Leather-Market, LEAD EN-HAL L, Tuesday, August the 3d.

THE

HE price of Leather is confiderably fallen, which, as we apprehend, is owing to a difagreeable report, propagated without TempleBar, that LEATHER-SHOES Will foon be out of fashion, and that next winter it will be esteemed very unpolite to appear in any august, courtly, or genteel affembly, without either WOODENSHOES, OF WHISKERS.

No. 54. SATURDAY, August 14, 1756.

Righteous Lips are the delight of Kings: and they love him that Speaketh right.

SIR,

PROV. xvi, ver. 13.

To the MONITOR.

IT is the greatest advantage of a nation, ruled by a virtuous and wife King, that the subjects, while they keep within the limits of truth and decency, are not debarr'd from opening their hearts before the throne, and cannot fail of redress against the most artful oppreffive minifter,

when

when the cause of their just complaints shall be difcovered: wherever this has been denied, either royalty, or liberty has expired under the miferies of anarchy, or tyranny.

THE flattering tongue may artfully infinuate itself into the favour of the Prince, and by false lights draw him into measures and connections derogatory to the honour of his crown, and ruinous to both his family,, and to his subjects: but he must be very deficient in his capacity, either as a ruler, or a rational creature, fhould he continue deaf to the remonftrances of a peo's ple, who are the origin of his power, the fource of his riches, and the natural defence of his perfon, crown, and dignity; and, become like RICHARD the Second, who rifked the affections of his fubjects, and brought his dominions into contempt, by füpporting or conniving at the proceedings of Lord Chancellor Poole, Chief Juftice Treffilian, and the Duke of Ireland: a wicked miniftry! men raised from mean eftates by fpecial favour, and advanced to the degree of privy counsellors! men, who enticed with the baits of voluptuoufnefs, and infected with the infatiable itch of avarice, defpifed the fovereign, under whofe authority they acted; neglected the intereft of the nation; exhausted the public treasure; enflaved the people with levies and fubfidies, and expofed them to the contempt and to the arms of their ambitious and perfidious neighbours.

WHEN

WHEN these things were made manifeft, it was not the deep intrenchment of the privy council, nor those batteries, masked by the au thority of the captivated king, that could de fend them against the righteous lips of a perishing nation. The nobility feeing the miserable state of the kingdom, bleeding as it were to death, despised the overtures and fervices of the corrupt ministry; prevailed with Richard to refer the juftice of his fubjects complaints, to the judgment of parliament: which difmiffed the Chancellor from his office, imprisoned his person, and confifcated his large, eftates, accumulated by extortion and injuftice; or, at least, by an extention of the privileges of his office: and by the King's confent conftituted a com→ miffion of the ftates, with full power to order and dispose of the public affairs, in fuch manner as to them feemed moft conducive to retrieve the defperate condition of the commonwealth, deprefs civil diffentions, and to pacify and appease the murmurs of the people.

AND as I am convinced, in my own mind, that we never had a Prince on the throne, down to these times, willing to be accounted,, either lefs capable of diftinguishing between the fubtleties, or private intrigues of his minifters, and the interest of his crown and fubjects; or less inclined to give bad minifters up to the refent ment of an injured nation, when convicted of misconduct, or mal-practices, there can be no doubt of your advancement in the esteem of

his Majesty, if, in the prefent consternation, when all parties are crying out for justice against the authors of our misfortunes abroad, and our grievances at home, you'll continue to speak the thing that is right, till the voice of truth shall eccho about the throne.

*

Is not this the nation, whose King was crowned at Paris, and has always been the tertor of France, when her Kings have not been misled by ignorant, or corrupt councils? are not the very arms that to this day, adorn the Gallic diadem, and under which they beat their enemies, the gift of our Edward III? did not England without one ally; with only the strength of her councils, the steadiness of her fovereign, and the arms of her natives, defy the riches, armies, and politics of Spain, and both the Indies ? was not our Elizabeth dreaded and careffed by every state in Europe, though the maintained neither a standing army, nor entered into fubfidiary treaties? did not her minifters prefer the riches of the people to the fulness of the exchequer ? and even in thofe reigns, which have been branded with corruption in high places; it is remarkable, that the French gold was applied only to gain a party, in the British councils, for preventing quarrels between the two crowns; and not to tie our hands, or lull us to fleep, while they lop'd off our limbs.

The original arms of France, were Three Toads, which upon his Conquest of that kingdom, our Edward III, changed into three Fleur de Lis.

WAS

Was there ever a race of Britons fo paffive as to be filent under an administration, which had drained them of their riches; incumbered them with an immense debt; difgufted their allies; dif armed their fellow fubjects; hired and imported -á numerous army of foreign mercenaries; diftreffed their trade and navigation by preffing, by want of fhips in proper ftations, and of refolution to diftrefs the enemy; wafted the national treasure in buying feats in p—t, and in pensions to their own creatures, and left our inlands and fettlements in America, as well as the strong and important fortrefs of Mahon, deferted and expofed to the power of a hostile rival in trade?

WILL it not be right to enquire into the truth of these complaints? and into the danger of fuch proceedings? is not every British fubject at liberty? is it not his duty? is it not his intereft to speak what is right, when his king, his country, his property, freedom, laws, and religion are at ftake, and muft fuffer for want of timely admonition?

SHOULD a King ever be fo unhappily circumstanced as to be fhut up from his British subjects by FIVE or six artful men; who, after difcovering his particular affections, fhould endeavour to fecure the poffeffion of power in this nation, by yielding to every measure, which his natural foible dictates for the welfare and fecurity of a favourite country, while both men and money are wanting to defend British property. Let him be told; VOL. II.

THAT