It is probable, that, trufting only to my memory, I may have omitted many things of great importance; neither do I pretend further in the compafs of the paper, than to give the world fome general, however imperfect, idea how worthily this great affembly hath discharged the trust of those, who fo freely chofe them; and what we may reasonably hope and expect from the piety, courage, wisdom, and loyalty of fuch excellent patriots in a time fo fruitful of occafions to exert the greatest abilities.

And now I conceive the main defign I had in writing these papers is fully executed. A great majority of the nation is at length thoroughly convinced, that the QUEEN proceeded with the highest wisdom in changing her miniftry and parliament; that under a former adminiftration the greatest abuses of all kinds were committed, and the most dangerous attempts against the conftitution for fome time intended. The whole kingdom finds the prefent perfons in power directly and openly purfuing the true fervice of their QUEEN and country; and to be fuch, whom their most bitter enemies cannot tax with bribery, covetoufnefs, ambition, pride, infolence, or any pernicious principles in religion or government.

For my own particular, thofe little barking curs, which have fo conftantly pursued me, I take to be of no further confequence to what I have written, than the fcoting flaves of old, placed behind the chariot to

put

put the general in mind of his mortality; which was but a thing of form, and made no ftop or disturbonce in the fhow. How

ever, if thofe perpetual fnarlers against me had the fame defign, I must own they have effectually compafled it; fince nothing can well be more mortifying than to reflect, that I am of the fame fpecies with creatures capable of uttering fo much fcurrility, dulnefs, falfhood, and impertinence, to the fcandal and difgrace of human nature [b].

[6] As No. 13. was the first of these papers written by Dr. Swift, N°. 44. was the laft. Six more have been printed in the Irish Edition, which is a proof, among many others, that He was not the Editor. In a Letter of his to Stella, dated June 7th, 1711, the day on which the Examiner No. 44. was published, there is the following paragraph: "As for the Examiner, I have heard a "whisper, that after that of this day, which tells

what this parliament has done, you will hardly "find them fo good: I prophefy they will be trash "for the future; and methinks in this day's Examiner the Author talks doubtfully, as if he would write no more, so that if they go on, they may probably be by fome other hand; which in my opinion is a thoufand pities; but who can "help it? Obferve whether the change be dif

66

covered in Dublin; only for your own curiofity.' In a fubfequent Letter, dated August 24th, he says, "the Examiner has been down this Month, and was very filly the five or fix laft papers."

SOME

THE PUBLISHER'S PREFACE.

ABOUT the year, when her late majesty of bleffed memory thought proper to change her miniftry, and brought in Mr. Harley, Mr. St. John, Sir Simon Harcourt, and fome others; the firft of thefe being made an earl and lord treasurer, he was foon after blamed by his friends for not making a general fweep of all the whigs, as the latter did of their adversaries upon her majesty's death, when they came into power. At that time a great number of parliament men, amounting to above two hundred, grew fo warm upon the flowness of the treafurer in this part, that they formed themselves into a body under the name of the October Club, and had many meetings to confult upon fome methods, that might fpur on thofe in power, fo that they might make a quicker difpatch in removing all of the whig leaven from the employments they ftill poffeffed. To prevent the ill confequences of this difcontent among fo many worthy members, the rest of the ministry joined with the treasurer, partly to pacify, and partly to divide, those who were in greater hafte than moderate men thought convenient. It was well known, that the fuppofed author met a confiderable number of this club in a publick houfe, where he convinced them very plainly of the treasurer's fincerity with many of thofe very reafons, which are urged in the following difcourfe, befides fome others, $ 2 which