“The good old Code, like Argus, had a hundred watchful eyes,
    And each old English peasant had his good old English spies,
    To tempt his starving discontent with good old English lies,
    Then call the British yeomanry to stop his peevish cries.”

At Woburn, a market town forty miles from London, under the very shadow of a great Whig house, no political meeting could be held for fear of Pitt’s spies, who dropped down from London by the night coach and returned to lay information against popular speakers; and when the politicians of the place desired to express their sentiments, they had to repair secretly to an adjacent village off the coach road, where they were harangued under cover of night by the young sons of the Duke of Bedford.

The ferocity, the venality, the profligate expenditure, the delirious excitement of contested elections have made an indelible mark on our political history.  In 1780 King George III. personally canvassed the Borough of Windsor against the Whig candidate, Admiral Keppel, and propitiated a silk-mercer by calling at his shop and saying, “The Queen wants a gown—­wants a gown.  No Keppel.  No Keppel.”  It is pleasant to reflect that the friends of freedom were not an inch behind the upholders of tyranny in the vigour and adroitness of their electioneering methods.  The contest for the City of Westminster in 1788 is thus described in the manuscript diary of Lord Robert Seymour:—­

“The Riotts of the Westr.  Election are carried such lengths the Military obliged to be called into the assistance of Ld.  Hood’s party.  Several Persons have been killed by Ld.  J. Townsend’s Butchers who cleave them to the Ground with their Cleavers—­Mr. Fox very narrowly escaped being killed by a Bayonet wch. w’d certainly have been fatal had not a poor Black saved him fm. the blow.  Mr. Macnamara’s Life is despaired of—­& several others have died in the difft.  Hospitals.  Next Thursday decides the business.

“July 25.—­Lord John Townsend likely to get the Election—­what has chiefly contributed to Ld.  Hood’s losing it is that Mr. Pulteney is his Friend—­Mr. P. can command 1,500 Votes—­& as he is universally disliked by his Tenants they are unanimous in voting against him—­wch. for Ld.  H. proves a very unfortunate circumstance.  The Duke of Bedford sent L10,000 towards the Expenses of the Opposition.

“It is thought that Lord Hood will not attempt a Scrutiny.  One of Ld.  Hood’s votes was discovered to be a carrot-scraper in St. James’s Market who sleeps in a little Kennel about the Size of a Hen Coup.

“Augt. 5th—­The Election decided in favour of Ld.  J.T., who was chaired—­and attend’d by a Procession of a mile in length.  On his Head was a crown of Laurel.  C. Fox follow’d him in a Landau & 6 Horses cover’d in Favors & Lawrels.  The appearance this Procession made was equal in splendor to the public Entry of an Ambassador.”