ΤΟ Mr. WALPOLE. SIR, W . 7Hoever reads the following Apology, will eafily allow me, that I am much léfs concerned for the Fame of a Writer than that of an honeft Man.. I have declared the Affiftances I had in compofing the Writings which are here defended; for the upright Purpofe, the innocent Intention of them, is all which I am anxious to affert. In Defence of Truth I incurred popular Hatred and Contempt, with the Profpe&t of fuffering the want even of the ordinary Convenienses of Life. The Probability of being undone I could not but form to my self when I took upon me what I did; but a Weight heavier than all this fell upon me, to wit, a Refolution of the Reprefentative of my Country to my Dishonour. This indeed was a Blow unexpected; nor could it enter into my Imagination, that the Infolence of any Minifter could run fo high, as to demand of the House of Commons to punifh one of its Members for being unacceptable to him. The Perufal of this Pamphlet will convince the Reader, there was not fo much as the Appearance of any other Motive for my Expulfion. The Day Day of Debate was indeed a very memorable one, and the Perfons concerned in it hugely worth fufpending the Councils of a Nation. It was remarkable however, that fuch was the Force of Truth, that the Member accufed had not an harsh perfonal Expreffion used against him; and the Minifter, in the midst of all his Power, who brought on the Accufation, was treated in the Manner which all Mankind knows he deferves. As for my Part, I ever thought meanly of the Capacity, though not, till lately, of the Good-nature of that Demagogue, and faw very well his Audaciousness would one Day fuffer by his Ignorance. It was visible, whatever became of his Country, which I believe had little Share in his Lordship's Cares, he would, with the Wand in his Hand, raife Powers which he would want Skill to command, and which confequently would tear him himself in Pieces. But without dwelling upon the Contemplation of Mischiefs wrought by a cunning wicked Creature, placed in a Station proper only for a wife and virtuous Man, I am now to give you my Thanks for your generous Defence of me in this great Adverfity. Your Behaviour was indeed equally noble during the whole French Adminiftration, and your Eloquence was of publick Service to your Country, when the Prerogative was ftrained to the utmoft, not to exalt our own Sovereign, but to compli*ment France with the Greatness and Intereft of her and her People. The Intervention of Providence has given us a Stand against the imminent Destruction which fuch iniquity and Folly had placed before our Eyes, and Men in great Employ Employments can now be safe without depending upon France. I have mentioned Dunkirk till I am fick, and there are not Words to reprefent the infamous Behaviour in a Miniftry, to cover fo great and pernicious an Impofture upon their Country, as the Improvement of that Port under the Pretence of the Demolition of it. You have the Honour and Happiness to have eminently oppofed all the Incurfions which thefe guilty Men made upon the Greatnefs of the Crown and the Welfare of the Subject, by. proftituting them both to their own felfifh Defigns, and deftroying, as far as in them lay, the good Name of all Men of Virtue and Service. They have indeed reaped this Good, that there can be nothing faid of themselves, the worft Servants that ever Sovereign employed, but what they had caufed to be laid to the Charge of those who were their Predeceffors; Perfons whofe Abilities had raised their Country to fuch a Grandeur, that nothing but the unnatural Industry of her own Minifters could Jower to the helpless Condition to which they. had reduced it. Thefe Evils could not have been fupported, had not the Demagogues, by the Abufe of Power, deafned many in the Legislature against Attention to the true Intereft of themselves and their Country; while an inconfiderable Creature who had the Good-will of no Man, could. manage Averfions skilfully enough to be fuffered to deftroy all, for fear of an Alteration of Affairs that might be grateful to an oppofite Party. Were Were the following Inftance of the harsh and odious Difpofition in Gentlement to fit determined, before hearing, the Concern only of me and mine, it would not be worth troubling the World with fo many Words on the Occafion; but neither what I now write, or what you much better spoke, is a Cafe of fo little Confequence; and when you undertook it, you knew you were pleading for the Rightsand Liberties of the Commons of England; and I will take upon me to fay, that there never was a greater Infult on the Conftitution than this, except one practifed by the fame Perfon without the leaft Deference to the Order of things, the common Senfe of Mankind, the Honour of the Crown, or the Property of the Subje&. It needs not be faid what this greater Impudence was, nor who had fo little Grace as to be guilty of it: It was he who was born in our Days for the Chastisement and Dishonour of them, a Tool whofe Infignificancy makes Sorrow, occafioned by him, the Subject of Laughter, takes all Dignity from Diftrefs, and renders Calamity ridiculous. As to my own Part under the fantastical Tyranny of the Demagogue's Administration, could what you faid in the House be communicated to the Publick, I fhould have no need of this Defence; but fince I have not here the Affiftance of your Eloquence, I beg the Advantage of your Name and Character: For I know it will be an Argument with every honeft Man that my Caufe was good, that you fo zealously efpoufed it; for that admirable Talent of speaking of which you are Master, has never been prostituted to ferve dishonest Purpofes; and you have too candid a Spirit not to efteem it a Praife, rather than Disparagement of your Eloquence, that the Caufe for which you have at any Time pleaded needed no Art but from the Iniquity of its Oppofers. The happy Ability of explaining the most difficult Parts of Bufinefs to Men wholly unacquainted with Negociation, has been as ufeful to the Publick as honourable to your Self. As you have detected the Artful, fo you have helped the Ignorant of your very Adversaries, according to their Intention to abufe or ferve: their Country, It has been faid, That the greatest Art is to hide Art; but you have a much better Inftrument towards Perfwafion, the having nothing to conceal; for Truth is as certainly the greatest Eloquence, as Honesty is the beft Policy. Let those who speak or act against their Confcience, obtain their little Purposes and Applaufes; be it ever your Commendation to defpife Artifice and practife Uprightness. A long Course of fuffering for your Zeal in an honeft Cause, has gained you the Chara er of an open honeft English Gentleman, with a Capacity which takes off the Imputation of Weaknefs from Simplicity of Manners, and adds the Dignity of Knowledge to the Beauty of Innocence. As I never entered into Political Debates with ambitious Views, but have brought my Defires within the Necessaries and decent Conveniencies of Life, I am the more jealously te nacious of the little I expect of the World, which is only to accept of my Service to the beft |