under your most faithful and most fuccessful General, and the wife Administration of Affairs at home, under a moft prudent and well-chofen Ministry. But fuch is the Ingratitude of thefe Wicked and Designing Men; fuch their Inveteracy to the Happy Revolution, and fuch their Inconfiftency, that though at present they think it for their Purpose feemingly to approve of your Majefty's being upon the Throne, yet they ftick not openly to revile and traduce, as odious and unjuftifiable, the neceffary Means that were ufed in bringing about the happy Event. But may that Providence which has fo peculiarly attended your Majefty, throughout the whole Course of your Reign, ftill continue to protect and defend the best of Queens. And may our Holy and Apoftolical Church ever be fecured against all her Enemies, of what Nature foever, whether Popish or Fanatical; but more particularly against thofe Vipers in her very Bofom, who inftill groundless Fears, and prophane her Sacred Name, in ufing it only as a Cloak to Designs, they do not as yet think proper openly to avow. And as we do folemnly affure your Majefty, that we are ready with our Lives and Fortunes to maintain your Majefty's undoubted Title to the Crown, and to defend the Church of England, as established by Law; fo we do not think it altogether unneceffary in this prevaricating Age to declare, that we mean that Title which is founded on the Happy Revolution, and confirmed by the indifputable Authority of Parliament; and by the Church, We mean no other, but our Holy Epifcopal Proteftant Church of England, established by the Laws at the Reformation. And we likewife beg Leave to affure your Majefty, that when this Parliament (the Memory of which must be ever dear to all who wish well to their Country) has a Determination, we fhall do our utmost fill to be reprefented by fuch as are zealously affected to your Majefty's Perfon and Government, fincere Promoters of the Common Intereft, and fuch who fhall endeavour to enable your Majefty effectually to fecure the Proteftant Succeffion (for the Good of our Pofterity) against the Attempts of your Majefty's Avowed Enemies abroad, and from the more Dangerous Perils of Falfe and Seditious Brethren at home. Signed by Twenty-fix Deputy-Lieutenants and Fifty-two Juftices of the Peace. To the Worshipful the Addreffers, and more especially the Justices of the Peace, Mayors, &c. of Counties, and Corporations. The humble Addrefs of the Induftrious Poor within your Worships feveral Districts, that study to be quiet, and to do their own Bufinefs. 1710. WE her Majefty's free-born and most obedient Subjects, but your Worships neglected Vaffals, being truly fenfible of the Bleffings which even we daily enjoy in common with you, under her Majesty's most aufpicious aufpicious Government, the Integrity of her Councils, and the Glory of her Arms, cannot but be amazed (how little foever your Regard may be to her late moft seasonable Admonitions from the Throne) that your Worfhips fhould exprefs fo much lefs for yourfelves, as to betray your Deficiencies of common Senfe in the royal Prefence. The Factious, Heretical, Schifmatical, Antimonarchical, Malicious, Seditious, and fcandalous Books and Pamphlets, your Worfhips fo fagaciously complain of, have, as well as Addreffes, too long abounded (your Worships and your equally wife Predeceffors be thank'd for it.) And as her Majefty and our late glorious Deliverer have, both by Word and Deed, conftantly encouraged and recommended their Suppreffion to your and their Care, with Aftonifhment we behold your Worships aggravating your Guilt to her Majefty's Face, by affuring her of a ftudied Neglect of your Duty. We are fenfible of our Safety at home by the repeated Succeffes of our Arms abroad; and of Britain's Freedom by the Diftreffes of France: We are as fenfible of the due Application of what our prudent Legiflators annually raife as the Price of Liberty, and that none of the Neceffities of Life are taxed for the Prefervation of more than Life itself, and could heartily wifh your Worships would (with greater Reasons) have better Notions of our common Bleffings, and be either at Peace with yourselves, or at leaft exempt your Fellow-Subjects from bearing the Burthen of your Follies. We accuse not your contrary Conduct of foreign Views or Defigns beyond the Water; though we cannot but think, that it is from your Worthips in Temporals, and your noify Partners in Spirituals, that miftake (to fay no worfe) their own Models of unlimited Obedience and Party Zeal, for the Chriftian Doctrines of legal Submiffion and univerfal Charity, and (like Members of the true Church Militant) practife neither, that Encouragement is given abroad, and our excellent Conftitution, both in Church and State, is in Danger. Good your Worfhips! let it not be always a Reproach in our Ifrael, that Simeon and Levi are Brethren. For our own Parts, having declared ourselves to be of the Number of the Peaceable, it is for Peace fake alone that we addrefs you to compose yourselves: That your Worships would, like her Majefty's good and dutiful Subjects the Juftices of the Peace, Mayors, &c. keep the Peace yourselves (may it please ye) promote it in others, and punish the Breaches of it in all; the Exceffes of Ale and Zeal to the contrary in any wife notwithstanding. That by exerting the Down Weight and Top Measure of your Sagacities, we may no longer labour to be abufed, but have juft Weights and full Measures in our Markets, and that you would be pleafed to keep in due Repair the Posts of your Authority, for your own and the publick Ufe: But in Matters of Superior Government, let us befeech your Worships to avoid prefcribing; and let the seasonable Neglect of your Follies convince you of the Lenity of that Government, that studies the fofteft Way to your Amendment; befeeching you alfo, that the Parliament may fit once more, to correct the Disorders of your Seffions, QUE W HETHER any Parliament ever did better than this has done, or better deserved to fit again? And if the French gave Three Hundred Thousand Pounds to have a Parliament diffolved by King Charles; how much, by a modeft and fair Computation, may the breaking of this be worth? And if we may not justly hope for a Supply of our Want of Specie, by what has been return'd to our new Counfellors upon that Account? Whether the fame new Counsellors did not intend to have a Peace at any Rate, when they order'd our Minifters abroad to stop the French Plenipotentiaries? And whether the French King was not too rafh, and fecure, when he recall'd his Minifters fo foon; before his Friends here came out from behind the Curtain, and had it in their Power to give him what Terms he pleased? Whether the fame new Counsellors were not hard put to it, when, after all their Endeavours for an ill Peace, they were forced to let a Memorial go over to the States, approving their Refolution to carry on the War? And whether we are not in a happy Condition to be under the Influence and Direction of fuch Perfons, as dare not own any one Design they have? Whether any Thing could be more proper and feasonable than the late Memorial from the Slates, in which they reprefented in a moft decent and affectionate Manner the abfolute Neceffity of continuing the prefent Parliament? And whether this could be juftly faid by the new Counsellors to be meddling in her Majesty's Domestick Affairs, when it was known to be a Matter, on which the whole Alliance depended, as well as the Security of the Proteftant Succeffion, for which the States themselves are Guarantees? Whether the Letter from the Emperor upon the fame Subject was not still lefs liable to Exception, if that be poffible? Whether he had not as much Right to intercede for the Meeting of this Parliament, as her Majefty had to interpofe, which the frequently has done without Complaint, in the Affairs of his People and Empire? And whether the Regard that was paid to him and his Minifter upon this Occafion was fuch as is due to the Chief of our great Confederacy? Whether the fame new Counsellors are not extreamly in the Right, to keep all fuch Memorials and Letters as long as they can from the Council? And whether in any Thing they have more fully fhewn their great Parts and Forecast, than in preventing the Debates that might have arifen there, upon fuch frivolous Subjects as the Prefervation of this Parliament, of this Nation, and of all Europe? Whether Affurances were not given to the States, and the other Allies, That no more Changes fhould be made in the Miniftry, after the Removal of the E. of S. at which they were juftly alarm'd? Whether the late Lord Treafurer may not be faid to have been a Minifter? And whether the new Counfeilors, that turn'd him out, had a due Regard to her M's Honour, and to her Character in Foreign Courts? Whether Whether any Inftance was ever known till now, of a Treasurer being removed without the leaft Fault pretended; who in all the Time of this expensive War has by wonderful Ability and Reputation kept down the Intereft of Money to Six per Cent, and who in the Management of above forty Millions is not fufpected by his Enemies to have diverted one Penny to his own private Ufe; nor to have got one Farthing by the Difpofal of Offices, or any other Exercise of Power or Favour, in all the Courfe of his Ministry? Whether Experience in Bufinefs, or Ability in Parliament, recommended the Majority of the new Commiffion? Whether a certain Perfon might not as well have fat there alone, if he had dared to fucceed fo great a Predeceffor? And whether Whigs or Tories will beft like the Commiffion? Whether it is not certain now that our General will also be laid afide? Whether we are not likely to fall after that an immediate Sacrifice of France? And whether it is not already high Time for these new Counsellors to recall him, whose Actions each Year have exceeded the Hopes of his Friends; and who has constantly provoked the Displeasure of his Enemies, by performing the Business of two Campaigns in one? Which is the only Proof they can give of his Defire to prolong the War. Whether the rest of those great and able Men, who yet remain in the Offices of Business, will not likewise be very foon removed? Whether any People before were ever fo unhappy, to lofe in a few Months the Service of all their best Friends? And whether another Set of Men can be found in the Nation, that are, in any Degree, equal to the late Minifters for Honour, Fortune, Reputation, all Manner of Qualifications for their feveral Employments, and unalterable Love of their Country? Whether the Comparison that is now writing of these new Counsellors with the late Ministers will not be a moft inftructive Piece of Hiftory? Whether they will not force People at laft to write impartially their whole Lives and Characters, which of all Satyrs would be the fharpeft? And whether any thing could have been more feasonable than the reprinting a certain Book, which was written foon after the Affaffination-Plot, by a Person whofe Name is Smith, and which is now coming out again with a very large Appendix ? Whether any thing is fo juftly fear'd in this Nation as Popery? And whether it is not as likely to be brought in by an Italian Courtefan, as ever it was by a French Miftrefs? Whether it is poffible that any one Creature of these new Counsellors should be chofen by true Britains to ferve in the next Parliament, when in every Paris Gazette we find a Recommendation of them? And whether the new Commiffion is not a fufficient Reward to our wife High-church-men, for their great Care and Pains in fending their Fool about the Country to influence the next Elections? Whether the new Ambaffador to Hanover is not chofen with great Difcretion, and will not be extreamly acceptable to that Court; who, to pafs over all other Parts of his Character, has, at the Age of Threefcore, renounced his old Principles and Friends, and is fetting up in his own Country Hereditary-Right-Men, in order to fecure the Proteftant Succeffion? Whether Whether the late Action in Spain, performed by Mr. Spe, will not bring him e're long into great Trouble and Mortification? Whether it was not a molt imprudent thing in him to gain a Victory, after the Example that has been fet before his Eyes? Whether, in all Probability, his Succeffor will not speedily be named? And whether Fame fays true, that my Lord Nth and Gey will be the Man? Or who? Whether the new Commiffioners could have fat two Days in the Treasury, if they had not been fupported by the late Minifters; who preffed all their Friends to fupply the Neceffities of the War, and all the Foreign Minifters to prevent the breaking of our Alliance? Whether any People before were ever in fo deplorable Circumftances, to be obliged, for the immediate Preservation of the whole, to fupport fuch Perfons as they know are brought in for their Destruction? And whether the new Counsellors, with all their fettled Affurance, can have the Boldness to pretend, that the Government at this Time is carried on by them? Whether there ever was a Character of more Heroick Virtue and Publick Spirit, than the late Minifters maintain; who being difgraced, and reviled, and loaded with all manner of Reproaches, and with ungrateful Returns for true and faithful Services, have yet the Courage, Conftancy and Merit to perfevere in their honeft Endeavours for preventing the Nation's Ruin, and preferving the common Caufe? Whether after all these Endeavours of the late Minifters we fhall not lose the good Effects of this great and glorious War? Whether human Nature is able to bear this Reflection? Whether a new or old Parliament can come Time enough to retrieve the Defpondency of our Allies, or the Misfortunes into which the new Counsellors have plunged us? And whether they will not be equally liable in either to be call'd to answer for the Confufion they have brought upon us, notwithstanding our continued Success abroad, and our flourishing Credit at Home? A SPEECH made in the House of Commons, upon the late Ministry's forcing a new Charter upon the Town of Bewdly, in the County Worcester, without a Surrender of the old. 1710. Mr. SPEAKER, I Did Did not intend to have troubled you this Seffion, and I believe it will be to little Purpose now: For if a Gentleman ftands up to complain of Grievances, although this Houfe meets in order to redress them, he is represented as a Person that obftructs her Majefty's Bufinefs; if he finds fault with the Miniftry, he is faid to reflect upon the Queen; if he speaks againft the Continuance of the War, to prevent the Beggary of the Nation, to prevent the Monied and Military Men becoming Lords of us who have the Lands, then he is to be no Object |