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our conftitution both in church and state; and we at last were brought to the very brink of ruin; yet, by the means of perpetual reprefentations, have never been able to diftinguish between our enemies and friends. We have feen a great part of the nation's money got into the hands of thofe, who by their birth, education, and merit, could pretend no higher than to wear our liveries; while others, who by their credit, quality, and fortune, were only able to give reputation and fuccefs to the revolution, were not only laid afide as dangerous and useless, but loaden with the fcandal of Jacobites, men of arbitrary principles, and penfioners to France; while truth, who is faid to lie in a well, feemed now to be buried there under a heap of ftones. But I remember, it was an ufual complaint among the Whigs, that the bulk of the landed men was not in their interefts, which fome of the wifeft looked on as an ill omen; and we faw it was with the utmost difficulty, that they could preferve a majority, while the court and `ministry were on their fide, till they had learned those admirable expedients for deciding

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ciding elections, and influencing distant boroughs by powerful motives from the city. But all this was mere force and constraint, however upheld by most dextrous artifice and management, until the people began to apprehend their properties, their religion, and the monarchy itself in danger; then we saw them greedily laying hold on the first occafion to interpofe. But of this mighty change in the difpofitions of the people I fhall discourse more at large in fome following paper; wherein I fhall endeavour to undeceive or discover those deluded or deluding perfons, who hope pretend, it is only a fhort madness in the vulgar, from which they may foon recover; whereas, I believe, it will appear to be very different in its causes, its fymptoms, and its confequences; and prove a great example to illustrate the maxim I lately mentioned; that truth (however, fometimes late) will at last prevail.

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NUMBER XV.

Thursday, November 16, 1710.

medioque ut limite curras,

Icare, ait, moneo: ne fi demiffior ibis, Unda gravet pennas ; fi celfior, ignis adurat,

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must be avowed, that for fome years paft, there have been few things more wanted in England than fuch a paper, as this ought to be: and fuch as I will endeavour to make it, as long as it shall be found of any ufe, without entering into the violences of either party. Confidering the many grievous mifreprefentations of persons and things, it is highly requifite at this juncture, that the people throughout the kingdom should, if poffible, be fet right in their opinions by fome impartial hand; which hath never been yet attempted; thofe, who have hitherto undertaken it, being upon every account, the leaft qualified of all human kind for fuch a work.

We live here under a limited monarchy, and under the doctrine and difcipline of an excellent church. We are unhappily divided

divided into two parties, both which pretend a mighty zeal for our religion and government, only they difagree about the means. The evils, we muft fence against, are on one fide fanaticism and infidelity in religion, and anarchy, under the name of a commonwealth, in government; on the other fide, popery, flavery, and the pretender from France. Now to inform and direct us in our fentiments upon thefe weighty points here are on one fide two ftupid illiterate fcriblers, both of them fanaticks by profeffion, I mean the Review and Obfervator; on the other fide, we have an open Nonjuror, whofe character and perfon, as well as learning and good fenfe difcovered upon other fubjects, do indeed deferve refpect and efteem; but his Rehearsal and the reft of his political papers are yet more pernicious, than thofe of the former two. If the generality of the people know not how to talk or think, until they have read their lesson in the papers of the week, what a misfortune is it, that their duty fhould be conveyed to them through fuch vehicles as thofe ? For, let fome gentlemen think what they pleafe, I cannot C 4

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but fufpect, that the two worthies I first mentioned have, in a degree, done mifchief among us; the mock authoritative manner of the one, and the infipid mirth of the other, however infupportable to reasonable ears, being of a level with great numbers among the loweft part of mankind. Neither was the author of the Re

bearfal, while he continued that paper, lefs infectious to many perfons of better figure, who perhaps were as well qualified, and much less prejudiced, to judge for themselves.

It was this reafon, that moved me to take the matter out of thofe rough, as well as thofe dirty hands; to let the remote and uninftructed part of the nation fee, that they have been mifled on both fides by mad ridiculous extremes, at a wide distance on each fide from the truth; while the right path is fo broad and plain as to be eafily kept, if they were once put into it.

Further I had lately entered on a refolution to take very little notice of other papers, unless it were fuch, where the malice and falfhood had fo great a mixture of wit and fpirit, as would make them

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