1 * mystery, I should not pretend to give it an interpretation; but fufficient care hath been taken to explain it, firft, by addreffes artificially (if not illegally) procured, to fhew the miferable ftate of the diffenters in Ireland by reafon of the facramental teft, and to defire the queen's interceffion, that it might be repealed. Then, it is manifeft, that our fpeaker, when he was last year in England, follicited in perfon feveral members of both houfes to have it repealed by an act there; though it be a matter purely national, that cannot poffibly interfere with the trade and intereft of England; and though he himfelf appeared formerly the most zealous of all men against the injuftice of binding a nation by laws, to which they do not confent. And lastly, thofe weekly libellers, whenever they get a tale by the end relating to Ireland, without once troubling their thoughts about the truth, always end it with an application against the facramental teft, and the abfolute neceflity there is of repealing it in both kingdoms. I know it may be reckoned a weaknefs to fay any thing of fuch trifles, as are below a ferious man's notice; much lefs would I difparage the understanding of any party, to think they would chufe the vileft and moft ignorant among mankind, to employ them for the affertors of a caufe. I fhall only fay, that the fcandalous liberty thofe wretches take, would hardly be allowed, if it were not mingled with opinions that • fome men would be glad to advance. Befides, how infipid foever those papers are, they feem to be levelled to the understandings of a great number; they are grown a neceffary part in the coffee-houfe furniture, and fome * Mr. Allen Broderick, afterwards chancellor of Ireland, and lord Middleton. time or other may happen to be read by customers of all ranks for curiosity and amusement, because they lie always in the way. One of thefe authors (the fellow that. was pilloried, I have * forgot his name) is indeed fo grave, fententious, dogmatical a rogue, that there is no enduring him; the + obfervator is much the brisker of the two, and I think farther gone of late in lyes and impudence than his prefbyterian brother. [The reason why I mention him, is to have an occafion of letting you know, that you have not dealt fo gallantly with us, as we did with you in a parallel cafe last year a paper was brought here from England, called A dialogue between the archbishop of Canterbury and Mr. Higgins, which we ordered to be burnt by the common hangman, as it well deferved, though we have no more to do with his grace of Canterbury, than you have with the archbishop of Dublin ; nor can you love and reverence your prelate more than we do ours, whom you tamely fuffer to be abused openly, and by name, by that paltry rascal of an obfervator; and lately upon an affair wherein he had no concern; I mean the business of the miffionary of Drogheda, wherein our excellent primate was engaged, and did nothing but according to law and difcretion. But because the lord archbishop || of Dublin hath been upon several occafions, of late years, mifrepresented in The fellow that was pilloried, was Daniel Defoe, whole name Swift well knew and remembered, but the circumftance of the pillory was to be introduced, and the manner of introducing it fhews great art in the niceft touches of fatire, and carries all the marks of ridicule, indignation, and contempt. ORRERY. He was pilloried for a tract called The horteft way with the diffenters. † Mr. John Tutchin.. England England, I would willingly set you right in his character. For his great fufferings and eminent fervices he was by the late king promoted to the fee of Derry. About the fame time he wrote a book to juftify the revolution, wherein was an account of king James's proceedings in Ireland; and the late archbishop Tillotson recommended it to the king as the most serviceable treatife, that could have been published at fuch a juncture. And as his grace fet out upon thofe principles, he has proceeded fo ever fince as a loyal subject to the queen, entirely for the fucceffion in the protestant line, and for ever excluding the pretender; and though a firm friend to the church, yet with indulgence towards diffenters, as appears from his conduct at Derry, where he was fettled for many years among the most virulent of the fect, yet upon his removal to Dublin they parted from him with tears in their eyes, and univerfal acknowledgments of his wisdom and goodness. For the reft, it must be owned, he does not bufy himself by entering deep into any party, but rather spends his time in acts of hospitality and charity, in building of churches, repairing his palace, in introducing and prefering the worthieft perfons he can find, without other regards in fhort, in the practice of all virtues, that can become a publick or private life. This and more, if poffible, is due to fo excellent a perfon, who may be justly reckoned among the greatest and most learned prelates of this age, however his character may be defiled by fuch mean and dirty hands as thofe of the obfervator, or fuch as employ him.] I now come to answer the other part of your letter, and fhall give you my opinion freely about repealing the facramental teft; only whereas you defire my thoughts as a friend, and not as I am a member of parliament,” I muft affure you they are exactly the fame in both capacities. I must begin by telling you, we are generally furprized at your wonderful kindness to us on this occafion, in being fo very industrious to teach us to fee our interests in a point, where we are fo unable to see it ourfelves. This hath given us fome fufpicion; and though in my own particular I am hugely bent to believe that whenever you concern yourfelves in our affairs, it is certainly for our good, yet I have the misfortune to be fomething fingular in this belief, and therefore I never attempt to justify it, but content myself to poffefs my own opinion in private, for fear of encountering men of more wit or words, than I have to fpare. We at this diftance, who fee nothing of the fpring of actions, are forced by mere conjecture to affign twỏ reafons for your defiring us to repeal the facramental teft; one is, because you are faid to imagine it will be a ftep towards the like good work in England. The other more immediate, that it will open a way for rewarding feveral perfons, who have well deferved upon a great occafion, but who are now unqualified through that impediment. I do not frequently quote poets, especially english: but I remember there is in fome of Mr. Cowley's love verfes a ftrain, that I thought extraordinary at fifteen, and have often fince imagined it to be spoken by Ireland, For Forbid it, heaven, my life should be your : In short, whatever advantage you propofe to yourfelves by repealing the facramental teft, fpeak it out plainly, it is the best argument you can ufe, for we value intereft much more than our own; if your little finger be fore, and you think a poultice made of our vitals will give it ease, speak the word, and it fhall be done the intereft of our whole kingdom is at any time ready to strike to that of your pooreft fishing towns; it is hard you will not accept our fervices, unless we believe at the fame time, that you are only confulting our profit, and giving us marks of your love. If there be a fire at fome diftance, and I immediately blow up my houfe before there be occafion, because you are a man of quality, and apprehend fome danger to a corner of your table; yet why fhould you require me to attend next morning at your levee, with my humble thanks for the favour you have done? If we might be allowed to judge for ourselves, we had abundance of benefit by the Sacramental teft, and foresee a number of mischiefs would be the confequence of repealing it; and we conceive the objections made against it by the diffenters are of no manner of force.. They tell us of their merits in the late war in Ireland, and how chearfully they engaged for the fafety of the nation; that if they had thought they had been fighting only other people's quarrels, perhaps it might have cooled their zeal; and that for the future they fhall fit down quietly, and let us do our work ourselves; nay, that it is neceffary they should do fo, fince they cannot take up arms under the penalty of high treason. L 4 Now |