pectations are to grow with their Succefs, how they can ever be contended? Whether they have not got the End? and if they have, whether it is not Folly to purfue the Means? Whether if the Power of the Crown, and of the Lords, were greatly lefs, the Commons could be long without engroffing all? Let them examine, whether it is not their Nature, and that of every People, to rife in their Demands for Power, as they encrease in it? Whether, if they had as much more, as fome very ho neftly, though very inconfiderately, contend for, they could curb this Nature in themselves? and whether if they had fo much, and could not curb it, the whole Legislature could prevent their having all? Whether their having all would be truly for their Advantage? Whether in any one Period of our Government they had half fo much? And finally (if they can be impartial and reafon fairly) whether it is not evident, that their present Views and Difcontents are not, in fome measure, owing to what they have already? Whether those Gentlemen, who quitted the late Oppofition, at the Time they did it, inftead of deferting, have not faved their Country? Whether they have not acted the Part of a tender Phyfician to a fick Patient? Whether, if they have deceived the People, (as it is called,) they have not done it, because there was no other way to bring them to do that which was neceffary for their Health? And whether the People are not as unjuft to these Men, after what has been done by their Means, as the Patient would be, who after he was cured of a dangerous Disease, should quarrel with his Phyfician, for having given him too good an Opinion of his Medicine, during the Time of his Diftemper, or abuse him for defifting afterwards to prescribe the farther Use of it for his daily Food.

10. Let them then confider how they can anfwer, either to God or to their Country, that wicked and cruel Treatment they have given to those true Patriots, who have stood their Ground, with equal Steadinefs, against the late Minifter, and the present tempeftuous Faction; and how they can eyer make thefe Men amends, for the Infults they have received, for the Lofs of their Interests in their Refpective Countries, and the Foundation they have laid of the future Difficul ties they muft infallibly hereafter undergo, by the Revival of a Faction, which, when once raifed, will never fail to perfecute and infest all honest Men? Or what Retaliation is it in their Power to give to thofe, who by popular Credulity, Folly, Paffion and Intemperance, have endured that Load of Infamy and Malice, which has been caft upon them with fuch unparellelled Injuftice, and which a worthy Man would have fooner fubmit

Y 2

ted

ted to Death, than have fuffered an Hour, if the Safety of his Country and every Thing, that was near, dear and valuable to it, had not depended upon this Sacrifice?

II. Let the People confider, (and they will confider it, if they have any Remorfe in the Compofition of their Souls,) how they ought to blush at the base Encouragement they have given to the perfonal Abuse of his Majefty; who inftead of liftning to the infidious Offers of France, as fome other great Electors of the Empire have done, and inftead of projecting any Advantage to his Foreign Dominions, which he might have greatly encreased out of the Spoil of the Houfe of Auftria, if he would have bafely concurred to its Deftruction; and which, (notwithstanding all the impudent Affertions of the Faction,) there is no Profpect of his being able to encrease any other way, hath put himself to a very great Expence, from the very Commencement of the prefent Confufions of Europe, and expofed those Dominions to the utmost Hazard with no other View, but to maintain the Caufe of Juftice, the Ballance of Power, and the Intereft of Great Britain. Let them inform themselves; let them examine the Situation of his Countries, the Power, Views, Titles and Interefts of all his Neighbours; and let them point out one fingle Spot of Ground, that it is poffible for him, in the Nature of Things, to acquire in addition to his Electoral Dominions, by the Iflue of this Conteft.-And let them afterwards reflect how fcandalous beyond all Measure, it has been to, convert that very Hazard, and the Difficulties into which he and his Electorate have been lately brought, by his Attachment to the fole Intereft of this Country, into the wicked Pretence, that his Tenderness to thofe Dominions, which he fo freely ventured, has been the Caufe of the War, and the Motive of his generous Conduct. Let them then generoufly and honeftly acknowledge, how ungratefully and wickedly they have concurred, upon Grounds fo utterly falfe, to alienate the Affection of the Nation, from the Perfon and Family of a Prince, who has facrificed every private Intereft to the Interefts of Great Britain,-who has fupported his Ally with that Steadineís, Sincerity, and good Faith, which would have rendered a private Man an Ornament to the Society in which he lived,-who, in this Juft, and Neceffary Caufe, has expofed his Perfon to the Dangers of War, as much as the meaneft private Soldier in his Armies, and is now at the Head of his Troops, in a Foreign Country, animating the Courage of the British Nation, and restoring the Antient Glory of the Royal Race of Plantagenets, from which he is descended, the braveft Line of Princes that ever fat upon the Throne of any Nation.

12.

12. Let them reflect upon their Ingratitude to Providence, and their more than Jewish Obftinacy, and Hardness of Heart, in the Infenfibility fhewn by fo many upon the great Deliverance they have lately had, in their Escape from the imminent Dangers threatned to the Liberties of the whole World, and in the late miraculous Turn that has appeared in our Favour fince the late Change of the Adminiftration.

13. Let them confider, that if we improve these Advantages as we ought, we have now a Confederacy formed (with farther Profpects of additional Aid) confisting of above 300,000 of the beft Troops in Europe; that we come fresh into the Quarrel; that France, by the entire Ruin of the Emperor, is left without Allies, reduced, by a Series of ill Succefs, and unfortunate Events, to the lowest Degree.-And that therefore, if we follow the Blow, we have the fairest Expectation, not only to get out of the Difficulties, which we had lately fo much Reason to think would prove our Ruin, but to reduce that enormous Power within due Limits for a long Time to come, and that nothing but our own Impatience, and the delufive Practices of a Jacobite Faction, can hinder us now, from what they prevented once before by the fame individual Arts, in a parallel Conjuncture.-In a word, let any Man lay his Hand upon his Heart, and fay whether he thinks we are never to expect, or can always avoid a War with France ? And when he has anfwered (for who can honeftly or rationally answer otherwise) that the Growth and Ambition of that Power, her Breach of Treaties, our Rivalfhip in Trade, the natural Antipathy and Jealoufies of the two Nations, muft bring it unavoidably upon us in a fhort Time, though we should decline it for the prefent; let him then say, whether there can be any Senfe left in the People of England, if they are not earnestly defirous to enter into it, and to push it with the utmoft Vigour now? When we can do it with fo manifeft Advantage? When we ftand in a Situation, in which we can hardly hope ever to find ourselves again? At which we could not flatter ourselves to arrive hereafter, even in three Campaigns, attended with the moft miraculous Succefs?-And in fine, as to the Method of the War, whether any thing is more chimerical than the modern Fancy, of engaging with France, by our Maritime Force only? Whether the Trade of England would not fuffer, during the Continuance of fuch a War, as much, if not more, than the Trade of France ?-Whether France has not greater Refources without Trade, or during a Sufpenfion of Trade, than England? Whether therefore any Distress that we might create to France by fuch a War, would be more than temporary, or could be fufficient to bring it to a

fafe

fafe or found Conclufion? Whether we can imagine effectually or durably to reduce her, or to fecure ourselves for any long Continuance against her Power, by any other means, than by difmembring fome of her ill-gotten Provinces, and preventing any farther Encrease of her Dominions upon the Continent? Whether this can be done otherwife, than by joining with her Enemies and our Allies in a Land War? And if this cannot. be done otherwife (whatever may be the Expence or Inconvenience of fuch an Undertaking) whether it is not Madness, or something worse, to oppofe its being undertaken.

Should thefe Confiderations have no Effect upon the Publick we are a Nation doom'd and devoted to Deftruction: Our Go+ vernment will be totally confounded by novel, false, captivating and deceitful Maxims; our Conftitution overwhelmed and buried in the Ruins of Faction. What Fabrick the Enemies of this Country may rebuild, is neither yet known to themselves or me; nor when this happy Form of Government, the venerable Work of fo many Ages, fhall be no more; will it be much worth the while of any Man among us to regard? Inftead therefore of fomenting every Subject of Uneafinefs, ungratefully repining at every Bleffing and Advantage, which we fovifibly and abundantly enjoy, above all other Kingdoms of this habitable Earth, let us turn our Thoughts upon that immenfe Wealth, Power and Dominion, which is ftill in the Train of Great Augmentation; upon that Conftitutional Security, however wickedly mifreprefented, which we ftill, in a high degree, enjoy at home, and the Terror, which upon all juft Occafions, we are able to ftrike through Foreign Nations. Inftead of dwelling upon improbable and diftant Dangers, which certainly never were so far removed from us, as at this very Time, let us reflect upon our uncommon, and almoft unprefidented Happiness. Inftead of alarming our Minds, and heating our Imaginations with the Stories of Evils that have attended the Lofs of Liberty in other Countries, in which, during the Course of the late Oppofition, we have been fufficiently inftructed, let us for a while apply ourfelves to a Study more neceffary at this Time, that of tracing the true Caufes, which have brought this Lofs of Liberty, and thofe Evils which attend it, upon Every People, who once were, and are now no longer free. If we do this, we fhall learn, that perfect Liberty and immenfe Riches, with its conftant Attendants, Licentioufnefs, Luxury, an unbounded Thirst after Wealth, a Want of Morals, and an Impatience of all Government and Difcipline, fomented by the Factions of private Men, for their own private Ambition, cloaked under publick Pretences, have ripened and brought to Maturity all these Mif

2.

chiefs

chiefs in the World. Let us therefore, confcious of our Profperity, and fenfible of the Dangers to which we naturally stand by that very Profperity expofed, fly the delufive Arts of factious Men, who now endeavour to avail themselves of these Circumstances, and practise upon us in the Manner they have ever done in all former Ages: Ut imperium evertant Libertatem præferunt, cum perverterunt ipfam aggrediuntur. Ceterum Libertas et fpeciofa nomina prætexuntur. Nec quifquam alienum fervitium, et dominationem fibi concupivit, ut non eadem ifta vocabula ufurparet. Tacit. Hift. Lib. 4.

FINI S.