A North Briton Extraordinary Author:Tobias George Smollett Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: conventions ever entered into by two independent ftates ; and by reviving thofe jealoufies and ani-' mofities, which, unhappily both for England and Scotland, ha... more »d formerly fubfifted between them, to deftroy that unanimity which alone has raifed us to fuch an envied pitch of glory and power, and to provoke us to commence a civil war, which muft unavoidably have proved more bloody in its progrefs, and more deftructive in its event, than the fatal contention of the red and white rofes. And for what mighty purpofe was this deteftable attempt made? Why, truly, no other than that of difgracing one minifter of Scots extraction, whom they regarded as a dangerous rival in the royal favour. Although this minifter had been educated, and had fpent his whole life in England; although his whole fortune, except a very fmall part of it, was fituated in England; and although all his immediate and moft endearing connections were with Englifh families of the firft diftinclion, whence, by every tie, whether moral or political, he was, fuppofing the interefts of England and Scotland different, infinitely more concerned in the welfare of the former than of the latter ; yet thofe worthy patriots, equally regardlefs of the dictates ofof truth as of the happinefs of their country, rc- folved to overlook all thofe other circumftances, and to avail themfelves of that of his being born of Scots parents to render him odious to the En- glifh mob. Afhamed, however, openly to appear in fo unworthy a caufe, they pitched on a man deftitute of every fentiment of religion and honour, of obfcure birth, defperate fortune, turbulent difpofition, and who was exafperated a- gainft the Scot on account of fome perfonal indignity received from him, to be the tool of their private vengeance. Glad of fo favourabl...« less