ENQUIRY,

ETC.

CHAPTER I.

It was an accidental circumstance which induced me to enter into the present enquiry. One evening in company, the conversation turned on Voltaire's Siècle de Louis XIV. et XV., more particularly on those parts of the work, where that elegant historian so pathetically describes the hardships, sufferings, and obstacles of the Pretender. "Que les hommes privés," he observes, "qui se plaignent de leurs petites infortunes, jettent les yeux sur ce prince et ses ancêtres."-Comments were also made on the war in America and Germany, during the reign of George the Second. Finally, on Voltaire's candid confession that "La bataille que les François perdirent aupres de Minden en 1759, et les autres échecs qu'ils essuyerent, les firent retrograder."

The affair at Minden and its subsequent consequences convinced me that Lord George Sackville was the author of the Letters of Junius;

B

as it is an axiom in philosophy that effects are produced by antecedent causes. I noted down all the particulars I could collect, connected with this extraordinary event, and shall state them as briefly as possible, as the foundation on which our theory is established.

The Marquis of Granby, at the head of six regiments of British infantry, assisted by only two regiments of Hanoverian guards, undertook to charge the enemy's centre, composed of sixty squadrons of cavalry: and, to the honour of this little corps, they drove the enemy from the field, without any other assistance than what they received from the artillery of their own country. The whole of the allied army was under the command of Prince Ferdinand; the British forces under Lord George Sackville, whose instructions from his government were, to obey the orders of the prince, as commander-in-chief.

Either from the confused statements of two of Prince Ferdinand's aids-de-camp (the Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel Fitzroy, brother to the Duke of Grafton, and Lieutenant-Colonel Edward Ligonier), or from some misunderstanding between Lord George Sackville, the Marquis of Granby, and Prince Ferdinand, previous to the battle; the British cavalry, commanded by Lord George, was not brought into action. There were some expressions in the orders for rejoicing

after the victory, which were supposed to convey a very severe censure on Lord George,, for disobedience of orders. Prince Ferdinand, in an emphatical manner, desired that his orders, for the future, might be more particularly obeyed. He also observed, "I regret that the Marquis of Granby had not the command of the British cavalry. Had he commanded, I make no doubt the success of the day had been much more complete and brilliant."

This severe reflection, the high spirit of Lord George, who had been twenty-two years in the army, could not brook, and a violent quarrel ensued between the parties. His contempt for Prince Ferdinand, his jealousy of the Marquis of Granby's fame, his detestation of the Graftons, made so deep an impression upon him, that he left the continent and returned home, where he found his character already sullied, and himself stamped with opprobrium as a coward and a dishonour to his country. Conscious of his own innocence, he wrote a short address, requesting the public to suspend its judgement until he had an opportunity of defending himself.

"The various reports that have been propagated to my disadvantage, and the many falsehoods which have been asserted to ruin my character, lay me under the necessity of remaining not entirely silent; though I am debarred at

present from stating my case to the public, as I should have done, had I not had assurances of obtaining a court-martial for my trial, the only legal and effectual method of convincing the world how little foundation there has been for the torrent of calumny and abuse which has been so maliciously thrown out against me.

"I had rather, upon this occasion, submit myself to all the inconveniences that may arise from the want of style, than borrow assistance from the pen of others, as I can have no hopes of establishing my character, but from the force of truth. I shall, therefore, as plainly and as distinctly as possible, relate a few circumstances, which will at least shew that no one could be more desirous than I was to bring truth to light, and subject my conduct to the strictest scrutiny.

"The instant I found, by the implied censure given out in orders the 2d of August, that my conduct had appeared in an unfavourable light to Prince Ferdinand on the day of action, I endeavoured to inform myself in what particular I had either failed or neglected my duty. I heard, in general, of disobedience of orders; but I could fix no certain period of time to my supposed crime, till Colonel Fitzroy acquainted me with what had passed between his Serene Highness and himself, in regard to the orders delivered to me by Colonel Fitzroy that day.