do; which I did purely out of regard to their perfons; for I hoped it would keep them out of harm's way, and prevent them from falling into evil courfes; which, although of little confequence to the public, would certainly be fatal to themfelves. If I have room at the bottom of this paper, I will tranfcribe a petition to the prefent miniftry, fent me by one of these authors in behalf of himself and fourfcore of his brethren. For my own part, notwithstanding the little encouragement to be hoped for at this time from the men in power, I fhall continue my paper, till either the world or myself grow weary of it: the latter is eafily determined; and for the former, I shall not leave it to the partiality of either party, but to the infallible judgment of my printer. One principal end I defigned by it, was to undeceive those well-meaning people, who have been drawn unawares into a wrong fenfe of things either by the common prejudices of education and company, the great perfonal qualities of fome party-leaders, or the foul mifreprefentations that were conftantly made of all who durft differ from them in the smallest article. I have known fach men ftruck with the thoughts of fome late changes, which, as they pretend to think, were made without any reafon vifible to the world. In answer to this, it is not fufficient to alledge, what nobody doubts, that a good and wife prince may be allowed to change his minifters without giving a reason to his fubjects; because it is probable, that he will not make fuch a change without very important reasons ; and a good fubject ought to fuppofe, that in fuch a cafe there are fuch reafons, although he be not apprifed of them; otherwife he muft inwardly tax his prince of capriciousness, inconftancy, or ill defign. Such reafons indeed may not be obvious to perfons prejudiced, or at a great distance, or fhort thinkers; and therefore if they be no fecrets of state, nor any ill confequences to be apprehended from their publication, it is no uncommendable work in any private hand to lay them open for the fatisfaction of all men. And, if what I have already faid, or fhall hereafter fay, of this kind, be thought to reflect up. on perfons, although none have been named, I know not how it can poffibly be avoided. The Queen in her fpecch mentions mentions with great concern, that the navy and other "offices are burthened with heavy debts; and defires, "that the like may be prevented for the time to come." And, if it be now poffible to prevent the continuance of an evil, that hath been fo long growing upon us, and is arrived to fuch a height; furely thofe corruptions and mifmanagements must have been great, which first introdu ced them, before our taxes were eaten up by annuities. If I were able to rip up and difcover, in all their colours, only about eight or nine thousand of the most scandalous abufes that have been committed in all parts of public management for twenty years paft by a certain fet of men and their inftruments, I fhould reckon it fome service to my country and pofterity. But to fay the truth, I fhould be glad the authors names were conveyed to future times along with their actions. For although the prefent age may understand well enough the little hints we give, the parallels we draw, and the characters we describe; yet all this will be loft to the next. However, if these papers, reduced into a more durable form, fhould happen to live till our grandchildren be men, I hope they may have curiofity enough to confult annals and compare dates, in order to find out, what names were then intrufted with the conduct of affairs, in the confequences whereof themselves will fo deeply fhare; like a heavy debt in a private family, which often lies an incumberance upon an eftate for three generations. But leaving the care of informing pofterity to better pens, I fhall, with due regard to truth, difcretion, and the fafety of my perfon from the men of the new-fangled moderation, continue to take all proper opportunities of letting the milled part of the people fee, how grofsly they have been abused, and in what particulars. I fhall alfo endeavour to convince them, that the prefent course we are in is the most probable means, with the bleffing of God, to extricate ourselves out of all our difficulties. Among those who are pleased to write or talk against this paper, I have observed a strange manner of reafoning, which I fhould be glad to hear them explain themfelves upon. They make no ceremony of exclaiming upon all occafions against a change of miniftry in fo critical and and dangerous a conjuncture. What fhall we, who heartily approve and join in those proceedings, fay in defence of them? We own the juncture of affairs to be as they defcribe: we are pushed for an answer; and are forced at laft freely to confefs, that the corruptions and abuses in every branch of the administration were fo numerous and intolerable, that all things must have ended in ruin without fome fpeedy reformation. This I have already afferted in a former paper; and the replies I have read, or heard, have been in plain terms, to affirm the direct contrary; and not only to defend and celebrate the late perfons and proceedings, but to threaten me with law and vengeance for cafting reflections on so many great and honourable men, whose birth, virtue, and abilities, whofe morals and religion, whofe love of their country, and its conflitution in church and ftate, were fo univerfally allowed; and all this fet off with odious comparisons, reflecting on the prefent choice: is not this in plain and direct terms to tell all the world, that the Queen hath, in a moft dangerous crifis, turned out a whole fet of the best minifters, that ever ferved a prince, without any manner of reafon, but her royal pleasure, and brought in others of a character directly contrary? And how fo vile an opinion as this can confift with the leaft pretence to loyalty or good manners, let the world determine. I confefs myself fo little a refiner in politics, as not to be able to difcover what other motive, befides obedience to the Queen, a fenfe of public danger, and a true love of their country, joined with invincible courage, could fpirit up thofe great men, who have now under her Majefty's authority undertaken the direction of affairs. What can they expect, but the utmost efforts of malice, from a set of enraged domeftic adverfaries, perpetually watching over their conduct, crofling all their defigns, and ufing every art to foment divifions among them, in order to join with the weakeft, upon any rupture? The difficulties they must encounter are nine times more and greater than ever; and the profpects of intereft, after the reapings and gleanings of fo many years, nine times lefs. Every misfortune at home or abroad, although the neceffary confequence of former counfels, will be imputed to them; them; and all the good fuccefs given to the merit of former fchemes. A harper hath held your cards all the evening, played booty, and loft your money; and, when things are almoft defperate, you employ an honeft gentleman to retrieve your loffes. I would ask, whether the Queen's speech doth not contain her intentions in every particular relating to the public, that a good fubject, a Briton, and a Proteftant can poffibly have at heart?«To carry on the war in all its parts, particularly in Spain, with the utmoft vigour, in order "to procure a fafe and honourable peace for us and our "allies; to find some ways of paying the debts of the * navy; to fupport and encourage the church of Eng"land; to preferve the British conftitution according to "the union; to maintain the indulgence by law allowed "to fcrupulous confciences; and to employ none but fuch as are for the Proteftant fucceffion in the houfe of Ha"nover." It is known enough, that speeches on thefe occafions are ever digefted by the advice of thofe who are in the chief confidence; and confequently, that these are the fentiments of her Majefty's minifters, as well as her own; and we fee the two houses have unanimously agreed with her in every article. When the leaft counterpaces are made to any of these refolutions, it will then be time enough for our malecontents to bawl out Popery, perfecution, arbitrary power, and the pretender. In the mean while, it is a little hard to think, that this ifland can hold but fix men of honefty and ability enough to ferve their prince and country; or that our fafety fhould depend upon their credit, any more than it would upon the breath in their noftrils. Why should not a revolution in the miniftry be sometimes neceffary, as well as a revolution in the crown? It is to be prefumed, the former is at least as lawful in itself, and perhaps the experiment not quite fo dangerous. The revolution of the fun about the earth was formerly thought a neceffary expedient to folve appearances, although it left many difficulties unanswered; until philofophers contrived a better, which is that of the earth's revolution about the fun. This is found upon experience to fave much time and labour, to correct many irregular irregular motions, and is better fuited to the refpect due from a planet to a fixed ftar. No 19. Thursday, December 14. 1710. Sunt quibus in Jatira videar nimis acer, et ultra W Hen the printer came laft week for his copy, he brought along with him a bundle of thofe papers, which, in the phrafe of Whig coffeehouses, have fwinged off the Examiner; most of which I had never feen or heard of before. I remember fome time ago in one of the Tatlers to have read a letter, wherein feveral reafons are affigned for the prefent corruption and degeneracy of our tafte; but I think the writer hath omitted the principal one, which I take to be the prejudice of parties. Neither can I excufe either fide of this infirmity: I have heard the arrantest drivellers pro and con commended for their fhrewdness, even by men of tolerable judgment; and the best performances exploded as nonfenfe and ftupidity. This indeed may partly be imputed to policy and prudence; but it is chiefly owing to that blindness, which prejudice and paffions caft over the understanding: I mention this because I think it properly within my province in quality of Examiner. And, having granted more than is ufual for an enemy to do, I must now take leave to say, that fo weak a caufe, and fo ruined a faction, were never provided with pens more refembling their condition, or lefs fuited to their occafions. Non tali auxilio, nec defenforibus iftis, Tempus eget This is the more to be wondered at, when we consider, they have the full liberty of the prefs; that they have no other way left to recover themselves; and that they want not men of excellent parts to fet their arguments in VOL. II. 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