Let us proceed to the pretensions that have been offered on the part of lord George Sackville as the real JUNIUS. The evidence is somewhat indecisive even to the present hour. Sir William Draper divided his suspicions between this nobleman and Mr. Burke, and upon the personal and unequivocal denial of the latter, he transferred them entirely to the former: and that sir William was not the only person who suspected his Lordship even from the first, is evident from the Private Letter of JUNIUS, which asserts that Swinney had actually called upon lord Sackville and taxed him with being JUNIUS, to his face. This letter is, in fact, one of the most curious of the whole collection if written by lord George Sackville it settles the point at once; and, if not written by him, presupposes an acquaintance with his Lordship's family, his sentiments and his connexions, so intimate as to excite no small degree of astonishment. JUNIUS was informed of Swinney's having called upon lord George Sackville, very shortly after his call, and he knew that before this time he had never spoken to him in his life. It is certain then, that lord George Sackville was early and generally sus pected, that JUNIUS knew him to be suspected • Private Letter, No. 5. without asserting, as in the case of the author of "The Whig'," &c. that he was suspected wrongfully; and that this nobleman, if not JuNIUS himself, must have been in habits of close and intimate friendship with him. The talents of lord George Sackville were well known and admitted, and his political principles led him to the same side of the question that was so warmly espoused by JUNIUS. It is said, however, that on one occasion his Lordship privately observed to a friend of his, "I should be proud to be capable of writing as JUNIUS has done; but there are many passages in his letters I should be very sorry to have written"." Such a declaration, however, is too general to be in any way conclusive: even JUNIUS himself might, in a subsequent period, have regretted that he had written some of the passages that occur in his letters. In the case of his letter to Junia, we know he did from his own avowal. It is nevertheless peculiarly hostile to the opinion in favour of lord George Sackville, that JUNIUS should roundly have accused him of want of courage, as he has done in Vol. II. p. 491. And if we examine into his Lordship's style, and even into his own opinion of his own style, we shall meet with facts I Private Letter, No. 23. to the Supplemental Apology, p. 7. VÓL. I. L 2 See Chalmers's Appendix not much less hostile. Of his own composition he thus speaks in a letter published shortly after his return from Germany, drawn up in justification of his conduct at the battle of Minden :"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 ho hopes of establishing my character, but from the force of truth." And that his Lordship has not in this passage spoken with an undue degree of self-modesty, will, we think, be evident from the following copy of a letter addressed by himself, upon the preceding subject, to his friend colonel Fitzroy. Copy of lord G. Sackville's letter to col. Fitzroy. DEAR SIR, The orders of yesterday, you may believe, affect me very sensibly. His Serene Highness has been pleased to judge, condemn, and censure me, without hearing me, in the most cruel and unprecedented manner; as he never asked me a single question in explanation of any thing he might disapprove: and as he must have formed his opinion upon the report of others, it was still harder he would not give me an opportunity of first speaking to him upon the subject: but you know, even in more trifling matters, that hard blows are sometimes unexpectedly given. If any body has a right to say that I hesitated in obeying orders, it is you. I will relate what I know of that, and then appeal to you for the truth of it. When you brought me orders to advance with the British cavalry, I was near the vill age of Halen, I think it is called, I mean that place, which the Saxons burnt. I was there advanced by M. Malhorte's order, and no further, when you came to me. Ligonier followed almost instantly; he said, the whole cavalry was to advance. I was puzzled what to do, and begged the favour of you to carry me to the Duke, that I might ask an explanation of his orders:-But that no time might be lost, I sent Smith with orders to bring on the British cavalry, as they had a wood before they could advance, as you directed; and I reckoned, by the time I had seen his Serene Highness, I should find them forming beyond the wood.-This pro ceeding of mine might possibly be wrong; but I am sure the service could not suffer, as no delay was occasioned by it.-The Duke then ordered me to leave some squadrons upon the right, which I did, and to advance the rest to support the infantry. This I declare I did, as fast as I imagined it was right in cavalry to march in line. I once halted by lord Granby to compleat my forming the whole. Upon his advancing the left before the right I again sent to him to stop:-He said, as the Prince had ordered us to advance, he thought we should move forward. I then let him proceed at the rate he liked, and kept my right up with him as regularly as I could, 'till we got to the rear of the infantry and our batteries.We both halted together, and afterwards received no order, 'till that which was brought by col. Web and the duke of Richmond, to extend in one line to the morass.—It was accordingly executed; and then, instead of finding the enemy's cavalry to charge, as I expected, the battle was declared to be gained, and we were told to dismount our men. This, I protest, is all I know of the matter, and I was never so surprized, as when I heard the Prince was dissatisfied that the cavalry did not move sooner up to the infantry.—It is not my business to ask, what the disposition originally was, or to find fault with any thing.-All I insist upon is, that I obeyed the orders I received, as punctually as I was able; and if it was to do over again, I do not think I would have executed them ten minutes sooner than I did, now I know the ground, and what was ex. pected; but, indeed, we were above an hour too late, if it was the Duke's intention to have made the cavalry pass before our infantry and artillery, |