land, by whose means the same was established, commonly called the Convention Parliament; and the laws and statutes of this realm limiting and establishing the succession to the crown of this king-. dom, and the statute declaring the rights and liberties of the subject, commonly called the Bill of Rights, and the happy constitution and government of this kingdom, as by law established, and to bring the constitution, legislation, and government of this kingdom into hatred and contempt with His Majesty's subjects; and to stir up and excite discontents and seditions among His Majesty's subjects; and to fulfil, perfect, and bring to effect his said wicked, malicious, and seditious intentions, on the said sixteenth day of February, in the thirty-second year aforesaid, at London aforesaid, in the parish and ward aforesaid, he the said Thomas Paine, wickedly, maliciously, and seditiously did write and publish, and cause and procure to be written and published, a certain other false, scandalous, malicious, and seditious libel, in which, amongst other things, are contained certain false, scandalous, malicious, and seditious matters, of and concerning the character of the said late Sovereign Lord King William the Third and the said Revolution and the said Parliament, and the laws and statutes of this realm, and the happy constitution and government thereof, as by law established, according to the tenour and effect following; (that is to say,) "The history of the Edwards and Henries" (meaning Edwards and Henries, heretofore Kings of England)," and

up to the commencement of the Stuarts" (meaning Stuarts, heretofore Kings of England), " exhibits "as many instances of tyranny as could be acted "within the limits to which the nation" (meaning England) "had restricted it. The Stuarts" (meaning Stuarts, heretofore Kings of England) "endea"voured to pass those limits, and their fate is well "known. In all those instances we see nothing of a "constitution, but only of restrictions on assumed "power. After this another William” (meaning the said late King William the Third)" descended " from the same stock, and claiming from the same "origin, gained possession" (meaning possession of the crown of England); "and of the two evils, "James and William" (meaning James the Second, heretofore King of England, and the said King William the Third), "the nation" (meaning Eng land) "preferred what it thought the least, since

from circumstances they must take one. The "act called the Bill of Rights" (meaning the said statute, declaring the rights and liberties of the subject, commonly called the Bill of Rights)" comes "here into view. What is it" (meaning the said last-mentioned statute)" but a bargain which the

parts of the government made with each other to di"vide powers, profits, and privileges ?" (meaning that the said last-mentioned statute was a bargain which the parts of government in England made with each other to divide powers, profits, and privileges.) " You *shall have so much, and I will have the rest. And s with respect to the nation" (meaning England)

"it said, For your share you shall have the right of petitioning. This being the case, the Bill of Rights" (meaning the said last-mentioned statute) "is more properly a Bill of Wrongs and of insult. "As to what is called the Convention Parliament" (meaning the aforesaid Parliament of England, commonly called the Convention Parliament), "it" (meaning the aforesaid Parliament of England, commonly called the Convention Parliament)" was a thing that made itself, and then made the authority

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by which it acted. A few persons got together, "and called themselves by that name. Several of "them had never been elected, and none of them for "the purpose. From the time of William" (meaning the said King William the Third), "a species of government" (meaning the government of England) arose issuing out of this coalition Bill of "Rights" (meaning the said statute, declaring the rights and liberties of the subject); " and more so "since the corruption introduced at the Hanover suc"cession" (meaning the succession of the heirs of the Princess Sophia, Electress and Duchess Dowager of Hanover, to the crown and dignity of this kingdom), " by the agency of Walpole, that" (meaning the said species of government)" can be described "by no other name than a despotic legislation. "Though the parts may embarrass each other, the "whole has no bounds; and the only right it ae"knowledges out of itself, is the right of petitioning. "Where then is the constitution either that gives or

"that restrains power? It is not because a part of "the government" (meaning the government of this kingdom) "is elective, that makes it less a despotism. "If the persons so elected possess afterwards, as a "Parliament, unlimited powers, election, in this

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case, becomes separated from representation, and "the candidates are candidates for despotism." In contempt of our said Lord the King and his laws, to the evil example of all others in the like case offending, and against the peace of our said Lord the King, his crown and dignity. And the said Attorney General of our said Lord the King, for our said Lord the King, further gives the Court here to understand and be informed, that the said Thomas Paine, being a wicked, seditious, and ill-disposed person, and wickedly, seditiously, and maliciously intending to scandalize, traduce, and vilify the character of the said late Sovereign Lord King William the Third, and the said late happy Revolution, and the Parliament of England, by whose means the same was established, commonly called the Convention Parliament; and the laws and statutes of this realm, limiting and establishing the succession to the Crown of this kingdom; and the statute declaring the rights and liberties of the subject, commonly called the Bill of Rights; and the happy constitution and government of this kingdom as by law established; and to bring the constitution, legislation, and government of this kingdom into hatred and contempt with His Majesty's subjects; and to stir up and ex

cite discontents and seditions among His Majesty's subjects; and to fulfil, perfect, and bring to effect his said wicked, malicious, and seditious intentions, on the said sixteenth day of February, in the thirty-second year aforesaid, at London aforesaid, in the parish and ward aforesaid, he, the said Thomas Paine, wickedly, maliciously, and seditiously, did print and publish, and cause and procure to be printed and published, a certain other false, scandalous, malicious, and seditious libel, in which, amongst other things, are contained certain false, scandalous, malicious, and seditious matters, of and concerning the character of the said late Sovereign Lord King William the Third, and the said Revolution, and the said Parliament, and the laws and statutes of this realm, and the happy constitution and government thereof, as by law established, according to the tenour and effect following; (that is to say,) "The history "of the Edwards and the Henries" (meaning Edwards and Henries, heretofore Kings of England), "and up to the commencement of the Stuarts" (meaning Stuarts, heretofore Kings of England), "exhi"bits as many instances of tyranny as could be acted "within the limits to which the nation" (meaning England) "had restricted it. The Stuarts" (meaning Stuarts, heretofore Kings of England) "endeavoured "to pass those limits, and their fate is well known. "In all those instances we see nothing of a constitu❝tion, but only of restrictions on assumed power. After "this another William" (meaning the said late King