On , William Mason wrote to Horace Walpole to promote a possible
tax resistance campaign:  Were I to apologize for my long
silence by saying that I waited till I could congratulate you on
the going out of that Ministry which you said could not possibly
hold its ground after its very first defeat and twitted me not a
little, because I held the matter possible, I should think I
made a justifiable excuse. Yet as you say you have not been
deceived by the return of the Tories to their vomit (’tis a
Scripture phrase). I fear you would not admit such apology. Take
then the true one, I am sick of writing about politics. The
Whigs love wallowing in their mire (’tis another Scripture
phrase) full as well as the Tories, there then I leave them, and
sit myself down in patient expectation of the Millenium of
Despotism, for nothing now can save us but what the people will
never have the spirit to resolve upon, I don’t mean a civil war,
but a civil and pacific resolution not to pay any taxes; for
instance, an excise-man com