fuppofition in thofe, who have advanced fuch fingular paradoxes concerning Greg and Guifcard. Upon this article their charge is general, without ever offering to produce an inftance. But I verily think and believe, it will appear no paradox, that, if ever he be brought in, the whigs are his men. For firft, it is an undoubted truth, that a year or two after the revolution, feveral leaders of that party had their pardons fent them by the late king James; and had entered upon meafures to restore him, on account of fome difobligations they received from king William. Befides, I would afk, whether those who are under the greatest ties of gratitude to king James, are not, at this day, become the moft zealous whigs? And of what party those are now, who kept a long correspondence with St. Germains? It is likewife very obfervable of late, that the whigs, upon all occafions, profess their belief of the pretender's being no impoftor, but a real prince, born of the late QUEEN'S body; which, whether it be true or falfe, is very unfeafonably advanced, confidering the weight fuch an opinion must have with the vulgar, if they once thoroughly believe it. Neither is it at all improbable, that the pretender himself put his chief hopes in the friendship he expects from the diffenters and wbigs, by his choice to invade the kingdom, when the latter were most in credit; and he had reason to count upon the former from the gracious treatment they received from his P 3 fup. fuppofed father, and their joyful acceptance of it. But further, what could be more confiftent with the whiggish notion of a revolution-principle, than to bring in the pretender? A revolution-principle, as their writings and difcourfes have taught us to define it, is a principle perpetually difpofing men to revolutions: and this is fuitable to the famous faying of a great whig, that the more revolutions the better; which, how odd a maxim foever in appearance, I take to be the true characteristick of the party. A dog loves to turn round often; yet, after certain revolutions, he lies down to reft: but heads under the dominion of the moon are for perpetual changes and perpetual revolutions. Befides, the whigs owe all their wealth to wars and revolutions; like the girl at Bartholomew-fair, who gets a penny by turning round a hundred times with fwords in her hands. To conclude, the whigs have a natural faculty of bringing in pretenders, and will therefore probably endeavour to bring in the great one at laft. How many pretenders to wit, honour, nobility, politicks, have they brought in thefe laft twenty years? In fhort, they have been fometimes able to procure a majority of pretenders in parliament; and wanted nothing to render the work complete, except a pretender at their head. NUM However, I cannot but obferve with infinite pleasure, that a great part of what I have charged upon the late prevailing faction, and for affirming which I have been adorned with fo many decent epithets, hath been fufficiently confirmed at feveral times by the refolutions of one or the other houfe of parliament. I may therefore now fay, I hope, with good authority, that there have been fome unparalleled attempts against Mr. Harley; that the late miniftry were justly to blame in fome management, which occafioned the unfortunate battle of Almanza, and the difappointment at Thoulon; that the publick hath been grievously wronged by most notorious frauds during the whig adminiftration; that thofe, who advised the bringing in the Palatines, were enemies to the kingdom; that the late managers of the revenue have not duly paffed their accounts for a great part of thirty five millions, and ought not to be trusted in fuch employments any more. Perhaps, in a little time, I may venture to affirm fome other paradoxes of this kind, and produce the fame vouchers. And perhaps alfo, if it had not been fo bufy a period, instead of one Examiner, the late miniftry might have had above four hundred, each of whofe little fingers would be heavier than my loins. It makes me think of Neptune's threat to the winds : Quos ego-fed motos praeftat componere fluctus. Thus, Thus, when the fons of Eolus had almost funk the fhip with the tempefts they raised, it was neceffary to fmooth the ocean, and fecure the veffel, instead of pursuing the offend ers. But I obferve the general expectation at prefent, instead of dwelling any longer upon conjectures who is to be punished for paft miscarriages, feems bent upon the rewards intended to those, who have been fo highly inftrumental in refcuing our conftitution from its late dangers. It is the obfervation of Tacitus in the life of Agricola, that his eminent fervices had raised a general opinion of his being defigned by the emperor for praetor of Britain: Nullis in hoc fuis fermonibus, fed quia par videbatur; and then he adds, Non Semper errat Fama, aliquando et eligit. The judgment of a wife prince, and the general difpofition of the people, do often point at the fame perfon; and fometimes the popular wishes do even foretel the reward intended for fome fuperior merit. Thus, among feveral deferving perfons there are two, whom the publick vogue hath, in a peculiar manner, fingled out as defigned very foon to receive the choiceft marks of the royal favour. One of them to be placed in a very high station, and both to increase the number of our nobility [s]. This, I say, is the general conjecture; for I pretend to none, nor will be chargeable if it be not fulfilled; fince it is [s] Harley and St. John. enough enough for their honour, that the nation thinks them worthy of the greatest rewards. Upon this occafion I cannot but take notice, that of all the herefies in politicks profufely fcattered by the partifans of the late adminiftration, one ever difpleafed me more, or feemed to have more dangerous confequences to monarchy, than that pernicious talent fo much affected of difcovering a contempt for birth, family, and ancient nobility. All the threadbare topicks of poets and orators were difplayed to difcover to us, that merit and virtue were the only nobility; and that the advantages of blood could not make a knave or a fool either honeft or wife. Moft popular commotions we read of in the hiftories of Greece and Rome took their rife from unjuft quarrels to the nobles; and in the latter, the Plebeian's encroachments on the Patricians were the firft caufe of their ruin. Suppofe there be nothing but opinion in the difference of blood; every body knows, that authority is very much founded on opinion. But furely that difference is not wholly imaginary. The advantages of a liberal education, of chufing the best companions to converfe with, not being under the neceffity of practising little mean tricks by a scanty allowance, the enlarging of thought, and acquiring the knowledge of men and things by travel, the example of ancestors inciting to great and good actions. Thefe are ufually fome of the opportunities that fall in the way of thofe who are born of what we call the better |