THE PUBLIC SPIRIT OF THE WHIG Cannot without fome envy, and a juft refentment againft the oppofite conduct of others, reflect upon that generofity and tenderness, wherewith the heads and principal members of a ftruggling faction treat those who will undertake to hold a pen * It was written in the year 1712, by the confent if not the encouragement of the minifters of that æra, in anfwer to the Crifis by Sir Richard Steel. ORRERY. The noble commentator, who appears in another inftance to have given an account of the works of his author from a perufal of no more than a title in the Dublin editions, has been betrayed into mistakes, which, if he had read the piece, he would have escaped. This tract, in the title which his lordfhip confulted, is faid to have been written in the year 1712: but, in that part of it which moft deferves the notice of a critic, because it occafioned the complaint in the Houfe of Lords, mention is made of a motion to diffolve the union, whichdid not happentill 1713. The complaint, which is faid in the note to happen upon the first publication, was made the 2d of March 1713-14, and the pamphlet, according to the custom of printers, was dated 1714. † See Voyage to Brobdingnag, Chap. VI. in their defence. And the behaviour of thefe patrons is yet the more laudable, because the benefits they confer are almoft gratis. If any of their labourers can fcratch out a pamphlet, they desire no more; there is no queftion offered about the wit, the ftyle, the argument. Let a pamphlet come out upon demand in a proper juncture, you fhall be well and certainly paid; you fhall be paid before-hand; every one of the party who is able to read, and can fpare a fhilling, fhall be a fubfcriber; feveral thousands of each production shall be sent among their friends through the kingdom; the work fhall be reported admirable, fublime, unanfwerable; fhall ferve to raise the finking clamours, and confirm the scandal of introducing popery and the pretender upon the QUEEN and her ministers. Among the prefent writers on that fide I can recollect but three of any great diftinction, which are the Flying-poft, Mr. Dunton, and the author of the Crifis*. *Mr. Steel was expelled the House of Commons for this pamphlet, at the very fame time that the House of Lords was moved against the Dean for the Reply. The firft of these seems to have been much funk in reputation, fince the fudden retreat of the only true genuine original author, Mr. Ridpath, who is celebrated by the Dutch gazetteer as one of the best pens in England. Mr. Dunton hath been longer and more converfant in books than any of the three, as well as more voluminous in his productions: however, having employed his ftudies in fo great a variety of other subjects, he hath, I think, but lately turned his genius to politicks. His famous tract, intituled Neck or nothing, muft be allowed to be the fhrewdeft piece, and written with the moft fpirit, of any which hath appeared from that fide fince the change of the miniftry: it is indeed a moft cutting fatire upon the lord treasurer and lord Bolingbroke; and I wonder none of our friends ever undertook to answer it. I confefs, I was at firft of the fame opinion with feveral good judges, who from the ftyle and manner fuppofe it to have iffued from the fharp pen of the earl of Nottingham; and I am ftill apt to think it might receive his lordship's laft hand. The third and principal of this triumvirate 1 is the author of the Crifis; who, although he muft yield to the Flying-poft in knowledge of the world and skill in politicks, and to Mr. Dunton in keennefs of fatire and variety of reading, hath yet other qualities enough to denominate him a writer of a fuperior clafs to either; provided he would a little regard the propriety and difpofition of his words, confult the grammatical part, and get fome information in the fubject he intends to handle. Omitting the generous countenance and encouragement that have been fhewn to the perfons and productions of the two former authors, I fhall here only confider the great favour conferred upon the last. It hath been advertised for feveral months in The Englishmant, and other papers, that a pamphlet, called The Crifis, fhould be published at a proper time, in order to open the of the nation. It was propofed to be printed by subscription, price a fhilling. This was a little out of form because fubfcriptions are usually begged only for books of great price, and fuchas eyes ; + A paper written by the fame author in favour of the preceding adminiftration. are are not likely to have a general fale. Notice was likewife given of what this pamphlet should contain; only an extract from certain acts of parliament relating to the fucceffion, which at least muft fink ninepence in the fhilling, and leave but threepence for the author's political reflections; fo that nothing very wonderful or decifive could be reasonably expected from this performance. But, a work was to be done, a hearty writer to be encouraged, and accordingly many thoufand copies were befpoke. Neither could this be fufficient; for when we expected to have our bundles delivered us, all was ftopt; the friends to the cause sprang a new project; and it was advertised that the Crifis could not appear, till the ladies had fhewn their zeal again the pretender, as well as the men; against the pretender in the bloom of his youth, reported to be handsome, and endued with an understanding exactly of a fize to please the fex. I fhould be glad to have feen a printed lift of the fair fubfcribers prefixed to this pamphlet; by which the chevalier might know, he was fo far from pretending to a monarchy here, that he B 4 could |