properly atheism, but a fort of anti-religion prefcribed by the devil, and which an atheift of common fenfe would fcorn as an abfurdity. I have heard it mentioned as a common practice last Autumn, fomewhere or other, to drink damnation and confufion (and this with circumstances very aggravating and horrid) to the new miniftry, and to those who had any hand in turning out the old; that is to fay, to those persons whom her majefty has thought fit to employ in her greatest affairs, with fomething more than a glance against the queen herself. And if it be true, that these orgies were attended with certain doubtful words of Standing by their general, who without question abhorred them, let any man confider the confequence of fuch difpofitions, if they should happen to spread. I could only wish for the honour of the army, as well as of the queen and miniftry, that a remedy had been applied to the disease in the place and time where it grew. If men of fuch principles were able to propagate them in a camp, and were fure of a general for life, who had any tincture of ambition, we might foon bid farewel

farewel to minifters and parliaments, whether new or old.

I am only forry, fuch an accident hath happened towards the clofe of a war; when it is chiefly the interest of those gentlemen, who have pofts in the army, to behave themselves in fuch a manner, as might encourage the legislature to make fome provifion for them, when there will be no further need of their fervice. They are to confider themselves as perfons, by their education, unqualified for many other stations of life. Their fortunes will not fuffer them to retain to a party after its fall, nor have they weight or abilities to help towards its refurrection. Their future dependence is wholly upon the prince and parliament, to which they will never make their way by folemn execrations of the miniftry; a miniftry of the queen's own election, and fully answering the wishes of her people. This unhappy step in fome of their brethren may pass for an uncontroulable argument, that politicks are not their business, or their element. The fortune of war hath raised several perfons up to fwelling titles, and great commands over numbers of men,

which they are too apt to transfer along with them into civil life, and appear in all companies, as if they were at the head of their regiments, with a fort of deportment, that ought to have been dropt behind in that fhort paffage to Harwich. It puts me in mind of a dialogue in Lucian, where Charon wafting one of their predeceffors over Styx, ordered him to ftrip off his armour and fine cloaths, yet still thought him too heavy; " But, faid he,

put off likewise that pride and prefump"tion, those high fwelling words, and "that vain-glory;" because they were of no use on the other fide the water. Thus, if all that array of military grandeur were confined to the proper fcene, it would be much more for the intereft of the owners, and lefs offenfive to their fellow fubjects.

NUM

NUMBER XXI.

Thursday, December 28, 1710.

Nam et majorum inftituta tueri, facris ceremoniifque retinendis, fapientis eft. Ruituraque femper

Stat (mirum!) moles

WHOEVER is a true lover of our

constitution, must needs be pleased

to see what fuccefsful endeavours are daily made to restore it in every branch to its ancient form, from the languishing condition it hath long lain in, and with fuch deadly fymptoms.

I have already handled fome abuses during the late management, and shall in convenient time go on with the rest. Hitherto I have confined myself to those of the state; but, with the good leave of fome who think it a matter of fmall moment, I fhall now take liberty to fay fomething of the church.

For several years pasts there hath not, I think, in Europe been any fociety of men upon fo unhappy a foot as the clergy of England; nor more hardly treated by those

very perfons, from whom they deserved much better quarter, and in whose power they chiefly had put it to use them fo ill. I would not willingly mifrepresent facts, but I think it generally allowed by enemies and friends, that the bold and brave defences made before the revolution against those many invasions of our rights proceeded principally from the clergy; who are likewife known to have rejected all advances made them to close with the measures at that time concerting; while the diffenters, to gratify their ambition and revenge, 'fell into the basest compliances with the court, approved of all proceedings by their numerous and fulsome addreffes, and took employments and commiffions by virtue of the difpenfing power, against the direct laws of the land. All this is fo true, that if ever the pretender comes in, they will, next to those of his own religion, have the faireft claim and pretentions to his favour from their merit and eminence services to his fuppofed father, who without fuch encouragement would probably never have been misled to go the lengths he did. It should likewise

be