AUTHOR OF ANECDOTES OF THE LATE EARL OF CHATHAM. HISTORIAM, OMNIUM SECRETORUM MEMORIAM DICo.-Cicero. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOLUME I. LONDON: PRINTED FOR T. N. LONGMAN, AND L. B. SEELEY, IN PATER-NOSTER-ROW. 1797. PREFACE. THE reputation and conduct of Great Men, who have filled high fituations in the State, must always be interesting to the Nation. The Memoirs of fuch perfons can never be too frequently read and studied. Nor can any injury happen, where Truth only is the guide of the Writer. Of these Anecdotes, the Editor begs leave to fay, that he is not confcious. of having advanced a fingle untruth; that very few of them have been printed before; that it has been his wifh and care to avoid whatever is to be found in other books, except in two or three instances, where he has been under the necessity of connecting the facts. There is no impropriety in the publication; because every part of it relates to public 2 public men, and to public meafures. It is not lefs juftice to the great characters themselves, than it is to the Public, to communicate them. A faftidious fecrefy of measures and motives, in matters of public concern, when the events and their confequences have totally ceased, Lord Bacon denominates a fupprefsion of truth, The Appendix confifts of Papers; fome of which are orignal, others are explana- tory of paffages in the Work, and all of them are now fo extremely fcarce, that CONTENTS. CHAPTER XIV. LATE EARL OF MANSFIELD, (LORD CHIEF JUSTICE.) A Character fuppofed to be written by Sir John Willes. Anfier to it, afcribed to Lord Mansfield. Several Particulars concerning Lord Mansfield. His Partiality in all Trials for Libels. The Declaratory Act of the Law of Libels made to correct his Doctrine. His Defign to take the Opinion of the twelve Judges upon it. His Defign in the House of Lords on the fame Subject fruftrated by Lord Camden. Lord Mansfield makes a third Attack on the Rights of Juries, by reviving the Star-Chamber Mode of profecuting Libels, by Attachment. Mr. Dunning's firft Splendour. Remarkable Cafe of a poor Woman, and Spirited Conduct of Sir Fletcher Norton upon it. Mr. Vaughan's Attempt to corrupt the Duke of Grafton, with the Duke's Affidavit and Papers, and Lord Mansfield's Opinion. Heads of a fingular Trial concerning the Sale of Places. VOL. I. Letters P 1 |