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—While our Secretary was yet untainted by the blandishments of venality, he published some spirited tracts on public liberty, the perusal of which will enable the world to form a more sterling proof of his dereliction from past opinions, than volumes of vague affirmations on this subject; but

—Mr. C*nn*ng, when speaking of his firm attachment to Mr. Pitt, gave it as his opinion, that —It was better to err with Cato, than do right with the rest of mankind.

Lafontaine.

The Blocks, wretched gentlemen! have had a miserable time of it while bereft of office, and have been wandering about like stray sheep bereft of a shepherd;—however, leave them alone, I warrant me they will speedily make good for the loss of time by a glorious golden surfeit. As to P*rtl*nd, poor soul! his stomach is so weak, that M*lv*lle has prescribed him an opiate; and during its operation, has very kindly undertaken to fill the chair: while P*rc*v*l is nominated his standing vice-president, who at the first course swallowed down the whole of a famous Lancashire dish, called duchy, without offering to help a single individual present.— By a wink from the president M*lv*lle, my L*rd H*w*sb*ry, with equal effrontery and gluttony, clawed hold of a tureen filled with home-made soup, and gobbled himself into Secretary for that department:—while C*stl*re*gh, at his right hand, finding his appetite keen, new strung his bow with a fricasee of war and colonies, which was swallowed in a trice.—E*rls C*md*n and W*stm*rl*nd, having a little more politesse and moderation, were satisfied with the Privy-seal and Presidency of the Council:—while L---d M*lgr*ve, though totally unacquainted with the contents of the dish, absolutely gorged himself with a tremendous sea pye, and was immediately obliged to quit the table: the consternation occasioned by this sudden movement, afforded time for arranging the second course—at which E*rl B*th*rst played an excellent knife and fork, by devouring the contents of the gilt dish of mint, and instantly afterwards clearing the board of a ragoo of trade.—L*rd C--- S*m*rs*t and Mr. L*ng jointly determined on putting their forces together; on which they immediately set*to, and paid away pretty roundly.—L*rd Eld*n, according to custom, came, drone like, in for his legal porrage, with which he burnt his mouth, notwithstanding he had previously blown upon it for a length of time; and, in his hurry to render it palatable, had, in a peevish fit, moistened it with his tears.—As to the D*ke of R*chm*nd, he got confoundedly drunk with toasting every body present, three times at least, without intermission; and as he grew quarrelsome in his cups, and wanted to fight all the company, it was deemed expedient to send him to Coventry, and he was accordingly shipped off for Ireland, as that place was best fitted for his boisterous qualifications.—M*ntr*se, who cannot bear brains, pushed the dish away which was before him, and soon rendered himself master of a pattie of horse flesh, which, notwithstanding its repugnant appellation, proved to him extremely palatable.—R*se ate up a vice-presidentship before any one could say Jack Robinson, and then ran off with his empty plate to M*lv*lle, whom he swore to pester unceasingly, until his hunger should be completely appeased.—The M*rq*s of T*tchf*ld vowed he had a tit bit in a nice slice of the Treasury pudding: in short, there were innumerable guests who crowded to the board in order to satiate their voracious appetites, some of whom came in for none, and others for less still; cramming, however, to such a degree, that the man-cook, John Bull, sweating, puffing, and blowing, at length got into such a furious rage that he kicked over the stew-pans, put out the fire, and rushing forth with the carving-knife in his hand, darted indignantly on the cormorants, and at length effected a complete victory, by putting the whole troop to flight.

Virgil.

As the Blocks have adopted the plan of employing interpreters for our Secretary for the Foreign Department, it is conjectured that they wish to emulate the custom of the Turks, who conceive their own tongue possessed of so much sublimity, that it would be derogatory to learn any other, in consequence of which, they have recourse to interpreters upon all occasions.

—Our Secretary for the Foreign Department must have found himself very awkwardly situated upon his entrance into office, the duties of which so peremptorily call for a knowledge of the living tongues; but this glaring deficiency was easily remedied by Scotch Harry, who has proved to the country, that he does not stick at trifles:—and it is positively asserted, that his lordship, for several days, attended at the office of Mr. C*nn*ng, in order to initiate the young gentleman into the arcana of the business. That the Secretary is au fait at Latin and Greek, I do not doubt; but he now finds that the jargon of the schools is insufficient: but no matter, let him take courage, a correspondence in Greek will be highly acceptable to the major part of Johnny Bull's progeny, who may now expect to be indulged with every thing that is unintelligible.

—With all that degree of consistent wisdom which has been the unvarying characteristic of our sublime ministry, we now behold in the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. P*rc*v*l, whose career has hitherto been uniformly passed in the C---t of Ch*nc*ry, where he made motions on the subject of wills and leases, to which branch of legal study he had particularly addicted himself.—When a young barrister, this gentleman was conspicuous for extreme pertness and presumptuousness; and at all consultations was prone to take upon himself the office of differing in opinion from those counsellors who were his seniors, both in age and in practice. So much for his breeding: as to his disinterestedness—

that has been rendered evident from his requiring, in addition to the ostensible post he now holds in the state, the further douceur of the seal of the duchy of Lancaster, durante vita, which his M---y was persuaded not to give, except during pleasure, by an address of the House of Commons. But the Blocks, like the last ministry, are not satisfied with one place; such a consideration being far too insignificant, when put in competition with the weight of their Talents: no, no, things are now reversed; and Lord C*stl*r*gh swears he will not be contented until another string is added to his bow. Lord M*lv*lle, the present state mechanist, when in office with P*tt, held three places at once; viz. Secretary of State, President of the Board of Controul, and Treasurer of the Navy; besides being Privy Seal in Scotland, and Heaven knows what besides:—and will any one pretend to say, that his lordship is less ravenous now, than he was at that period?—and still, notwithstanding such a string of places, he was not prevented from violating a solemn law, and fingering, both by himself and his worthy deputy, the public money. Yet, this very peer, who was adjudged by so many of his colleagues as guilty of a gross breach of his duty, is now restored to his Sovereign's councils; his eldest son placed at the head of the India Board; the counsellor who defended his cause (Mr. Pl*m*r), through his interest, is made Solicitor-general; while he himself is the great conductor of every thing behind the curtain;—the block of P*rt*nd being a mere stop-gap, incapable, through age and imbecility, of delivering his sentiments to the public on any topic whatsoever.

As all my readers may not be conversant with legal terms, I shall explain the above in as few words as possible.

Disseisin—is the wrongfully putting out of him that is actually seised of a thing: very analogous, it must be confessed, to the dispossessing of the late L*rd H*n*y P*tty.

Surrender—the quietly giving up possession to another; which certainly was not the case.

Record—an authentic testimony written on rolls of parchment; viz. the fact will be handed down to posterity, while the political annals of this nation are in existence.

Confirmation—is when any thing is made sure and unavoidable; or whereby a particular property is increased: now as gentlemen of the long robe are pretty acute, there is no doubt but the right honourable premier made a calculation of profits arising from law, and fees obtained from a chancellorship and permanent duchy; when finding the balance in favour of the latter, he ratified his deed of confirmation.

Obligation—is a bond containing a penalty for the performance of any thing; therefore, a duchy was the price which, in case of non-performance of stipulations, is to revert back to the original donor.

Rebut is to repel or bar—and no doubt but Mr. P*rc*v*l would throw sufficient impediments in the way of going out.

Surrender, the yielding up or giving possession of an estate. This instrument never will be signed but by compulsion.

Entry, is the taking possession. The Chancellor must in the first place be expulsed, and then indeed we might say— a good riddance of bad rubbish.

Excommunicato Capiendo, a writ commanding the apprehension of a person, and the confining him, without bail or mainprize, until he conforms himself. This will prove the case when the eyes of a certain illustrious personage shall be opened, and thus display the imbecility of the Blocks imposed upon him.

Error—A writ, whereby a fault is, or more frequently pretended to be found in the judgment of the court, whereby the pleading is prayed to be reversed.—A very facetious quibble to stay an individual from having immediate justice done him, and well worthy the Premier's consideration.

Essoin, in most instances a sham excuse that the party cannot attend in propria persona; all tending to create procrastination. —The law's delay—the insolence of office.

Clausula Volumus—A writ granted to protect the property of a man from the king's ministers.

—A very favourite expression of his Lordship's, who, doubtless, thereby means to convey an idea of the ponderosity of his judgment.

Terence.

—When Lord E*d*n favours the C---t of Ch*nc*ry with a speech it may with truth be stiled hypermeter, and has a somniferous charm attached to it, which never fails to become apparent with the counsel, who uniformly address themselves to sleep, except indeed his lordship thinks fit to treat upon the pathetic, and when such proves the case,