The Expedition of Humphry Clinker

THE EXPEDITION OF HUMPHRY CLINKER 205
forced open all the sluices of luxury and overflowed the land with
every species of profligacy and corruption; a total pravity of man-
ners would ensue, and this must be attended with bankruptcy and
ruin. He observed of the parliament, that the practice of buying
boroughs, and canvassing for votes, was an avowed system of
venality, already established on the ruins of principle, integrity,
faith, and good order, in consequence of which the elected and the
elector, and, in short, the whole body of the people, were equally
and universally contaminated and corrupted. He affirmed, that of
a parliament thus constituted, the crown would always have
influence enough to secure a great majority in its dependence,
from the great number of posts, places, and pensions it had to
bestow; that such a parliament would (as it had already done)
lengthen the term of its sitting and authority, whenever the prince
should think it for his interest to continue the representatives; for,
without doubt, they had the same right to protract their authority
ad infinitum, as they had to extend it from three to seven years.—
With a parliament, therefore, dependent upon the crown, devoted
to the prince, and supported by a standing army, garbled and
modelled for the purpose, any king of England may, and probably
some ambitious sovereign will, totally overthrow all the bulwarks
of the constitution; for it is not to be supposed that a prince of a
high spirit will tamely submit to be thwarted in all his measures,
abused and insulted by a populace of unbridled ferocity, when he
has it in his power to crush all opposition under his feet with the
concurrence of the legislature. He said, he should always consider
the liberty of the press as a national evil, while it enabled the vilest
reptile to soil the lustre of the most shining merit, and furnished the
most infamous incendiary with the means of disturbing the peace
and destroying the good order of the community. He owned, how-
ever, that, under due restrictions, it would be a valuable privilege;
but affirmed, that at present there was no law in England sufficient
to restrain it within proper bounds.
With respect to juries, he expressed himself to this effect:—
Juries are generally composed of illiterate plebeians, apt to be mis-
taken, easily misled, and open to sinister influence; for if either of
the parties to be tried, can gain over one of the twelve jurors, he
has secured the verdict in his favour; the juryman thus brought
over will, in despite of all evidence and conviction, generally hold
out till his fellows are fatigued, and harrassed, and starved into