405 the unfortunate are not friendless. They may live, perhaps, to experience, in their own, that the guilty are fo. Another Advantage, which thefe Slanderers take against this Gentleman, arifes from the various Scenes of Life, through which He hath paffed; fome distant in Place; fome fecret in their Nature. Here Calumny hath more Room to affert, and Innocence lefs Opportunity to defend. Common Honesty, in fome Cafes, and even Decency, in others, fhut the Mouth of the Man, who carries these Qualities about Him; and even more in his own Cause than in That of another Perfon; but Calumny is fubject to none of these Controuls; and We fpeak on our own Knowledge, when We affirm that, in the prefent Cafe, the falfe Imputations, which the Accufers bring, are fcreen'd from abfolute Detection by nothing but the Honour of the Accused. Let us take Notice of fome of the Crimes, (for Crimes and heinous Crimes They would be, if the Facts were, in any Degree, true) which are laid to the Charge of this Gentleman. His Ingratitude and Treachery to the late Duke of Marlborough and the Earl of Godolphin ftand firft in the Roll. I believe no Man acknowledges more fincerely than He the fuperior Merit of these two illuftrious Men, or wishes more ardently that They were now alive, and had the Conduct of the Affairs of Great Britain; but I know no Obligation of Gratitude or Honour, which He lay under to continue in their Administration, when the Meafures of it were alter'd. They might have Reasons, perhaps good Reafons, for altering their Measures. He could have none in Point of Honour, whatever He might have had in Point of Intereft, for complying with that Alteration. Some of the Enemies of this Gentleman came into the World on fuch a Foot, that They might think it Preferment to be the Creatures of any Men in Power. He, who came into it upon another another Foot, was the Friend, but not the Creature of these great Men, and He hath had the Satisfaction of proving Himself fuch on different Occafions and without Oftentation, at least to one of them, at a Time, when the Creatures of great Men ufually reHounce them; at a Time, when They could do Him neither Good nor Hurt. That he came to Court, on the Call of the late Queen, in oppofition to Them, and exerted Himfelf in her Service, when They ferv'd Her no longer, will not be objected to Him by any Man, who thinks more Allegiance due to the Prince than to the Minifter. If the present -M ―r hath a Mind to avow a contrary Doctrine, He hath my Confent; but then let Thofe, who engage with Him, remember on what Terms They engage. On the fame falfe Principle is another Accufation brought. This Gentleman had no Patron, or Patronefs, but the late Queen. He neither projected, nor procured the Difgrace of her laft Minifter, nor knew that it was refolv'd, whatever He might fufpect, till He heard from Herfelf that it was fo. Much more might be faid on this Article; but We chuse to pass it over for many Reafons and, among others, for This; that whilft We defend the living, We are unwilling to fay any Thing, which might be drawn by thefe Slanderers into an Infult on the dead. The laft Charge of Ingratitude, brought against this Gentleman, is hard to be anfwer'd seriously. Thus much however fhall be faid truely and seriously. He acknowleges, with the deepeft Senfe of Gratitude poffible, the Clemency and Goodness of his late Majefty; but fure He hath Reason, if ever Man had Reafon, to disclaim all Obligation to the M The Mercy of the late King was extended to Him unask'd and unearn'd. What follow'd many Years afterwards, in Part of his Majesty's gracious Intentions, was due folely to the King. That They were not fulfill'd, was due folely to the M -r. His Ambition, Ambition, his caufelefs Jealousy and private Interest continued a fort of Profcription, with much Cruelty to the Perfon concern'd, and little Regard to the Declarations, which his royal Mafter had been pleased so frequently to make. That this Gentleman was engaged in the Cause of the Pretender, is true. That He ferved Him unfaithfully, is falfe. He never entered into thefe Engagements, or any Commerce with Him, till He had been attainted, and cut off from the Body of his Majesty's Subjects. He never had any Commerce, either direct or indirect, which was inconfiftent with these En gagements, whilft He continued in them; and fince He was out of them, He hath had no Commerce, either direct or indirect, in Favour of that Caufe. On fuch an Occafion as This it is decent, not arrrogant, to challenge all Mankind. I do it therefore, in the Behalf of this Gentleman, to produce one fingle Proof, in Contradiction of any one of thefe general Affirmations. For the Truth of fome, I may appeal even to Thofe, who have been in the Service of his late, and are in That of his prefent Majefty; and particularly to a noble Lord, who by the Poft He was in, when most of thefe Tranfactions paffed, must have had the best Opportunities of knowing the Truth of them, and by whofe Teftimony I am willing that the Gentleman I defend fhould stand or fall; a Decifion to which, I am fure, He will Himself be ready to fubmit his Life and, what is more, his Honour. I make you no Excufe for the Length of my LetThe Justice I have done, or endeavour'd to do, to Thofe, who have been viiely calumniated, and particularly on the Occafion of your Writings and of mine, will be a fufficient Excufe of it felf, ter. I am, SIR, &c. H. OLDCASTLE. FINI S. THE INDEX TO THE Seventh Volume. A. a Pamphlet, - intitled, a Defence of the Meafures of the Ad- na, 315. Mn m Anjou |