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THE

LETTER IIL

Octob. 26. 1688.

HE too near Neighbourhood of Holland has thrown our Administration into a violent Ague; the hot Fit and the cold quickly fucceed each other. Public Justice is in a fluctuating Condition, it depends on the Winds and Weather, like the Rate of Infurance of Ships on their Voyages. By the Proceedings of the High-CommiffionCourt, we know which Way the Wind blows; 'tis a mere Barometer, with this Difference from the common Experiment with Mercury, that the Credit and Power of that Court rife high with a Wefterly Wind, or a Storm; an Eafterly Gale finks them down to nothing.

An old Gentleman, a Friend of mine, determin'd to mount in Armour for his Majefty, when firft he heard of this Invasion; he has an inveterate Enmity to the Whigs, for cutting down his Timber in the Days of Sequeftration: But indeed. this last low, little Shuffling, between Grace and. Oppreffion, has brought him to have a very mean Opinion of the Royal Candour and Integrity, as well as of the Wisdom and Honefty of the Counfellors: And now my Friend is refolved to wait the Event of Affairs in a whole Skin; an Alteration which I strongly fufpect to have happen'd to many! and even to fome of the military People. The Inftability of our Councils, is a fure Symptom of a languishing Cause: A Soul by Turns fo temerarious and pufillanimous, as on every little. Opportunity to fly out into Acts of Wrong, and on every little Check fhamefully to cry, Peccavi:

Such

Such a Soul is only fit to animate the worst of Tyrants. I think 'twas Caligula that would run and hide under the Bed when it thunder'd, but could pifs on the Statues of the Gods, when he thought the Danger was over; and it was he too, that wish'd the People of Rome had but one Neck, that he might deftroy them at a Stroke. Surely the Minifters defign to pervert People from their Loyalty; they could never elfe give fuch manifeft Occafion for Defection. A Verbose Frenchman told the Cardinal de Richlieu, that God might reft the Government of the whole World on the Cardinal's Wisdom: If this Compliment were true, our Country might afford a tolerable Contraft; for we have got Statesmen equal to the Task, if the Almighty in his Wrath fhould refolve to destroy the World by the Pravity of human Councils. But he that brings Good out of Evil, is yet able to fave us.

LETTER IV:

Novemb. 2. 1688.

Do not wonder you fhould fufpect me to be almost a Whig; for 'tis moft certain, I can't perfuade myself to draw a Sword to deftroy my Religion and Liberty: And yet I wish a Temper could be found to fave both Prince and People. It is true, that there are Dangers to be apprehended from the Invader, and that must be the Cafe, let who will draw the Sword for us. I alfo agree with you, that there is no natural Connection between Popery and Slavery; that the Design of impofing both at once on this Nation, is only accidental that a Proteftant Prince may forge Chains for his

People,

Princess of Orange, he points out these Lines for that Purpose.

Ten thoufand Thanks the Nation owes
To him who does protect us all;
For while he thus his Niece beftows,
About our Ifle he builds a Wall ";
Stronger than that which Athens had,
By th' Oracle's Advice, of Wood:
Had theirs been fuch as Charles has made,
Their mighty State till now had stood.

But if Waller prophefied, he prophefied unwittingly, like Caiaphas the High-Prieft, or perhaps like Virgil in his Pollio; for he was too devoted to the Court, and had too little Pain for his Country, to dream of what has happen'd at this Day.

LETTER VI.

Decemb. 13. 1688.

Do not fuppofe that the Country is in perfect Tranquillity: Our Tumults in Town certainly equal thofe at Conftantinople, when they depofe their Sultans. I fhould not like, at prefent, to be mistaken for a Papist, much less for a Jefuit, in the Streets of London. We muft never more pretend to be a civilized People, nor call the Afiaticks, nor Africans, Barbarous. 'Tis a Reproach to the Nation, that no Method is found to restrain the Licence of the raging Multitude. Not content with hunting the Priefts and Friars, and demolishing their Popish Countrymen, they have violated the Law of Nations, the Character of Ambaffadors has not been facred to them.

If one could be a mere Spectator of their Pranks, (without any Concern for the Reputation of our Country) they have been exhibiting a Farce to us, ridiculous enough in Conscience; they have by Miftake fallen upon their best Friend the Spanish Ambaffador, as Sir Martin Mar-all often does upon his trufty Servant Warner. They little know how devoted the Don is to their Party. There are also great Numbers among them who rife to pillage, and would be glad to plunder the Rich of both Parties.

It is wonderful, that those who are moft deeply concerned, were the laft in the Kingdom to foresee these Calamities. Surely Men are infatuated on thefe Occafions. We hardly find in History a weak Prince who forefees his own Ruin a Month beforehand: Nay, they are generally more fecure near the Crifis of their Fate than ever they were before, as if Solomon's Obfervation were conftantly to be verified, Pride cometh before Deftruction, and an haughty Spirit before a Fall.

LETTER VII.

February 9. 1688-9.

Acta eft Alea, We have drawn the Sword, and thrown away the Scabbard : We

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have put it out of our Power to retreat. thought, that in Confequence of laying afide the King, the Birth of the Young Gentleman would naturally have been the next Enquiry; and indeed if he had been left in the Kingdom, it could not eafily have been avoided. But I fuppofe his Friends thought the Air of London bad for his Health; for

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People, as well as a Popifh one; that Proteftant Danes are Slaves, and Popifh Switzers Freemen : But thus ftands our particular Cafe, Our Prince has avow'd a Design to govern without Law; the Invader disclaims that odious Project: We are certain of our Ruin on the one hand, we have fome reasonable Hopes of efcaping on the other.

It would not be eafy for the Invader immediately to become abfolute: That would depend upon a Standing-Army. The Power he brings won't be fufficient to effect his principal Enterprize without a large Concurrence of Englifhmen; and the Officers will be generally People of Families, who will hardly on a fudden concur with Foreigners to enflave themfelves: And I think the Prince's Hands will be too full of Enemies both at home and abroad, to hazard the Lofs of his new Friends as foon as he has got them, and to provoke the fame People who invited him in, to turn him out again. No Minifters that he can employ will fuddenly give fuch Advice, Even Minifters don't love Standing Armies; don't defire to fee their Prince above Law, unless they have had time enough to commit Crimes that make them afraid of Law, and glad of the Refuge of an Arbitrary Protection: They approve of, and advance an abfolute Power to protect them, only in Proportion to their own Neceffities. A Man who has acquir'd a good Fortune, naturally wishes to fecure his Property in it, and to tranfmit that Property fafe to his Pofterity: Nothing but the Terrors that attend on Guilt, can alter that Defire, and they indeed can alter it. If he knows that his injur'd Country has had Cause to demand Vengeance upon him, he verifies the Devil's Obfervation, All that a Man bath, will he give for his Life.

LET

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