with his fall, convince me, that the proceedings of that Court-Martial ought to be officially repealed: it being a disgrace to the integrity and honour of this country for that sentence to remain on record, while it has been virtually disavowed by the late king in creating his lordship a peer of the realm. It is altogether different to a bill of attainder, which subjects the whole family to a confiscation of their estates. Honour is a more valuable treasure than gold, or even than life itself: Good name, in man and woman, dear my lord, Is the immediate jewel of their souls. Who steals my purse, steals trash; 'tis something, nothing: 'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands ; But he that filches from me my good name, Robs me of that which not enriches him, OTHELLO. At the accession of George the Third in 1760, Lord George appeared at Court. This was considered so great an indignity to the memory of the late king, and those ministers who had the management of the German war, that an enquiry was set on foot to ascertain who invited him. It was traced to Lord Bute, who was officially informed, that such an invitation was a great breach of decorum. The same was signified to Lord George, who was highly indignant at being thus made the dupe of Lord Bute and the ministry: he never went afterwards during that administration. This circumstance is mentioned in the sacred No. 45 of the North Briton, which was published a considerable time after the event took place*. Although couched in mysterious language, it is evident that the drift of the libel was aimed at Lord Bute for his duplicity. Lord George alludes to this number in his speech on the impeachment of Lord Mansfield. Junius, it appears, occasionally contributed to that popular publication, by his private letter to Mr. Woodfall, No. 34.-" If, for any reasons that do not occur to me, you should think it unadviseable to print it as it stands, I must intreat the favour of you to transmit it to Bingley, and satisfy him that it is a real Junius, worth a North Briton extraordinary." It is worthy of remark that the North Briton and Junius both appeared after Lord George's fall, and that the object of both was to satirize the King and the ministry, with much personal invective. At this period Lord George retired for a time to his paternal mansion at Knole in Kent, being evidently aware of the jealousy of government towards him, which is confirmed by the precaution he took in forwarding some * In 1763. U papers to his friend Colonel Cunninghame, through the medium of Sir Robert Wilmot. "DEAR SIR, "Knole, Sept. 30th, 1760. "I should be obliged by your sending the enclosed papers to Mr. Waite, to be delivered to Colonel Cunninghame. There is nothing contained in them but accounts relating to General Bragg's affairs: I have not even added a line to Cunninghame, that you might not have it upon your conscience the having conveyed through the channel of government any correspondence of "Your faithful Servant, "To Sir Robert Wilmot." "GEORGE SACKVILLE." From the year 1760 to 1765 there is an interregnum in his lordship's public life. Although Member of Parliament for Hythe, yet we find by the journals of the House that he took no active part in the discussions, there being but one speech recorded during this long period. On that occasion he observed, "he bled to see his country in such a calamitous situation," which evinced the keenness of his feelings and that he secretly watched the proceedings of government. In 1765 he was nominated a member of the Privy Council, and appointed one of the vicetreasurers of Ireland. This gave him an opportunity of knowing every minute circumstance connected with Irish affairs, all the movements of the ministry, all that was passing in the immediate circle of the court, as well as in the various departments of the law, the army, the navy, or foreign affairs. In 1769, by the will of Lady Betty Germain, he came into possession of personal property amounting to upwards of 20,000l., in addition to very valuable estates at Drayton in Northamptonshire, upon taking possession of which he dropped the name of Sackville, and took her ladyship's name. As Lady Betty Germain appears to have been no relation, it seems natural to enquire how Lord George should have claimed her notice, and why she remembered him in so liberal a manner, unless it were the circumstance of his being deprived of all his emoluments under government. Her ladyship was endowed with good abilities, which she had cultivated with advantage, and being on intimate terms with the family, was partial to Lord George, whose talents and conversation she much admired. It also appears from his lordship's own statement to Sir N. Wraxall, that there were prior motives : "Sir John Germain's extraction," said he, . "which was uncertain, and variously reported, has given rise to much discussion. His reputed father bore arms, as a private soldier, in the guards of William the Second, Prince of Orange: but his mother, who possessed great personal charms, fame asserted to have been that prince's mistress and her son was believed to stand in a very close degree of consanguinity to King William the Third. Other circumstances confirm this opinion. Sir John Germain inherited no paternal coat of arms; but he assumed, or rather used, as his seal and armorial bearing, a red cross; meaning thereby probably to imply, that his pretensions ascended higher than his ostensible birth. Even when, by the provisions of his widow, Lady Betty Germain's will, I inherited Drayton, on the condition of assuming the name of Germain, no mention was made of the arms, as is customary in almost all similar cases. King William, with whom Sir John came over here from Holland in 1688, unquestionably regarded him with distinguishing affection, and advanced him in life. He became a member of Parliament, received the honour of knighthood, and various pecuniary grants or donations to a considerable amount, were conferred on him by that Prince. "Sir John Germain, who possessed a very handsome person, was always a distinguished |