warding this impeachment, had feveral years ago endea voured to perfuade the late King to give way to juft fuch another attempt. He told his Majefty, there was a certain clergyman, who preached very dangerous fermons, and that the only way to put a stop to such infolence was to impeach him in parliament. The King inquired the character of the man: O Sir, faid my Lord, the maft vielent, hot, pofitive fellow in England; fo extremely wilful, that I believe he would be heartily glad to be a martyr. The King answered, Is it fo? then I am refolved to disappoint him; and would never hear more of the matter; by which that hopeful project unhappily miscarried. I have hitherto confined myself to thofe endeavours for the good of the church, which were common to all the leaders and principal men of our party; but, if my paper were not drawing towards an end, I could produce feveral inftances of particular perfons, who, by their exemplary lives and actions, have confirmed the character fo justly due to the whole body. I fhall at prefent mention only two, and illuftrate the merits of each by a matter of fact. That, worthy patriot and true lover of the church, whom a late Examiner is fuppofed to reflect on under the name of Verres, felt a pious impulse to be a benefactor to the cathedral of Gloucester; but how to do it in the most decent generous manner, was the queftion. At last he thought of an expedient: one morning, or night, he stole into the church, mounted upon the altar, and there did that which in cleanly phrafe is called disburdening of naHe was difcovered, profecuted, and condemned to pay a thousand pounds; which fum was all employed to fupport the church, as no doubt the benefactor meant it. ture. His There is another perfon, whom the fame writer is thought to point at under the name of Will Bigamy. This gentleman, knowing that marriage-fees were a confiderable perquifite to the clergy, found out a way of improving them cent. per cent. for the good of the church. invention was to marry a fecond wife, while the first was alive, convincing her of the lawfulness by fuch arguments, as he did not doubt would make others follow the fame example. Thefe he had drawn up in writing, with inten tion to publish for the general good; and it is hoped, he may now have leifure to finish them. No 23. Thursday, January 11. 1710. Bellum ita fufcipiatur, ut nihil aliud nifi pax quæfita I videatur. A M fatisfied. that no reasonable man of either party can juftly be offended at any thing I faid in one of my papers relating to the army. From the maxims I there laid down perhaps many perfons may conclude, that I had a mind, the world should think there had been occafion given by fome late abuses among men of that calling; and they conclude right: for my intention is, that my hints may be understood, and my quotations and allegories applied; and I am in fome pain to think, that in the Orcades on one fide, and the western coafts of Ireland on the other, the Examiner may want a key in feveral parts, which I wish I could furnish them with. As to the French King, I am under no concern at all: I hear he hath left off reading my papers, and by what he hath found in them, diflikes our proceedings more than ever; and intends, either to make great additions to his armies, or propofe new terms for a peace. So falfe is that which is commonly reported of his mighty fatisfaction in our change of miniftry. And I think it clear, that his late letter of thanks to the Tories of Great Britain must either have been extorted from him, against his judgment; or was a caft of politics to fet the people against the prefent miniftry; wherein it hath wonderfully fucceeded. But, though I have never heard, or never regarded any objections made against that paper, which mentions the army; yet I intended this as a fort of apology for it. And first I declare, (becaufe we live in a mistaken world), that in hinting at fome proceedings, wherein a few perfons are faid to be concerned, I did not intend to charge them upon the body of the army. I have too much detefted VOL. II. X that that barbarous injuftice among the writers of a late party to be ever guilty of it myself; I mean the accufing focieties for the crimes of a few. On the other fide, I must take leave to believe, that armies are no more exempt from corruptions than other numbers of men. The maxims propofed were occafionally introduced by the report of certain facts, which I am bound to believe are true, becaufe I am fure, confidering what hath paffed, it would be a crime to think otherwife. All posts in the army, all employments at court, and many others are, or ought to be, given and refumed at the mere pleasure of the prince; yet when I fee a great officer broke, a change made in the court, or the ministry, and this under the most just and gracious princefs that ever reigned, I muft naturally conclude, it is done upon prudent confiderations, and for fome great demerit in the fufferers. But then, is not the punishment fufficient? Is it generous, or charitable, to trample on the unfortunate, and expose their faults to the world in the strongest colours? And would it not fuit better with magnanimity, as well as common good nature, to leave them at quiet to their own thoughts and repentance? Yes, without queftion; provided it could be fo contrived, that their very names, as well as actions, might be forgotten for ever; fuch an act of oblivion would be for the honour of our nation, and beget a better opinion of us with pofterity; and then I might have fpared the world and myself the trouble of examining. But at prefent there is a cruel dilemma in the cafe; the friends and abettors of the late ministry are every day publishing their praifes to the world, and casting reflections upon the prefent perfons in power. This is fo barefaced an afperfion upon the Queen, that I know not how any good subject can with patience endure it, although he were ever so indifferent with regard to the opinions in difpute. Shall they who have loft all power and love of the people, be allowed to scatter their poifon; and fhall not thofe, who are at least of the strongest fide, be fuffered to bring an antidote? and how can we undeceive the deluded remainder, but by letting them see, that these difcarded statesmen were juftly laid afide; and producing as many instances to prove it as we can? not from any personal hatred to them, 66 247 them, but in juftification to the beft of queens. The many fcurrilities I have heard and read against this poor paper of mine, are in fuch a ftrain, that, confidering the prefent ftate of affairs, they look like a jest. They usually run after the following manner. "What! fhall this in"folent writer prefame to cenfure the late ministry, the "ableft, the molt faithful, and trueft lovers of their country and its conftitution, that ever ferved a prince? Shall "he reflect on the beft houfe of commons, that ever fat "within those walls? Hath not the Queen changed both "for a miniftry and parliament of Jacobites and highfliers, "who are felling us to France, and bringing over the pretender?" This is the very fum and force of all their reasonings, and this is their method of complaining against the Examiner. In them it is humble and loyal to reflect upon the Queen, and the miniftry and parliament fhe hath chofen with the univerfal applaufe of her people: in us it is infolent to defend her Majefty and her choice, or to anfwer their objections by fhewing the reafons why thofe changes were neceffary. 66 The fame style hath been used in the late cafe concerning fome gentlemen in the army. Such a clamour was raised by a fet of men, who had the boldness to tax the administration with cruelty and injuftice, that I thought it neceffary to interfere a little, by thewing the ill confequences that might arife from fome proceedings, although without application to particular perfons. And what do they offer in anfwer? Nothing but a few common places against calumny and informers; which might have been full as juft and feasonable in a plot against the facred perfon of the Queen. But, by the way, why are thefe idle people fo indiscreet to name those two words, which afford occafion of laying open to the world fuch an infamous fcene of fubordination and perjury, as well as calumny and informing, as, I believe, is without example; when a whole cabal attempted an action, wherein a condemned criminal * refused to join with them for the reward of his life? Not that I disapprove their fagacity, who could foretel fo long before by what hand they should one day fall, and therefore thought any means juftifiable, by which they might prevent it. But waving this at present, it must be owned in justice to the army, that thofe violences did not proceed fo far among them, as fome have believed; nor ought the madnefs of a few to be laid at their doors. For the reft, I am fo far from denying the due praises to those brave troops, who did their part in procuring fo many victories for the allies; that I could wish, every officer and private foldier had their full share of honour in proportion to their deferts; being thus far of the Athenians mind, who, when it was propofed that the statue of Miltiades fhould be fet. up alone in fome public place of the city, faid, they would agree to it, whenever he conquered alone, but not before. Neither do I at all blame the officers of the army for preferring in their hearts the late miniftry before the prefent; or, if wishing alone could be of any use, for wishing their continuance, because then they might be fecure of the war's continuance too; whereas, fince affairs have been put into other hands, they may perhaps lie under fome apprehenfions of a peace; which no army, especially in the courfe of fuccefs, was ever inclined to; and which all wife ftates have in fuch a juncture chiefly endeavoured. This is a point wherein the civil and military politics have always difagreed and for that reafon I affirmed it neceffary in all free governments, that the latter fhould be abfolutely in fubjection to the former; otherwife one of these two inconveniencies must arife, either to be perpetually in war, or to turn the civil institution into a military. : I am ready to allow all that hath been faid of the valour and experience of our troops, who have fully contributed their part to the great fucceffes abroad; nor is it their fault, that thofe important victories had no better confequences at home, though it may be their advantage. War is their trade and business: to improve and cultivate the advantages of fuccefs, is an affair of the cabinet; and the neglect of this, whether proceeding from weakness or corruption, according to the ufual uncertainty of wars, may be of the most fatal confequence to the nation, For, pray, let me reprefent our condition in fuch a light, as I believe both parties will allow, though perhaps not the confequences |