being a flave to men in power, but chofe my friends by their perfonal merit, without examining how far their notions agreed with the politicks then in vogue. I frequently conversed with Mr. Addison, and the others I named (except Mr. Steel) during all my Lord Oxford's Ministry, and Mr. Addison's friendship to me continued inviolable, with as much kindness as when we used to meet at my Lord Sommers or Hallifax, who were leaders of the oppofite Party.

I would infer from all this, that it is with great injuftice I have these many years been pelted by your Pamphleteers, merely upon account of fome regard which the Queen's laft Minifters were pleafed to have for me: and yet in my confcience I think I am a partaker in every ill defign they had against the Proteftant Succeffion, or the Liberties and Religion of their Country; and can fay with Cicero, that I fhould be proud to be included with them in all their actions * tanquam in equo Trojano. But, if I have never difcovered by my words, writings, or actions, any Party virulence, or dangerous defigns against the prefent powers; if my friendship and converfation were equally fhewn among those who liked or difapproved the proceedings then at Court, and that I was known to be a common Friend of all deferving perfons of the latter fort, when they were in diftrefs; I cannot but think ittard that I am

As if in the Trojan Hør

not

not suffered to run quietly among the common herd of people, whofe opinions unfortunately differ from those which lead to Favour and Preferment.

*

I ought to let you know, that the Thing we called a Whig in England is a creature altogether different from thofe of the fame denomination here; at least it was fo during the reign. of Her late Majefty. Whether those on your fide have changed or no, it hath not been my bufinefs to enquire. I remember my excellent friend Mr. Addison, when he first came over hither Secretary to the Earl of Wharton then Lord Lieutenant, was extremely offended at the conduct and difcourfe of the Chief Managers here: He told me they were a fort of people who seemed to think, that the principles of a Whig confifted in nothing else but damning the Church, reviling the Clergy, abetting the Diffenters, and speaking contemptibly of revealed Religion.

I was difcourfing fome years ago with a certain Minister about that whiggish or fanatical Genius fo prevalent among the English of this kingdom: his Lordship accounted for it by that number of Cromwell's Soldiers, Adventurers established here, who were all of the fourest Leven, and the meanest birth, and whose pofterity are now in poffeffion of their lands and their principles. However, it must be confeffed, that of late fome people in this country

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* Lord Lieutenant of Ireland,

are

are grown weary of quarelling, because intereft, the great inotive of quarelling is at an end; for, it is hardly worth contending who fhall be an Excise-man, a Country-Vicar, a Cryer in the Courts, or an Under-Clerk.

You will perhaps be inclined to think, that a perfon fo ill treated as I have been, must at fome time or other have difcovered very dangerous opinions in government; in answer to which, I will tell you what my Political principles were in the time of her late glorious Majefty, which I never contradicted by any action, writing or difcourfe.

First, I always declared my self against a Popish Succeffor to the Crown, whatever Title he might have by the proximity of blood: Neither did I ever regard the right line, except upon two accounts; firft, as it was established by law; and fecondly, as it hath much weight in the opinions of the people. For neceffity may abolish any Law, but cannot alter the fentiments of the vulgar; Right of inheritance being perhaps the most popular of all topicks; and therefore in great Changes when that is broke, there will remain much heart-burning and difcontent among the meaner people; which (under a weak Prince and corrupt Administration) may have the worft confequences the peace of any ftate.

upon

As to what is called a Revolution-principle, my opinion was this; That, whenever those evils which usually attend and follow a violent change

change of government, were not in probability fo pernicious as the grievances we fuffer under a prefent power, then the publick good will justify fuch a Revolution; and this I took to have been the Cafe in the Prince of Orange's expedition, although in the confequences it produced fome very bad effects, which are likely to stick long enough by us.

I had likewife in those days a mortal antipathy against Standing Armies in times of Peace, Because I always took Standing Armies to be only fervants hired by the mafter of the family, for keeping his own children in flavery: And because, I conceived, that a Prince who could not think himself secure without Mercenary Troops, muft needs have a feparate interest from that of his fubjects. Although I am not ignorant of thofe artificial Neceffities which a corrupted Ministry can create, for keeping up forces to fupport a Faction against the publick Intereft.

As to Parliaments, I adored the Wisdom of that Gothic Institution, which made them Annual: and I was confident our Liberty could never be placed upon a firm Foundation until that ancient Law were restored among us. For, who fees not, that while fuch Affemblies are permitted to have a longer Duration, there groweth up a Commerce of Corruption between the Miniftry and the Deputies, wherein they both find their Accounts to the manifeft Danger of Liberty?

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Liberty? which Traffick would neither anfwer the Defign nor Expence, if Parliaments met once a Year.

I ever abominated that Scheme of Politicks, (now about thirty Years old) of fetting up a monied Interest in Oppofition to the landed, For, I conceived, there could not be a truer Maxim in our Government than this, That the Poffeffors of the Soil are the best Judges of what is for the Advantage of the Kingdom: If others had thought the fame Way, Funds of Credit and South-fea Projects would neither have been felt nor heard of.

I could never difcover the Neceffity of fufpending any Law upon which the Liberty of the most innocent Perfons depended: neither do I think this Practice hath made the Tafte of Arbitrary Power fo agreeable as that we fhould defire to fee it repeated. Every Rebellion fubdued and Plot discovered, contributeth to the firmer Establishment of the Prince. In the latter Cafe, the Knot of Confpirators is entirely broke, and they are to begin their work anew under a thousand Disadvantages; fo that thofe diligent Enquiries into remote and problematical Guilt, with a new Power of enforcing them by Chains and Dungeons to every Perfon whofe Face a Minifter thinketh fit to diflike, are not only oppofite to that Maxim, which declareth it better that ten guilty Men should efcape, than one innocent fuffer, but likewife leave a Gate wide open to the whole Tribe of

Infor