"traordinary Modesty, it feems, will not fuffer Them "to mention; but as it is eafy to read them in their "Behaviour, We hope We may take the Liberty to do "it for them. "First, their infufferable Ambition and bafe Avarice "could not be fatisfy'd, without engrossing to Them. felves the whole Truft and Power of the Nation. "This made Them, when They had the Reins of the "Administration in their own Hands, for keeping all Things upon the fame narrow Bottom as formerly; left, if there were a Relaxation of Terms and Penal"ties, there fhould be too many Sharers in the Bene"fits, which make Men cry fo loud for thofe Diftincti"ons, which enrich and aggrandize one Party of Pro"testants, and difable all others from ferving either Themfelves, or their Country. "Secondly, now their Pride and Obstinacy have dri"ven Them out of the Miniftry, They are furiously "bent upon Revenge, and the Purfuit of thofe Mea"fures, that may clog and overpower it; fo that it is "no Wonder They would debar it from a new Ac"ceffion of Strength. "And lastly, They would fain convince the Nation "that it is impoffible for it to enjoy a firm and lasting "Settlement and Tranquility, or to procure any new "Advantages, under any Ministry but their own. "Now the natural Refult of wife Men's Thoughts upon all This muft be, to conclude that it was a "Spirit of Party (and not a truly publick Spirit, or $6 any real Affection to our Interest) which govern'd "these Gentlemen, when They formerly appear'd Ad"vocates in our Caufe; and that it is the fame Spirit, "by which They continue to be govern'd. I chafe to quote thefe Paffages at length, not only to prove my prefent Point, but to put the ministerial Advocates in mind that Ambition, Avarice, Disappointment, Revenge and Faction are not the peculiar Characteristicks of our prefent Country-Gentlemen; but were were as ftrongly charged upon their own Patron, when He profefs'd that Character, even by Diffenters themfelves, as they can be now to any Gentlemen in Oppofi tion to Him. It is likewife infinuated, in this Pamphlet, that Bifhop HOADLEY was obliged to the fame Gentleman and his Adherents for the Favour of fetting the Convocation on his Back, in order to deter the Ministry from relieving the Diffenters; upon which our Authors make the fol lowing Obfervation. 66 66 "This mean Malice of juftifying their former Neglect of Us, by directly oppofing our Intereft, ought to be fo far from deterring truely great Men from attempting to relieve Us, that it should animate "Them with juft Refentment against THOSE, who "would make their most laudable Actions unpopular, "and tye up their Hands by the noify, ill-grounded "Clamours of the Church's Danger. Bring but this "Bufinefs once into the House, and leave their own "Shame to keep Them filent at leaft. Even the Men, "whofe Side They now ftrengthen, fhould They "openly oppose this Affair, will with Contempt hear every Speech, that contradicts their Declaration, when it was thought neceffary to oppose THEM, and court Us; and doubt not that their own Fears will keep Them from voting against all their former "Arguings. 66 66 66 66 I now leave the World to determine whether Mr. Walfingham's Patron is not particularly mark'd out in thefe Paffages; but the Authors found themselves miftaken in his Complection; fince neither Shame, nor Fear could reftrain Him upon this Occafion; for He open'd his Mouth against Them, in the most violent Manner, without any Regard to his former Declarations, or Arguings, and exerted his whole Strength to defeat the BILL, which was calculated for their Relief. This is the Fact, which I afferted, and Mr. Walfingbam undertook to difprove; but when He came to the the Point, He confirms what I said in the main, and only tells us, by Way of Apology for his PATRON, that He acted in Conjunction with the late Duke of DEVONSHIRE and the late Earl CowPER; upon which He runs into a long rigmarole Defence of those noble Peers, whofe Names were not fo much as mention'd, till He brought them upon the Stage. It is true, indeed, that the late Duke of DEVONSHIRE generally concurr'd with THIS GENTLEMAN'S Measures, whether in, or out of Power; and, no Doubt, He ought to retain a very great Regard for his Grace's Memory, upon that Account. It is likewise true, that the late Earl CowPER opposed the BILL under Confideration, as it was first brought into the House of Lords; for it contain'd not only a Repeal of the Conformity and Schifm-Acts, but likewife of the Sacramental Teft. Now, it appears that Lord CowPER diftinguish'd in this Cafe, and declared that He would readily give his Vote for repealing the SCHISMACT; and made no Objection, as far as I can find, to the Repeal of the CONFORMITY-ACT; whereas it does not appear, upon Enquiry, that Mr. WALSINGHAM'S PATRON made any fuch Difcrimination, but very warmly oppofed the Bill in general. Befides, I cannot help thinking that the late Earl Cowper is fomewhat improperly introduced as this Genteman's COMPURGATOR, whofe Measures He is known to have opposed, even to his dying Day. But there is another Circumftance ftill behind, in Favour of the HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN, which Mr. Walfingham feems to think a Clincher. He tells as very confidently that Mr. PY Himself Spoke and voted in the fame Manner; upon which He condefcends to commence an Advocate for THAT GENTLEMAN, and is fo good as to put an Apology into his Mouth. Now, fuppofing this Circumftance to be true, I cannot conceive how it affects the Point in Difpute between Mr. Walfingham and Me; or proves that that his PATRON hath any particular Right to the Favour of the DISSENTERS, more than OTHER GEN TLEMEN, who have acted the fame Part towards Them. I fpeak This, under a Suppofition, that the Cir cumftance of Mr. Px's peaking and voting against the Repeal of the SCHISM-ACT is true; but pray, Mr. Walfingham, where did you pick up this Intelligence; or in what Book did you meet with it? Are you fure that Mr. P y was even in Town, or present in the Houfe, at that Time? If you are, be fo good as to let us know what He faid upon this Occasion; for, no Doubt, you are fully acquainted with it, and having had ONE LYE already pinn'd upon you, in this Debate, have taken effectual Care not to be con victed of another. As for my Part, I have examined the most authentick Memoirs of thofe Times, which are yet publifh'd, and cannot fo, much as find Mr. Py's Name mention'd upon that Occafion. In the Hiftorical Regifter We have an Account of the principal Speakers both for and against the REPEAL; amongst the latter of whom the Names of Mr. Ho RATIO WLE and Mr. ROBERT WLE are particularly mention'd; but there is an abfolute Silence as to Mr. Py. It is therefore incumbent on you, Mr. Walfingham, to acquaint the World with your Authority for this Affertion. I hope you did not receive your Information from the fame Perfon, who gave you the Account of Mr. Py's tampering with a JURYMAN, about two Years ago, in the Exchequer Coffee-boufe; which you promised to prove by undoubted Evidence, but have not yet made your Words good, though feveral Times call'd upon and defy'd to do it This is all I fall fay at prefent to Mr. Walfingham; who is fo utterly abandon'd to all Senfe of Shame, that He will not fcruple to affert any Thing, even the MOST, NOTORIOUS FALSHOODS, in order to ferve a prefent Purpose. I fhall therefore leave Him to wallow in that Mire, for which He was defign'd by Nature, and in which only He feems to take any Delight. I cannot conclude, without acknowledging that though Mrs. Osborne is certainly a very filly, prating, old Gentlewoman, yet She feems to have fome Regard for Veracity, and very fairly gives up her Patron, as to the Repeal of the SCHISM-ACT. I fhall therefore, in my next Paper, make fome Obfervations on what She hath advanced upon this Argument, with relation to the DISSENTERS. D. No 379. SATURDAY, October 6, 1733. Some Confiderations on the true Iutereft of the N my laft Paper, I did Mrs. Osborne the Juftice to acknowledge that She hath paid fome Regard to Veracity, in this Difpute, by giving up her Patron, as to the Repeal of the SCHISM-ACT; and it is very obvious that She hath likewife given up her Brother Walfingham, at the fame Time particularly in that Paffage, where She says ; I own, with the Craftsman, (for I am never afhamed to -4 own the Truth) that the GENTLEMAN did vote against the REPEAL. I then thought Him wrong, fays She, in doing it, and I think fo now" whereas Mr. Walfingham afferted and undertook to prove, that the SAME GENTLEMAN voted for that REPEAL, iz every Step of its Progress through the House of Commons, VOL. XI. e But |