in their papers of the week; and it is humoursome enough to observe one page taken up in railing at the “Examiner” for his invectives against a discarded ministry; and the other side filled with the falsest and vilest abuses, against those who are now in the highest power and credit with their sovereign, and whose least breath would scatter them into silence and obscurity.  However, though I have indeed often wondered to see so much licentiousness taken and connived at, and am sure it would not be suffered in any other country of Christendom; yet I never once invoked the assistance of the gaol or the pillory, which upon the least provocation, was the usual style during their tyranny.  There hath not passed a week these twenty years without some malicious paper, scattered in every coffee-house by the emissaries of that party, whether it were down or up.  I believe, they will not pretend to object the same thing to us.  Nor do I remember any constant weekly paper, with reflections on the late ministry or j[u]nto.  They have many weak, defenceless parts, they have not been used to a regular attack, and therefore it is that they are so ill able to endure one, when it comes to be their turn.  So that they complain more of a few months’ truths from us, than we did of all their scandal and malice, for twice as many years.

I cannot forbear observing upon this occasion, that those worthy authors I am speaking of, seem to me, not fairly to represent the sentiments of their party; who in disputing with us, do generally give up several of the late m[inist]ry, and freely own many of their failings.  They confess the monstrous debt upon the navy, to have been caused by most scandalous mismanagement; they allow the insolence of some, and the avarice of others, to have been insupportable:  but these gentlemen are most liberal in their praises to those persons, and upon those very articles, where their wisest friends give up the point.  They gravely tell us, that such a one was the most faithful servant that ever any prince had; another the most dutiful, a third the most generous, and a fourth of the greatest integrity.  So that I look upon these champions, rather as retained by a cabal than a party, which I desire the reasonable men among them would please to consider.

[Footnote 1:  No. 37 in the reprint. [T.S.]]

[Footnote 2:  Cicero, “Ep. ad Att.,” ix. 5.  “I am always more affected by the causes of events than by the events themselves.”—­E.S.  SHUCKBURGH. [T.S.]]

[Footnote 3:  “I am resolved ... to maintain the indulgence by law allowed to scrupulous consciences” (Queen Anne’s Speech, November 27th, 1710). [T.S.]]

[Footnote 4:  The Queen appointed Earl Rivers to the lieutenancy of the Tower without the Duke of Marlborough’s concurrence.  See “Memoirs Relating to that Change,” etc. (vol. v., pp. 375-7 of present edition). [T.S.]]

[Footnote 5:  “Upon the fall of that great minister and favourite [Godolphin], that whole party became dispirited, and seemed to expect the worst that could follow”. (Swift’s “Memoirs Relating to that Change,” etc., vol v., p. 378 of present edition). [T.S.]]