I do not remember to have feen any libel, fuppofed to be writ with caution and double meaning in order to prevent profecution, delivered under fo thin a cover, or fo unartificially made up, as this; whether it were from an apprehenfion of his readers' dulnefs, or an effect of his own. He has transcribed the very phrases of the speaker, and put them in a different character, for fear they might pass unobserved, and prevent all poffibility of being mistaken. I fhall be pleafed to fee him have refource to the old evafion, and fay, that I who make the application am chargeable with the abuse: let any reader of either party be judge. be judge. But I cannot forbear afferting as my opinion, that * for a ministry to endure fuch open calumny, without calling the author to account, is next to deferving it. And this is an omiffion I venture to charge upon the prefent miniftry, who are too apt to defpife little things, which, however, have not always little confequences.

When this paper was first undertaken, one defign among others was, to examine some of those writings fo frequently published with an evil tendency either to religion or government; but I was long diverted by other enquiries, which I thought more immediately neceffary; to animadvert upon mens' actions, rather than their fpeculations; to fhew the neceffity there was of changing the miniftry, that our conftitution in church and

That for a miniftry to endure, &c.-A low ungrammatical mode of expreffion. It should be that a miniftry's enduring fuch open calumny, without &c.

state might be preferved; to expose fome dangerous principles and practices under the former adminiftration; and prove by many inftances, that those who are now at the helm, are entirely in the true intereft of prince and people. This I may modeftly hope has in fome measure been already done, fufficient to answer the end propofed, which was, to inform the ignorant, and thofe at a distance; and to convince fuch as are engaged in party from no other motive than that of confcience. I know not whether I shall have any appetite to continue this work much longer; if I do, perhaps fome time may be spent in expofing and overturning the falfe reafonings of thofe, who engage their pens on the other fide, without losing time in vindicating myfelf against their fcurrilities, much less in retorting them. Of this fort there is a certain humble companion, a French maitre des langues *, who every month publishes an extract from votes, news-papers, fpeeches, and proclamations, larded. with fome infipid remarks of his own; which he calls, The Political State of Great Britain. This ingenious piece, he tells us himself, is conftantly tranflated into French, and printed in Holland, where the Dutch, no doubt, conceive most noble fentiments of us, conveyed through fuch a vehicle. It is obfervable in his account for April, that the vanity fo predominant in many of his nation, has made him more concerned for the honour of Guifcard, than the fafety of Mr. Harley. And for fear

* One Abel Boyer.

we

we should think the worfe of his country upon that affaffin's account, he tells us there have been more murders, parricides, and villanies committed in England, than any other part of the world. I cannot imagine how an illiterate foreigner, who is neither master of our language, nor indeed of common fense; and who is devoted to a faction, I fuppofe for no other reason, but his having more whig cuftomers than tories, fhould take it into his head to write politic tracts of our affairs. But I prefume, he builds upon the foundation of having been called to an account for his infolence in one of his former monthly productions; which is a method that seldom fails of giving fome vogue to the foolishest compofition. If fuch a work must be done, I wish fome tolerable hand would undertake it; and that we would not fuffer a little whiffling Frenchman, to neglect his trade of teaching his language to our children, and prefume to inftru&t foreigners in our politicks.

Delitta majorum immeritus lues,

Romane, donec templa refeceris,
Aedefque labentes deorum.

You of your father's crimes the guilt fhall bear,
Unless the facred Temples you repair.

SEV

EVERAL letters have been lately fent me, defiring I would make honourable mention of the pious defign of building fifty churches

in feveral parts of London and Westminster, where they are most wanted, occafioned by an addrefs of the convocation to the QUEEN, and recommended by her majesty to the house of commons; who immediately promised they would enable her to accomplish fo excellent a design, and are now preparing a bill accordingly. I thought to have deferred any notice of this important affair until the end of this session; at which time, I propofed to deliver a particular account of the great and useful things, already performed by this prefent parliament. But, in compliance* to those who give themselves the trouble of advising me, and partly convinced by the reafons they offer, I am content to bestow a paper upon a subject that in deed fo well deferves it,

The clergy, and whoever elfe have a true concern for the conftitution of the church, cannot but be highly pleafed with one profpect in this new fcene of public affairs. They may very well remember the time, when every feffion of parliament was like a cloud hanging over their heads: and if it happened to pafs without bursting into fome ftorm upon the church, we thanked God, and thought it a happy escape until the next meeting; upon which we refumed our fecret apprehenfions, although we were not allowed to believe any danger. Things are now altered; the parliament takes the neceffities of the church into confideration, receives the propofals of the clergy met in

It should be in compliance with those &c.

con

convocation, and amid all the exigencies of a long expensive war, and under the preffure of heavy debts, finds a fupply for erecting fifty edifices for the fervice of God. And it appears by the address of the commons to her majefty upon this occafion, (wherein they discovered a true spirit of religion) that applying the money granted to accomplish fo excellent a design, would, in their opinion, be the most effectual way of carrying on the war; that it would (to ufe their own words) be a means of drawing down bleffings on her majefty's undertakings, as it adds to the number of those places, where the prayers of her devout and faithful subjects will be daily offered up to God, for the profperity of her government at home, and the fuccefs of her arms abroad.

I am fometimes hoping, that we are not naturally fo bad a people, as we have appeared for fome years paft. Faction, in order to fupport itself, is generally forced to make use of fuch abominable inftruments, that as long as it prevails, the genius of a nation is over-preffed, and cannot appear to exert itself; but, when that is broken and fuppreffed, when things return to the old course, mankind will naturally fall to act from principles of reason and religion. The Romans, upon a great victory or escape from public danger, frequently built a temple in honour of some god, to whofe peculiar favour they imputed their fuccefs or delivery; and fometimes the general did the like, at his own expence, to acquit himself of fome pious vow he had made. How little of any thing refem

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