227 low them to be rent into Tatters, or patiently let Paffengers throw Dirt upon them, he will be unfit to be received by the decent Part of Mankind in that Condition, from the Preju. dice they cannot but have to his Habit and outward Appearance, and confequently he will be unable to perform the Offices of Life with Refpect to others as well as himself. For these Reasons, in fome Cafes, a Man is neceffitated to appeal to all the reft of Mankind, from the Judgment of those who have pronounced him guilty.

To convince the World that Mr. Steele did not deferve the Sentence before recited, I hope to thew that his whole Conduct as a Writer, in which Character only he has been charged in the House, has been full of Inftances of a quite contrary Tenour to that of which they accuse him; as well as that the Paffages themfelves which were brought against him will not fupport their Accufation.

Anger, which is never wife, made a Man> inconfiderable in himself, of fo much Confequence, that while he was in the Houfe, People condefcended (as if to leffen him was carrying a great Point) to brow-beat and difparage him. I know not how better to repre fent his Condition during that Time, than by faying he was the quite contrary to that Sort of Creature among 'em whom they call a Fa. vourite of the Houfe. A Favourite of the Houfe, is one who fays and does what he pleases, and is always acceptable, whatever he advances, be- caufe he is ridiculous. Mr. Steele, with a.. quit oppofite Fate, was to do nothing but "what fhould be diflik'd, because he was odious..

This

This Difpofition against him appeared the very first Day of the Seffion; what happened to him at that Time was the Entertainment every where for a whole Week, therefore I fhall very circumftantially relate it..

After two or three Gentlemen had proposed Sir Thomas Hanmer for Speaker of the House of Commons, Mr. Steele took upon him to say he had the fame honourable Sentiments of that Gentleman in the following Words:

A

Mr. Jodrell,

T the Clofe of the luft Parliament, Her Ma jefty was graciously pleas'd to declare from the Throne, That the late rejected Bill of Com merce between Great Britain and France should be offer'd to this Houfer That Declaration was, certainly, made, that every Gentleman, who hould have the Honour to be return'd hither, might make himfelf Master of that importans Queftion. It is Demonftration that was a most pernicious Bill, and no Man can have a greater Merit to this House, than his by whofe Weight and Authority that pernicious Bill was thrown out. I rife up to do him Honour, and distinguish my felf by giving himmy Vote for that his inefti mable Service to his Country.

It will be impoffible for the Reader to conceive how this Speech of his was receiv'd, except he has happen'd to have been at a Cock Match, and has feen the Triumph and. Exultation which is raised when a Volatile whofe Fall was fome way gainful to Part of the Company has been necked. At the mention of the Bill of Commerce, the Cry began; at calling it Pernicious, it encreased; at the Words, Doing

him Honour, it grew infupportably loud: But having no Reason for being confounded for other People's Folly or Abfurdity, Mc. Steele bore the Infolence well enough to speak out what he intended. He had Hardiness enough to do it, from a Refolution which he had taken, to govern himself by, when he went into the Houfe, which was to prefer the Fame of an honest Man to that of an Orator. I must confefs. I ftand in fome Amazement to find where the Ridicule lay in the Words, I rife up to do him Honour; the natural Meaning of which I take to be the wing him Refpect, and not implying that 'tis an Honour to him that 'tis I who do him that Refpe&t: However, were. it taken in the latter Senfe, in which Mr. Steele really did not intend it, I don't fee the Abfurdity there would have been in it; he does not deferve to fit in that House, who does not believe his Efteem an Addition to the Perfon's Reputation on whom he beftows it; for the good Opinion of an honeft Man is an Honour to the greatest Man living. At the fame time Mr. Steele does not attribute this particular Outrage to the House, any further than that they ought to have fupprefs'd. it, and feverely obferved upon it, by turning out the Offenders, who, 'tis fuppofed, were a Parcel of Rufticks who crowded in with the Members before the Election of the Speaker, from a received Error, that there is no Authority in the Houfe till he is chofen. As he came out of the Houfe, he could hear nothing but thofe loud Criticks talk to one another, Oh! 'tis not fo eafie a Thing to speak in the House He fan. cies, because he can fcribble and the like

deep

deep Animadverfions. But to the Matter t felf.

On the 12th of March, 1713. a Complaint was made to the Houfe against certain Paragraphs in three Printed Pamphlets, one Entitled, The Englishman, from Saturday, Jan. 16, to Tuesday, Jan. 19. 1713. wherein is a Printed Letter to the Englishman, to which is fubfcribed the Name Richard Steele; another, Entituled, The Crifis, in the Title Page whereof it is faid, by Richard Steele, Efquire; and the other, Entituled, The Englishman, being the Clofe of the Paper fo called, in the Title Page whereof it is also faid, by Richard Steele, Efquire; as con taining feveral Paragraphs tending to Sedition, bigbly reflecting upon Her Majefty, and arraigning Her Adminiftration and Government. Up

on which the accufed Member was ordered to attend in his Place the next Morning. He attended accordingly on Saturday the 13th, and heard the feveral Paragraphs, in the Printed Pamphlet complained of, read. After which, at the proper Time, he ftood up, and read a Paper containing the following Words:

I

Mr. Speaker,

Have written and caufed to be Printed feve veral Books and Papers with a fincere Zeal and good Intent to ferve my Queen and Country, the prefent bappy Eftablishment in Church and State, and particularly the Proteftant Succeffion in the House of Hanover. But I fubmit it to the Houfe, whether, in Juftice to the Defence that is due to every Subject of this Kingdom, I ought to admit that either the Contents or Subftance of the Papers laid upon your Table are the

Jame

Same I wrote and caused to be Printed, before I have perused and compared them; efpecially fince every one knows it to be Fact, that falfe Editions of Books, which fell, are Published every Day..

Mr. Speaker,

Though I was ordered to attend in my Place before any particular Paffages, if I am rightly informed, were read or objected to in the Houfe; yet now that I have beard what they are, I truft to the Justice of this House, that I shall have a reasonable Time to peruse and compare them, and if I find them upon Perufal to be really the fame which I wrote and published, I shall ingenuously own them, and hope to make such a Ďefence of them as will be fatisfactory to the House; for which, I doubt not but you will allow me Jufficient Time...

Since Time for comparing them was all Mr. Steele pretended to, the Monday following was propofed for the Day of his Defence; but that was easily got over, upon his arging that the next Day was Sunday. After a proper Time to be allowed was debated for fome Moments, and that the defining to collate the Papers was faid to be mentioned only as the moft obvious Circumftance abfolutely neceffary for the Member's Defence, but that much more must be fuppofed as material, as that, for his Juftification, the House feemed in a very good Difpofition, which the accused Member did not think he abused in defiring till the Satarday following. It was very faintly press?d that this was too diftant a Day, till a particu

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