COLLECTION O F CURIOUS ANECDOTES, SCARCE PIECES, AND GENUINE LETTERS: IN WHICH SOME OBSCURE, BUT IMPORTANT, HIS By A GENTLEMAN, FORMERLY OF BRAZEN-NOSE COLLEGE, LONDON: PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR; And Sold by J. BEW, Bookfeller, PATERNOSTER-ROW; M.DCC.XC. PRE FACE. OST of the Letters, in the following Collection, made their appearance in the public Prints, under various fignatures. Whiggifm and the Revolution are here difcuffed, as they are fubjects which are not well understood. It is more than a century fince the Revolution; and though fo long time has elapfed, yet it is ftill afcribed to a wrong caufe. When things are thus mifreprefented, and lay claim to what they are not intitled, a fair and impartial view of facts becomes neceffary, that men may not be carried away by artifice, and adopt vulgar errors as oracles, which are deftitute of truth. Such an attempt is commendable, though it may contradict received opinions, and detect, as counterfeit, what has paffed as current coin upon the Public, for a long track of time. And if this, which is now offered for infpection, should be attended with fuch a happy, fuch fuch a falutary effect, the Author will think his time well employed. For, to fet men right in what fo nearly concerns them, is no contemptible object, and must afford great pleasure to those who have inlifted themselves of no party, but are friends to truth, and advocates for right. And what generous mind can refuse to rejoice, when truth emergeth from its obfcurity; when facts, which have been fo long the theme for eulogiums; are ftripped of their varnish, and appear in their genuine drefs. Whiggism, by affuming a false and specious garb, to which it is not entitled, often deceives the people by its pretences, as they are strangers to its wiles, and not acquainted with its du plicity. For it takes care to ring in their ears flavery, tyranny, and depriving perfons of the rights and liberties which Nature has invested them with; and these are words of a terrible found, which cannot fail to alarm their fears. And though these are low artifices, yet they carry fufficient force with them to influence the giddy multitude, and to draw them to their party, as they are fuch an easy prey to nonsense, and so ready to catch at what is marvellous. And is it ftrange that such scarecrows, when thus artfully hung out, fhould be attended with fuch fuccefs, as they are fo well calculated for the purpose? For what operates upon the mind more powerfully than fear? Doth not this change the nature of things, and make them to wear another af pect? This converts impoffibility into poffible, and makes the most ridiculous things appear feasible. Thus imaginary evils fupply the place of real ones, by divesting men of their reason, and fo making them susceptible of any abfurdity, which is thrown in the way. But the delusive bait and gilded pills, which these state-mountebanks prescribe as falutary, bring them into the flavish and abject state, which they were fo much afraid of, and had fuch terrible apprehenfions of; and when this is effected, the patriot-demagogues laugh at their credulity, and ridicule them for their folly. From hence you may fee the propriety of de tecting |