dangerous: which, in the present circle of fcriblers, from twelve-pence to a halfpenny, I could eafily forefee would not very frequently occur. But here again I am forced to dispense with my refolution, although it be only to tell my reader, what measures I am like to take on fuch occafions for the future. I was told, that the paper called The Obfervator was twice filled laft week with remarks upon a late Examiner. Thefe I read with the first opportunity, and to speak in the newswriters phrafe, they give me occafion for many fpeculations. I obferved with fingular pleasure the nature of those things, which the owners of them ufually call Anfwers, and with what dexterity this matchlefs author had fallen into the whole art and cant of them. To transcribe here and there three or four detached lines of least weight in a discourse, and by a foolish comment mistake every fyllable of the meaning, is what I have known many of a fuperior class to this formidable adversary entitle an Answer. This is what he hath exactly done in about thrice as many words as my whole discourse; which is fo

mighty an advantage over me, that I fhall by no means engage in fo unequal a combat; but, as far as I can judge of my own temper, entirely difmifs him for the future; heartily wifhing he had a match exactly of his own fize to meddle with, who fhould only have the odds of truth and honefty, which, as I take it, would be an effectual way to filence him for ever. Upon this occafion I cannot forbear a short story of a fanatick farmer, who lived in my neighbourhood, and was fo great a difputant in religion, that the fervants in all the families thereabouts reported, how he had confuted the bifhop and all his clergy. I had then a footman, who was fond of reading the Bible; and I borrowed a comment for him, which he ftudied fo clofe, that in a month or two I thought him a match for the farmer. They difputed at feveral houfes with a ring of fervants and other people always about them; where Ned explained his texts fo full and clear to the capacity of his audience, and fhewed the infignificancy of his adverfary's cant to the meaneft underftanding, that he got the whole country

of

of his fide, and the farmer was cured of his itch of difputation for ever after.

The worst of it is, that this fort of outrageous party-writers I have spoke of above, are like a couple of make-bates, who inflame fmall quarrels by a thousand stories, and by keeping friends at a distance hinder them from coming to a good understanding; as they certainly would, if they were fuffered to meet and debate between themselves: for let any one examine a reasonable honeft man of either fide upon those opinions in religion and government, which both parties daily buffet each other about; he fhall hardly find one material point in difference between them. I would be glad to ask a question about two great men of the late miniftry, How they came to be Whigs? And, by what figure of fpeech half a dozen others, lately put into great employments, can be called Tories? I doubt whoever would fuit the definition to the perfons, muft make it directly contrary to what we understood it at the time of the revolution.

In order to remove these misapprehenfions among us, I believe, it will be necef

fary,

fary upon occafion to detect the malice and falfhood of fome popular maxims, which those idiots fcatter from the prefs twice a week, and draw an hundred abfurd confequences from them.

For example; I have heard it often objected as a great piece of infolence in the clergy and others to fay or hint, that the church was in danger, when it was voted otherwise in parliament fome years ago; and the queen herself, in her last speech, did openly condemn all fuch infinuations. Notwithstanding which, I did then, and do ftill, believe the church hath, fince that vote, been in very imminent danger; and I think I might then have said so without the least offence to her majesty, or either of the two houses. The queen's words, as near as I can remember, mentioned the church being in danger from her adminiftration; and whoever fays or thinks that, deferves, in my opinion, to be hanged for a traitor: but, that the church and state may be both in danger under the best princes that ever reigned, and without the leaft guilt of theirs, is fuch a truth, as a man must be a great stranger to history

and

and common fenfe to doubt. The wifeft prince on earth may be forced by the neceffity of his affairs, and the prefent power of an unruly faction, or deceived by the craft of ill-defigning men.

One or two ministers, most in his confidence, may at firft have good intentions, but grow corrupted by time, by avarice, by love, by ambition, and have fairer terms offered them to gratify their paflions or interests from one fett of men than another, until they are too far involved for a retreat; and fo be forced to take feven fpirits more wicked than themselves. This is a very poffible cafe; and will not the last fate of fuch men be worse than the first? that is to fay, will not the publick, which was fafe at first, grow in danger by fuch proceedings as these? And fhall a faithful fubject, who forfees and trembles at the confequences, be called difaffected, because he delivers his opinion, although the prince declares, as he justly may, that the danger is not owing to his adminiftration? Or fhall the prince himself be blamed, when, in fuch a juncture, he puts his affairs into other hands with the univerfal applaufe of