any human inftitution will admit of. We have, indeed, too much oratory, too much liberty, too much debt, and too many taxes; but then we have plenty, and may have peace, if we please: we have security to our perfons and properties, and excellent laws, juftly, though not very cheaply administered; we have a parliament not worse, and a king a great deal better than we deserve, and therefore I fhall conclude with the words of Shakespear, Tis better fure, to bear the ills we know, A SCHEME A SCHEME FOR THE COALITION OF PARTIES. 1782. BSERVING it feveral times announced in the papers, that a certain able politician would fhortly oblige the world with a Scheme for the Coalition of all Parties: I have long waited with much impatience for a fight of fo defirable a work, from fo eminent a hand; but having been hitherto difappointed, I thought I could not employ a few leisure hours more beneficially for my country, than than in adding my inconfiderable endeavours for the discovery of this important fecret; and that, the more heads were employed in a design so useful, the fooner, and the more compleatly, it would be finifhed. If the scheme of that ingenious gentleman should exactly correspond with mine, much weight will be added to my propofal; but, if they fhould differ in a few particulars, the impartial and infallible public may take their choice. I fhall not here follow the example of our modern reformers, civil and ecclefiaftical, in pulling down without rebuilding, complaining without redreffing, and oppofing without propofing; but fhall offer a plain and fimple scheme, which I am fure will be effectual, and hope will be unexceptionable to men of all parties, connexions, and denominations; as it cannot fail to promote all their interefts, as well as that of the public. Before I prefumed to prefcribe, I thought it right to inveftigate the cause of the difeafe; and therefore have diligently enquired whether our prefent diffentions have arifen, as formerly, from any dif ferences of opinions, or any contradictory articles in our political creeds; but, on the stricteft examination, I can find no fuch differences to exift: parties I fee many, but cannot difcern one principle amongst them; they are neither Whigs nor Tories, Monarchy - men nor Republicans, Highchurch nor Low-church, Hanoverians nor Jacobites: they have all acted alternately on all these principles, as they have served a prefent occafion; but have adhered to none of them, nor even pretended to profefs them they have all been ready to fupport government, whenever they have enjoyed the adminiftration of it; and almoft all as ready to fubvert it, whenever they were excluded. I fee few, very few, who have formed the moft diftant intentions of deftroying the government, or changing the conftitution of this country; but, I am afraid, I fee as few, who scruple to plunge plunge them both into the most imminent danger, rather than be stopped in the wild career of their headlong ambition: from whence it appears to me plainly demonftrable, that all our prefent diffentions are nothing more than an outrageous conteft for power and profit, there being no other caufe from whence they can poffibly be derived. He, therefore, who can point out a method to put an end to this conteft, need enquire no farther; the work is done, and a cordial and lasting coalition will immediately enfue. In order to qualify myself for this task, and forming fuch a coalition, I have endeavoured to recollect all the plans, which have hitherto been offered in writing or converfation, for this purpofe; and I cannot remember one, that contained any thing more, than this fhort proposal, to dif mifs all at that time in administration, and to admit the propofer and his friends into their places, which he always calls a coalition, and recommends as the only me thod |