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fort be inconfiftent with the safety of the queen; he would be in no danger of being corrupted in his principles, or expofed in his perfon by vicious companions; he could be at the head of no factious clubs and cabals, nor be attended by a hired rabble, which his flatterers might reprefent as a popularity. He would have none of that impatience which the frailty of human nature gives to expecting heirs. There would be no pretence for men to make their court by affecting German modes and refinements in drefs or behaviour: nor would there be an occafion of infinuating to him, how much more his levee was frequented, than the anti-chambers of St. James's. Add to all this, the advantages of being educated in our religion, laws, language, manners, nature of the government, each fo very different from those he would leave behind. By which likewife he might be highly useful to his father, if that prince fhould happen to furvive her majesty.

The late king William, who after his marriage with the lady Mary of England, could have no probable expectation of the crown, and very little even of being a queen's husband (the duke of York having a young wife) was no ftranger to our language or manners, and went often to the chapel of his princefs; which I obferve rather, because I could heartily wifh the like difpofition were in another court, and because it may be difagreeable to a prince to take up new doctrines on a fudden, or fpeak to his fubjects by an interpreter.

An ill-natured or inquifitive man may ftill, perhaps, defire to prefs the queftion further by afking, what is to be done, in cafe it fhould so happen, that this

3

male

malevolent working party at home hath credit enough with the court of Hanover to continue the fufpicion, jealousy, and uneafinefs there against the queen and her miniftry; to make fuch demands be ftill infifted on, as are by no means thought proper to be complied with; and in the mean time to stand at arm's length with her majefty, and in clofe conjunction with those who oppose her.

I take the answer to be easy in all contests the fafeft way is to put thofe, we difpute with, as much in the wrong as we can. When her majesty shall have offered fuch or the like conceffions as I have above mentioned, in order to remove thofe fcruples artificially raised in the mind of the expectant heir, and to divide him from that faction by which he is fuppofed to have been mifled; fhe hath done as much as any prince can do, and more than any other would probably do in her cafe; and will be juftified before God and man, whatever be the event. The equitable part of thofe, who now fide against the court, will probably be more temperate; and, if a due dispatch be made in placing the civil and military power in the hands of fuch as wish well to the conftitution, it cannot be any way for the quiet or intereft of a fucceffor to gratify fo fmall a faction, as will probably then remain, at the expence of a much more numerous and confiderable part of his fubjects. Neither do I fee how the principles of fuch a party, either in religion or government, will prove very agreeable, because I think Luther and Calvin feem to have differed as much as any two among the reformers: and, because a German prince will probably be fufpicious of thofe, who think they can never deprefs the prerogative enough.

But fuppofing, once for all, as far as poffible, that the elector should utterly refuse to be upon any terms of confidence with the prefent miniftry, and all others of their principles, as enemies to him and the fucceffion; nor eafy with the queen her felf: but upon fuch conditions as will not be thought confiftent with her fafety and honour; and continue to place all his hopes and truft in the discontented party. I think it were humbly to be wished, that whenever the fucceffion fhall take place, the alterations intended by the new prince fhould be made by himself, and not by his deputies: because I am of opinion, that the claufe empowering the fucceffor to appoint a latent unlimited number, additional to the feveral regents named in the act, went upon a fuppofition, that the Secret committee would be of fuch, whofe enmity and contrary principles difpofed them to confound the reft. King William, whose title was much more controverted than that of her majefty's fucceffor can ever probably be, did for feveral years leave the administration of the kingdom in the hands of lords juftices, during the heighth of a war, and while the abdicated prince himself was frequently attempting an invafion, from whence one might imagine, that the regents appointed by parliament upon the demise of the crown would be able to keep the peace during an abfence of a few weeks without any colleagues. However, I am pretty confident that the only reafon, why a power was given of chufing dormant viceroys, was to take away all pretence of a neceffity to invite of the family here, during her majefty's life. So that I do not well apprehend what arguments the elector can ufe to infift upon both.

over any

To conclude; the only way of fecuring the confti

tution

tution in church and ftate, and confequently this very proteftant fucceffion itself, will be by leffening the power of our domestic adversaries as much as can poffibly confist with the lenity of our government; and, if this be not speedily done, it will be eafy to point where the nation is to fix the blame for we are well affured, that fince the account her majefty received of the cabals, the triumphs, the infolent behaviour of the whole faction during her late illness at Windsor, fhe hath been as willing to see them deprived of all power to do mifchief, as any of her moft zealous and loyal fubjects can defire.

THOUGHTS

Ο Ν

VARIOUS SUBJECTS.

I WE

E have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one-another. Reflect on things paft, as wars, negociations, factions, etc. we enter fo little into those interests, that we wonder how men could poffibly be fo bufy and concerned for things fo tranfitory; look on the present times, we find the fame humour, yet wonder not at all.

A wife man endeavours, by confidering all circumftances, to make conjectures, and form conclufions; but the smallest accident intervening (and in the course of affairs it is impoffible to foresee all) does often produce fuch turns and changes, that at last he is just as much in doubt of events as the most ignorant and unexperienced perfon.

Pofitiveness is a good quality for preachers and orators, because he that would obtrude his thoughts and reafons upon a multitude, will convince others the more, as he appears convinced himself.

How is it poffible to expect that mankind will take advice, when they will not fo much as take warning?

I forget whether advice be among the loft things, which Arifto fays are to be found in the moon; that and time ought to have been there.

No preacher is liftened to but time, which gives

us