dreffed himself to the court in the words following. My Lords, • GREAT as my joy must naturally be at the decifion which this court with a true Spirit of liberty, has been pleased to make concerning the unwarrantable seizure of my perfon, and all the other confequen'tial grievances, allow me to affure you ⚫ that I feel it far lefs fenfibly on my own account, than I do for the public. The sufferings of an individual are a trifling object, when compared with the whole, • and I should blush to feel for myself in comparison with confiderations of a nature fo tranfcendently fuperior. • I will not trouble you with my poor ⚫ thanks. Thanks are due to you from the whole English nation, and from all the fubjects of the English crown. They ⚫ will be paid you, together with every teftimony of zeal and affection to the learned ferjeant, who has fo ably and fo con * Mr. Serjeant Glynn. ftitutionally pleaded my cause, and in ⚫ mine (with pleasure I fay it) the cause of liberty. Every teftimony of my grati⚫tude is justly due to you, and I take • leave of this court with a veneration and refpect, which no time can obliterate, nor can the most grateful heart fuffici⚫ently express.' When Mr. Wilkes had ended, the audience burst into an universal shout, which was often repeated. Mr. Wilkes staid fome time in a room adjoining to the court, in expectation that the crowd would dif perfe: at last, finding that it continually encreased, he went out of the back door of the common pleas, and was received by a prodigious multitude of people who attended him, amidst continual acclamations, to his own house in Great George Street, Westminster. The evening concluded with bonfires, illuminations, and other rejoicings. t VIVANT REX ET JUDICES REGIS. On Mr. Wilkes's return home from the court of common pleas, he fent the following letter to the fecretaries of ftate. Great George Street, May 6, 1763. My Lords, ON my return here from Westminster Hall, where I have been discharged from my commitment to the Tower under your lordships warrant, I find that my house has been robb'd, and am informed that the ftolen goods are in the poffeffion of one or both of your lordships. I therefore infift that you do forthwith return them to Your humble fervant Directed to JOHN WILKES. the earls of Egremont and Halifax, his majefty's principal fecretaries of state. [Next morning Mr. Wilkes in person, attended only by Mr. Grignion, of RuffelStreet, Covent-Garden, went to fir John Fielding's, in Bow-Street, and demanded a warrant to search the houses of the earls of Egremont and Halifax, his majesty's principal secretaries of state, for the goods ftolen out of his house, which he had received information were lodged at the faid houfes of the secretaries of ftate, or one of them. John Spinnage, Efq; the fitting justice, refused to iffue the faid warrant.] The next day Mr. Wilkes received the following anfwer to his letter. Great George Street, May 7, 1763. SIR, IN answer to your letter of yesterday, in which you take upon you to make use of the indecent and fcurrilous expreffions of your having found your houfe had been robbed, and that the ftolen goods are in our poffeffion: we acquaint you that your papers were seized in confequence of the heavy charge brought against you, for being the author of an infamous and seditious libel, tending to inflame the minds, and alienate the affections of the people from his majefty, and excite them to traiterous infurrections against the govern ment; for which libel, notwithstanding your discharge from your commitment to the Tower, his majefty has ordered you to be profecuted, by his attorney general. We are at a lofs to guess what you mean by stolen goods: but fuch of your papers as do not lead to a proof of your guilt, shall be restored to you; fuch as are neceffary for that purpose, it was our duty to deliver over to thofe, whofe office it is to collect the evidence, and manage the profecution against you. We are Your humble fervants, EGREMONT. DUNK HALIFAX. Directed to Mr. Wilkes. |