1 To the Worshipful Mr. JOHN SNOW, Bailiff of STOCKBRIDGE. SIR, A Ccording to my Promife when I took my Leave of you, I fend you all the Pamphlets and Papers which have been Printed fince the Diffolution of the last Parliament; among thefe you will find your Humble Servant no fmall Man, but spoken of more than once in Print: You will find I take up whole Pages in the Examiner, and that there is a little Pamphlet written wholly upon me, and directed to me. As you are the Magiftrate of the Town wherein, of all Places in the World, it concerns me most to appear a different Man, from the Perfon whom thefe Writers reprefent me; I address my Vindication to you, and at the fame time to the whole Borough. In the firft Place I must recommend to your Perufal a printed Paper, which was publish'd in French on one fide, and Englifo on the other, and given Gratis in the open Streets: A Country Gentleman of my Acquaintance, who was going into Wales the next Day, receiv'd one of them from a Boy diftributing them in Cheapfide, and made me a Prefent of it. I will trouble you only with the English. A A moft Humble Addrefs or Memorial prefented to Her Majefty the Queen of Great Britain, by the Deputy of the Magiftrates of Dunkirk to Her Majesty. May it please your moft Excellent Majefty, THE HE Sieur Tugghe, Deputy of the Magiftrates of Dunkirk to your Majefty, to • implore your Clemency in relation to the intended Demolition of the Fortifications and Port of the faid Town, had entertain'd Hopes that by the most humble Representations he had prefum'd to make, touching the extreme Mifery to which the faid Demolition will reduce Eighteen Thousand Families that make up that City, your Majefty's Mercy might have ⚫ been moved, and that according to his moft reIpectful Requeft, he might have obtain'd the Prefervation at least of the Mole or Dikes of that Port. But he was as it were Thunderftruck by the Denunciation which my Lord Viscount Bolingbroke made to him, that your • Majefty did not think fit to make any Alteration in the dreadful Sentence you have pronounc'd : againft that Town, and that 'tis your Majesty's • Pleasure that Sentence fhould be executed in its full Extent. Tho' ftunn'd by this Blow, the Sieur Tugghe yet prefumes to approach • once more your Majesty's awful Throne, be⚫ing thereto encouraged by the Benefit your Ma jelly's Clemency pours down on all the Nations of the Earth; and with trembling to reprefent to your Majefty, that he does not demand that the Works that may ferve either for the Attack or Defence of Dunkirk be preferved, ⚫ either either on the Landfide, or towards the Sea. 'The unfortunate Inhabitants of Dunkirk are no ⚫ longer concern'd for thofe magnificent Works, that ftrike Terror on all the Beholders. The Magiftrates only beg the Prefervation of the 'Mole and Dikes that form and keep up the Har'bour, thereby to preferve to their People only their neceffary Subfiftence, by enabling them 'to carry on their Herring Fishing,and fome other 'fmall Trade along the Coaft. • Your Majefty endued with Native Clemency ' and Christian Charity, of which all Nations 'feel the benign Influence, defires not to return Evil for Evil; nor does your Majefty admit it in your Refolutions any farther than it is indifpenfably neceffary according to Political Views, and agreeable to the Welfare of your own Subjects. The Sieur Tugghe will pre'fume to obferve to your Majefty that the Pre• fervation of the Harbour of Dunkirk, in the naked Condition it has been Represented, will < neither be inconsistent either with the Politi'cal Views of Great Britain, or the Welfare and Good of the British Subjects, but rather Beneficial to both. Dunkirk has had the Misfortune to become the Object of Great Britain's Indignation, either by the Sea Armaments the King made there,and 'which during the late Wars may have disturb'd the Tranquility of your Majefty's Kingdoms, and retarded the Execution of your Majefty's Projects, or by the Privateering of its Inhabitants, which has often annoy'd and molested 'the Trade of your Majefty's Subjects. But in the 'Condition to which your Petitioner begs its 'Harbour to be reduc'd, that is, divefted of all C · its its Works and Fortifications, and its Mole ' and Dikes only preferv'd, it will never be able, whatever War (which God avert) may happen for the future, either to form any Obftacle to your Majefty's Projects, or to difturb the Trade of your Majelly's Subjects, fince in fuch a Condition it will be an open Town, both on the Land and Sea-fide, abandon'd to the first Invader, defenceless for whom foever fhall poffefs it, and which any Enemy may en⚫ter by Sea and by Land, in order to burn both the Ships that might be fitting out there, and even the Town and Harbour. Thus in fuch a Condition Dunkirk neither will nor even can be oppofite either to your Majesty's Political Views, or to the Welfare of your Maje• fly's Subjects. · The Prefervation of the Harbour of Dunkirk without Works and Fortifications, may in fine be equally useful, and become even • abfolutely neceffary, both for your Majesty's • Political Views, and the Good of your Sub'jects. Your Majefty's Political Views, chiefly in 'Times of Peace, center all in the Increafe of the Commerce of your Majesty's Subjects, and at the fame time the Welfare and Interest of yourSubje&s lie in the Improvement of their Trade. Therefore by proving that the Prefervation of the Harbour of Dunkirk will be not only advantageous, but also neceffary for the Commerce of the Subjects of Great Britain, your Petitioner hopes he fhall prove all that's contain'd in his Second Fropofition. Fir, Dunkirk is become the Obje&t of the Jealoufy of the Dutch, and the Dutch have ' wifh'd |