Mr Burke's speech not taken down.

& as for his exploits I am sure many Romans could do more. Rashness and Madness are his greatest boast, a great hero truly, I wish heartily we may have no more such heroes-he has been fortunateYes, but he has abused his Fortune and the favour of the Gods in insulting their favourite City-Now's the time you should exert yourselves against the Tyranny of the patricians in Banishing this Asserter of their power, and had he no other fault his being a Patrician is reason enough for his Banishment, & little enough it is for him whose crime deserved death. Nor let him intimidate yu by saying he will join the Enemy. Small will be his power unassisted by the force of Rome, and let me say that this little arm of mine shall solely oppose that gigantick Bulk nor doubt a victory-nor fear yr fame wth your neighbours, they will doubtless know that he must be a bad man whom so just a City as Rome would Banish finally. Roms as ya have lately banishd Tarquin now banish him. Tarquin was not half so bad. He had Lawful authority wch this our new Tyrant cannot boast—

Mr Burke made a speech in answer to that, but it was not taken down.

Burke Vice prest.

Mr President being absent Mr Burke takes the Chair, by Law II punishes neglect & punishes Mr Buck for not bringing in his paper on Charity & his Oration p'fect, but makes the punishmt light in consideration of his great Business.

of papers.

Buck

appro

Mr Buck speaks Satans speech from Milton for wch he has approbation bation as having spoke it better than any hitherto-Hamilton speaks his old speech from Do he did not vary his voice or exert it.—Mr President Dennis comes in.

Dennis comes.

Mr Buck receives thanks for his great diligence in the office of Buck. Common Secretary-he is order'd to Common place on ye 10. V. of ye 23rd place Chapter of Numbers1-says.

that nothing more natural to man than to endeavour to avoid evil. 'tis this wch makes the end of a Bad man appear so dreadfull to him nothing but sad & melancholly prospects lie before him so that in that dreadful state of mind making a comparison between himself & a good man & bitterly afflicted wth the stings of conscience he cries out wth the prophet in the test “O may I die the death of the righteous

1 Numbers, chap. 23, verse 10. "Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his."

Election of
Censor.

sions.

& may my end be like his," but his wish is in vain whilst he continues in that state, for if a short flash of repentance could make amends for an ill spent life nothing could be a greater encouragement to vice, so that it is necessary to our Salvation, & to die the death of the righteous, that we firmly devote ourselves to our Creator both wth the strength of our Souls & Bodies for even so we shall be but unprofitable sevts, & our best actions will not be merit but a plea for mercy. But dreadfull as the appearance the King of Terror will make to a bad man, will be, so comfortable shall he appear to good, his hopes are all well grounded, firm in ye promises of God to those who do their best. Old age makes even the indifferent actions of past life agreeable. What transport then must the good feel when sunk in the vale of years on the reflection of a well spent life, & what contributes still more to his comfort is that he considers this Life only as a trial not a reward & quits it like a man retiring from his Labour to rest; & leaves (as the setting Sun does a light in the Heavens) a good name behind him. Of What value even this is we may see by observing that the wretch who fears not God trembles for his reputation so that the Example of the good man's life & the Happiness of his Death will justly make all men cry out wth Balaam "O may my end be like his "-he has the approbation.

The next Lustrum approaching the Candidates were order'd to give in their pretentions. 1st M Buck offers himself & says-that Buck's preten- his ill success in the last Election does not hinder him from offering himself as a Candidate for an office so honourable & so aweful to the Society, & in this he will try whether the repeated thanks & approbations he has received were but large complemts—that tho' he has had some marks of their displeasure also, yet he is persuaded that the Society is sensible that his faults proceeded not from disaffection but inability, & that the thanks he so often received will wipe off all the Light stains he has suffered, and he hopes that the p'formance barely of the ordinary duties will not be put in competition wth the noble struggles of a man who does more than his duty, & if he has been absent he does not think absence the greatest of Crimes, much less to be sufficient to detract from his great merit. Finally he begs them to consider that he labours wth a great many difficulties to serve the Society & to make that an aggravation of his merits & an extenuation of his faults. He would say more but lest it should be thought vanity, he but invalidates the objections might be made agst him.

Burke's speech.

Burke says

Since Mr Buck through an excess of Modesty has omitted to say anything in his own favour & by that means concealed his merits from ye give me leave to advise ye a little in this affair & shew ye what ye must expect in the man ye raise to the Censorship, what actions make him worthy of it, & what faults disqualifie him from bearing high office. What ye are to expect from your Censor is a

Dennis's speech.

The votes.

strict & careful examination of the conduct of each Member, to punish those who have shewn their disaffection more thro' neglect than want of genius, & reward those who by a constant observance of their duty, labour'd for its good-the office shews plainly the qualifications necessary wch requires rather a man of uniform temper & an exact p'former of his Duty, than a man of wit who will not be so constant, that they must determine this by the Books where by observing the conduct of each member they should regard a strict p'formance of Duty more than Acts of superorogation & much more than small witty pieces wch some people think will make amends for their neglect, but wch rather proceed from a desire of pleasing themselves than a Love of ye Society-and that a Uniform good behaviour must be prefer'd before a mixture of many faults & a few endeavours to make amends for them, & on this foot he offers himself to their

votes

Mr Dennis offers himself as a Candidate & says that—in canvassing for this office he lies under a great difficulty, it being equally displeasing to himself & Company either to praise or decry his own actions, but since he must either do so or give up his chance for this great honour, he prays them to consider that they had thought him worthy of that office before, & he hoped that he filled it to their satisfaction & he hopes that tho' he has so often during this Lustrum & the last filled the Chair, his being so greatly honoured will not disqualifie him for this, but rather plead in his favour since they must have thought he had some merit to have deserved such honour, & to consider whether he had in all that time done anything unworthy of them. 'tis true it has been objected to him that he affronted the President, but sure he that had sat so often in the Chair without debasing it would hardly do it when out of office.

Then it was put to ye vote & on examining the papers Mr Buck Burke chosen. had one voice & Mr Burke three-he was accordingly chosen Censor & promises to do his best for the reformation of all abuses, & his conduct entirely depending on his Honour, for wch he was accountable this will be a spur to him to do his utmost for the good of the Society

This Committee was appointed for two reasons-to try Mr Ardesoif on an Accusation given in against him by Mr Burke & to examine into a Law wch he had proposed, for ascertaining the bounds of the Prests power.

Ardesoif absent.

Ardesoif being absent Burke was order'd to propose his Law wch Burke's Law. wth the preamble & some amendmts made by ye Society is this—

Preamble.

The power of the Presdt being in many respects undetirmin’d is the scourse of numberless debates & very great confusion in the Cause of ye law. Society, the Members pleading their privilege & the president his prerogative & because the Laws have not been very clear in relation to either, the President generally carries his point, & in debates detirmines by his own authority solely wch prerogative the Laws do not seem to give him as they mention the Loss of vote as a great fund! Law wants punishment. But as things stand now it is scarce any at all, which explication. shews plainly that the fundamental Law wants explication to show exactly how far the power of the President extends, & where it is limited by the privilege of the Members, wch this Law shall detirmine. Law XII. POWER OF 1o.

Debate conc'ring Ardesoif excus'd

THE

PRESIDENT

2°

3°

4°

The Censure is always to be consider'd as an Act of the Society & consequently shall not be given by the Prest unauthorized by a Majority of voices, be ye crime how great so ever, yet he shall of his own authority punish all crimes below a Censure

He shall not on trials, of himself pronounce the accused guilty.

All disputes on the ordinary nights (excepting those concerning slight breaches of manners) and all thanks are to be detirmin'd by a plurality of votes, not his Authority.

That on Trials when the Members have found the Accused guilty it shall lie in the Prest what more punishmt than Censure he shall inflict.

This Law pas't unanimously-Mr Ardesoif not coming it was debated whether he should not be sentenced according to Law 7, but it being found that Mr Burke had not given him the notice reBurke fin'd quir'd by Law 4th, he was excus'd for the present, & Mr Burke Order'd to accuse fined for not giving him proper notice—it was order'd that Mr Burke him again. do accuse him again & give him proper notice

Censor's speech.

Mr Burke having taken the Chair with the usual solemnity, reads the Law which appointed the Lustrum and Censor, says as that was his authority it should likewise be his standard that they should not repent of the trust they repos'd in him and tho' there was no law in ye Assembly whereby he was accountable for his actions, yet there was a law within his Breast & that is his Conscience which would hinder him from acting contrary to Justice and the Honour he ow'd the Society.