at bay, and thus pretend to wheedle the pursuing conftable. What! will you, reverend Magiftrates! (for 'tis time to give good words) who are entrusted by the nation with the publick peace and tranquillity, and therefore not only ftrengthened with ample power, but adorned with awful staffs of authority: What! will you be thus partial to these witneffes, to these fhabby fellows who pretend to be robbed, as to fall on us who never faw your faces before? This is making your felves the Heads of a pursuing rabble, who one day perhaps may be indited of a riot for fo abufing us------ I need not apply the comparison, because the thing speaks it felf. And whereas our TRIMMER blames people for fo monopolizing a Prince's favour, that a poor TRIMMER can get none of it; I confefs 'tis true, but methinks not very ftrange. I allow his Simile to hold good, that not only thefe Statesmen, but any other men in the world, even TRIMMERS themselves, would engross the very funshine, with the hazard of being burnt, in cafe there were not enough of it for every body? And, for my part, tho' 'tis a great fault in mankind, I cannot but charitably forgive it; because I am one of that race

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my felf; and bad is the beft of us all, WHIG, TORY, and TRIMMER.

BUT here he advifes us extreamly well, not to opprefs the people, which, tho' a dull heavy beast, may yet at last be enraged with fuch burning cupping-glaffes. In return to his kindness I will put him also in mind, that 'tis every whit as dangerous to wake a fleeping Lion; it being a great deal better to feed quietly by him than infolently tread on him, or fo much as feem to flight him: For, tho' 'tis cafier for himself as well as others to lock up his claws, and lie in quiet; yet if too much disturbed, perhaps he may grow peevish, and think it better once for all to rouze up his anger to purpose, than to be fretted and provoked perpetually.

AND now, because the very name of a TORY has been given to intimate a mixture of ignorance and barbarity; it will not be unneceffary to give a fhort account of his opinions, that are fuppofed to be fuch terrible bugbears; though indeed they can frighten none but very children in politicks. First, As to Religion, he does not believe it a meer engine of Government, invented only by the fear of fools, and improved fince by

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the wisdom of Magiftrates; but yet he thinks it not below the divineft Laws, to fecond or rather fanctify those made by our fuperiors; and he can never imagine any Religion likely to bring us to heaven, which hinders us from living peaceably and contentedly on earth. So that if principles of obedience to government be not the fure mark of a good religion (because then MAHOMET's might pafs as well as another) yet any that makes a difturbance is to be counted a bad one, and not fit to be fuffered in a community of reasonable creatures.

AND though he is thought fuch a Bigot of Monarchy, 'tis only where its long fettlement among us gives it a just title to our defence, and veneration: But all this while he thinks a fubject of Venice would be as guilty in shaking that auguft fabrick of Ariftocracy, as any of our Innovators can be here; because the reafon is the fame, and the general quiet as much disturbed. thinks obedience to Kings, as to Parents, a moral, nay, a divine law; and that we are tied to obferve it as much by our intereft, as our duty; and that in this, as in all other actions of morality, the publick convenience, in which our own is comprehended, ought

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to

to be thought the basis of the stricteft obligation. Let not therefore any body imagine the TORY fo partial or so blind, as not to fee faults in his fuperiors, because he only fighs in filence, and is rather ashamed than angry at it. For he thinks that taking pub lick notice of it is as ill-bred and unwife, as a man's telling his own wife of her being painted in the Drawing-room; which is not fo likely to perfuade her out of that fault, as to provoke her into another of a more dangerous nature. Nay, the TORY thinks fometimes the Prerogative it self too much exalted, and is afraid of its breaking with being ftretch'd too high, as instruments are in danger under unskilful hands. But even in fuch a cafe, when Liberty is like the keeper's daughter at the Tower, fallen under the Lion's paw; 'tis prudence to have patience, and nothing can so endanger her as to attempt her rescue. No doubt but there are evils in all governments; but the leffer ones of being unwifely governed, are a thousand times to be preferred to those of Anarchy and a Civil War. Then as to foreign affairs, the TORY is as zealous as any body for the honour of his nation; and thinks the quiet of it, especially for the fu

ture, depends on our maintaining that honour generously, tho' with a little seeming inconvenience. But as the TORY would be loth to fee his Prince engaged in amity with any enemies to his country, fince then they must be his too, whatever they may pretend to the contrary: fo he would not have a Parliament fo pofitive, though never so much in the right, as to grow impofers instead of counsellors. A King ought to be perfuaded fometimes, but never violently prefs'd to any thing; for, befides that 'tis the way to give a disgust to the best diet, if it be cramm'd down with violence; by fuch an importunity, the grace of willingness is loft, which is the very life and foul of all compliances: and the Nation will rather defpife, than applaud a Prince, who only yields to their defires out of too much eafinefs of nature. Yet after all, perhaps the honeft TORY is more concern'd than any, to have his Prince always understand his intereft aright; when others are glad (it may be) of his mistakes, that turn fo much to his disadvantage.

AND now to fhake hands and be friends, after all our difputes; I join heartily with our TRIMMER in adoring Truth, wherever I find her; who, I am confident, has been

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