fcribed to, in fpite of the little arts made ufe of to dif credit them. The juft refentments of fome, which are laudable in themfelves, and which at another juncture it might be proper to give way to, have been foftened or diverted by the calmnefs of others. So that, upon the article of prefent management, I do not fee how any objection of weight can well be raised.

However, our adverfaries ftill alledge, that this great fuccefs was wholly unexpected, and out of all probable view: that in public affairs we ought least of all others to judge by events: that the attempt of changing a miniftry, during the difficulties of a long war, was rafh and inconfiderate that if the Queen were difpofed, by her inclinations, or from any perfonal diflike, for fuch a change, it might have been done with more fafety in a time of peace; that if it had miscarried by any, of thofe incidents, which in all appearance might have intervened, the confequences would perhaps have ruined the whole confederacy: and therefore, however it hath now fucceeded, the experiment was too dangerous to try.

We

But this is what we can by no means allow them. never will admit rafhnefs or chance to have produced all this harmony and order. It is visible to the world, that the feveral fteps towards this change were flowly taken, and with the utmoít caution. The movers obferved as they went on, how matters would bear; and advanced no farther at first, than fo as they might be able to stop or goback, if circumftances were not mature. Things were grown to fuch a height, that it was no longer the question, whether a perfon who aimed at an employment, were a Whig or Tory; much lefs whether he had merit, or proper abilities, for what he pretended to: he must owe his preferment only to the favourites; and the crown was fo far from nominating, that they would not allow it a nega tive. This the Queen was refolved no longer to endure; and began to break into their prefcription, by bestowing one or two places of confequence without confulting her ephori, after they had fixed them for others, and conclu ded as ufual, that all their bufinefs was to fignify their pleafure to her Majefty. But although the perfons the Queen had chofen were fuch as no objection could well

be

325 be raised against upon the fcore of party, yet the oligarchy took the alarm; their fovereign authority was, it feems, called in question; they grew into anger and difcontent, as if their undoubted rights were violated. All former obligations to their fovereign now became cancelled; and they put themselves upon the foot of people, who are hardly ufed after the moft eminent fervices.

I believe all men, who know any thing in politics, will agree, that a prince thus treated by thofe he hath most confided in, and perpetually loaded with his favours, ought to extricate himself as foon as poffible; and is then only blameable in his choice of time, when he defers one minute after it is in his power; becaufe from the monstrous incroachments of exorbitant avarice and ambition he cannot tell how long it may continue to be fo. And it will

be found upon inquiring into hiftory, that moft of those princes who have been ruined by favourites, have owed their misfortune to the neglect of earlier remedies; deferring to struggle, until they were quite funk.

The Whigs are every day curfing the ungovernable rage, the haughty pride, and infatiable covetoufnefs of a certain perfon, as the cause of their fall; and are apt to tell their thoughts, that one fingle removal might have fet all things right. But the interefts of that fingle perfon were found upon experience fo complicated and woven with the rest by love, by awe, by marriage; by alliance, that they would rather confound heaven and earth, than diffolve fuch an union.

I have always heard and understood, that a King of England poffeffed of his people's hearts, at the head of a free parliament, and in full agreement with a great majority, made the true figure in the world that fuch a monarch ought to do; and purfued the real intereft of himfelf and his kingdom. Will they allow her Majefty to be in thofe circumftances at prefent? And was it not plain by the addreffes fent from all parts of the island, and by the visible difpofition of the people, that fuch a parliament would undoubtedly be chofen? And fo it proved without the court's using any arts to influence elections.

What people then are these in

corner, to whom the conftitution

conftitution muft truckle? If the whole nation's credit cannot fupply funds for the war, without humble applications from the entire legislature to a few retailers of money, it is high time we fhould fue for a peace. What new maxims are thefe, which neither we nor our forefathers ever heard of before, and which no wife inftitution would ever allow? Muft our laws from henceforward pass the Bank and Eaft-India company, or have their royal affent before they are in force?

To hear fome of thefe worthy reafoners talking of Credit, that she is so nice, fo fqueamish, fo capricious, you would think they were defcribing a lady troubled with vapours, or the colic, to be removed only by a course of Steel, or fwallowing a bullet. By the narrownefs of their thoughts one would imagine, they conceived the world to be no wider than Exchange-alley. It is probable they may have fuch a fickly dame among them; and it is well if the hath no worfe difeafes, confidering what hands the paffes through. But the National Credit is of another complexion; of found health, and an even temper; her life and exiftence being a quinteffence drawn from the vitals of the whole kingdom: and we find thefe money-politicians, after all their noife, to be of the fame opinion by the court they paid her, when she lately appeared to them in the form of a lottery.

As to that mighty error in politics they charge upon the Queen, for changing her miniftry in the height of a war, I fuppofe it is only looked upon as an error under a Whiggifh adminiftration; otherwife the late King had much to anfwer for, who did it pretty frequently. And it is well known, that the late miniftry of famous memory was brought in during the prefent war; only with this circumftance, that two or three of the chief did first change their own principles, and then took in suitable companions.

But however, I fee no reason why the Tories fhould not value their wifdom by events, as well as the Whigs. Nothing was ever thought a more precipitate, rafh counfel than that of altering the coin at the juncture it was done; yet the prudence of the undertaking was fufficiently justified by the fuccefs. Perhaps it will be faid, that the attempt was neceffary, because the whole fpecies of money

was

327 was fo grievously clipped and counterfeit and is not her Majefty's authority as facred as her coin? and hath not that been moft fcandaloufly clipped and mangled, and often counterfeited too?

It is another grievous complaint of the Whigs, that their late friends, and the whole party are treated with abundance of severity in print, and in particular by the Exa-. miner. They think it hard, that when they are wholly deprived of power, hated by the people, and out of all hope of re-establishing themfelves, their infirmities fhould be fo often difplayed in order to render them yet more odious to mankind. This is what they employ their writers to fet forth in their papers of the week; and it is humorous enough to obferve one page taken up in railing at the Examiner, for his invectives against a discarded miniftry, and the other fide filled with the falfeft and vilest abuses against those who are now in the highest power and credit with their sovereign, and whofe leaft breath would fcatter them into filence and obfcurity. However, although I have indeed often wondered to fee fo much licen. tiousness taken and connived at, and am sure it would not be fuffered in any other country of Christendom; yet I never once invoked the affiftance of the gaol or pillory, which, upon the leaft provocation, was the ufual flyle during their tyranny. There hath not paffed a week these twenty years without fome malicious paper fcattered in every coffeehoufe by the emiffaries of that party, whether it were down or up. I believe they will not pretend to object the fame thing to us: nor do I remember any constant weekly paper with reflections on the late ministry or jun

to.

They have many weak defencelefs parts; they have not been used to a regular attack, and therefore it is that they are fo ill able to endure one, when it comes to be their turn. So that they complain more of a few months truths from us, than we did of all their lies and malice for twice as many years.

I cannot forbear obferving upon this occafion, that those worthy authors I am speaking of, seem to me not fairly to reprefent the fentiments of their party; who in difputing with us do generally give up feveral of the late ministry, and freely own many of their failings. They confefs the

monftrous

monftrous debt upon the navy to have been caused by most fcandalous mifmanagement; they allow the infolence of fome, and the avarice of others, to have been infupportable: but thefe gentlemen are moft liberal of their praises to thofe perfons, and upon thofe very articles, where their wifeft friends give up the point. They gravely tell us, that fuch a one was the most faithful fervant that ever any prince had; another, the most dutiful; a third, the moft generous; a fourth, of the greateft integrity: fo that I look upon thefe champions rather as retained by a cabal than a party; which I defire the reasonable men among them would please to confider.

No 38. Thursday, April 26. 1711.

Indignum eft in ea civitate, quæ legibus continetur, difcedi a legibus.

I

Have been often confidering how it comes to pafs, that the dexterity of mankind in evil fhould always outgrow not only the prudence and caution of private perfons, but the continual expedients of the wifeft laws contrived to prevent it. I cannot imagine a knave to poffefs a greater share of natural wit or genius, than an honest man. I have known very notable fharpers at play, who, upon all occafions, were as great dunces as human fhape can well allow; and I believe the fame might be obferved among the other knots of thieves and pickpockets about this town. The propofition however is certainly true, and to be confirmed by an hundred inftances. A fcrivener, an attorney, a flockjobber, and many other retailers of fraud, fhall not only be able to over-reach others much wifer than themfelves, but find out new inventions to clude the force of any law made against them. I fuppofe the reafon of this may be, that as the aggreffor is faid to have generally the advantage of the defender, fo the makers of the law, which is to defend our rights, have ufually not

fo