day, or to change their duty, with other warders, but by particular leave or order from the conftable, lieutenant, deC puty lieutenant, or in their abfence the major of the Tower.

They are to permit no person to have admittance into the room he is confined in, or to fpeak to him, but by particular order brought them by the major, or gentleman gaoler.'

The Major had likewife a written order, to take down the names of all perfons who applied for admittance to Mr. Wilkes.

On the morning of Tuesday May 3, Mr. Wilkes was brought to the bar of the court of Common Pleas, Westminster, where he made the following speech.

I FEEL myself happy to be at last • brought before a court, and before judges, • whose characteristic is the love of liberty. I have many humble thanks to return for the immediate order you were pleased to iffue, to give me an opportunity of

laying my grievances before you. They are of a kind hitherto unparaleled in this free country, and I trust the confequences will teach minifters of fcottish and arbitrary principles that the liberty of an English fubject is not to be fported away with impunity, in this cruel and defpotic manner.

I am accused of being the author of the North Briton, No. 45. I fhall only ⚫ remark upon that paper that it takes all load of accufation from the facred name of a prince, whose family I love and ho6 nour as the glorious defenders of the cause of liberty, and whofe perfonal qualities are <fo amiable, great, and refpectable, that he ⚫ is deservedly the idol of his people. It is

the peculiar fashion and crime of these 'times, and of those who hold high mi

nifterial offices in government, to throw every odious charge from themfelves · upon majesty. The author of this pa

per, whoever he may be, has, upon conftitutional principles, done directly the reverfe, and is therefore in me the fup

τ

pofed author, meant to be perfecuted accordingly. The particular cruelties of my treatment, worse than if I had been a scottish rebel, this court will hear, and I dare fay, from your justice • in due time redress.

I may perhaps ftill have the means ⚫ left me to fhew that I have been fuperior to every temptation of corruption. They may indeed have flattered themselves, that when they found corruption could < not prevail, perfecution might intimidate. I will fhew myself fuperior to both. My papers have been feized, perC haps with a hope the better to deprive • me of that proof of their meanness, and corrupt prodigality, which it may poffibly, in a proper place, be yet

power to give."

in my

He then pleaded by his council, Mr. Serjeant Glynn, for his discharge, alledging that his commitment was not valid. The debate lafted from eleven o'clock till a quarter past two; when after several learned arguments on both fides, he was

remanded back to the Tower; and his friends had, for the first time, the opportunity of access to him. At his departure from the hall, the acclamations of the people were, Liberty! Liberty! Wilkes for ever, and no excife! The court then adjourned to Friday the 6th of May, at which time he was ordered to be brought up again, that the affair might be finally determined.

His friends now had the liberty of vifiting him; and perhaps no prisoner in the Tower of London ever before, was attended by fuch an illustrious train of vifi

tors.

During this refpite his majefty was pleased to iffue orders to lord Egremont, to remove him from his poft of colonel in the militia of the county of Buckingham, which was fignified to him in the following letter.

Copy of a letter from the Earl of Egremont to the Earl Temple.

My Lord,

THE king having judged it improper, that John Wilkes, efq; fhould any longer continue to be colonel of the militia for the county of Buckingham, I am commanded to fignify his majesty's pleasure to your lordship, that you do forthwith give the neceffary orders for difplacing Mr. Wilkes, as an officer in the militia for the faid county of Buckingham.

I am with refpect,

My Lord,

Your lordfhips moft obedient humble fervant,

Whitehall,

May, 4, 1763.

EGREMONT.

To the earl Temple.

Letter from the earl Temple to John Wilkes, efq;

SIR,

AT my return last night from the Tower, I received the enclosed letter from the Earl