May it therefore please your worships to discharge the said James Fraser from any farther attendance on the said Dame Public, and to order him to return to the care and inspection of your petitioners and their families. The following is entitled, "True letter to Colonel Abercromby, to be first read." "DEAR COLONEL,--Endeavour to make Fraser believe I am in earnest. If the thing takes, you may easily find somebody to personate Mr. Cockburn; and you may swear to the truth of the whole. To make it more probable, you may say that you suspect too much study has made me crazy; otherwise I had never thought of so foolish a thing. "If there be any probability of succeeding, an advertisement, like that which is on the following page, may be put into any of the public papers--that is, if you think _que le jeu vaut la chandelle_. "My compliments to Mrs. Abercromby. I hope some day to regain her good opinion. It shall be the great object of my ambition. "Tell the Doctor I shall answer him sooner than he did me. He will assist you very well in any cheat or roguery: but do not attempt it, unless you think you can all be masters of your countenance. This is a note, not a letter. Yours sincerely. "P.S. Read Fraser the letter, but do not put it into his hands; he will tear it. Show him first my other letter to you." * * * * * "ADVERTISEMENT.--Speedily will be published, price 1s. A letter to a certain turbulent Patriot in Westminster, from a friend in the country. ----_Et_ spargere voces In vulgum ambiguas, et quærere conscius arma.--_Virgil._" The following is the letter which, in pursuance of the arrangements for completing this complicated joke, Colonel Abercromby was to read to Fraser. Its tone of mock heroic will at once be detected, and indeed, when the spilling of the last drop of blood, "or of ink," is with so much simplicity made an alternative, it may be presumed that James Fraser was a very obtuse being, if he believed these protestations to be serious. "DEAR SIR,--This will be delivered you by Mr. William Cockburn, a friend of mine, who travels to London for the first time. I have taken the opportunity to send up by him a manuscript, which I intend to have printed. I have ordered him first to read it to you; but not to trust it out of his hands. You can scarce be surprised that I treat Mr. Fraser so roughly in it. No man, who loves his country, can be a friend to that gentleman, considering his late as well as former behaviour. For if I be rightly informed, his conduct shows no more the spirit of submission and tranquillity than that of prudence and discretion; and if he goes on at this rate, you yourself will be obliged to renounce all connexion and friendship with him.