Some ADVICE humbly offered to the Mem

Lers of the OCTOBER CLUB.

In a Letter from a Person of Honour.

Written in the year 1711.

The PUBLISHER'S PREFACF.

A

Bout the year, when her late Majefty of bleffed memory thought proper to change her miniftry, and brought in Mr Hailey, Mr St John, Sir Simon Harcourt, and fome others; the first of thefe being made an Earl and Lord Treasurer, he was foon after blamed by his friends. for not making a general fweep of all the Wigs, as the latter did of their adverfaries upon her Majefty's death, when they came into power. At that time a great number of parliament-men, amounting to above two hundred, grew fo warm upon the flowness of the Treafurer in this part, that they formed themselves into a body under the name of the October Club, and had many meetings to confult upon fome methods that might spur on thofe in power, fo that they might make a quicker dispatch in removing all of the Whig leaven from the employments they ftill poffeffed. To prevent the ill confequences of this difcontent among fo many worthy members, the reft of the miniftry jained with the Treasurer partly to pacify, and partly to divide thofe, who were in greater hafte than moderate men thought convenient. It was well known, that the fuppofed author met a confiderable number of this club in a public houfe, where he convinced them very plainly of the Treasurer's fincerity, with many of thofe very reafons which are urged in the following discourse, befides fome others, which were not fo proper to appear at that time in print.

The

The Treasurer alledged in his defence, that such a treatment would not confift with prudence, because there were many employments to be beflowed, which required skill and practice; that feveral gentlemen who poffeffed them, had been long verfed, very loyal to her Majefly, had ne ver been violent party-men, and were ready to fall into all honeft measures for the fervice of their Queen and country. But however, as offices became vacant, he would humbly recommend to her Majesty fuch gentlemen, whose principles with regard both to church and ftate his friends would approve of, and he would be ready to accept their recommendations. Thus the Earl proceeded in procuring employments for thofe who deferved them by their honer fty and abilities to execute them; which I confefs to have been a fingularity not very likely to be imitated However, the gentlemen of this club ftill continued uneafy that no quicker progrefs was made in removals, until those who were leaft violent began to foften a little, or by dividing them the whole affair dropped. During this difficulty we have been affured, that the following difcourfe was very feasonably published with great fuccefs, fhewing the difficulties that the Earl of Oxford lay under, and his real defire, that all perfons in employment fhould be truly loyal churchmen, zealous for her Majesty's honour and fafety, as well as for the fucceffion in the houfe of Hanover, if the Queen fhould happen to die without iffue. This difcourfe having been published about the year 1711, and many of the facts forgotten, would not have been generally understood without fome explanation, which we have now endeavoured to give, because it feems a point of hi story too material to be loft. We owe this piece of intel ligence to an intimate of the fuppofed author.

tod. Some

Some ADVICE humbly offered to the Mem bers of the OCTOBER CLUB *.

GENTLEMEN,

INCE the first inftitution of your fociety, I have al

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ways thought you capable of the greatest things. Such a number of perfons, members of parliament, true lovers of our constitution in church and state, meet'ing at certain times, and mixing bufinefs and converfation together, without the forms and constraint neceffary to be obferved in public affemblies, muft very much improve each. other's understanding, correct and fix your judgment, and prepare yourselves against any 'defigns of the oppofite party. Upon the opening of this feffion an incident hath happened,

This pamphlet was written in the year 1711, and is fo ap plicable to that particular time. that I fhall not make any animadverfions upon it. From political tracts, the true hiftory of Engfand is to be deduced. and if foreigners were to enter into that branch of reading, they might frame a more distinct notion of our legiflature, and of our manners, than from more laboured and connected accounts of our conftitution. In fuch a view, I am apt to think, that, at firft fight, they must behold us a difunited, difcontented, and feemingly an unfteady people. But I am certain, that, upon a more minute difquifition, they must find in us a fixed, and, I may fay, an innate love of liberty, variegated, and perhaps fometimes erroneous in its progrefs, but conftant and unwearied in the purfuit of that glorious end. What people upon earth can defire a more exalted, or a more diftinguished character? To speak in the dialect of the Heathen world, our errors are the errors of men, our principles are the principles of gods. Orrery.

Perhaps that clear, impartial account of the indigefted schemes of the October club, as it fell accidentally from the pen of Dr Swift, may throw fome additional light upon the history of that era, which, it must be confefled, is very greatly wanted; and at the fame time be a caution to all worthy and fober men, who principally intend the good of their country, in all their reafon

pened, to provide against the confequences whereof will require your utmoft vigilance and application. All this lalt fummer the enemy was working under ground, and laying their train; they gradually became more frequent and bold in their pamphlets and papers, while those on our fide were dropped, as if we had no farther occafion for them. Some time before an opportunity fell into their hands, which they have cultivated ever fince; and thereby have endeavoured in fome fort to turn thofe arts against us, which had been fo effectually employed to their ruin: a plain demonftration of their fuperior fkill at intrigue; to make a tratagem fucceed a fecond time, and this even against those who first tried it upon them. I know not whether this opportunity I have mentioned could have been prevented by any care without ftraining a very tender point, which thofe chiefly concerned avoided by all means, be cause it might feem a counterpart of what they had fo much condemned in their predeceffors; although it is cer

ings and debates, not violently to oppofe and diftrefs any miniftry whatsoever, who defire to act with temper and moderation upon conftiutional principles. His account of them runs in thefe terms. "We are plagued with an October club, that is, a fet of "above an hundred parliament-men of the country, who drink "October beer at home, and meet every evening at a tavern

near the parliament, to confult affairs, and drive things on to "extremes against the Whigs; to call the old miniftry to ac"count, and get off five or fix heads. The miniftry feem not "to regard them; yer one of them in confidence told me, that "there must be fomething thought on to fettle things better. "I'll tell you one great Cate-fecret. The Queen, fenfible how "much the was governed by the late miniftry, runs a little into "the other extreme; and is jealous in that point even of thofe who got her out of the other's hands. The miniftry is for gentler meafures, and the other Tories for more violent. Lord "Rivers talking to me the other day, curfed the paper called "the Examiner, for fpeaking civilly of the Duke of Marlbo"rough. This I happened to talk of to the Secretary, who "blamed the warmth of that Lord and fome others; and fwore, "that if their advice were followed, they would be blown up in

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twenty-four hours. And I have reafon to think, that they "will endeavour to prevail on the Queen, to put her affairs more "in the hands of a ministry than fhe does at prefent: and there "are, I believe, two men thought on; one of them you have " often met the name of in my letters." Swift's letter to Stella, Feb. 18. 1710. Swift.

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tain the two cafes were widely different; and if policy had once got the better of good nature, all had been safe, for there was no other danger in view: but the confequences of this were forefeen from the beginning; and those who kept the watch had early warning of it. It would have been a masterpiece of prudence in this cafe to have made a friend of an enemy. But whether that were poffible to be compaffed, or whether it were ever attempted, is now too late to inquire. All accommodation was rendered defperate by an unlucky proceeding fome months ago at Windfor, which was a declaration of war too frank and generous for that fituation of affairs; and I am told, was not approved by a certain great minifter. It was obvious to fuppofe, that in a particular, where the honour and intereft of a husband were fo clofely united with thofe of a wife, he might be fure of her utmost endeavours for his protection, although the neither loved nor esteemed him. The danger of lofing power, favour, profit, and a shelter from domestic tyranny, were strong incitements to ftir up a working brain early practised in all the arts of intriguing. Neither is it fafe to count upon the weakness of any man's understanding, who is thoroughly poffeffed with the fpirit of revenge to fharpen his invention: nothing elfe is required befides obfequioufness and affiduity; which, as they are often the talents of those who have no better, fo they are apt to make impreffions upon the beft and greatest minds,

It was no fmall advantage to the defigning party, that, fince the adventure at Windfor, the perfon on whom we fo much depend was long abfent by ficknefs; which hindered him from purfuing thofe meafures that minifters are in prudence forced to take to defend their country and themselves against an irritated faction. The negotiators on the other fide improved this favourable conjuncture to the utmost; and by an unparallelled boldnefs, accompa nied with many falfehoods, purfuaded certain lords, (who were already in the fame principle, but were afraid of making a wrong ftep, left it should lead them out of their coaches into the dirt), that voting in appearance againft the court would be the fafeft courfe to avoid the danger they moft apprehended, which was that of lofing their penfions; and their opinions, when produced, would by feemingly

contradicting