commander and magistrate might deserve commendation on very many of
those qualities which they who most disapprove some part of his
proceedings, not more justly than freely, attribute to him; but they
found nothing to commend in him "_but the hatred he bore to Great
Britain_." I verily believe, that, in the whole history of our European
wars, there never was such a compliment paid from the sovereign of one
state to a great chief of another. Not one ambassador from any one of
those powers who pretend to live in amity with this kingdom took the
least notice of that unheard-of declaration; nor will Great Britain,
till she is known with certainty to be true to her own dignity, find any
one disposed to feel for the indignities that are offered to her. To say
the truth, those miserable creatures were all silent under the insults
that were offered to themselves. They pocketed their epigrams, as
ambassadors formerly took the gold boxes and miniature pictures set in
diamonds presented them by sovereigns at whose courts they had resided.
It is to be presumed that by the next post they faithfully and promptly
transmitted to their masters the honors they had received. I can easily
conceive the epigram which will be presented to Lord Auckland, or to the
Duke of Bedford, as hereafter, according to circumstances, they may
happen to represent this kingdom. Few can have so little imagination as
not readily to conceive the nature of the boxes of epigrammatic lozenges
that will be presented to them.

But _hæ nugæ seria ducunt in mala_. The conduct of the Regicide faction
is perfectly systematic in every particular, and it appears absurd only
as it is strange and uncouth, not as it has an application to the ends
and objects of their policy. When by insult after insult they have
rendered the character of sovereigns vile in the eyes of their
subjects, they know there is but one step more to their utter
destruction. All authority, in a great degree, exists in opinion: royal