KE, I need not stand on so much Ceremony. For
tho' he is confessedly a great _Rhetorician_, and can with his magic Voice
raise a mighty Tempest of metaphorical Lightenings and Thunders;--yet,
Heaven be praised, there is the Period of all his Powers: And his _verba
ardentia_, his _flaming Words_, are found to end at last (like many other
Explosions) in Noise and Smoke. Nor doth it, I humbly apprehend, at all
follow, that the Orator is endowed with a greater Portion of political
Discernment than other Men, or with more disinterested Sincerity, and real
Love of his Country, in making a just and honest Application of that
Discernment;--merely because he has more Words at Command, and can muster
up a greater Army of bright Similes, and florid Expressions.

But be that as it may:--I now consider myself as standing at the Bar of
the public Tribunal: And therefore before the Jury is struck, and the
Trial begins, I humbly beg Leave to claim, and to exercise one of the
distinguishing Privileges of _Englishmen_ in such Cases, viz. To except
against all such Persons in the Pannel, who appear to be under a wrong
Biass, and an undue Influence respecting the Nature of this Dispute.

And 1st. I except against _Courtiers and Placemen_, considered _as such_.
This is not uttered out of a Spirit of Resentment, Pique, or
Disappointment, according to the Mode of modern Times. For, I thank God, I
have no Cause to complain of any Disappointment; having since my
Advancement to the Deanery of _Glocester_ in the Year 1758, neither
directly nor indirectly made the least, or the most distant Application
for any other or higher Station. This Renunciation of aspiring Views is a
Circumstance, which I am persuaded Mr. BURKE knew perfectly well, by
various Means, and from different Persons, especially from a noble Lord,
formerly high in Office, and a great _Favourite_ at Court, but now his
Coadjutor, and a flaming Patriot. And yet the Orator has been pleased to
characterize me by Name in his Speech of the 19th of _April_, 1774, with
out any Provocation, as one of those _Court-Vermin_ (such was his polite
Phrase) who would do any thing for the Sake of a Bishopric.--Moreover I do
not make this Exception against Courtiers from any bad Opinion I have
conceived of the present Set of Ministers; for I think it may be fairly
allowed, without paying them any Compliment, that they are to the full as
_able_, and as _honest_ as the best of those who are endeavouring