Page:Defence of Shelburne.djvu/47

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[41]

for the reception of General Conway, when the General, in his turn, should be a fugitive from Paradise, unless indeed he wish to languish between the elements, like a fallen angel in Pandemonium.

How far the noble Lord has got a principle from his foes, hear the assertions of Mr. Fox, uncontradicted by two of his colleagues, at that moment present[1]: 'there are things that operate upon a man's belief, which are not demonstrable. I cannot absolutely prove to this house, what I am in my own mind convinced of—that the Earl of Shelburne has views inimical to this country; but this I will say, that if the late secretary of war had sat in the King's council, he could not more assiduously have inculcated that system of unconstitutional principles which we have been so many years endeavouring to overthrow.' Doubts are best decided by analogy, and the people of England will not be extremely puzzled for Mr. Fox's meaning, when he assimilates the Earl of Shelburne with Mr. Charles Jenkinson.

Sir, if I could be persuaded that this imputation of Mr. Fox affected the Earl of Shelburne, I might argue like a lawyer, and say,

  1. On the 9th of July in the House of Commons.
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that