votion. And is it not a fmaller Guilt or Evil with the Papifts, to defign the killing of a King, than with the Prefbyterians, to have actually murdered one of the beft that ever fwayed a Scepter; and, with thofe Antichriftian Zealots of this Kingdom, of the fame Herd, to avow they would likewife gladly facrifice our prefent Sovereign? And yet what Prints or Pulpits have fince inveighed againft fuch Hellish Proceedings? Was not this, together with a formed Rebellion of many thousands in the Field, hufhed and paffed over in very few Days, without Noife, Wonder, or Abhorrence? The Memory and Reproach of the other being fill in the Mouths of all, and fresheft in theirs, who were Partizans, or of the fame Principles with thofe of our Villany. Away, away, Man, for Shame; let it not be faid, that the Prefbyterians are not even as black as the Papifts: Supprefs both, or neither: It is beft Policy to fet them anent of each other, for a Balance. If I did not hear, from all Hands, the Infolence of the Prefbyterians; and with Trouble read many of the printed Votes, and the Ballads on the Bishops, for voting against the Duke's Exclufion, I fhould believe, that our prefent Fears and Disorders in England did proceed from Apprehenfions of Popery; but by many Arguments I am convinced, that the Duke's private Opinion is but made the Stale to wreak their Malice against the Kingly Government; and that Paffion, more than Reafon, does Influence your Countrymen.

For, I pray confider; is not Faith the Gift of God? Can any Man believe what he pleafes? And who knows whether the Duke was ever of the Church of England? Did not the late Rebellion force him to fly into a Popish Country in his Youth? And is it not next to impoffible to remove Prepoffeffions, especially confidering the Unity, Antiquity, and Univerfality of that Church, wherein all the English Orthodox Divines allow Salvation? Can any Man change his Complexion, alter the Figure of his Face, the Stature of his Body, the Colour of his Hair, or of his Skin? Is not the Jaundice a Disease in the Eye, that needs the Help of Phyfick? And is not Error, or Weaknefs in the Understanding, a Dif temper alfo that requires the Affiftance of a Phyfician? And what Remedy can be proper, but gentle Arguments, and the perfuafive Arts of Difcourfe, and fober Reasoning? Perfecution makes fome Men, thofe of great Souls, obftinate; and others of little, Hypocrites. But what Law enacts, that an Opinion, in the difputable Parts of Religion, ought to deprive a Man of his Right to inherit? Would any of your Fanaticks (I am fure none of our Whigs would) hold their Tongues, if treated fo feverely: Equality of Justice is that alone which upholds a State, and makes a Kingdom happy."

And why muft there be all this ftir about the Duke, when it is more than probable he may not furvive his Brother, for whofe long Life, I am perfuaded, he, as well as all honeft Subjects, does heartily pray: But if he fhould, pray, why, if a Papift, muft he, more than the French King, or other Popish Princes, deftroy his Subjects? To do fo, would be against his Interest, if a Turk, or an Atheist,

The Cafe would not then be, what it was in Queen Mary's Days: Those Laws, by which Men fuffered, (and yet in her fix Years there were not three hundred, and few of them too purely for Religion) are abrogated; the Body of the People were then more Papifts, than now Proteftants; and no new Laws can. be made without a Parliament, out of which, as well as out of all Offices, Roman Catholicks

Catholicks are excluded, by Oaths and Penalties, not in the Prince's Power to remit or forgive: So that, upon the whole, there is, indeed, on this Account, no real Danger of any Innovation in Religion; and therefore we may well look on this, but as a Pretence to undermine Monarchy itfelf.

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But left this fingle String fhould fail, they have cunningly found out another for their Bow, The Inexarableness of the Duke's Temper, if once offended: A groundless and malicious Scandal, an Opinion that being generally spread abroad, has already begot many great Evils, and, if continued, will, in all probability, un us into infinite Calamities and Disorders, not to be equalled but by the Malice of the Contrivers: For, his being thus mifreprefented, must needs add to the People's Obftinacy in oppofing, and his Violence in afferting his Right to the Crown: And therefore I wonder why you fuffer yourselves to be impofed upon, and your Understandings fubjected to that Slavery which is certainly defigned against your Perfons by the Ambitious, without prying into the Grounds, and confidering the Confequences of that Calumny, I am fure, did his Enemies allow but half the Time for Confideration, as they do for Paffion, they would find his Royal Highness is much lefs fwayed with an inordinate Defire of Revenge, than they are with a falfe and misguided Zeal; or, which is more, that he is as void of that spiteful Humour, as they that charge him with it, are of Candour and Integrity. The Knowledge of this Truth I owe to my Obfervation of his Temper, Principles, and Practice, in the many Varieties of his Fortune: But I am now more bold to affirm it, fince his coming into Scotland; becaufe, three Days after I had fhewed him your Letters, he publickly declared in Council, that though the Malice of his Adverfaries might poffibly deprive him of a Crown, together with the Affections of the People; yet it would never of the Royal Virtue of Clemency: Which whether he derives more from the Blood of his Father, or the Example of his Brother, is an undecided Queftion; as it likewife is, whether the one merited more by laying down his Life for his People's Liberty, than the other by pardoning fo many thoufands, who had forfeited theirs to his Juftice: That he was not ignorant how Machiavel's Advice of Fortiter calumniare & aliquid adhærebit, was daily put in Practice by his Adverfaries; nothing being fo ufual with them, as to traduce his moft blameless Actions, calling Juftice, Cruelty; Bounty, Prodigality; Refolution, Obftinacy; Valour, Rafhnefs; and, in fine, any Thing that is Great or Glorious, Bafe and Degenerous: Yet he hoped Truth would at laft prevail against his and its own Enemies, and make it as impoffible for them to fpread their Calumnies to his Difadvantage, as for him to leave any to Severity or Punishment, that had first left their Crimes: That he always looked upon Revenge as the Refult of a cankered and impotent Mind, inhumanly rejoicing in the Calamities of the Oppreffed, and as infatiable in Cruelty, as the Memory of received Injuries is commonly indelible; than which, nothing was more contrary to his Nature, having, befides the Commands of Christianity, been taught from his Infancy, that fo poor and mean a Paffion, ought never to influence a Prince, who is obliged by Honour to end his Wrath, as foon as his Enemies do their Malice; and, having no Rivals to contend with, is then to be accounted moft victorious, when he triumphs over himtelf, byconquering his Paffions: That he challenged any that knew him, to give one Inftance, wherein he had fwerved from this Maxim, or exercised any Rigour

+

against

against any Offender, that had truly and fincerely repented: That it was true, he could not forget the French Proverb, Qui fe fait un brebis, le Loup le mange, i. e. The Wolf devours him that makes himself a Sheep; and therefore would not, by an Over-eafinefs of Nature, yield tamely to his own Ruin, and fuffer himfelf to be made a Prey to the Ambition and Infolence of others; but was refolved to temper the Methods of gaining and enjoying his juft Rights, with a mixture of Severity and Mildness, proportionable to the Oppofition he fhould meet with: And lastly, that he could diftinguifh very well, between those whom Ignorance or Imprudence carried infenfibly beyond the Bounds of Duty, and those who knowingly, and advifedly, ran not only into Extremes themselves, but likewife, by Lyes and falfe Suggeffions, hindered many to return from, and drove others to, wicked and malicious Practices; and, confequently, he hoped, none would wonder if thefe fhould feel the Smart of his Juftice, as the other might be fure, upon difclaiming their Errors, to be received into Mercy; being perfuaded, that punishing fuch Men could no more be termed Revenge, than executing the Laws against Traitors, and Disturbers of the publick Quiet, could reasonably be accounted Cruelty: But left, upon this fcore, he fhould be thought to referve a Latitude to himself of wreaking his Anger against any at Pleasure, he was willing to give all the Affurance they themselves could expect, and would move his Brother to agree to an Act of Parliament for that Purpofe; that he would freely forgive, and bury in eternal Oblivion, whatever is paft, that fo either all may be thoroughly reconciled, or fuch as are guilty of that Implacabi lity which they attribute to him, differenced from the reft, and left without excufe, to the Terror of their own evil Confciences, and his juft Refentments.

I cannot imagine what further can reasonably be expected from an injured Prince, and am confident, whoever after continues diffatisfied, is as great an Enemy to Reason, as he is to his Royal Highness; and inftead of taking away, feeks to perpetuate your Differences. Nor do I fee why any before him, fhould be credited in an Affair of this Importance; fince all acknowledge him to be of a frank and generous Nature, free from all Diffimulation, and the little Politick Fetches and Evafions which ferve other Men's Turn to break their Promifes: Whereas the Ringleaders of his Adverfaries are verfed in all the Arts and Wiles of forming Parties and Factions, and confequently, cannot be thought to stick at forging any Lye or Afperfion, beneficial to the End they propofe. But, allowing an equal Probability of Truth in his Denial, and their Charge; yet to err of bis fide, is not lefs fafe, and I am fure much more boneft and bonourable.

It is indeed the ufual Cheat of afpiring Men, by fpecious Pretences, first to engage the unwary in their Confpiracies, and, when either Fear or Honesty opens their Eyes, then to make them believe, they are fo far advanced, that they cannot with Safety retire; and that the State or Person they provoked, will admit of no other Attonement than that of their Lives and Fortunes. This Device (to omit ancienter Times) in Philip the Second's Reign filled the Belgick Plains with the Blood of his Spanish and Flemish Subjects; brought France fucceffively under feveral Kings, almoft to a total Deftruction; deprived our late Sovereign of his Life and Crown, which I am confident was not by the major Part firft intended in 1640; and had like to have kept his prefent Majesty in perpetual Exile, had not Providence wrought Miracles in his Favour, and, in

fpite

spite of all the Artifices of his rebellious Subjects, reftored him to his Throne, without Blood or Violence: Among which, I cannot but remember that devilih Pamphlet, intituled, A Letter from Bruxelles, &c. mentioned in Baker's Chronicle, published after his Majefty's Declaration from Breda, infinuating, That notwithstanding his Promises, if they fuffered his Return, he would with all imaginable Cruelty revenge the Death of his Father, and not forget it to the third Generation of thofe concerned in that horrid Murder. This put the People into a great Confternation; yet his unparallelled Clemency, and his fo often preffing his Parliament to pafs the Act of Oblivion, fufficiently proved the Malice of that Invention. But I hope this Cheat is now fo well known, that it will gain no Credit with confidering Perfons: I only wish fome Care were taken to undeceive the weak and unthinking, that Peace and Unity, which fem to have parted from you with his Royal Highnefs, might with him be once more retored, and the happy Union of both Kingdoms be made perpetual, by fuffering no Rent or Gap in the Royal Line; which all of our Nation, (and we hear thofe of Ireland will not be lefs forward) are not only obliged, but have vowed to maintain, with the Hazard of their Lives and Fortunes: A Neceffity we hope you will never put upon us, as well for your own Sakes, as for the Peace and Quiet of this Kingdom, wherein he has not the leaft Concern, who is, and always will be,

J

Your moft bumble and most obedient Servant, &c.

POSTSCRIPT.

UST now I hear of a new Project fet on Foot, to give the King Six Hundred Thoufand Pounds, which he may difpofe of at Pleasure, on Condition he will confent to the Bill of Exclufion; and that, in return, he fhall have Power, by Act of Parliament, in Cafe he have no Iffue by his Queen, to fettle by Will the Crown upon any of his Natural Children.. To manage this Defign, a new Set of Minifters is contrived: A great Lord, whofe Son moft, if not wholly, influences the Houfe of Commons, is to be made a Duke; another Earl, to be Treafurer; Sir WJ is to be Lord Chief Justice; Col. T to be a Secretary of State, &c. I am very forry to perceive the Differences between the King and his Subjects, are fomented by Perfons of the fame Humour with thofe in 1640. who, meeting at Sir Robert Long's, undertook, if his then Majefty would do fo and fo, he should govern the Parliament to all Intents and Purpofes: The King confenting to every, excepting one, their defired Preferments, was refufed, crying out, One and all, having before bound themselves accordingly. One of the then leading Men has in this Parliament a Son, whofe Power and Ambition falls very little fhort, if at all, of his Father's; and if you have a mind to discover Hercules's Proportion by that of his Foot, compare the Remonftrance and the late Addrefs, and, without naming, you will find the near Relation of the Authors. For fhame, let not fuch Proceedings be nick-named, doing your Country Service. I remember to have heard, that in the fhort Parliament, before that of (40) when fome more zealous than wife MemVOL. III. bers,

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258

A Second Collection of

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bers, fpake, too extravagantly, a fober Gentleman, and no Courtier, stood b and no Courtier, flood li and faid, he was for more moderate Counfels, left their prefent Heat and Exorbi tance bould put that King, and bis Succeffors, for ever out of Conceit with Parliaments, who depended upon bis Pleafure. I wish the whole Kingdom, as well as their Prince, may have no Reafon to grow weary of, and diflike the fettled Conftitution of Commons in Parliament, chuling rather to have, as formerly the whole Power in the King, and his Great Council of Lords and Barons. Extremes are near one another and many, by grafping at too much, have left the little they enjoyed. This is as foolish, as with the Dog in the Apologue, to lofe the Substance for the Shadow: And fince Prudence tells us, A long provoked and incenfed Clemency turns into the greatest Cruelty, you ought to bridle your Paffions and Ambition, left you too late repent your Madness and your Folly. This Confideration has carried me beyond the ufual length of a Poftcript, wherein I defigned to have faid little more, than that I understand the Duke writes this Night to the King his Brother, That if he can be fecure bis Parlia ment will agree with him, upon quitting his Intereft, that he should not longer Aruggle for him, who would not only Hazard his uncertain Hopes of a Crown, but would with Foy expofe bis Life, to do his Majefty Service, whofe long Reign, and Happiness, notwithstanding all the Forgeries of his Enemies, be as beartily wifbes, as any other the most loyal Subject in his Dominions.

Confider the Greatnefs of this Generofity, and let not Malice for ever prevail, to the Defamation of Innocence, and the Disturbance, if not the Ruin, of thefe Nations.

The SPEECH of Sir GEORGE PUDSEY, Knight, at the Time of his being fworn Recorder of the City of OXFORD, in the Council-Chamber of the fame City, on Tuesday the Eighth Day of January, 1683-4; where they agreed to the fealing the Inftrument fent bby his Majefty!

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Ordered by Act of Council, that Sir GEORGE PUDSEY, Knt. beidefired to print his Speech.

Gentlemen,

F

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f

BAKER.

ORTUNE has at laft gratified me in that earneft Defire I have always. had to ferve you; and though I defpair of making due Acknowledgments, yet you may believe, that I am very fenfible of the Favour you have done me, in fo unanimously chufing me to be your Servant; for fuch a one your Recorder is: It is a Place of Honour, and of Truft, and if I discharge it not as I ought, or at least as I am able, I am the worst of Men; I value myfelf much upon it, but more upon your Friendship. Perhaps few Recorders for

many