Author ought to be hang'd in Chains, is attributed intirely to skilful Management and Addrefs.

The Difregard, which Men of this Clafs generally fhew upon Points of the highest Concern to their Country, hath as real, tho' not fo wicked a Caufe as the Vi gilance of Thofe, who fubfift upon the Reward They receive from their infamous Employment of putting all Virtue out of Countenance; and it does not require much Penetration to point out the Spring of this fashio nable Indifference; when we fee all Oppofition to the Measures of Men in Power, how juft or reasonable soever, attributed either to implacable Hatred and Revenge, or a fordid Expectation of playing the fame Part; and the Poffibility of difinterested Views in publick Affairs abfolutely deny'd, tho' accompany'd with a Conduct, ftrictly conformable to fuch Views; when we fee fo little Regard paid to Merit, or common Decency, that the Price of every Man's Conscience, who oppofes, is as confidently talk'd of as the infamous Schemes He opposes; when Corruption, which has been the Bane of every free Country, fince the Creation of the World, is contended for as the only fovereign Principle of Action, and the great Spring, upon which all inferior Movements in the State depend; that Mankind are born in Servility; and that the Liberties of the People are abfolutely incompatible with our Conftitution. No Art hath been left untry'd to introduce this political Creed among Mankind, and to render it popular and fashionable.

If This be a true Reprefentation of the prevailing Doctrines among Thofe, who are intrufted with our Liberties, furely too much Caution cannot be made use of to avoid the Infection; and Thofe of eafy Difpofitions fhould be more in earnest upon a Subject, which is of fuch infinite Confequence to Themselves, as well as their Fellow Subjects and Pofterity.

I would not be thought to caft an Odium upon good. Breeding and Politeness; I mean only to reflect upon the VOL. XI. Affectation

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Affectation of them; nor would I have it concluded that I efteem every well-bred Man regardless of the Intereft of his Country. I have the Pleafure to know many, whofe good Breeding has not yet brought Them into the Vogue of treating every Thing with Indifference, which is of a publick Nature.

My Design is to fhew what an unhappy Influence the fashionable Doctrines of these degenerate Days feem to have had among fome Men; how eafy it is for Them to be lull'd afleep with State-Opiates, and by Degrees led into Vices, that might co-operate with the dark Defigns of Thofe of a higher Station, and greatly facilitate the Conqueft over our Liberties. In This I have no other End, than to put every Man upon his Guard, and fhew the abfolute Neceffity of withstanding fo ridiculous a Fashion.

I have, indeed, the Pleasure to obferve many brave Men in the Kingdom, to whom there is no Neceffity of preaching this Doctrine; and in whom a Zeal for the Service of their Country is too deeply ingrafted, to be in the least affected by any impertinent Attempts of this Kind I have lived to fee the People in general demonftrate that They have not yet taken Leave of their Liberties, in an Inftance, that will for ever endear their Memories to Pofterity; and if this great Event is in any Measure owing to the Zeal of fome particular Perfons, who have fignalized themselves on this Occafion, it is a Proof of what I have already faid, and evinces the Neceffity of keeping a watchful and jealous Eye over our Liberties, as the only infallible Security of them.

But though I have the highest Opinion of my Countrymen in general, I cannot fuppofe Them Proof againft all Temptations, efpecially That of Vogue. The Difficulty of a Man's fupporting Himself against all Attacks from that Quarter, whilft He is in Society, is almost infurmountable; and when I fee with what infamous Views the Cuftom of laughing at all Pretences

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to national Virtue is introduced among us, fupported with a regular Body of Men, fet apart to decry and hunt this Principle out of the World; I can't help trembling at the Confequence; and if, in expreffing my Abhorrence of thefe Practices, I betray too much Warmth, and take too much Freedom with my Countrymen, I have the Satisfaction to know that it proceeds from my Zeal for the Preservation of thofe Liberties, which from a fashionable Difregard of them may be loft for ever.

R.

I am Yours, &c,

N° 362. SATURDAY, June 9, 1733.

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R. Walingham hath made fo important a Figure in three late Papers, which He hath had the Ingenuity to fpin out of one little Article of Home-News in the Craftsman, relating to a noble Peer's Difmiffion from his Employment at Court, that I think it incumbent upon me to take fome farther Notice of fo extraordinary a Perfonage.

When this polite Gentleman first appear'd in Publick, I took the Liberty of treating Him with fome Contempt, and look'd upon Him only as a pert young Fellow, who ran away from his Master, like too many forward Lads of this Age, either out of Idleness, or Incapacity to make any Thing of his Business. It never enter'd into my Thoughts that any Man in Power, however He might be diftrefs'd for Advocates, would condescend to take up with fuch a giddy, little Creature, or truft his Caufe in the Hands of a TruantYouth, without Learning, without Wit, or any Know

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ledge of the World, to qualify Him for so arduous an Employment.

But I must acknowledge, with Shame and Confufion of Face, that I was very much mistaken in my Judgment, concerning this notable Perfon; whofe fe cret Talents were foon difcover'd by the piercing Eyes of our British Lynceus, and made confpicuous by his Favour to the whole World.

Being thus exalted on the Gyant's Shoulders, He began immediately to ftrut, vapour and defy all beneath Him. It was a pleafant Scene enough to obferve how big the little Urchin affected to look; how He would fume and fret his puny Carcafe, and kick and fpurn at every Body that came near Him. I fometimes dis verted myself, at my leifure Hours, with teazing Him, and could never look up at Him, without thinking of that ridiculous Reprefentative of a Man, who expofes Himself very indecently by climbing too high.

As for myself, I could expect nothing but the fharpeft Refentment from a Perfon of fuch Eminence, whom I had treated in fo contemptuous a Manner before his Advancement ; and the World hath been Witnefs how feverely I have fuffer'd for it ever fince. But I foon grew beneath his Notice; and He fcorn'd to contend with a Writer of fo inferior a Rank. He thought it more honourable and fuitable to his Dignity to con tend with Gentlemen, whom Birth, Fortune, and high Employments had render'd equal to Himself. For this Purpose, He fatigued Himself with Attendances in either House; and, being conftantly admitted a GalleryMember, gave us an Hafh of every remarkable De-bate, tofs'd up with fharp, political Reflections on the Conduct of Thofe, who prefumed to fpeak, or vote, contrary to his own excellent Opinion. At first, He

fingled out one Gentleman, as the chief Mark of his Refentment, who hath often taken that Liberty, and given his Patron no fmall Disturbance in his golden Dreams. This Gentleman was fo very unfortunate, that

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He could hardly open his Mouth in the Houfe, without incurring the Displeasure of Mr. Walfingham, who retail'd his Speeches out to the World, with his own judicious Comments upon them. Eeing much encouraged by his Patron in these perfonal Liberties, He grew upon his Adverfary, and at laft wrote Himself up to fo high an Opinion of his own Importance, that He told the Gentleman, with a modeft Disdain, that if He had been bred an ATTORNEY like HimJelf, He would have been an ATTORNEY ftill.

Having gain'd fuch a compleat Victory over this Gentleman, and fufficiently glutted his Patron's Refentment for the prefent, He made the fame bold Attack upon feveral other confpicuous Characters, in the Houfe of Commons, both living and dead, who had incurr'd his Displeasure, by prefuming to oppose the Meafures of his Patron; nor did even the FIRST of Them all escape the Stings of his Eloquence, upon a certain, ever-memorable Occafion. After This, the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Common-Council and Representatives of this City (except one upright Man, whom popular Cla mour recommended to his Favour) had the Misfortune to fall under the fame fevere Difcipline. To these were added all the confiderable Merchants and Traders in the Kingdom, who had the Infolence to controul that laft glorious Effort of his Patron, a GENERAL EXCISE.

This noble-fpirited Freedom gave Him new Credit with his Mafter; who was refolved to diftinguish fo confummate a Genius from the common Herd of Scribblers. He therefore immediately enlarged his Penfion, and order'd Him to be peak an Equipage, fuitable to his Character. In this Refpect, as well as in many others, He appears to much greater Advantage than the Roman Confuls and Dictators of old, who were obliged to carry a Slave with Them in their triumphal Chariots, to put Them in Mind that They were till Men.

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