The Tories were the first who introduced the system and the last who clung to it; but it attained its greatest vigour in the time of Whig ascendency.

The extent to which parliamentary support was bartered for money cannot be with any precision ascertained.

But it seems probable that the number of hirelings was greatly exaggerated by vulgar report, and was never large, though often sufficient to turn the scale on important divisions.

An unprincipled minister eagerly accepted the services of these mercenaries.

An honest minister reluctantly submitted, for the sake of the commonwealth, to what he considered as a shameful and odious extortion.