Really this way of arguing is treating us like Children; and as for the Allies, God be their Support, and grant we may all cement again in the Day of Diftreis. I think all the reft of the Book confifts only of Invectives upon poor Me, as guilty of Infolence, Falfhood, Sedition and Abfurdity; which is written well enough, and would be pretty Entertainment in an ill-natured Man; but I did not think it bore a fecond reading.

1 hope I have fully answered all Objections made by my Adverfaries against the English Tory's Letter to the Guardian: But now Mr. Bailiff, as there have been very unjuft Reprefentations given of me, in your Town, as that a Man of fo fmall a Fortune as I am muft have fecret Views or Supports, which could move him to leave his Imployments, and lofe a Crowd of Well-wishers, to fubje&t himself, as he must know he has, not only to the Dif esteem, but also the Scorn and Hatred of very many, who, before he intermeddled with the Publick, had a Partiality towards him: I anfwer, that I indeed have particular Views, and tho' I may be ridiculous for saying it, I hope I' am animated in my Conduct, by a Grace which is as little practifed as understood, and that is Charity. It is the Happiness and Comfort of all Men, who have a Regard to their FellowCreatures, and defire their Good-will upon a proper Foundation, that every thing which is truly laudable, is what every Man living may attain. The greatest Merit is in having focial Virtues, fuch as Justice and Truth exalted with Benevolence to Mankind. Great Qualificati

ons

ons are not Praises to the Poffeffor, but from
the Application of them; and all that is
justly commendable among Men, is to
love and ferve them as much as it is in
your Power, with a Contempt of all Advan-
tages to your felf (above the Conveniencies of
Life) but as they tend to the Service of the
Publick. He who has warm'd his Heart with
Impreffions of this kind, will find Glowings of
'Good will, which will support him in the Ser.
vice of his Country, against all the Calumny,
Reproach and Invective that can be thrown up.
on him. He is but a poor Creature who can-
not bear being odious in the Service of Vir
tue. Riches and Honours can administer to
the Heart no Pleasure, like what an honeft Man
feels when he is contending for the Interests
of his Country, and the civil Rights of his Fel-
low-Subjects, without which the Being of Man
grows Brute, and he can never under it give to
Heaven that Worship which is called a rea
fonable Sacrifice, nor fupport towards his Fel-
low Creatures that worthy Difpofition, which
we call difinterefted Friendship. The highest
Pleasure of the human Soul confifts in this Cha-
rity, and there is no way of making it so dif
fulive, as by contending for Liberty.

As to laying afide the common Views, by which the mistaken World are actuated, a Man of liberal Education can easily furmount thofe low Confiderations; and when he confiders himself, from the moment he was born into this World, an immortal, tho' a changeable Being, he will form his Interefts and Profpe&ts accordingly, and not make Provifion for Eternity with perishable things. When a Man has E deeply

deeply planted fuch a Sentiment as this for the Rule of his Conduct, the Pursuits of Avarice and Ambition will become as contemptible as the Sports of Children; and there can be no Honours, no Riches, no Pleasures laid in his way, which can poffibly come in Competition with the Satisfactions of an enlarged and publick Spirit.

From this moment therefore I fhall go on with as much Vigour and Chearfulness as I am able, to do all that is in my Power, without the leaft Partiality to Perfons or Parties, to remove the Prejudices which Englishman has against Englishman, and reconcile wounded Brethren, fo far as to behold each other's Actions, with an Inclination to approve them.

The Man who will reduce himself to this Temper, will eafily perceive how far his Affetions have been wrought upon and abufed, from an Oppofition to particular Men, to fa crifice the Interefts of his Country it felf.

The prostituted Pens which are employed in a quite contrary Service, will be very ready to entertain Pretender to fuch Reformations, with a Recital of his own Faults and Infirmities; but I am very well prepared for fuch U fage, and give up my felf to all nameless Authors, to be treated juft as their Mirth or their Malice directs them.

It is the Difgrace of Literature, that there are fuch Inftruments; and to good Government, that they are fuffer'd: but this Mischief is gone fo far in our Age, that the Pamphleteers do not only attack thofe whom they believe in general difaffected to their own Principles, but even fuch as they believe their Friends,

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provided they do not act with as fincere a Prejudice as themselves. Upon the leaft Deviatino from an implicit Hatred to the oppofite Party, tho' in a Cafe which in the nearest Concern affects their Country, all their good Qualities are turn'd to Ridicule; and every thing which before was valued in them, is become contemptible. Thus in one of the Papers I fend you, a Gentleman, who has diftinguifh'd himfelf by a becoming Veneration, in the House of Commons, for the Affembly, and has ever deliver'd himself with a Regard to his own Dignity, and that of the Place he was in; is reprefented frivolously as a Declaimer: and a Noble Lord, who is confpicuously adorn'd with the Knowledge of Letters, and is Eminent for a lively fprightly Eloquence, rectify'd by Learning; is declared a Companion fit only for Pert Novices and Sophifters. And what is ftill more Monstrous than all, a third Man of Quality, for the like Offence, is told in this nice Age of proportioning Rewards to Merit and Service, that he has as much as he deferves.

But it is to be hoped, English Men will at laft confider, and that the Miniftry will fee Dunkirk effectually Demolished.

It is as frivolous as unjust, to hope to stop our Mouths, when we are concerned for fo great a Point as the Bufinefs of Dunkirk, by mention of the Prerogative, and, urging our Safety in our Good and Gracious Queen.

By Her great Example, Religion, Piety, and all other Publick and Domestick Virtues, are kept in Countenance in a very loose and profligate Age; all the Hours of her precious Life, which God long preferve, are divided between

E 2

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the Exercises of Devotion, and taking Minutes of the Sublime Affairs of Her Government.

Befides which, Her Majefty has manifefted Her felf the most affectionate Wife, the most conftant Friend, the most tender Mother, and has filled every Duty with a Virtue as Superiour to the rest of the World, as is Her High Condition: But fhall leave what I have to say on this Topick, to the Time when the Confequence of it will be Infignificant to me, but which I hope will do Her Honour, that is, Juftice, when I am no more, and the Remains of Her Sacred Ferfon are as common Duft as mine.

But as this bright Example is in the Perfon of a Lady, it cannot be fuppofed that the general Senfe of a People, the Sub divifions of Affetion and Intereft among Great Men (to be learn'd only by Converfation with them, even in their unguarded Leifure) can appear to Her but from the Information of fuch as have the Happiness and Honour to lay them before Her. Her Majefty is therefore more particularly neceffitated to rely upon the Intelligence of Her Miniftry, and from that very Reafon their FelJow-Subjects may be the more Sollicitous for what paffes beyond the ordinary Rules of Government. Thus all which they offer for our Security and implicite Reliance upon what is tranfacted by the Court of England, to wit, Her Majefty's Care and Goodness, are Arguments for exerting both our Zeal and our Gratitude; that at any time Artful Men may not take Advantage of the Security we have in Her Virtue, to indulge too much the Power of any Foreign Prince whatsoever, especially that of the most Warlike Potentate in Europe.