article, how wrong all things were managed under the late miniftry; how right they are now, and according to the conftitution. Such a history would be the best means, not only to expofe the principal actors; but the weekly hirelings who toil in their defence; who are so notoriously disingenuous, so distant from matter of fact, fo fhort of that fpirit and entertainment which too often mingle with fuch pens as dip only in falfities; that, if I were to rake into their particular abfurdities, (an attempt which they are fecured from by their exceffive dulnefs), Ifhould have reafon to look upon my fufferings as little fhort of the merit of that Roman, who, by leaping into a bottomlefs gulf, facrificed his life to preserve his country.

I have been often wondering how it comes to pafs, that the late men in power should be fo ill provided with writers; confidering at what full leifure the heads and leaders of them are, and I hope will ever be; they might certainly have made a wifer and more judicious collection. If, as fome imagine, their own hands have dipt in ink, and that they themselves have a share in dreffing up the Medley and Obfervator; it is a plain difcovery, that their fpeculations are as mean and low as their practices: for how can we conceive that the politeness and found judgment of one, fhould ever defcend to Billingsgate, pedantry, and nonfenfe? Or that a fecond, who oweth his reputation of wit to his neighbours, fhould every day make his court officiously to a certain great minister, and yet once a-week fo clumfily abuse him in his writings? When I confider the factious fpirit (if any fpirit they have) of thefe papers, I can hardly look for the author of them in one, who, by what means foever better convinced, had once fo much of that fort of loyalty as to profefs himself a Nonjuror.

With humble fubmiffion to worfe judgments, I muft determine that the author of the Medley is a dunce out of his element; pretending to intermeddle with raillery and irony, wherein he hath no manner of taste or understanding: his topic of raillery may be all reduced under those two words, QUOтH HE; which he feldom faileth, in any one of his papers, to be arch with. His irony confifteth of the words, MY FRIEND, although fometimes relieved with an epithet. Doth he think that when he faith my impious

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impious friend, my stupid friend, and the like; faith it in every paper, and often a dozen times in one; that this is either wit, humour, or fatire? If I were impious or ftupid, I fhould really hope to be his friend, and think he fpoke in earnest. Irony is not a work for such groveling pens, but extreme difficult, even to the beft; it is one of the most beautiful strokes of rhetoric, and which asketh a mafter-hand to carry on and finish with fuccefs: but when a bungler attempteth beyond his fkill; what was at first misshapen, with awkward polishing becometh entirely deformed as the false beauty of paint upon a lady's face is lefs defireable than no beauty at all; and the pertness of a fhallow fop, more difagreeable than his filence.

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I should not have defcended so much below the dignity of this paper, as to regard the courfe of thefe muddy writers, did not the heads of the late faction ftill endeavour to corrupt the minds of weak people, who are at a diftance from the metropolis, by their diligence and liberality in circulating thefe weekly poifons gratis, Great numbers are conftantly fent into the country, to prepoffefs the reader against the Examiner; for no other reafon, but because they would still mislead and prevent their being fet right in facts, that they might not fee how well the people did to affift the church and Queen: to this end they have been forced to make use of grofs falfities, without the least appearance of truth: but, however, those more modeft of their party here, may blush and wonder at the affurance of their friends; it ferves their design in the country, where truth arrives late; and fince the mercy of the government, or rather a juft contempt, ftill fuffers thefe writers to continue these efforts, it is not doubted there, but what they deliver is, at least, free from notorious falfehood. But thofe clouds of ignorance will certainly fly before that light, which now fhines throughout the nation from the reprefentation offered to her Majesty, by the best house of Commons that ever fat; who come the nearest to our happy conftitution, both in the freedom of their elections, and that true English fpirit, which have unanimously carried the majority of them through, to the end of this memorable feffions. In which reprefentation the people may be convinced, that five parts in fix of what

the

the Examiners have charged on the late miniftry and faction are true: which is so glorious, fo unanswerable a justification of thefe papers, that any longer to declaim against them, will be as vain and infignificant, as it hath always been a ridiculous endeavour..

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N° 46. Thursday, June 21. 1711

Pauca tamen fuberunt prifca veftigia fraudis.

Hope my countrymen will believe, that I have a very good occafion to congratulate with them upon the Queen's fpeech: all the honeft part must be of opinion, that nothing ever proceeded from the throne more glorious for our reprefentatives in parliament; or more gra-cious and fatisfactory to the nation. Could there, amidst that awful affembly, be any heart untouched at the voice of fuch a Queen? Recollecting her piety, the uprightness: of her life, her unwearied prayers and endeavours for the profperity of her people; from whofe interefts hers were never divided..

Her Majefty filled every loyal breaft with joy, when, with her graceful air, and elegant manner of delivery, she told her parliament, The pleasure fhe took to fee the performance of thofe promifes they had made her at the beginning of the fessions; their complying with her defire to propagate the fervice of God, in the building fo many newchurches: enabling her to carry on the war; making effectual provifion for paying thofe debts, which were almoft grown an infupportable burthen on the public; when. our enemies every where flattered themselves, that fup-plies for the fervice of the current year could not have: been found.

Could any thing be more grateful to true British spirits, who had done their utmoft towards retrieving our disorders, than to be applauded for difappointing the enemies of the nation, in all refpects! Not only by their raifing greaterfums than ever were granted to any prince, in one feffion;

but for reftoring public credit, a bleffing fo invaluable, and fo much defpaired of by our enemies, that they concluded it impoffible for the miniftry and parliament to extricate us out of thofe amazing difficulties, whereinto we had been plunged. And truly, if we impartially confider the measures upon which the late men in power proceeded, we fhall find it extremely difficult to give any fatisfactory account to reafon or policy, for their notorious depeculations, (if my friend the Medley will give me leave to make use of that word); unlefs, like fome momentary conquerors, they resolved to waste that empire they could not keep.

I am very well affured, that the former ministry, after a long run of ill husbandry, were often at their wits-end (until things grew riper for that change they had projected) how to prevent, from breaking all at once upon the public, that report which they knew would ruin their de figns. The whole government fubfifted upon prefent credit, although vaft fums were annually given to fupport the war; which were so far from being applied this way, that every year we were plunged more and more in debt. It is true, the parliament voted fubfidies, and the willing people chearfully paid them, in hopes, by an honourable peace, they fhould quickly fee the end of their miferies and taxes: yet the arrear to the navy, and other charges, ran on; the ministry put a good face upon a decaying conftitution; they employed all their arts to conceal the real diftrefs we were in; they procured that money should be lent at five per cent. whilst the unhappy creditors were forced to give from 20 to 40 per cent. discount, for every farthing they received upon the bills affigned them. by the government. This they very well knew was fuch ill management as could not be long concealed: they had feparately and prodigioufly enriched themfelves, to preferve their wealth and authority; but now they must invade the conflitution. As to their own poffeffions, an act of indemnity had fecured them: and for the rest, they had little more to risk, than whether they fhould remain opulent fubjects, although without any fhare in the power; or become mafters without limitation.

Avarice is ever infatiable! How then muft it destroy,

when

when it has the wealth of a nation to feed on? The miseries of the people, the tears and groans of poor feamen and their families, were not regarded by thefe devourers; univerfal frauds and abufes not only winked at, but encouraged; trade not dying, but dead. It is true, public credit was ftill alive, but fubfifted only upon ftrong cordials; in utter ignorance of her approaching diffolution. Yet no one step was made by these state-physicians, towards preventing her apparent decease; much less did they take any thought about curing the malady they had occa fioned; they were not fo void of reafon as to be ignorant of the condition they had reduced us to; they did know it, and flood provided of a remedy to fecure themselves, (which a little time would perfect to their wish), and which all good fubjects must tremble to think on; a remedy a thousand times worse than the disease; where, instead of an indulgent lawful Queen, we must have referred to a lawless junto, and to an arbitrary captain-general.

But now, God be praised, our fears are diffipated: the Queen is free, and acts entirely according to her own judgment and inclination; the parliament acquiefceth in whatever the requireth: we have proved the happy effects of their mutual confidence; and, as her Majefty telleth us from the throne, fhe fhall look upon any attempt to leffen it, as a step towards diffolving her government.

I could make many ufeful reflections upon the prefent happy change of our condition; the different state of fecurity to our conftitution, wherein this feffions hath left us, from the fears that poffeffed us upon the ending of the laft; the dread and apprehension the majority of the kingdom were then in, left that parliament fhould fit any more; the longings and impatiencies of the people, until her Majefty fhall think fit, that thofe may meet again.

While the finking credit of the nation hath been thus retrieved, by the great abilities and industry of the prefent ministry and parliament; the convocation, no lefs ufefully employed in the cause of piety, have drawn up a reprefentation of the prefent ftate of religion, with regard to the late exceffive growth of infidelity, herefy, and profaneness; unanimously agreed upon a joint committee of both houfes of the province of Canterbury; and after

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