(3) CORRUPT MINISTERS The CAUSE of ᄀ Publick Calamities; OR, The Intereft of the King and his T HE Nation being now at Peace with all the World, and Armed Troops laid afide, I fhall give a Summary Account of fuch Matters as were by me, during the late War, laid before both Houses of Parliament. And leave your Honours and the World to judge, Whether or no the King's Minifters and Servants have answered the great End and Defign of the late Revolution, or treated the People of England according to their Laws, and his Mjaefty's goodness. The late Revolution was that which gave a general fatisfaction to all true English-men, and no Man fat down with more Pleasure than I did, in looking back to confider how great a Deliverance we received thereby. And altho' I faw the War had been divers years on foot, and like to continue; and Trade (the best Jewel in the Crown) greatly oppreffed, yet did I not apprehend my felf at all concerned in the the matter, as conceiving the King's Minifters would not be wanting of their utmoft Care therein. And for ought I know, never had concern'd my felf in Publick Affairs to this day, had it not been for a Book that was Publifh'd by Captain St. Loo, in the year 1692, and by him Dedicated to his Majefty, and both Houses of Parliament, and therein propofed a Law-Tax (which had been granted for the term of Nine Years, the 22d and the 23d of King Charles the Second) to be fettled for perpetuity upon Greenwich Hospital; at the fight of which, I was furprized to fee a Saylor offer fuch an abfurd thing, much more to find the Matter often debated before the Chief Minifters of State. Upon which my Mind often suggested to me, I might do a Publick piece of fervice in digetting my Thoughts, and laying them before the King and Parliament; and it was not long before I took a Refolution fo to do; yet not without great reluctancy and struggling within my felf, being confcious of my own Weakness. However, the fenfe of the Duty I owed to my King and Country, foon overcame those timorous Though's. So the following Seffion of Parliament I writ a Book Entituled, England's Glory reviv'd, Sold by Themas Newborough at the Golden-Ball, in St. Paul's. Church-Fard, which I Dedicated to his Majefty and both Houses of Parliament, and was fo happy in my Notions, as to propofe feveral things that prov'd to be of great Ulfe and Service to the King and Kingdom, of which 1 fhall give a brief Account beforeI proceed to the Matter in Hand. First, I propofed an Act of Tunnage for fix Pence per Tun upon all Coasters, & ربوع the the was ind (5) was paffed into an Act the fame Seffion of Parlia ment, and was the occafion of the railing fome Hundreds of Thousands of Pounds to the Ufe of the Publick, tho' the Act has fince been repeal ed. Secondly, I propofed that all Saylers on Board Merchant-men and Coafters, fhould pay fomewhat ing out of their Wages, towards the Relief and Suppport of fuch Saylors that should happen to be wounded or maimed in his Majefties Service (and gave my Reasons to prove the Feasiblenefs, Eore quity and Juftice thereof) which fome time after was also paffed into an Act, upon which is founded the Revenue of Greenwich Hofpital, which owes its Being and Foundation to his Majefty's Goodness, (as to its being an Hospital) and will be a glorious thing, and greatly to the Honour and Intereft of the Nation, when once we come to have Juftice V- duly adminiftred, and the Saylors treated with Hung manity. cce was Vet Thirdly, I made it appear by plain Matter of Fact, and Actions of the Government, there was no occafion of laying any Embargo upon Shipping (for from the beginning of the War to that time, the Nation had feldom been free from an Embargo) and rendred it to be, ping the Circulation of a which had its defired like ftop as truly it was, Man's Blood in t. I' his Body, it appear, harge to Loo, at which was acknowledged and allowed to be true, by the Lords of the Admiralty, but never put in practice. Thus have I given a brief Account of the Chief Matters contained in the forefaid Book,which I should not have mentioned at all, being Forreign to the Matter in hand, only the Publishing of it was that which brought to my Knowledge a great deal of. Wickedness that was committed in the Government, by Persons who were then in Places of Publick Truft. So I took a Refolution to lay open their Crimes before both Houfes of Parliament; Accordingly the next Seffion of Parliament I writ a Book Entituled Great Britains Tears, which I Dedicated and Presented to both Houses of Parliament; and therein fet forth the horrible Corruption there was 、 in the Government, and how fatal the Confequence would be, if a flop were not put thereto. The Houfe of Commons was pleased to take notice of how one Passage therein, wherein I offer'd to prove fome Perfons had defrauded the King of two or three hundred Thousand Pounds, upon which I was ordered to appear at the Bar of the Houfe, which I did, and there declared the fame, and offer'd to prove it, provi, ded 1 had the affiftance of that Honourable House. Then was I ordered to withdraw, and foon after came out to me one of the Commiffioners for taking and ftating the publick Accounts (whom I very well knew) who told me I was referred to their Board, where he faid I fhould have all imaginable Juftice; but making my Application to that Board, they refused to receive Matter I would have laid before them upon Oath. So finding I could make nothing of it in the House of Commons (in which those who were Guilty, had too great footing, a Diftemper A the |