WELL Mr. Flint, tho' I acknowledge that the late revenue acts, restrictions, regulations, and new constructed admiralty courts, are absurd in themselves, as well as hurtful to both the mother country and these colonies; and that they are now seen to be so by almost all the sensible part of the nation; yet, there is one thing that has always surprized us very much in England, and that is, we have been told that ye are as much divided among yourselves in sentiments about these affairs as we are in England; nay it has been represented to us by top hands, that the better sort of people in the colonies acquiesce in those measures, and that it is only a small Faction that oppose them.

I am sensible, sir, that it has been so represented, but in the course of your travels through this country, I doubt not but you will find it quite otherwise; you'll find that the late measures are dis­liked by all orders of people thro' the continent, a few individuals excepted, that have rewards in view for professing different sentiments; I say professing, for there is no man that can entertain real sentiments in favor of either the justice or policy of the late measures; but I won't enter upon the subject now; let us take a walk upon 'change.

With all my heart; this is your goal that was burnt down the other night, I suppose, and that your state house?

Yes, this, sir, is what we call our town house: Here our politicians, lawyers, merchants, and idle people walk an hour before dinner to settle the nation, while they are creating an appetite. Do you observe you group of people upon those steps at the north side of the 'change? those are the people that have assumed to themselves the name of preroga­tive men, while in fact every man has in view some reward for putting on that character; for you must know that the real disinterested prerogative men, are those who have been represented home as Sons of Liberty and licentiousness. And I must now tell you, however surprizing, that those now distinguished by the name of prerogative men, are altogether composed of these four sorts of people; high jacobites, men that have made all that they have by smuggling▪ officers of the R—e that have defrauded the Crown of all that they are worth;—and poor indigent [Page 5]creatures that are seeking little places or pensions from G—t: These are the sort of people that wholly compose that prerogative group, as they are ironically stiled in this place.

Ah! you surprize me very much: Pray who is that meager Tall-Man among 'em, that they seem so attentive to?

That Sir,—(under Verres) is their chief leader; he is now a provincial state officer, with a pension; was once an unsuccessful smuggler and merchant in this town; he is the idol of that group, and some few more in the country, but has lost the confidence and esteem of the people, which was once his glory; he has two passions that prevail with great strength; ambition and avarice, all others being to­tally absorbed; these are in great force indeed, and frequently interfere with each other, yet his most intimate friends cannot determine which most predo­minates, they are alternately uppermost, and having none of the common passions of life to disturb him, he remains a man of assiduity and application; in whatever he undertakes, he is thoro'ly accomplished in every art both to make a friend, or take off an ene­my, as he may have occasion, and is the master-piece of human nature for dissimulation and disguise.

I have heard of him in England—but in a very different character from that you give,— tho' lately his duplicity has been suspected by those he pays court to there; pray who is that grave, signi­ficant Spanish Phiz by the side of him?

That Sir, is a retailer of tea in this town; he has been all his life poor till within a few years,—his private life is good; and as he is supposed to have laid by two or three thousand pounds, he has a great inclination to the county bench, which his countenance is well suited for; yet for all that im­portant spanish gravity, discourse him for a whole year together, and you'll find that that appearance incloses nothing but lead; having the place I have mentioned in view, he is a down right prerogative man Sir, quite stanch indeed, and humbly devoted to the Tall-Man.

And who is that sharp faced, peevish looking man, that is talking to his gravity?

That, Sir, was once a partner to his gravity in trade, and having saved something pretty, he is now retired to a neighbouring village, and is a man that does not want sense so much as Philanthropy; he has made many unsuccessful pushes both for the senate and bench, he is, however, not discouraged, having secured the friendship and interest of Verres and the Tall-Man, by becoming high in prerogative, prophesying direful disasters that will happen to this town and country for mentioning the word Rights; he is at present only a brevet county bench man, and a kind of oracle with the young gentlemen of the village that are seeking preferment in — Philan­throp's path.

And who is that young old man, with a sword by his side.

That, Sir, is indeed a young, old man; he is a county state officer, tho' not yet em­powered to impannel the J—y: He is (next to Charles Froth) his Ex—y's favorite butterfly, and a very high prerogative man, Sir, with very slender ideas of either honor or sincerity.

An excellent character! and pray who is that pock broken, red-faced man in a surtout?

That, Sir, is a gentleman from C—; he held a place for some years in the R—e of about £. 200 a year, but it was generally thought that he made of it as many thousands, and is now retired into the country upon about six or eight thou­sand pounds; he lives genteelly; and having done with an office, he is a very high prerogative man, Sir, and maintains that all acts of p—t whatever, are binding upon the colonies, and that they are rebels that speak otherwise: His taking this character, and the court he pays the C—rs, he thinks may prevent an enquiry into his past conduct.

And very probably it may for the present—but who is that short pugg-faced man, that holds up his face and says nothing?

That, Sir, is a dealer in the iron-mongery way; he lived a batchelor many years, much respected, but having married into good blood, he was bid to be a man of mettle, and keep company with great folks, which Verres told him could not be with­out his appearing on the right side, (which should be pointed out to him) and then he would be some-body; [Page 8]upon which he became an high prerogative man, Sir, with good madeira at his table, but precious little sense or conversation to entertain his company with; he, however, possesses some good qualities, and by his old acquaintance, is yet, more pittied than despised.

Why? it looks like a queer little thing indeed; and who is that pale, sickly old man?

That, Sir, is one that had set his heart greatly upon an handsome income if the stamp act had gone through,—but that failing—bro't on a weakness of mind and body, which he has never yet recovered; you see that he looks upon the de­cline, yet his only comfort is that he shall get some­thing for being a prerogative man; he had once the esteem of the people, but that is now at an end; he has however some share of their pity as an unhappy lost man.

Ah! and he has my pity too, but mixed with a large share of contempt, if that is his character!—And pray who is that lopsided crooked figure, that looks so like Churchill's prophecy of famine.

That, Sir, is brother to the Tall-Man, he is of the quorum, and upon the county bench, is as sour in temper, as he looks in person, and is waiting with great impatience to succeed his brother in lucrative places, which, he is encouraged to hope for from Verres, and the Tall-Man, when the latter takes the helm.

Ay! then he certainly will be disap­pointed, for the Tall Man never will get to the helm, for this reason, that it is now well known in England he has sacrificed every consideration to obtain it: Pray who is that gentleman with a smiling countenance?

That Sir, is a gentleman from R-x-y, of a very good private character; he has retired upon a pretty fortune, and is well respected by his acquain­tance, who are sorry to see that—he is an high prero­gative man—in almost blind conformity to the sen­timents of the Tall Man.

And who is that truss down-looking man among them?

That, Sir, is a native of a neighbour­ing town; he served his time to a wealthy merchant, whose daughter he married, by whom he got an hand­some fortune for this country, which by an indolent life, and not much oeconomy, he is tho't to have some­what impaired; he is at present in the Senate, but by his past conduct has little reason to expect a continu­ance there, under the present constitution, which he is continually wishing may be destroyed, that he may have a chance for a mandamus. He has also a great inclination to a seat upon the county-bench. These considerations have made him the very Jackall of Verres and the Tall-Man; and—a down-right pre­rogative man, Sir—a staunch friend to government, without education, sense, or judgment to discern the first principle of it.

Then he is an able statesman indeed; and who is that other truss man that looks up with so much pomposity?

That, Sir, is a gentleman that bet­tered himself by marrying a worthy lady with seven or eight thousand pounds, which to do him justice, he is tho't to have preserv'd: His private life is not bad, but his ambition is unbounded: He has long had a wishful eye to the Senate, and by as long experience found himself without the esteem of the people: (and therefore little probability of being elected into the Senate) He is paying court to Verres in hopes of a mandamus, should the constitution be altered; and on that account, he is a very great prerogative man. Sir, and as truly pompose as he appears to you.

And pray who is that creature with a blue surtout, a bush wig, and the hat dropping to the left shoulder, that looks so like one of our northern saw-gelders?

That, Sir, is a Bretton, that made the best of his way out of Scotland very soon after a certain affair that took place in 1745. He lived ob­scure, and intimate with poverty for several years in one of our southern colonies, and is now here a hanger on, upon a worthy sister that advantageously married to a superanuated gentleman of fortune: He is now of the quorum, and one of Verres's private council, and nocturnal informers, ready, and waiting to receive any little favor that the Com—rs or his Ex—cy can procure him; for which he is (Culloden out of [Page 11]the question) a very staunch prerogative man Sir, bray­ing out passive obedience in the truebroadScotch accent.

Why you have a curious collection of them; and pray who is that parrot-toed, mean looking thing, like one of our Cumberland crabs?

Oh! that Sir, is a poor indolent creature—a retailer of—drugs and simple waters; but for taking upon himself the name only of a prerogative man, he is become a J—e of P—e of the last emission, upon the new reforming plan of Verres.

He must indeed be an excellent advo­cate for the crown, an able supporter of the cause: But who is that little bashful creature by the side of him?

That, Sir, is a — creature from New-London, once a professor of medicine, but now a r—e-officer; he is a true prerogative man, Sir, with the Pretenders sacred picture next to his skin; not doubting but that my Lord B—e will be able to bring about a revolution in a new way. 'Tis said his errand here, is to prepare for the Press, a full and clear an­swer to the FARMER'S letters.

Ah! he must be clever indeed, beyond his appearance to answer them: And pray who is that pale- [...]r'd faced-creature, bobbing about amongst them? I don't mean any of the Gentlemen; he with his button behind, that looks so like one of our candle-snuffers at the play-house.

Oh! that Sir is a curious creature indeed: He was bred a brazier in this town, and with­out any other education, somehow or other got into the good graces of a gentleman's daughter, a very good woman, with whom he had two or three thousand pounds. Upon this acquisition, he took to an indolent idle life, read romances, plays, news-papers and pam­phlets; and in his own insensate imagination became a man of letters, wrote a satyrical piece upon his neigh­bour Sir Charles Froth, and is now (through poverty) become the pimp and spy to that very man, fetches and carries news, throws anonymous letters into peo­ples yards, conveys—seditious papers to the officers of the army and navy (as from the people) or any other such kind of business, as Charles may have oc­casion to transact; for which, it is said, he is encoura­ged to hope for a Waiter's birth at Marblehead, Cape-Ann, or some of those kind of places; and on that account he is a very high prerogative man Sir, has re­futed many of Mr. Locke's best arguments in favor of civil liberty, and is himself truly obedient to all acts of parliament, except such as oblige a man to pay his debts.—These Sir, are the sort of people that as­sume the name of prerogative men.

Yes, they do the K—g great honor indeed; but there is one thing that strikes me, and that is, I observe there are many of these people that are aiming at, and seeking for, a seat on the bench: Pray is that a valuable thing that they are so desirous of it?

Why! no Sir, it is worth but little; [...] then its generally for life; and there is a kind of [Page 13]reverence and respect attending it, that is very taking to weak minds.

And are these—people really so lost to all the noble feelings of man, as to sacrifice their country and their consciences for such trifling conside­rations, when one could hardly think it possible that they would do it for any consideration whatever.

Why, so it is, and I'm sorry for it; but I won't entertain you any longer upon this subject; let us go to dinner, and if you please, I'll do myself the pleasure to wait on you to the assembly this even­ing, where you'll see our ladies and gentlemen (such of them as go there) but that's very few. There are officers enough; and above all, you'll see Verres and the Commissioners, striking figures indeed! Shylock is a master-piece from St. George's church Hanover-Square, a gentleman well accomplished under Field­ing, in the tip-staff way; the other, late a custom-house clerk, will speak for himself (in Parody if you please) and if you catch his countenance, (which is not very easy to do) you may read ignorance, stupidity and meanness upon the osfrontis. Ap- Morgan and Froth's pictures you may have already seen at large.

With all my heart, I will go with you to the assembly; but I must endeavour to disguise myself; for as I go to St. George's church when I am in London, possibly Shylock may have received con­tribution from me, and may discover who I am, which would destroy my plan. But who are those two gen­tlemen in black, passing through the Town-house?

They are two clergymen from the North, that have been well respected, one of them very much esteemed, but being blindly devoted to the Tall-man, they are, (in oppugnation to all sense and reason, as well as—to their former sentiments) become down right prerogative men Sir. to the loss of a great share of that esteem and respect they once had from the good people of this province.

Why! the few that this Tall-man has got hold of, seem to be implicitly de [...]ted to him.

Yes, I have told you he has every art of dissimulation and hypocrisy; but when these few find him out (as they certainly will) he then will be as much despised by them, as he now is by the rest of the people, to whom he is more obnoxious than even Verres himself.

Sir your humble servant, I've got enough of it. I hope these people will soon appear in their true colours, and that the M—y may see the truth, that their late measures produce great cry, but little wool.

That I think they certainly must. But what think you of Verres? Don't you think he has made vast progress, upon such false ground, con­sidering that the whole is supported altogether by art­ful misrepresentation and disguise.

Why yes, I think him quite a finished character, and those two lines may with great truth and justice be applied to him,