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would be wife in them, as individual and private mortals, to look back a little upon the ftorms they have raised, as well as those they have escaped: to reflect, that they have been authors of a new and wonderful thing in England, which is, for a houfe of Commons to lose the universal favour of the number they reprefent: to observe, how thofe, whom they thought fit to perfecute for righteoufnefs fake, have been openly careffed by the people; and to remember, how themselves fat in fear of their persons from popular rage. Now, if they would know the secret of all this unprecedented proceeding in their mafters, they muft not impute it to their freedom in debate, or declaring their opinions, but to that unparliamentary abuse of setting individuals upon their shoulders, who were hated by God and man. For, it feems, the mass of the people, in fuch conjunctures as this, have opened their eyes, and will not endure to be governed by Clodius and Curio, at the head of their myrmidons, though these be ever fo numerous, and compofed of their own reprefentatives.

This averfion of the people, against the late proceedings of the Commons, is an accident, that, if it laft a while, might be improved to good ufes, for fetting the balance of power a little more upon an equality, than their late measures feem to promise or admit. This accident may be imputed to two causes: the first is, an universal fear and apprehenfion of the greatnefs and power of France, whereof the people in general feem to be very much and juftly poffeffed; and, therefore,

cannot

cannot but resent, to see it, in fo critical a juncture, wholly laid afide by their minifters, the Commons. The other caufe, is a great love and sense of gratitude in the people, towards their present King, grounded upon a long opinion and experience of his merit, as well as conceffions to all their reasonable defires; fo that it is, for fome time, they have begun to fay, and to fetch inftances, where he hath, in many things, been hardly used. How long these humours may last, (for paffions are momentary, and especially thofe of a multitude) or what confequences they may produce, a little time will difcover. But, whenever it comes to pass, that a popular assembly, free from fuch obstructions, and already poffeffed of more power than an equal balance will allow, fhall continue to think they have not enough, but, by cramping the hand that holds the balance, and by impeachments or diffenfions with the nobles, endeavour flill for more; I cannot poffibly fee, in the common courfe of things, how the fame causes can produce different effects and confequences among us, from what they did in Greece and Rome.

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THE

PUBLIC SPIRIT OF THE WHIGS,

Set forth in their generous Encouragement of the Author of the CRISIS*.

With fome Obfervations on the seasonableness, candour, erudition, and ftyle of that Treatife.

[Upon the first publication of this pamphlet, all the Scots Lords, then in London, went in a body, and complained to Queen ANNE, of the affront put on them, and their nation, by the author of this treatise. Whereupon, a proclamation was published by her Majesty, offering a reward of 300l. to discover him. The reafon for offering fo fmall a fum, was, that the Queen and miniftry had no defire to have the author taken into cuftody.]

I

Cannot, without fome envy, and a juft refentment against the oppofite conduct of others, reflect upon that generofity and tenderness, wherewith the heads and principal members of a ftruggling

It was written in the year 1712, by the confent, if not the encouragement of the minifters of that æra, in answer to the Crifis, by Sir Richard Steele. Orrery.

The noble commentator, who appears, in another instance, to have given an account of the works of his author, from a perufal of no more than a title f in the Dublin editions, has been betrayed into mistakes, which, if he had read the piece, he would have escaped. This tract, in the title which his Lordship confulted, is faid to have been written in the year 1712: but, in that part of it which most deserves the notice of a critic, because it occafioned a complaint in the house of Lords, mention is

† See the note on Voyage to Brebdingnag, chap. 6. Vol V.

made

ftruggling faction, treat those who will undertake to hold a pen in their defence. And the beha

viour of thefe patrons, is yet the more laudable, becaufe the benefits they confer, are almoft gratis. If of their labourers can fcratch out a pamany phlet, they defire no more; there is no question offered about the wit, the ftyle, the argument. Let a pamphlet come out, upon demand, in a proper juncture, you fhall be well and certainly paid; you fhall be paid beforehand; every one of the party who is able to read, and can fpare a fhilling, fhall be a fubfcriber; feveral thousands of each production fhall be fent among their friends through the kingdom; the work fhall be reported admirable, fublime, unanfwerable; fhall ferve to raise the finking clamours, and confirm the fcandal of introducing popery and the pretender, upon the Queen and her minifters.

Among the prefent writers on that fide, I can recollect but three of any great diftinction, which are, the Flying Poft, Mr. Dunton, and the author

made of a motion to diffolve the union, which did not happen till 1713. The complaint, which is faid in the note to happen upon the first publication, was made the 2d of March 1713-14, and the pamphlet, according to the custom of printers, was dated 1714. Hawkef.

In the style and conduct, this is one of the boldeft, as well as one of the most masterly tracts that Swift ever wrote. And I cannot help obferving, that, on whatever topic he employs his pen, the fubject which he treats of, is always fo excellently managed, as to feem to have been the whole ftudy and application of his life fo that he appears the greatest master, through a greater variety of materials, than perhaps have been difcuffed by any other author. Orrery.

:

author of the Crifis*. The first of thefe, feems to have been much funk in reputation, fince the fudden retreat of the only true genuine original author, Mr. Ridpath, who is celebrated by the Dutch Gazetteer, as one of the best pen's in England. Mr. Dunton hath been longer and more converfant in books than any of the three, as well as more voluminous in his productions: however, having employed his ftudies in fo great a variety of other fubjects, he hath, I think, but lately turned his genius to politics. His famous tract, entitled, Neck or nothing, must be allowed to be the fhrewdeft piece, and written with the most spirit of any, which hath appeared from that fide, fince the change of the miniftry: it is, indeed, a moft cutting fatire upon the Lord Treasurer and Lord Bolingbroke; and I wonder none of our friends ever undertook to answer it. I confefs I was at first of the fame opinion with feveral good judges, who, from the ftyle and manner, fuppofe it to have iffued from the fharp pen of the Earl of Nottingham; and I am ftill apt to think, it might receive his Lordship's laft hand. The third and principal of this triumvirate, is the author of the Crifis; who, although he must yield to the Flying Poft, in knowledge of the world, and skill in politics, and to Mr. Dunton, in keenness of fatire, and variety of reading, hath yet other qualities enough to denominate him a writer of a fuperior

* Mr. Steele was expelled the Houfe of Commons for this pamphlet, at the very fame time that the Houfe of Lords was moved against the Dean for the reply. Hawkef.

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