my. The Norman Duke, to save the effufion of blood, fent thefe offers to Harold ; either wholly to refign the kingdom to him, or to try the quarrel with him in fingle combat. To this Harold did not agree.

Then the battle joined. The Normans had gotten the worft, if it had not been for a ftratagem they invented, which got them the day. In this engagement Harold was killed, and William Duke of Normandy 1066. became king of England, under the name of William the Conqueror.

A. D.

A LET

A

LETTER

то

A MEMBER of PARLIAMENT

In IRELAND,

Upon the chufing a new SPEAKER there. Written in the Year 1708,

SIR,

You

OU may easily believe I am not at all surprised at what you tell me, fince it is but a confirmation of my own conjecture that I fent you last week, and made you my reproaches upon it at a venture, It looks exceeding ftrange, yet I believe it to be a great truth, that, in order to carry a point in your House, the two following circumftances are of great advantage: First, to have an ill caufe; and, fecondly, to be a minority. For both these circumstances are extremely apt to invite men, to make them affiduous in their attendance, watch. ful of opportunities, zealous for gaining over profelytes, and often fuccefsful; which is not to be wondered at, when favour VOL. XV.

favour and intereft are on the fide of their opinion. Whereas, on the contrary, a majority with a good caufe are negligent and fupine. They think it fufficient to declare themselves upon opinion in favour of their party; but, failing against the tide of favour and preferment, they are eafily fcattered and driven back. In fhort, they want a common principle to cement, and motive to fpirit them. For the bare acting upon a principle from the dictates of a good confcience, or prospect of serving the public, will not go very far under the prefent difpofitions of mankind. This was amply verified laft feffions of parliament, upon occafion of the money-bill, the merits of which I fhall not pretend to examine. It is enough that, upon the firf news of its tranfmiffion hither, in the form it afterwards appeared, the members, upon difcourfe with their friends, feemed unanimous against it, I mean those of both parties, except a few, who were looked upon as perfons ready to go any lengths prefcribed them by the court. Yet with -only a weak canvafling among a very few hands, the bill paft after a full debate, by a very great majority. Yet, I believe, you will hardly attempt perfuading me, or any

body

body elfe, that one man in ten, of those who changed their language, were moved by reafons any way affecting the merits of the cause, but merely through hope, fear, indolence, or good-manners. Nay, I have been affured from good hands, that there was ftill a number fufficient to make a majority against the bill, if they had not apprehended the other fide to be fecure, and therefore thought it imprudence, by declaring themselves, to difoblige the go vernment to no purpose.

Reflecting upon this and forty other paffages, in the feveral Houfes of Commons fince the Revolution, makes me apt to think there is nothing a Chief Governor can be commanded to attempt here wherein he may not fucceed, with a very competent share of addrefs, and with fuch affiftance as he will always find ready at his devotion. And therefore I repeat what I faid at first, that I am not at all furprised at what you tell me. For, if there had been the leaft fpark of public fpirit left, those who wished well to their country and its conftitution in church and ftate, fhould, upon the first news of the late fpeaker's promotion, (and you and I know it might have been done a great deal fooner) have Q 2 immediately

immediately gone together, and confulted about the fitteft perfon to fucceed him. But, by all I can comprehend, you have been fo far from proceeding thus, that it hardly ever came into any of your heads. And the reafon you give is the worst in the world: That none offered themselves, and you knew not whom to pitch upon. It feems, however, the other party was more refolved, or at leaft not fo modeft: For you fay your vote is engaged against your opinion, and feveral gentlemen in my neighbourhood tell me the fame story of themfelves. This, I confefs, is of an unusual strain, and a good many steps below any condefcenfions a court will, I hope, ever require from you. I shall not trouble myself to enquire who is the perfon for whom you and others are engaged, or whether there be more candidates from that fide than one. You tell me nothing of either, and I never thought it worth the queftion to any body elfe. But, in fo weighty an affair, and against your judgment, I cannot look upon you as irrevocably determined. Therefore I defire Therefore I defire you will give me leave to reafon with you a little upon the subject, left your compliance, or inadvertency, should put you upon what

you