Patron were turn'd out, He would drop Him at once, and not afford Him fo much as one commemorative Paragraph, fetting forth his Titles, Places, Dignities and Continuance in Power. I cannot help thinking This a little ftingy and ungenerous in Mr. Walfingham, who hath received fo many Favours at his Hands; but when that fatal Hour arrives, as one Day it muft, I hope fomebody will do the honourable Gentleman that last Office; and, perhaps, with more Juftice to his Character than now, when He is in full Poffeffion of Power.

It is the great Misfortune of Mr. Walsingham's Writings, that He is commonly deficient in Point of Proof; and fo it happens in the prefent Cafe. He hath not brought a fingle Argument to fupport his Charge, befides a tautological Syllogifm, or Premifes, which prove the direct contrary of his Conclufion.

The tautological Syllogifm, extremely familiar to Mr. Walfingham, confifts in feveral Times repeating the Propofition, or Conclufion, which ought to be proved;. or feveral strong Affirmations of the fame Thing in different Expreflions. I know this Kind of Argumentation is very much in Fashion, and does not want its Force with fome People.-Oh! that I were endowed with fome small Portion of Mr. Walfingham's luxuriant Eloquence! Then would I din it into the Ears of the Publick, for whole Columns together, that this Method of Reasoning is an Infult upon common Sense; injurious to Freedom of Thought; affuming a dictatorial Power; an arrogant Demand of implicit Faith; voting, and not reafoning; enacting, without convincing; giving a Blow, inftead of an Argument; a fcandalous Afperfion upon the Understandings of all his Readers, &c. &c. &c.

When Mr. Walfingham defcends from Aertions to Reasoning, there is often a Mistake, in his Conclufion, of a Negative for an Affirmative; or an Inverfion of the Propofition. His Writings every where abound with this Sort of Anti-Logick. There are fome Inftances of it in the Paper before me. For Example, your men

tioni

tioning the Abilities and Services of a Minifter is fet forth as upbraiding the King with his Favours; whereas I think it is really commending his Majefty, instead of upbraiding Him; for furely no Perfon can be upbraided with favouring Merit; but if, inftead of Services and Abilities, you had put Differvices and Inabilities, Mr. Walfingham's Conclufion would naturally follow.

As for identical Propofitions, (fuch as That of deServing Favour by Merit) they ought to be excufed in Mr. Walfingham, as the only Truths He deals in; for that a Man deferves by Defert, or merits by Merit, his greatest Enemies cannot deny to be true.

For this Reason, if the Craftsman, instead of the Propofition cenfured by Mr. Walfingham, had ventured to give it us in different Terms; that the World feems greatly aftonifh'd, and Thofe, who are most zealous for the prefent, royal Family, grieve to fee fo unable and fo unfaithful a Servant continued in Power, in fo critical a Conjuncture; in fuch a Cafe, I must allow that He would have been justly chargeable with abufing a certain Perfon in a bigh Station; and, perhaps, with reflecting on the K-g, for continuing his Favour to fo worthless a. Wretch; but a fhort Narrative of the Offices and Services of a difcarded Minifter cannot furely deferve fuch Epithets, as Mr. Attorney hath beltow'd upon it..

I am far from defiring to fee either the Crown, or the People, difpoffefs'd of their antient Privilege of chufing their own Servants; for I must observe that our Laws have given One the fame Power, in this Refpect, with the Other. The Throne hath certainly a Right to difmifs thofe Servants, who will not act, or perhaps even think, according to the Prime Minifter's Direction; which ought no Doubt to be the Standard of Faith, and the Center of political Unity. I hope it will be allow'd, in Return, that the whole Body of the People have the fame Right of inftructing their Servants, and turning out Thofe, who defert their Intereft. But I will venture to affirm, even under the Terror of Mr. Wal

fingham's

fingham's Anathema, that happy is the King, as well as the People, when their Sentiments agree, and the Servants of both act in Concert together, with the Approbation of their respective Principals!

I hope, Mr. D'Anvers, that you will excufe this Attempt to extenuate the Crimes laid to your Charge; but, at the fame Time, I cannot conclude without congratulating Mr. Walfingham on the glorious Harveft of Scandal, which this Seafon is likely to produce; for as Court Favour is the only Criterion of Merit in his Eyes; fo every Man, who happens to lofe an Employment, or the Countenance of his Patron, becomes at once the Object of his Refentment, and is fure to smart under the Lafh of his Pen. I heartily with that every Gentleman, who may be the Subject of his future Papers, will grant Him the fame Indulgence with the noble Lord, and fuffer Him to proceed, without any Moleftation, in fo useful and laudable a Defign.

C. D.

I am, SIR, &c.

The Copy of a Letter from an eminent Trader of London to his Friend, in Answer to the Daily Courant of Wednesday April 25th, concerning the late Petition of the DRUGGISTS, &c. to the House of Commons.

SIR,

N

OTHING but your Requeft could have prevailed with me to read the Courant. I have feen fo many of them full of grofs Mifreprefentations and Falfehood, that I had determined to read no more of them; but as you defire it, and as the Petition, mention'd in it, was promoted and fign'd by fome of your Friends, who 'till now were never fufpected to be Murderers, or Rebels; I will, without Referve, give

you

you an Account of that whole Tranfaction; by which you will perceive that their real Intentions were to be relieved from the Trouble, Inconvenience, and Oppreffion of the Excife Laws; and, if poffible, put a Stop to the Smuggling Trade. These Confiderations, and Thefe only, induced the Dealers to confider of fome Expedient; and finding fo desirable a Work univerfally approved, a great Number of Them met at the Swan in Cornhill, the latter End of February last, to confult on what was proper to be done for that End. After fome Debate about the Method of Application, (for They differ'd in nothing elfe) a Committee of Twelve was appointed to conduct this important Affair. Even These could not agree in that particular; but at laft refolved to apply to the first Commiffioner of the Treafury. The Dealers, impatient of Relief, and defirous to know their Succefs, often call'd for a Report, and on Wednesday the 18th of laft Month the Com mittee fummon'd Them together by publick Advertifement, to acquaint Them with their Proceedings. The Chairman told Them that the Committee had applied to the Treafury, and had offer'd a Scheme, (calculated to prevent Smuggling) which was read; but faid their Application had no Effect, and that nothing could yet be done for their Trade. Whereupon a Motion was made to diffolve that Committee, and carried in the Affirmative. The Chairman quitted the Chair, and declined accepting it again, on Account of his being lately chofen Director of the India Company. Another was therefore elected, and a Motion to apply to Parliament was immediately propofed and agreed to, notwithstanding the Cavil and Oppofition made to it by the late Committee; who, it is prefumed, were drawn in to promife that They would make no fuch Application. A new Committee was then appointed, to prepare and folicit a Petition, which was finish'd and agreed to late that Evening; and as there are but two Ways of getting Hands to a Petition, viz. calling People

People together, or fending it to their Houfes; the Committee thought there was not Time for the first, and therefore took the last Method; and deliver'd the Petition into the Hands of one of their Agents, who knows and is known to all the Dealers, in order to call upon Them the next Day, not to folicit Hands, but to give fuch as pleased an Opportunity to fign it; and 'This he did alone, without the Attendance of any Dealer, or other fubftantial Trader whatsoever. You fee, Sir, how it was promoted and obtain'd. It was fign'd by the Dealers, and by Them only; and if the greatest Part of Them were Men of no Subftance, it can be owing to nothing but the oppreffive Laws, from which They fought Relief. If you perufe the Votes of the 20th of laft Month, you will fee that it was a Petition from the Druggifts and Grocers, China Men and others dealing in Coffee, Tea, &c. which may juftify its being fign'd by many, who are not Druggifts. The Reafon why all the principal Druggifts did not fign it is; fome were of the late Committee; moft of whom wifh'd it a better Fate; and others, who are indeed principal Druggifts, left off this Branch of their Trade early, to avoid the Slavery of Excife Laws; for which Reafon, They could not be Parties to it. Those, who refused to fign, were in all but Ten; and Thofe, who gave any Reason for not figning, faid They fear'd the Time was too fhort, and wish'd They had gone to Parliament, when They firft went to the Treafury.

Inclofed is a Copy of the Refolutions of the Dealers, upon which the Committee acted, and which, I prefume, will make you Master of the whole Affair. I am, Sir, Yours, &c. Copy of the Refolutions mention'd above.

་་

"

R.

Refolved,

Τ

HAT it is the Opinion of the Traders in Coffee, Tea and Chocolate, that immediate "Application be made to Parliament for Relief against "the