" d -m me, perhaps after all, that may "be a bamboozle too. However, I hope cc we shall foon ferret you out. Therefore "I advise you as a friend to let fall your pen, and retire betimes; for our patience "is now at an end. It is enough to lose << our power and employments, without fetting the whole nation against us. Confider, three years is the life of a party; d-m me, every dog hath his day, " and it will be our turn next: therefore “take warning, and learn to fleep in a "whole fkin; or, whenever we are upper"moft, by G-d you fhall find no mer"cy." “ The other letter was in the following terms: "SIR, "To the Examiner. "I am a country member, and conftant→ ly send a dozen of your papers down to my electors. I have read them all, but "I confefs, not with the fatisfaction I expected. It is plain you know a great "deal "deal more than you write: why will you not let us have it all out? We are told, "that the QUEEN hath been a long time "treated with infolence by thofe, fhe "hath most obliged. Pray fir, let us have << a few good stories upon that head. We "have been cheated of feveral millions; why will not you fet a mark on the "knaves who are guilty, and fhew us "what ways they took to rob the publick at fuch a rate? Inform us, how we came "to be disappointed of peace about two years ago. In fhort, turn the whole "mystery of iniquity inside out, that e very body may have a view of it. But "above all explain to us, what was the "bottom of that fame impeachment: I am "fure I never liked it; for at that very "time a diffenting preacher in our neigh"bourhood came often to fee our parfon ; "it could be for no good, for he would "walk about the barns and the ftables, "and defired to look into the church, as "who fhould fay, Thefe will shortly be mine: "and we all believed, he was then con"triving fome alterations, against he got "into poffeffion. And I fhall never forget that "that a whig juftice offered me then very "high for my bishop's lease. I must be "fo bold to tell you, fir, that you are too "favourable: I am fure there was no living "in quiet for us, while they were in the faddle. I was turned out of the commif"fion, and called a jacobite, although it "coft me a thoufand pounds in joining "with the prince of Orange at the revo"lution. The discoveries I would have you make, are of fome facts, for which they ought to be hanged; not that I value "their heads, but I would fee them ex"pofed, which may be done upon the "owners fhoulders as well as upon a pole.” etc. Thefe, fir, are the fentiments of a whole party on one fide, and of confiderable numbers on the other: however, taking the medium between these extremes, I think to go on as I have hitherto done, although I am fenfible my paper my paper would be more popular, if I did not lean too much to the favourable fide. For nothing delights the people more, than to fee their oppreffors humbled, and all their actions painted with proper colours, fet out in open view, exactos tyrannos denfum humeris bibit aure vulgus. But as for the whigs, I am in fome doubt, whether this mighty concern, they fhew for the honour of the late ministry, may not be affected; at leaft whether their mafters will thank them for their zeal in fuch a cause. It is, I think, a known ftory of a gentleman, who fought another for calling him fon of a whore; that the lady defired her fon to make no more quarrels upon that fubject, because it was true. For pray, fir, doth it not look like a jeft, that fuch a pernicious crew, after draining our wealth, and difcovering the most deftructive defigns againft our church and state, instead of thanking fortune that they are got off safe in their perfons and plunder, fhould hire these bullies of the pen, to defend their reputations? I remember, I thought it the hardeft cafe in the world, when a poor acquaintance of mine having fallen in among fharpers, where he loft all his money, and then complaining he was cheated, got a good beating into the bargain for offering offering to affront gentlemen. I believe the only reason, why these purloiners of the publick caufe fuch a clutter to be made about their reputations, is to prevent inquifitions that might tend towards making them refund: like those women they call hop-lifters, who, when they are challenged for their thefts, appear to be mighty angry and affronted for fear of being fearched. I will difmifs you, fir, when I have taken notice of one particular. Perhaps you may have obferved in the tolerated factious papers of the week, that the earl of Rochester is frequently reflected on for having been ecclefiaftical commiffioner, and lord treasurer, in the reign of the late king James. The fact is true; and it will not be denied, to his immortal honour, that because he could not comply with the measures then taking, he refigned both those employments; of which the latter was immediately fupplied by a commiffion, compofed of two popifh lords, and the prefent earl of Godolphin. NUM |