Succeffion, or the Liberties and Religion of their Country; and can fay with Cicero, "that "I should be proud to be included with them in "all their actions tanquam in equo Trojano." But if I have never discovered 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 disapproved 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 it hard, that I am not fuffered to run quietly among the common herd of people, whofe opinions unfortunately differ from thofe 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 those 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

The Examiners, I fup- I amongst the Dean's works, pose, were not then published

Lord

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 elfe but damning the Church, reviling the Clergy, abetting the Diffenters, and fpeaking contemptibly of revealed Religion.

I was difcourfing fome years ago with a certain Minister about that whiggifh 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 foureft leven, and the meanest birth, and whofe pofterity are now in poffeffion of their lands and their principles. However, it must be confeffed, that of late fome people in this country are grown weary of quarrelling, because interest, the great motive of quarrelling, is at an end; for, it is hardly worth contending who fhall be an Excifeman, a CountryVicar, a Cryer in the Courts, or an UnderClerk.

You will perhaps be inclined to think, that a perfon fo ill treated as I have been, must at some time or other have difcovered very dangerous opinions in government; in answer to which, I will tell you what my Political prin

ciples were in the time of her late glorious Majefty, which I never contradicted by any action, writing, or discourse.

First, I always declared myself 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 secondly, 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 topics: and therefore in great Changes when that is broke, there will remain much heart-burning and discontent among the meaner people; which (under a weak Prince and corrupt Administration) may have the worst confequences upon the peace of any state.

As to what is called a Revolution-principle, my opinion was this; That whenever thofe evils, which usually attend and follow a violent change of Government, were not in probability fo pernicious as the grievance we fuffer under a prefent power, then the public good will justify such a Revolution. And this I took to have been the cafe in the Prince of Orange's expedition, although in the consequences it produced

duced fome very bad effects, which are likely to stick long enough by us.

I had likewife in those days a mortal antipa thy against Standing Armies in times of Peace: Because I always took Standing Armies to be only fervants hired by the Master of the family for keeping his own children in flavery; and because I conceived, that a Prince who could not think himself fecure without Mercenary Troops, must needs have a separate interest from that of his Subjects. Although I am not ignorant of those artificial Neceffities which a corrupted Ministry can create, for keeping up Forces to fupport a Faction against the publick Interest.

As to Parliaments, I adored the wisdom of that Gothic Inftitution, 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 grows up a commerce of corruption between the Miniftry and the Deputies, wherein they both find their accounts, to the manifest danger of Liberty? which Traffic would neither answer the design nor expence, if Parliaments met once a year.

I ever abominated that scheme of Politics, (now about thirty years old) of setting 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 foil 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 fuf

pending any Law upon which the Liberty of the most innocent Perfons depended; neither do I think this Practice hath made the taste of Arbitrary Power fo agreeable, as that we should defire to fee it repeated. Every Rebellion fubdued and Plot difcovered, contribute 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 thoufand difadvantages; fo that those diligent enquiries into remote and problematical guilt, with a new power of enforcing them by chains and dungeons to every person whose face a Minifter thinks fit to diflike, are not only oppofite to that Maxim, which declareth it better that ten guilty men fhould escape, than one innocent fuffer; but likewise leave a gate wide

open