Play, and this, with fome Particulars enlarged upon to his Advantage, (for Princes never hear Good or Evil in the manner others do) obtained him the notice of the King: And his Name, to be provided for, was in the laft Table Book ever worn by the Glorious and Immortal William the Third.

His next Appearance as a Writer was in the Quality of the lowelt Minister of State, to wit, in the Office of Gazetteer. Where he worked faithfully according to Order, without ever erring against the Rule obferved by all Minitries, to keep that Paper very innocent and very infipid.

It is believed, it was to the Reproaches he heard every Gazette Day against the Writer of it, that the Defendant owes the Fortitude of being remarkably negligent of what People fay, which he does not deferve; Except in fo great Cafes as this now before Us. His next Productions were still Plays, then the Tattler, then the Spectator, then the Guardian, then the English man. And now, tho' he has published, and fcribled fo very much, He may defie any Man to find one Leaf in all thefe Writings which is not, in point, a Defence against this Imputation, to find one Leaf which does not mediately or immediately tend to the. Honour of the Queen, or the Service of the Nobility and Gentry, or which is not particularly refpe&ful to the Universities. Farther this Witness fayeth not.

When a Man is accufed, it is allowable not only to fay as much as will refute his Adverfary, but if he can, he may affert Things of

himself

himself Praife-worthy, which ought not to be called Vanity in him, but Juftice against his Opponent, by proving it is not only Falfe what is faid as to the Fault laid to his Charge, but alfo that he has exerted the contrary Vir

tue.

You may obferve that the Votes of the 18th of March imply, that the Writings were under Confideration, as containing feveral Paragraphs tending to Sedition, highly reflecting upon Her Majefty, and arraigning Her Majesty's Adminiftration and Government. There was not one Argument ufed to fupport this heavy Accufation against the Member; but I fuppofe, upon Confideration that his reflecting upon the Queen fo directly, and arraigning Her Adminiftration and Government, was juft the quite contrary to what he had done, the Ill Behaviour towards Her Majefty is in the Refolution fcattered among Her Subjects, and it was thought, fince it was all equally true, it would be expedient to wiredraw the Offence, and for the Amusement of the Vulgar, to fay more diffufively, that the Pamphlets were Scandalous and Seditious Libels, containing many Expref fions highly reflecting upon Her Majesty, and upon the Nobility, Gentry, Clergy, and Univerfities of this Kingdom, maliciously infinua. ting, that the Proteftant Succeffion is in Danger under Her Majesty's Adminiftration, and tending to alienate the Affections of Her Majefty's good Subjects, and to Create Fealoufies and Divifions among them.

This is a very pleasant Proceeding. The Indictment before them was, that the accufed Member

Member had reflected upon the Queen; ay marry has he, fay they, and upon the Nobility and Gentry, Clergy and Universities, and he did this alfo with a malicious Intimation, that the Succeffion was in Danger under Her Ma jefty's Adminiftration, and fo forth. What need was there the Man fhould be Guilty of more than he was indicted for? Let this Refolve be taken out of its Formality, and it is juft as if they had faid he has been Guilty of Treafon, and alfo of ill Manners. But the huddle of Offences was only to make a Huy and Cry, and the Business was, that he should be marked; and as they well knew from the general Corruption and Meannefs of the World, that if the Crimes did not diftin&tly hurt every fort of People, they would not be Zealous enough for the fake of the Queen only, to vilifie and diftrefs the accufed Man: But the Succeffion, fay they, he fays is in Danger under Her Majefty's Adminiftration. This Phrase is Ambiguous and Evalive, it retains the Offence against the Queen, only to hide Minifters. This is a very thin Mask, for it is no help to them; if any Man fhould, in a proper Place, have any thing to obje&t to their Conduct; it would be no Answer to urge against fuch an Impeachment, that this was afferting ill things are done under Her Majefty s Administration. All manner of Crimes are committed under every Prince's Adminiftration, but for that Reafon are thofe Princes to be loaded with the Guilt? or would a Man that fhould complain of thofe Crimes, be fuppofed to intend Treasonably, or to affert that they are owing to his Prince's Admini

Administration? Should a Man be robbed, and when he asked for a Warrant against the Offender be answered by the Magistrate, 'tis arraiging Her Majefty's Adminiftration to report any fuch Thing? If any Epithets may be added to any Perfons and Things, provided they add the Words, under Her Majefty's Adminiftration, Approbation and Blame in those that use them will be both alike, and Safe, Honourable, or any other Adjectives will lose their Force, as well as the Words, Seditious and Scandalous. It is very poffible the worft Defigns imaginable may be laid, under Her Majefty's Adminiftration, and Her Sacred Majefty's Honour no way impaired, as She (without Difparagement to Her Wisdom it may be fuppofed) may not be confcious of all that paffes. Therefore on this Occafion, I repeat that the Phrase under Her Majefty's Adminiftration, is only a feint way of coming up to my Indictment, and amusing the Populace with a show of what is not in Reality.

But to proceed with the Evidence on the fide of the Offender. Taking the Words of the Refolution as they lye: It would be a Contradiction to all Mr. Steele's paft Writings, to speak to the Difadvantage of the Nobility and Gentry. The War that the Tattler brought upon himself, for ftigmatizing and expelling Sharpers out of their Company, is a Merit towards them, that will outweigh this Allegation, though it comes whence it does. That Gamefters, Knaves and Pickpockets are longer the Men of Fashion, or mingled with fo good an Air among People of Quality as formerly,

no

formerly, is much owing to Mr. Steele; that a licentious Treatment of a Clergyman, as a Clergyman, is lefs practifed, either on the Stage or in Common Converfation, is much owing to the Contempt and Ridicule on all fuch falfe and fcandalous Pretenfions to Wit, in the Writings which the Publick has had from Mr. Steele That an Univerfity Education is reckoned a neceffary Qualification to an English Gentleman, and the lefs Accomplishments without thofe Arts appear frivolous, though of great ufe with them, is more owing to Mr. Steele than to any other Author, Transcriber, or Publisher (or under whatever Clafs you Rank him) that ever made use of Pen and Ink But it seems the Courtship in these Refolutions was to be made with no lefs a Refignation than that of all their Senfe and Confci

:

ence.

All this is as clear and known as the Sun at Noon-day. But it may be answered, that though as to his former Writings this may be true; our Author or Publisher might grow Vain and Impertinent, and conceive new Thoughts of himself, from borrowed Excellencies of other Men, his Correfpondents; and without Fear or good Manners run into the Crimes of which he here ftands accufed. I fhall therefore give an account of the principal Thing laid to his Charge, which is the Crifis, and the occafion of its being written.

Mr. Steele happened one Day to make a Vifit to a Gentleman of the Temple, who fell into Discourse on Publick Transactions; and complaining that dangerous Infinuations were

every