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way so adapted to do good, that 1 cannot question but it will meetwith the approbation of the honest, the sensible, and the disin-terested of all sides. For my part, I beg leave to give it, with allpossible truth and good conscience, my most hearty concurrence.
“ I am, &c.
“ R. Watson.”
The Duke of Manchester published these two letters withoutmy privity; he ought certainly to have had my permission tohave done it, but the publication gave me no concern ; the letterscontained my real sentiments, and I had no fear of having mysentiments known. I had not the usual prudence, shall I call it,or selfish caution, of my profession at any time of life, — Ortus aquercu non a salice, I knew not how to bend my principles to thecircumstances of the times. I could not adopt that versatility ofsentiment which Lord Bacon , with his wonted sagacity, but withmore of worldly wisdom than of honour, recommends in hiseighth book De Augmentis Scientiarum , as necessary to a manoccupied in the fabrication of his own fortune: Ingenia, he says,gravia et solennia, et mutare nescia, plus plerumque habeant dignitatisquam felicitatis. Hoc vero vitiurn (I cannot esteem it a vitiuin) inaliquibus a natura penitus insitum est , qui suopte ingenio sunt viscosi,et nodosi, et ad versandum inepti.. Were this viscosity, this nodo-sity of temper somewhat more common amongst us, (especiallyamongst the members of both Houses of Parliament,) I cannotthink that either the public interest or private respectabilityof character would be lessened thereby. My Fast Sermon waseagerly bought up ; the city of London purchased a whole editionof one thousand copies, which they distributed gratis. The