his prince, an enemy to "his country, a perjured, ungrateful, unfaithful "rafcal, must be you; one who is a compofition "of all thefe, can be only you. Page 2. "You are an infamous fellow, who "make a reputation of doing mifchief; and Heroftratus and Nero were not greater villains than 66 you. 66 "You are of fo profligate a character, that in your profperity no body envied you, and in your difgrace no body pities you. "You were in the interest of France, and of the pope, as hath appeared by your writings, and you went out of the way to fave yourself from "the gallows. Page 3. "You are a fellow who have no con"fcience at all, or a damnable complying one: and "if you would lend it to me, it would be of no ufe to me. "You "You have no abilities; you are an emancipated "flave, a profcribed criminal, and an infolvent "debtor and I am not in fuch a defperate for"lorn condition, to employ a fellow who hath no "talents. Page 4. "You have been a traitor, and should "be used like one. And I love my master fo well, "that I will never advise him to use you, left you "fhould jostle me out of my employment. "The majority are of my opinion. One fide "rails at you, the other diflikes you; and that "Palinurus would deferve to be drowned indeed, "who let you have the rudder, if he could help ❝ it. Page 5. "I do not value what you or your 66 company fay of me; neither am I to be frighted "with a parliamentary fcrutiny. You rail at me, "because you envy me; and I defpife all that a "man in the impotence of difgrace can do against me, who could never terrify me in the zenith of " his power. Then follow these admirable arguments. Page 6, 7, 8. "I. You may talk what you will " of France, Spain, and the emperor; power is "fluctuating, and perhaps I know who is Britain's "enemy as well as another. II. Though we did "lend the emperor a helping hand, we are not to "let him do what he pleases; and when we fet him up, it was good politics, and now it is equally "good to take him down. III. I do not question "but we fhall humble him. IV. I must tell 66 you plainly, you and I, as to foreign affairs, dif"fer widely in opinion. V. When our neighbours grow faucy and encroaching, it is high time to "look about us, and not to be taken napping. "VI. I know you are like the emperor, because " he |