As to the firft of these demands, I will venture to undertake it fhall be granted; but then Mr. Steele, and his brother mal-contents, muft promife to believe the thing is done, after those employed have made their report; or elfe bring vouchers to difprove it. Upon the fecond; I cannor tell whether her majefty will engage in a war against the duke of Lorrain, to force him to remove the pretender; but I believe, if the parliament fhould think it neceffary to addrefs upon fuch an occafion, the QUEEN will move that prince to fend him away. His laft demand, offered under the title of a wifh, is of fo infolent and feditious a ftrain, that I care not to touch it. Here he directly charges her majefty with delivering a falfhood to her parliament from the throne; and declares he will not believe her, until the elector of Hanover himfelf fhall vouch for the truth of what she has fo folemnly affirmed.

I agree with this writer, that it is an idle thing in his antagonists to trouble themfelves upon the articles of his birth, education, or fortune; for whoever writes at this rate of his fovereign, to whom he owes fo many perfonal obligations, I fhould never enquire whether he be a gentleman born, but whether he be a human creature,

THE

THE

CONDUCT

OF

THE ALLIES,

AND OF

THE LATE MINISTRY,

In beginning and carrying on

THE PRESENT WAR.

Written in the Year MDCCXII.

Partem tibi Gallia noftri
Eripuit: Partem duris Hifpania bellis :

Pars jacet Hefperia, totoque exercitus orbe
Te vincente perit.

Odimus accipitrem quia femper vivit in armis. Victrix Provincia plorat.

I

PREFACE..

Cannot fufficiently admire the industry of a fort

of men, wholly out of favour with the prince and people, and openly profeffing a separate interest from the bulk of the landed men, who yet are able to raise at this juncture fo great a clamour against a peace, without offering one fingle reason, but what we find in their ballads. I lay it down for a maxim, that no reasonable man, whether whig or tory, (fince it is neceffary to use those foolish terms) can be of opinion for continuing the war upon the footing it now is, unless he be a gainer by it, or hopes it may occafion fome new turn of affairs at home, to the advantage of his party; or, laftly, unless he be very ignorant of the kingdom's condition, and by what means we have been reduced to it. Upon the two firft cafes, where interest is concerned, I have nothing to say: but, as to the last, I think it highly neceffary, that the public fhould be freely and impartially told, what circumstances they are in, after what manner they have been treated by thofe, whom they trusted fo many years with the difpofal of their blood and treasure, and what the confequences of this management are likely to be, upon themselves, and their pofterity.

Those, who, either by writing or difcourfe, have undertaken to defend the procedings of the late miniftry

ministry in the management of the war, and of the treaty at Gertruydenburgh, have spent time in celebrating the conduct and valour of our leaders and their troops, in fumming up the victories they have gained, and the towns they have taken. Then they tell us, what high articles were infifted on by our minifters, and thofe of the confederates, and what pains both were at in perfuading France to accept them. But nothing of this can give the leaft fatisfaction to the just complaints of the kingdom. As to the war, our grivances are, that a greater load has been laid on us than was either juft or neceffary, or than we have been able to bear; that the groffeft impofitions havė been submitted to, for the advancement of private wealth and power, or, in order to forward the more dangerous defigns of a faction, to both which a peace would have put an end; and that the part of the war which was chiefly our province, which would have been moft beneficial to us, and destructive to the enemy, was wholly neglected. As to a peace, we complain of being deluded by a mock-treaty; in which, thofe who negotiated took care too make fuch demands, as they knew were impoffible to be complied with; and therefore might fecurely prefs every article as if they were in earnest,

These are some of the points I design to treat of in the following difcourfe; with several others, which I thought it neceffary at this time for the

*

*Which I thought, &c.' This fentence is bald in the expreffion, and badly arranged. It fhould run thus-of which I thought it neceflary at this time that the kingdom fhould be informed.

5

king