Since you are pleas’d to require my Opinion of the Kings Declaration, and the Answer to it, which you write me word was sent you lately, I shall obey you the more willingly, because I know you are a lover of the Peace and Quietness of your Country; which the Author of this seditious Pamphlet, is endeavouring to disturb.  Be pleas’d to understand then, that before the Declaration was yet published, and while it was only the common news, that such an one there was intended, to justifie the Dissolution of the two last Parliaments; it was generally agreed by the heads of the discontented Party, that this Declaration must be answer’d, and that with all the ingredients of malice which the ablest amongst them could squeeze into it.  Accordingly, upon the first appearance of it in Print, five several Pens of their Cabal were set to work; and the product of each having been examin’d, a certain person of Quality appears to have carried the majority of Votes, and to be chosen like a new Matthias, to succeed in the place of their deceas’d Judas.

He seems to be a man cut out to carry on vigorously the designs of the Phanatique Party, which are manifestly in this Paper, to hinder the King, from making any good impression on his Subjects, by giving them all possible satisfaction.

And the reason of this undertaking is manifest, for if once the goodness and equity of the Prince comes to be truly understood by the People, the Authority of the Faction is extinguish’d; and the well meaning crowd who are misled, will no longer gape after the specious names of Religion and Liberty; much like the folly of the Jews, expecting a Messiah still to come, whose History has been written sixteen hundred years ago.

Thus much in general:  I will now confider the Cavils of my Author against the Declaration.

He tells us, in the first place, That the Declaration seems to him as a forerunner of another Parliament to be speedily call’d: And indeed to any man in his right sences, it can seem no other; for ’tis the business of its three last Paragraphs to inform the People, that no irregularities in Parliament can make the King out of love with them:  but that he looks upon them as the best means for healing the distempers of the publick, and for preservation of the Monarchy.

Now if this seems clearly to be the Kings intention, I would ask what need there was of the late Petition from the City, for another Parliament; unless they had rather seem to extort it from his Majesty, than to have it pass for his own gracious action?  The truth is, there were many of the Loyal Party absent at that Common Council:  and the whole strength of the other Faction was united; for it is the common failing of honest men to trust too much in the goodness of their cause; and to manage it too negligently.  But there is a necessity incumbent on such as oppose the establish’d Government, to make up with diligence,