[9] See the correspondence of Dumouriez, especially the letter of the 12th of March.

[10] They have not as yet proceeded farther with regard to the English dominions.  Here we only see as yet the good writings of Paine, and of his learned associates, and the labors of the missionary clubs, and other zealous instructors.—­TRANSLATOR.

[11] The same thing will happen in Savoy.  The persecution of the clergy has soured people’s minds.  The commissaries represent them to us as good Frenchmen.  I put them to the proof.  Where are the legions?  How! thirty thousand Savoyards,—­are they not armed to defend, in concert with us, their liberty?—­BRISSOT.

[12] Portefeuille is the word in the original.  It signifies all movable property which may be represented in bonds, notes, bills, stocks, or any sort of public or private securities.  I do not know of a single word in English that answers it:  I have therefore substituted that of Iron Chests, as coming nearest to the idea.—­TRANSLATOR.

[13] In the original les reduire a la sansculotterie.

A

LETTER

TO

WILLIAM ELLIOT, ESQ.,

OCCASIONED BY

THE ACCOUNT GIVEN IN A NEWSPAPER OF THE SPEECH MADE IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS BY THE **** OF *******

IN THE DEBATE

CONCERNING LORD FITZWILLIAM.

1795.

LETTER.

BEACONSFIELD, May 28,1795.

My dear sir,—­I have been told of the voluntary which, for the entertainment of the House of Lords, has been lately played by his Grace the **** of *******, a great deal at my expense, and a little at his own.  I confess I should have liked the composition rather better, if it had been quite new.  But every man has his taste, and his Grace is an admirer of ancient music.

There may be sometimes too much even of a good thing.  A toast is good, and a bumper is not bad:  but the best toasts may be so often repeated as to disgust the palate, and ceaseless rounds of bumpers may nauseate and overload the stomach.  The ears of the most steady-voting politicians may at last be stunned with “three times three.”  I am sure I have been very grateful for the flattering remembrance made of me in the toasts of the Revolution Society, and of other clubs formed on the same laudable plan.  After giving the brimming honors to Citizen Thomas Paine and to Citizen Dr. Priestley, the gentlemen of these clubs seldom failed to bring me forth in my turn, and to drink, “Mr. Burke, and thanks to him for the discussion he has provoked.”

I found myself elevated with this honor; for, even by the collision of resistance, to be the means of striking out sparkles of truth, if not merit, is at least felicity.