man to invade the perfon or the property of another, but fecure alike to all that which their ancestors have collected, or their own industry acquired.

Such is the country in which we live; a country which, as well as our Conftitution, has for centuries paft been the object both of the envy and admiration of the whole world.

Pliny, who wrote about the Chriftian Era, fpeaking of thefe Islands, broke into a rapture and enthufiafm, and addreffing himfelf to them exclaimed, "O Thou moft "bleffed and fortunate of all countries! how defervedly "has Nature with all the bounties of Heaven and Earth "endued thee! Thy ever-fruitful womb not clofed with ice, or diffolved by the raging ftar; where Ceres and "Bacchus are perpetual twins. Thy woods are not the "harbour of devouring beasts, nor thy continual verdure "the ambush of ferpents; but the food of innumerable "herds and flocks, prefenting thee, their fhepherdefs, "with diftended dugs, or golden fleeces. The wings of "the night involve thee not in the horrors of darkness, "but have still fome white feather; and thy day is that, "for which we efteem life the longeft."

Surely our country is not now lefs embellished, lefs 'fertile, or lefs defirable than it was at that distant period. It has not only kept pace with other parts of the known globe, but it has furpaffed them in fcience, in commerce, and in industry."

But it is not every mind which can bear profperity; and perhaps if we fearch into the condition of thofe who have growled difcontent in late times, we fhall find that it is bottomed in abundance, and not in want. Let those who have complained compare their prefent fituations with what were their own or their equals thirty years age, and fee whether in every inftance they have not got the advantage. Above all, let every man examine whether (provided he does not prevent it by idlenes, inattention, and diffipation) he has not the means of procuring health, peace, and competence for himfelf and his family. If he has thein, he has all that can conftitute happiness in this world. If he might have them, but neglects to improve them, the fault is his, and he muft thank himfelf alone. No blame is to be imputed to his lot in life, or to the Laws by which he is bound to govern his actions. If by misconduct he makes himfelf obnoxious to the Laws, out of juftice to the innocent and well-deferving, the Laws

will,

will, and ought to fall heavy on him; for it is a very old obfervation, that "Wife Laws, duly executed, prevent much evil."

If any cafes fhould be brought before you, in which it fhall appear that perfons of any defcription, in defiance of their natural or temporary allegiance, and with ingratitude for the advantages which they derive from living under a free and mild Government, have dared to execrate either the King or the Conftitution, or have exulted in the hope of annihilating them, you, I am fure, will not be wanting in your duty to make them amenable to the laws of our country; but which laws even they will experience the mildnefs of, and find that they do not admit of that extent of punishment which, to ordinary underlandings, might feem due to their crimes; for thofe who without reafon are difcontented with the Conftitution under which they live, do not deferve the indulgence of being fuffered to remain any longer Members of it. Let them go to other climates in fearch of what they may fuppofe will conftitute their happiness; and then, short experience, preffing want, lawless or uncontrouled power, the abfence even of the means of obtaining a comfortable livelihood, or perhaps an indifcriminate butchery or af faffination, if they furvive it, will foon convince them that the fault is wholly in the restless and turbulent difcontents of their own hearts; and for the remainder of their lives they will worthily be left to chew the cud of rep ntance, and to lament that by their crimes they have forfeited the cafe, the comfort, and competence, the fecurity and the freedom which England alone can afford.

If there fhould be a temporary ftagnation in trade, or if there fhould be a check to that amazing and formerly unknown flourishing ftate in which this Nation has for fome years past found itself, we all know that we owe it. folely to the boundlefs ambition, the ferocious tyranny, and the implacable rancour of our conftant rival, and almoft perpetual enemy.

To avert thofe evils, we may with confidence look up to the wisdom and the vigilance of our most gracious Sovereign; and whatever temporary inconvenience we may fuffer, let us not forget that we are Englishmen; let us glory in the appellation; and, by our conduct, announce to all the world, that we revere our King, and will defend our Conflitution.

The Earl of Radnor's Charge to the Grand Jury of the County of Berks-Thoughts on a Parliamentary Reform, by Soame Fenyns, Efq.-Additional Proof of the Excellence of the English Conftitution, by W. Mitford, Efq.-Cautions against Reformers, by Lord Bolingbroke.

Printed and Sold by J. DOWNES, No. 240, Strand near Temple. Bar; where the Bookfellers in Town and Country may be ferved with any quantity.

PRICE ONE PENNY.

THE EARL OF RADNOR's CHARGE

TO THE

GRAND JURY OF THE COUNTY OF BERKS

JANUARY 15, 1793.

GENTLEMEN OF THE JURY,

HEN laft I had the honour of addreffing the County from this Chair, I found the Juries fo intelligent, fo well informed of their duty, and, as far as I could judge, fo defirous of performing it, that in ordinary fituations of the Country, I fhould probably now have contented myself with a fhort exhortation to you, to perfevere in the example fet you by your predeceffors:But circumstances so unufual and remarkable have happened in the course of the last year, and more particularly of late, that I think I owe it to my Country, whofe Peace and Happiness may materially depend upon the proceedings of this and other Courts of Juftice; I owe it to my Sovereign, by whofe authority I am impowered to address you at all, and by whom I am specially required to direct your attention this day to the Point on which I mean principally to detain you; I

A

owe

owe it to this Bench of Magistrates, who have a right to expect from their Chairman, the exertion of all the abili ties he has on fuch an occafion; I owe it to myself as'a Magiftrate, as a Member of the Legiflature, as a man of fome property, as the father of a family, and as an Englishman; but more especially I owe it to you, who, from the time of taking your oath, to the moment when you fhall be dif charged, are invefted with a great Inquifitorial Power, which I will explain more fully to you prefently; I fay I owe it to these feveral relations, and in thefe feveral capacities, to speak to you in the best manner I am able, upon a fubject extremely interefting to our Country in general, extremely interefting to every individual in it.

I have told you, that you are entrufted with a great power, and a very great power you will fee it is, when I remind you, that there is not a fingle individual upon earth, who can have committed any crime within this County, whom your indictment will not put upon his trial. Now all juft power prefuppofes correfpondent duties, and therefore as the Law has invefted you with power, it expects from you vigilance, integrity, and refolution:Vigilance to difcover crimes, integrity to felect without perfonal enmity thofe whom you believe guilty of them, and refolution to put their conduct, be they whom they may, in the way of examination, and, if guilty, in the way of punishment:-And you are, by the very words of your oath, not to confine your attention to what is brought before you by any profecutor, but to whatever alfo is given you in charge, or fhall fall within your own knowledge, that is in any degree inconfiftent with the public tranquillity, or contrary to the happiness or security of the kingdom.

Now, Gentlemen, the King is the firft Magiftrate of the Country, and the prefervation of the public peace is his first duty, and on that account you will probably recollect, that his Majefty's endeavours were employed laft Spring in fuppreffing certain dangerous and feditious Publications, which had been difperfed with a view to excite difcontents, tumults, and diforders in this Realm.

Thefe endeavours of the King appeared to be completely answered, by the general approbation with which his Royal Proclamation to this effect was received, and acknowledged by addreffes, as well from both Houses of Parliament, as from this and every other part of the King

dom;

dom; but I am forry to add, that his Majefty has lately found it neceffary to fay, and to direct me to tell you from this Chair in his Name, that notwithstanding thefe endeavours, the circulation and difperfion of the faid writings, and others of a fimilar tendency, have lately been renewed with much activity.

Now, Gentlemen, the Government of a Country ought to fecure to the individuals of it Liberty, Life and Property.-Try our Government by this rule, and let us fee if it ought to be respected.

No one here can lofe his Liberty without fuch a reason as juftifies the forfeiture There are threemodes of forfeiting one's liberty-for debt-upon fufpicion of a crimeand for punishment of a crime. The firft, I believe, will be readily admitted to be neceffary in a commercial Country-but the tenderness of our law has taken care in very many cafes, that the imprifonment fhall be only temporary; and in point of fact and experience, where the debtor has fubfequently to his confinement appeared to act confcientiously, it is feldom of long duration. I believe it perfectly true, that the honeft creditor is much oftener, and to a greater degree a fufferer, being quite innocent, than the debtor, who in very few poffible cafes is not in fome degree at leaft guilty.

The fecond mode is when a perfon is charged with a crime. This I allow is hard, but it is unavoidable, unless you can fuppofe a competent court fhall always be at hand, and fitting, whenever the fufpicion of a crime attaches. But this hardship is foftened again by the humanity of our Laws, as much as the nature of things admits: When the prisoner has an idea that the charge is fuch as not to warrant the commitment, the writ of Habeas Corpus, to which he is entitled, will enable him in Term time to have judgment upon that point, of whichever Court, and out of Term time, of whichever Judge, he prefers. And again, when the crime is not of an atrocious complexion, or not beyond all doubt truly charged upon the prifoner, he is admiffible to bar, which the law has likewife provided fhall not be exceffive.

The third mode, namely confinement for crimes after conviction, no one can object to, provided it be not unreafonably long.

The fecond great point, which it is the effence and duof Government to fecure, is the lives of individuals:→→ I fhould

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