Affairs wou'd have been managed in fuch a Manner in Cafe of a War, as to furnish Matter for loud Complaints.

it is much easier to

And again; " Believe me, "embroil a State, than to difengage and comAy, fay the Readers, we know

"pofe it.'

that to our Coft.

And again,

"If you will fuppofe, that a this has

"Minifter has Common Senfe" produced fome very odd Anfwers, which I don't care to repeat.

But, on the other Side, there are many Sentences which have given great Comfort to Perfons well affected to our prefent wife and able Minifters. I will repeat a few of them, tho' I fhall fet all my Readers a Yawning.

"It is well known, when a Man ftands in our "Way, or has provoked us by Difappointment, or "by being greater than we are, we are not apt to be very fcrupulous in thinking him culpable and bad,

or in pronouncing him fo. So long as there are "Men there will be Misfortunes and Difappoint"ments, and fuch as are under them will be inveigh"ing against somebody. Men will be often juft"ly disappointed, yet ftill complain of hard Ufage. Men are often the Authors of their own "Vexations, yet ftill blame Somebody. "have had your Eyes fix'd upon the Continuance of "the Evil. Men are apt to praise Times "paft; the Truth is, Times past have not hurt us. You are not to believe, that the Word "Minister transforms a Man into a Monster..

"You are not to judge by Conduct.

You

No

"human Wisdom, nor the highest Benevolence can "make all Men eafy and happy. Publick Men, "let them do all the Good they will or can, will "fail of doing all that is defired.

VOL. II.

Is not this coming close to the Point? and giving a fatisfactory Anfwer to all the pretended Grievances, about which the Difaffected have made fuch a Clamour for fome Years paft? Were we to

place the Complaints of angry and difaffected Men in one Column, and thefe mollifying Sentences in another, wou'd it not be a ftrong Perfuafive to Impartiality and Candor in judging of Perfons and Things.

As for Example, the Malecontents have made a great Outcry about the vaft Expence of maintaining a Body of Heffian Troops, for fo many Years; but how groundless is this Complaint! for, fo long as there are Men there will be Misfortunes and Disappointments.Their Outcry has been no lefs concerning the Depredations committed on our Merchants, but Men are often the Authors of their own Vexations, yet they ftill blame Somebody. They have made a Rout concerning pacifick Squadrons, not sparing even the glorious Expedition to Spithead, but Men are apt to praife Times paft, and the Truth on't is, Times paft have not hurt us. So were they to complain of a thoufand Blunders, here are Sentences to answer all thofe Complaints, fuch wife Sayings too as will ferve as well to juftify what was done a thoufand Years ago, or what will be done a thousand Years hence, as what paft but Yefterday, and this is call'd defending the Measures of our

Perhaps I fhall be laugh'd at, by many of my Readers, for fpending fo much Time about an old Woman's Dream, but, if it fhou'd have the fame Effect upon them that it has had upon me, I fhou'd deferve rather to receive their Thanks, for giving them a comfortable Nap.

SATUR

I

SATURDAY, June 12, 1731.

Am one of thofe, who cannot think it a Crime in any Minifter, or Set of Minifters, to endeavour to render themselves popular.

To take fuch Measures as fall in with the Genius, Inclination, and true Intereft of thofe that are govern'd, feems to be a juftifiable Method of gaining Popularity, and fuch as all Men of Senfe will allow to be both wife and honeft.

I have read of a Miniftry which never entred upon any extraordinary Affair without first having felt the Pulfe of the People about it, and this was done by caufing Reports to be fpread before-hand, that fuch or fuch a Thing was defign'd; by thefe Means they came at the true Sentiments of the People, always knew what would be well receiv'd, and what not, and took their Meafures accordingly; all that we know of them is, that they became great Favourites with the Publick, and Things 'went well under their Administration.

But the Mischief is, that thofe who are not capable of doing any thing that is good or worthy, have often a more eager Thirft after Popularity than the most deferving.. Let us examine Mankind, and we shall find, that the Corrupt, the Ignorant and the Weak, are highly offended with the Publick, if it does not offer the fame Incense to them, which is only due to Vertue and Wisdom. They also aim at Popularity, but how? by

U 2

Me

Methods generally prepofterous and bafe. There is a little low Cunning in fuch Men, which teaches them to throw the Odium and Infamy of their own bad Actions upon others, and when (in Defiance of Truth) they affert themselves to have been the Promoters of fome Meafures which they openly oppofed, they value themfelves as moft perfect Mafters of State Craft.

An Act was pafs'd, the laft Seffions but one, for preventing Bribery and Corruption, in the Election of Members of Parliament. This A&t had been brought into the Houfe of Commons Year after Year, by fome Gentlemen, who thought the Prefervation of our Conftitution depended upon it; for what Reasons I cannot fay, but certain it is, that there always was great Oppofition given to this Bill in another Place; that Place, I mean, where the Right Reverend Fathers of our Church have frequent Occafions of diftinguishing their Merit-I make no Queftion but there were very good Reafons for throwing out this Bill fo often, and I am the rather inclined to believe it, becaufe, when it did pafs that Houfe, many Alterations were made to it, and fuch, indeed, as fome People were afraid would have endanger'd it in the other Houfe; for one of them was, the increafing the Penalty.

The Gentleman who brought the Bill into the Houfe of Commons pretended to be highly offended at fome of thefe Amendments made by the other House, and urg'd, with great Warmth, that they were direct Incroachments on the Privileges of the Commons. This Artifice, I am told, deluded fume People, who never intended the Bill fhould pafs, and, when they found, that the Perfons themfelves, who brought it in, turn'd fqueamish upon it, and did not care to fwallow the Amendments, it was left to the Patriots to throw out their own Bill. The Amendments came to be

con

confider'd in the Houfe on this Prefumption, when very few, befides thofe who were for the Bill, attended, every Body fuppofing it was impoffible the Bill fhould pafs. Upon this, a fudden Turn was taken; the Amendments were read, and by the Favourers of the Bill, explain'd to be little or no Invasion on the Rights of the Commons in Money-Matters; and that even if they were fo in fome Degree, it was however prudent to obtain fo excellent a Law, even at that Expence. Thus this Bill pafs'd, to the Surprize of all the World; but what is moft remarkable is, it no fooner was pafs'd, but the very Men who had oppofed it, (with an Impudence that has not its Example) claim'd all the Merit of it to themselves.

It might feem ftrange, that a Man fhould venture to affirm any thing in which he might be difprov'd by five hundred Witneffes, were it not that the Practice of any thing diminishes the Admiration. How often has a certain Perfon been convicted of delivering the groffeft Falfhoods to a Publick Affembly! and yet with how ferene and unchang'd a Look has he ftood that Conviction! I cannot confider the intrepid Behaviour of this Perfon upon fuch Occafions, but thefe Lines of Shakespear crowd into my Memory.

A Face that's, Vizard-like, unchanging,
Made impudent with the Ufe of evil Deeds.

The Thing that brings thefe Reflections into my Head at prefent is owing to certain Advices I have received from feveral of my Correfpondents in the Country, in which I am informed, that many of the Clergy in different Counties have had Letters fent to them from London, giving them an Account of the Proceedings in Relation to the Bill brought U 31

into