[Footnote 6:  On this motto of Whitshed’s Swift wrote the following poetical paraphrase: 

“Libertas et natale solum:
Fine words!  I wonder where you stole ’em. 
Could nothing but thy chief reproach
Serve for a motto on thy coach? 
But let me now thy words translate: 
Natale solum, my estate;
My dear estate, how well I love it,
My tenants, if you doubt, will prove it,
They swear I am so kind and good,
I hug them till I squeeze their blood.
  Libertas bears a large import: 
First, how to swagger in a court;
And, secondly, to shew my fury
Against an uncomplying jury;
And, thirdly, ’tis a new invention,
To favour Wood, and keep my pension;
And, fourthly, ’tis to play an odd trick,
Get the great seal and turn out Broderick;
And, fifthly, (you know whom I mean,)
To humble that vexatious Dean: 
And, sixthly, for my soul to barter it
For fifty times its worth to Carteret. 
Now since your motto thus you construe,
I must confess you’ve spoken once true.
Libertas et natale solum. 
You had good reason when you stole ’em.”

[T.S.]]

Now, as for our loyalty, to His present Majesty; if it hath ever been equalled in any other part of his dominions; I am sure it hath never been exceeded:  And I am confident he hath not a minister in England who could ever call it once in question:  But that some hard rumours at least have been transmitted from t’other side the water, I suppose you will not doubt:  and rumours of the severest kind; which many good people have imputed to the indirect proceeding of Mr. Wood and his emissaries; as if he endeavoured it should be thought that our loyalty depended upon the test of refusing or taking his copper.  Now, as I am sure you will admit us to be a loyal people; so you will think it pardonable in us to hope for all proper marks of favour and protection from so gracious a King, that a loyal and free people can expect:  Among which, we all agree in reckoning this to be one; that Wood’s halfpence may never have entrance into this kingdom.  And this we shall continue to wish, when we dare no longer express our wishes; although there were no such mortal as a Drapier in the world.

I am heartily sorry, that any writer should, in a cause so generally approved, give occasion to the government and council to charge him with paragraphs “highly reflecting upon His Majesty and his ministers; tending to alienate the affections of his good subjects in England and Ireland from each other; and to promote sedition among the people."[7] I must confess, that with many others, I thought he meant well; although he might have the failing of better writers, to be not always fortunate in the manner of expressing himself.

[Footnote 7:  Swift here quotes the words of the proclamation issued against the fourth Drapier’s Letter.  See Appendix IV. [T.S.]]

However, since the Drapier is but one man, I shall think I do a public service, by asserting that the rest of my countrymen are wholly free from learning out of his pamphlets to reflect on the King or his ministers, to breed sedition.