Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

and Collar of SS. the Coronet and the Blue Ribbon: They would not bear being branded Villains to Posterity; and if true Philanthropy and Patriotifm could not enter into every Breast, there would at leaft be an Appearance of them, Men would. learn to be affable, benign, Lovers of Juftice, or to feem fo; there would be that Refemblance of the Virtues, that Mankind would be deceived and fatisfied. Don't tell me of a Man's Eminence in. his Profeffion, or the high Poft he fills in the State; his Learning and Knowledge of the World have. not enlarged his Mind; he is ftill a little poor Wretch, if he does not remember what a small Part he makes among the Current of Ages. He looks about him, and fancies the prefent Scene: the only one of great Importance, that Time has produc'd; and, three to one, efteems himself the moft confiderable Character exhibited in it. Where was this Man bred? Is he ignorant what a Racket the School-Boys make with Alexander, and Cæfar, and Sylla; with Cato, and Brutus, and Ariftides? But enough of this. I fuppofe we fhall have the Tryal printed in a Month: In the mean while, I send you Part of what Mr. Somers faid; he was Junior Council for the Bifhops; he was very brief, is much applauded for that little he did say, but I suppose will not fuddenly be made a Judge, nor King's Council neither. The Heat of Mens Minds at the Tryal, was violent on all Sides. Williams.

did not fcruple to fay, that if the Bifhops were commanded to do any Thing against their Confciences, they fhould have acquiefced till the Meeting of the Parliament, they fhould not have petitioned. And this vile immodeft Affertion was.

*The Sollicitor-General.
A 6.

received

received with fufficient Indecency: People hifs'd at him for that, and for fomething else in his Speech, as you would at a very bad Play. Mr. Juftice Powell's Zeal, on the other Side, was fo eager to fettle the Point, that the Petition was no Libel, that he did not stick to affirm to the Jury, that it could not be a Libel, unless it were falfe: But this, I fear, is falfe Doctrine in our Law, tho' 'tis to be wifh'd it were true: I only mention it, to fhew you what a Ferment the World is in. Upon the Whole, 'tis thought by some of the wifest and most loyal People in the Kingdom, that we have but a difmal Profpect before us. 'Tis evident, that if the Grand Monarch don't effectually interpofe, and pinch the Dutch, the Prince of Oeange will speedily invade the Kingdom. If he fhould fucceed, what loyal Breaft can bear to think the Confequences? Will he come here, like a Hero in Romance, only to mind other Peoples Bufinefs, and then be gone again? I tremble to reflect what is to become of facred Majefty, to recollect the fhocking Fates of imprison'd English Kings, our Edward, Richard, and the Royal Martyr, his Adage was verified in them all. On the other hand, what if the Prince should be prevented, or be defeated? What Proteftant Soul is not shaken, in the midst of all its Loyalty, to think of the Wonders that may be wrought both in Religion and Liberty, by the Gentlemen at Hounslow. 'Tis true, the Majority of them are Proteftants at prefent, and many of their Officers are Men of Quality and Fortune (I am forry, for the King's fake, I can only fay Majority) but 'tis as true, that if there be not Papifts and Soldiers of Fortune enough in England, there are in Scotland and Ireland, to fhift out the Proteftants and Men of

3

Worth;

Worth; and then if the Cause of the Bifhops, or of Magdalen-College, fhould be brought before them, they will do Bufinefs in a Stile yet more concife than Wright and Allybone, or Jefferies and the Bishop of Chester can pretend to. But should their Establishment be in Confequence of an Invafion, and of a Victory obtain'd against the Invader, then may we expect to fee a Standing Army made Part of the Conftitution. Whenever that happens, Parliaments can't be long-liv'd. The Soldier will never ftarve while the Houfholder has any Thing to eat. How happy should we be, if the King would content himself with 100 or 1000 Maffes a-Day for the Good of his own Soul, and permit his good Subjects to go to the Devil, if they liked But we are come to this miserable Option, The King or the People must be ruin'd; and the Wonder is, The King himself makes the Dilemma. I forgot to tell you, that Serjeant Pemberton, in his Argument, took Occafion to mention Popery, and boldly said, 'twas the very worst of all Religions.

LETTER II.

Sept. 6. 1688.

Agree with you, that Kings might benefit by reading History with Attention, as much as their Minifters and Judges, perhaps they might much more, as the Sphere they move in is higher. I wish ours had obferv'd in the Life of his Grandfather* Henry the Great, or Davila's Hiftory of the Holy League, that the wifest Hugonot in France

*Henry IV. of France, Father of Queen Henrietta-Maria, Wife of King Charles I.

advis'd

advis'd the King to turn Papift, or give up all Thoughts of the Crown: The Parallel is natural. The very Palace of Whitehall, his Father's Statue at Charing-Cross, ought to be effectual Memento's of the Rage of a jealous People, who fear at once for Religion and Property. If once our zealous London Herd break loofe, not all the Magic in the Roman Miffal will be able to charm them, not all the Thunder in the Vatican to frighten them: And 'tis believed, that Jupiter would be a pleafed Spectator of the Broil.

The military Gentlemen are the only useful Folks on fuch Emergencies, and they will hardly be perfuaded to deftroy their own Religion. There must be a Reform firft, and a Recruit from Scotland and Ireland. Indeed, if a King of England were only to defire to enflave his People, an Army would make the Game fure: No Matter how, or on what Occafion they came together, they naturally refolve to continue together; for that is their very Life and Existence: Like Bodies in the animal World, they endeavour their own Prefervation, and that is by the Deftruction of the Rights of Mankind; Food as proper for them, as Grafs for Oxen; having neither Liberty nor Property themselves, they readily concur to destroy them in others; that is only levelling; but it ends better ftill for them; for when they have enflaved the People, they are rewarded with the easiest Chains, the uppermoft Rank among Slaves, and often find out their own Strength, and please themfelves in chopping and changing their Mafters. I can't be particular on a fudden; but I believe Rome and Conftantinople afford forty or fifty Inftances to this Purpose.

Pope Innocent XI.

But

But we have at prefent, Religion mixed with our Politics, and that puts us out of all Danger; for who doubts the Religion of an Army? Perhaps every one does not apprehend it; but seriously, Armies fometimes have Religion. When Henry III. of France was murder'd in his Camp, his great Succeffor loft two Thirds of the Army in a Month, by Desertion, because of his Difference in Religion, tho' they all ador'd him for many Royal Virtues. Who denies Religion, fuch as it was, to our British Armies of Covenanters ? There was indeed, one Army of Roman Catholicks in the last War in Ireland, who prefer'd their Loyalty to one of the T'enets of their Religion: The Pope's Nuncio excommunicated the Earl of Clanrickard and his Adherents, for continuing fteady in their Allegiance to King Charles; and the Earl of Clanrickard, at the Head of his Army, excommunicated the Pope's Nuncio by Beat of Drum. But as to our own Army, let its Religion be what it will, I wifh the King had Impreffions fomewhat weaker than he has of Church-of-England-Loyalty. Some overweening Doctors have perfuaded him, that we are all Saints, but when we are brought to a fevere Teft, the most of us will be found mere frail Sinners. I wifh thofe divine Gentlemen had mixed a moderate Proportion of human Prudence with their politic Theology, that Principles might not be ftrain'd till they break. His Confeffors fhould confider what an unkingly, an ungenerous Conclufion they inculcate. The Principles of the Church of England oblige her Sons to endure every Thing, therefore we will bruife them with a Rod of Iron. Are fuch Men fit to rule Kingdoms ? Are they fit to govern a Grammar-School?

LET

« ПредишнаНапред »