come of the publick, if the prefent great majority had acted thus during the late adminiftration, before the others were mafters of that wealth they have fqueezed out of the landed men, and with the ftrength of which they would now hold the kingdom at defiance? Thus much I have thought fit to say, without pointing reflections upon any particular perfon, which I have hitherto but fparingly done, and that only towards thofe, whofe characters are too profligate, that the managing of them fhould be of any confequence. Besides, as it is a talent I am not naturally fond of; fo, in the fubjects I treat, it is generally needless. If I display the effects of avarice and ambition, of bribery and corruption, of gross immorality and irreligion; thofe, who are the least converfant in things, will eafily know where to apply them. Not that I lay any weight upon the objections of fuch, who charge me with this proceeding: it is notorious enough, that the writers of the other fide were the firft aggreffors. Not to mention their fcurrilous libels, many years ago, directly levelled at particular perfons; how how many papers do now come out every week, full of rude invectives against the present ministry, with the first and last letters of their names to prevent mistakes? It is good fometimes to let these people fee, that we neither want fpirit nor materials to retaliate; and therefore, in this point alone, I fhall follow their example, whenever I find myself fufficiently provoked; only with one addition, that whatever charges I bring either general or particular, fhall be religiously true, founded either upon avowed facts, which none can deny, or fuch as I can prove from my own knowledge. Being refolved publickly to confefs any mistakes I have been guilty of, I do hereby humbly defire the reader's pardon for one of mighty importance, about a fact in one of my papers said to be done in the cathedral of Gloucefter. A whole Hydra of errors, in two words! For, as I am fince informed, it was neither in the cathedral, nor city, nor county of Gloucester, but fome other church of that diocefe. If I had ever met any other objection of equal weight, although from the meaneft hands, I fhould certainly have answered it. NUM NUMBER XXV. Thursday, January 25, 1710. Διαλεξάμενοί τινα ἡσυχῇ, τὸ μὲν σῦμπαν ἐπί τε τῇ δυναςέιᾳ, καὶ καλὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν συνώμοσαν. Summiffa quaedam voce collocuti funt, quorum fumma erat de dominatione fibi confirmanda, ac inimicis delendis, conjuratio. NOT many days ago I observed a knot of difcontented gentlemen, curfing the tories to Hell for their uncharitablenefs in affirming, that, if the late ministry had continued to this time, we should have had neither church nor monarchy left. They are ufually fo candid, as to call that the opinion of the party, which they hear in a coffee-houfe, or over a bottle, from fome warm young people, whom it is odds but they have provoked to fay more than they believed, by fome pofitions as abfurd and ridiculous of their own. And fo it proved in this very inftance: for, afking one of these gentlemen, what it was that provoked thofe, he had been difputing with, to advance fuch a paradox; he : he affured me in a very calm manner, it was nothing in the world, but that himfelf and fome others of the company had made it appear, that the defign of the prefent parliament, and ministry, was to bring in popery, arbitrary power, and the pretender which I take to be an opinion fifty times more improbable, as well as more uncharitable, than what is charged upon the whigs: because I defy our adverfaries to produce one fingle reason for fufpecting fuch defigns in the perfons now at the helm; whereas I can, upon demand, produce twenty to fhew, that fome late men had strong views towards a commonwealth, and the alteration of the church. It is natural indeed, when a ftorm is over, that hath only untiled our houses and blown down fome of our chimnies, to confider what farther mifchiefs might have enfued, if it had lafted longer. However, in the present cafe I am not of the opinion abovementioned. I believe the church and state might have lafted fomewhat longer, although the late enemies to both had done their worst. I can hardly conceive, how things would have been fo foon ripe for a new new revolution. I am convinced, that if they had offered to make such large and fudden ftrides, it must have come to blows; and, according to the computation we have now reason to think a right one, I can partly guess, what would have been the iffue. Befides, we are fure the QUEEN would have interpofed, before they came to extremities; and as little as they regarded the regal authority, would have been a check in their career. But, instead of this question, What would have been the confequence, if the late ministry had continued; I will propose another, which will be more useful for us to confider; and that is, What we may reasonably expect they will do, if ever they come into power again? This, we know, is the defign and endeavour of all those scribbles, which daily fly about in their favour; of all the falfe, infolent, and fcandalous libels against the present adminiftration; and of all those engines, fet at work to fink the actions, and blow up the publick credit. As for thofe, who fhew their inclinations by writing, there is one confideration, which I wonder doth not fome |