and dangerous a conjuncture. What shall we, who heartily approve and join in thofe proceedings, fay in defence of them? We own the juncture of affairs to be as they defcribe: we are pushed for an answer; and are forced at last freely to confefs, that the corruptions and abuses in every branch of the administration were fo numerous and intolerable, that all things must have ended in ruin without fome speedy reformation. This I have already afferted in a former paper; and the replies I have read, or heard, have been in plain terms to affirm the direct contrary; and not only to defend and celebrate the late perfons and proceedings, but to threaten me with law and vengeance for cafting reflections on fo many great and honourable men, whofe birth, virtue, and abilities, whofe morals and religion, whofe love of their country, and its conftitution in church and fate, were fo univerfally al'lowed; and all this fet off with odious comparifons, reflecting on the prefent choice: is not this in plain and direct terms to tell all the world, that the Queen hath, in a moft dangerous crifis, turned out a whole fet of the best minifters, that ever ferved a prince, without any manner of reafon, but her royal pleafure, and brought in others of a character directly contrary? And how fo vile an opinion as this can confilt with the leaft pretence to loyalty. or good manners, let the world determine. I confefs myfelf fo little a refiner in politics, as not to be able to discover what other motive, besides obedience to the Queen, a fense of public danger, and a true love of their country, joined with invincible courage, could fpirit up thofe great men, who have now under her. Majefty's authority, undertaken the direction of affairs. What can they expect, but the utmost efforts of malice, from a fet of enraged domeftic adverfaries, perpetually watching over their conduct, crolling all their defigns, and ufing every art to foment divifions among them, in order to join with the weakeft, upon any rupture? The difficulties they must encounter are nine times more and greater than ever; and the proffects of intereft, after the reapings and gleanings of fo many years, nine times less, Every misfortune at home or abroad, although the neceffary confequence of former counfels, will be imputed to them; them; and all the good fuccefs given to the merit of former schemes. A fharper hath held your cards all the evening, played booty, and loft your money; and, when things are almost defperate; you employ an honest gentleman to retrieve your loffes. I would afk, whether the Queen's fpeech doth not contain her intentions in every particular relating to the public, that a good subject, a Briton, and a Proteftant can poffibly have at heart? To carry on the war in all its parts, particularly in Spain, with the utmost vigour, in order "to procure a fafe and honourable peace for us and our allies; to find fome ways of paying the debts of the navy; to fupport and encourage the church of Eng"land; to preferve the British conftitution according to the union; to maintain the indulgence by law allowed “to scrupulous confciences; and to employ none but fuch "as are for the Proteftant fucceffion in the houfe of Ha"nover." It is known enough, that speeches on these occafions are ever digefted by the advice of those who are in the chief confidence; and confequently, that thefe are the fentiments of her Majesty's minifters, as well as her own; and we see the two houfes have unanimously agreed with her in every article. When the leaft counterpaces are made to any of thefe refolutions, it will then be time enough for our malecontents to bawl out Popery, perfecution, arbitrary power, and the pretender. In the mean while, it is a little hard to think, that this ifland can hold but fix men of honesty and ability enough to ferve their prince and country; or that our fafety fhould depend upon their credit, any more than it would upon the breath in their noftrils. Why fhould not a revolution in the' miniftry be fometimes neceffary, as well as a revolution in the crown? It is to be prefumed, the former is at least as lawful in itfelf, and perhaps the experiment not quite fo dangerous. The revolution of the fun about the earth was formerly thought a neceffary expedient to folve ap pearances, although it left many difficulties unanfwered; until philofophers contrived a better, which is that of the earth's revolution about the fun. This is found upon experience to fave much time and labour, to correct many irregular irregular motions, and is better fuited to the refpect due from a planet to a fixed flár. No 19. Thursday, December 14. 1710. Sunt quibus in satira videar nimis acer, et ultra Hen the printer came last week for his copy, he W brought along with him a bundle of those papers, which, in the phrafe of Whig coffeehouses, have fwinged off the Examiner; most of which I had never feen or heard of before.. I remember fome time ago in one of the Tatlers to have read a letter, wherein feveral reasons are affigned for the prefent corruption and degeneracy of our taste; but I think the writer hath omitted the principal one, which I take to be the prejudice of parties. Neither can I excufe either side of this infirmity: I have heard the arranteft drivellers pro and con commended for their fhrewdnefs, even by men of tolerable judgment; and the beft performances exploded as nonfenfe and ftupidity. This indeed may partly be imputed to policy and prudence; but it is chiefly owing to that blindnefs, which prejudice and paffions caft over the understanding: I mention this because I think it properly within my province in quality of Examiner. And, having granted more than is ufual for an enemy to do, I must now take leave to fay, that fo weak a caufe, and fo ruined a faction, were never provided with pens more refembling their condition, or lefs fuited to their occafions. Non tali auxilio, nec defenforibus iftis, Tempus eget. This is the more to be wondered at, when we confider," they have the full liberty of the prefs; that they have no other way left to recover themselves; and that they want not men of excellent parts to set their arguments in VOL. II. T the the beft light they will bear. Now, if two men would argue on both fides with fairness, good fenfe, and good manners, it would be no ill entertainment to the town, and perhaps be the most effectual means to reconcile us. But I am apt to think, that men of great genius are hardly brought to prostitute their pens in a very odious caufe; which befides is more properly undertaken by noise and impudence, by grofs railing and fcurrility, by calamny and lying, and by little trifling cavils and carpings in the wrong place, which thofe uhifflers ufe for arguments and answers. I was well enough pleafed with a story of one of these anfwerers, who in a paper laft week found many faults with a late calculation of mine. Being, it feems, more deeply learned than his fellows, he was refolved to begin his answer with a Latin verfe, as well as other folks. His bufine was to look out for fomething against an Examiner, that would pretend to tax accounts; and turning over Virgil he had the luck to find these words, fugiant examina taxos : So down they wer, and out they would have come, if one of his unlucky prompters had not hindered it. • I here declare, once for all, that if these people will not be quiet, I fhall take the bread out of their mouths, and anfwer the Examiner myfelf; which I proteft I have ne ver yet done, although I have been often charged with it; neither have thofe anfwers been written or published with my privity, as malicious people are pleafed to give out; nor do I believe the common Whiggish report, that the authors are hired by the miniftry to give my paper a value. But the friends of this paper have given me more uneasiness with their impatience, than its enemies by their anfwers. I heard myself cenfured last week by fome of the former for promifing to difcover the corruptions of the late adminiftration, but never performing any thing. The latter, on the other fide, are thundering out their anathemas against me for difcovering fo many. a lofs how to decide between thefe contrarics, therefore proceed after my own way, as I have I am at and fhall hitherto done; done; my defign being of more importance, than that of writing only to gratify the fpleen of one fide, or provoke that of the other, although it may occafionally have both effects. I fhall therefore go on to relate fome facts, that, in my humble opinion, were no hinderance to the change of the miniftry. The first I shall mention, was that of introducing certain new phrafes into the court-style, which had been very feldom, or never, made use of in former times. They ufually run in the following terms. "Madam, I cannot "ferve you while fuch a one is in employment. I de"fire, humbly, to refign my commiffion, if Mr " continues fecretary of state. I cannot answer that the 66 city will lend money, unlefs my L-d be Prefi"dent of the council. I muft beg leave to furrender, except has the staff. I must not accept the feals, "unless comes into the other office." This hath been the language of late years from fubjects to their prince. Thus they stood upon terms, and must have their own conditions to ruin the nation. Nay, this dutiful manner of capitulating had spread so far, that every understrap. per began at length to perk up and affume; he expected a regiment; or his fon must be a major; or his brother a collector; elfe he threatened to vote according to his confcience. Another of their glorious attempts was the claufe intended in the bill for the encouragement of learning, by taking off the obligation upon fellows of colleges in both universities to enter upon, holy orders: the defign.of which, as I have heard the undertakers often confefs, was to remove the care of educating youth out of the hands of the clergy, who are apt to infufe into their pupils too great à regard for the church and the monarchy. But there was a farther fecret in this clause, which may best be discovered by the first projectors, or at leaft the garblers of it; and thefe are known to be Colins and Tindal, in conjunction with a moft pious lawyer, their difciple.. What fhall we fay to their prodigious skill in arithmetic, difcovered fo conftantly in their decifion of elections; where they were able to make out by the rule of false, T 2 that |