all to the difference of fuccefs (which however, is yet uncertain and depending), nor think it the leaft alleviation to the crime, whatever it may be to the punishment.

I am fenfible, it is ill arguing from particulars to generals, and that we ought not to charge upon a nation the crimes of a few defperate villains it is fo unfortunate to produce; yet at the fame time it must be avowed, that the French have, for these laft centuries been fomewhat too liberal of their daggers upon the perfons of their greatest men; fuch as the admiral de Coligny, the dukes of Guife father and fon, and the two kings I laft mentioned. I have fometimes wondered how a people, whose genius feems wholly turned to finging, and dancing, and prating, to vanity and impertinence; who lay fo much weight upon modes and geftures; whofe effentialities are generally fo very fuperficial; who are ufually fo ferious upon trifles, and fo trifling upon what is ferious, have been capable of committing fuch folid villainies, more fuitable to the gravity of a Spaniard, or the filence and thoughtfulness of an Italian: unless it be, that, in a nation na

turally

turally fo full of themselves, and of so restless imaginations, when any of them happen to be of a morofe and gloomy conftitution, that huddle of confused thoughts for want of evaporating ufually terminates in rage or defpair. D'Avila obferves, that Jacques Clement was a fort of buffoon, whom the reft of the friars used to make fport with; but at laft giving his folly a ferious turn, it ended in enthusiasm, and qualified him for that defperate act of murdering his king.

But in the marquis de Guifcard there seems to have been a complication of ingredients for fuch an attempt. He had committed feveral enormities in France, was extremely prodigal and vicious, of a dark melancholy complexion and cloudy countenance, fuch as in vulgar phyfiognomy is called an ill look. For the reft, his talents were very mean, having a fort of inferior cunning, but very small abilities; fo that a great man of the late ministry, by whom he was invited over, and with much discretion raised at firft ftep, from a

*The monk who ftabbed Henry III. of France.

I

pro

profligate popish priest to a lieutenant general, and colonel of a regiment of horse, was at last forced to drop him for fhame.

Had fuch an accident happened under that ministry, and to fo confiderable a member of it, they would have immediately charged it upon the whole body of those they are pleafed to call the faction. This would have been ftyled a high church principle; the clergy would have been accused, as promoters and abettors of the fact; committees would have been fent, to promise the criminal his life, provided they might have liberty to direct and dictate his confeffion; and a black lift would have been printed of all thofe who had been ever feen in the murderer's company. But the prefent men in power hate and despise all fuch deteftable arts, which they might now turn upon their adverfaries with much more plaufibility than ever thefe did their honourable negotiations with Greg*.

In the beginning of the year 1708, William Greg, an under clerk to Mr. fecretary Harley, was detected in a correfpondence with monfieur Chamillard, one of the French

VOL. VIII.

king's minifters, to whom he tranfmitted the proceedings of both houfes of parliament with refpect to the augmentation of the British forces, and other papers of great importа

And

And here it may be worth obferving, how unanimous a concurrence there is between fome perfons once in great power and a French papift; both agreeing in the great end of taking away Mr. Harley's life, though differing in their methods; the first proceeding by fubornation, the other by violence; wherein Guifcard feems to have the advantage, as aiming no further than his life; while the others designed to deftroy at once both that and his reputation. The malice of both against this gentleman feems to have rifen from the fame cause, his discovering defigns against the government. It was Mr. Harley, who detected the

ance. Greg, when he was indicted of this treafon, pleaded guilty, which gave occafion to Mr. Harley's enemies to infinuate, that he was privy to Greg's practices, and had by affurances of pardon prevailed upon him to plead guilty, in order to prevent the examination of witneffes: the houfe of lords appointed a committee of feven, of whom lord Sunderland was manager, to enquire into the affair; the committee prefented an address to the queen, in which complaint was made,that all Mr.Harley's papers had been long expofed

to the meanest clerks in his office; and it was requefted, that more caution might be ufed for the future. Upon this addrefs the execution of Greg was deferred a month; during which time he was folicited, threatened, and promised, but ftill perfifting to take the whole guilt upon himself, he was at length executed, having, in a paper which he left behind him, juftified Mr. Harley in particular; which he would fcarce have thought neceff ry, if no particular attempt had been made against him.

trea

treasonable correfpondence of Greg, and fecured him betimes; when a certain great man, who shall be nameless, had, out of the depth of his politicks, fent him a caution to make his escape, which would certainly have fixed the appearance of guilt upon Mr. Harley: but, when that was prevented, they would have enticed the condemned criminal, with promife of a pardon, to write and fign an accufation against the secretary: but to use Greg's own expreffion, his death was nothing near fo ignominious, as would have been fuch a life that must be faved by proflituting his confcience. The fame gentleman now lies ftabbed by his other enemy, a ppb Spy, whose treafon he hath discovered. God preserve the rest of her majefty's minifters from fuch proteftants, and from fuch papists!

I fhall take occafion to hint at fome particularities in this furprifing fact, for the fake of thofe at a distance, or who may not be thoroughly informed. The murderer confeffed in Newgate, that his chief defign was against Mr. fecretary St. John, who happened to change feats with Q 2

Mr.

1