the Evils, which would arife from it, are numberlefs and evident. These Men content themselves with one general Affertion which often appears in their Writings, and in their Difcourfe; That the Kingdom will never be quiet till he is upon the Throne. If by this Pofition is meant, that those will never be quiet who would endeavour to place him there, it may poffibly have fome Truth in it; tho' we hope even thefe will be reduced to their Obedience by the Care of their Safety, if not by the Sense of their Duty. But on the other fide, how ineffectual would this ftrange Expedient be for establishing the publick Quiet and Tranquillity, fhould it ever take place! for, by way of Argument, we may fuppofe Impoffibilities. Would that Party of Men which comprehends the most wealthy, and the moft valiant, of the Kingdom, and which, were the Caufe put to a Trial, would undoubtedly appear the moft numerous, (for I am far from thinking all thofe, who are diftinguished by the Name of Tories, to be Favourers of the Pretender) can we, I say, fuppofe thefe Men would live quiet under a Reign which they have hitherto opposed, and from which they apprehend fuch a manifeft Deftruction to their Country? Can we fuppose our present Royal Family, who are fo powerful in foreign Dominions, fo ftrong in their Relations and Alliances, and fo univerfally fupported by the Proteftant Interest of Europe, would continue quiet, and not make vigorous and repeated Attempts for the Recovery of their Right, fhould it ever be wrefted out of their Hands? Can we imagine that our British Clergy would be quiet under a Prince, who is zealous for his Religion, and obliged by it to fubvert thofe Doctrines, which it is their Duty to defend and propagate? Nay,

Nay, would any of thofe Men themselves, who are the Champions of this defperate Cause, unlefs fuch of them as are profeffed Roman-Catholicks or difpofed to be fo, live quiet under a Government which at the beft would make use of all indirect Methods in favour of a Religion, that is inconfiftent with our Laws and Liberties, and would impofe on us fuch a Yoke, as neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear? All the Quiet, that could be expected from fuch a Reign, must be the Refult of abfolute Power on the one hand, and a defpicable Slavery on the other: And I believe every reasonable Man will be of the Roman Hiftorian's Opinion, That a disturbed Liberty is better than a quiet Servitude.

There is not indeed a greater Abfurdity than to imagine the Quiet of a Nation can arife from an Establishment, in which the King would be of one Communion, and the People of another; especially, when the Religion of the Sovereign carries in it the utmoft Malignity to that of the Subject. If any of our English Monarchs might have hoped to reign quietly under fuch Circumstances, it would have been King Charles II. who was received with all the Joy and Good-will that are natural to a People, newly refcu'd from a Tyranny which had long oppreffed them in feveral Shapes. But this Monarch was too wife to own himself a Roman-Catholick, even in that Juncture of time; or to imagine it practicable for an avowed Popish Prince to govern a Proteftant People. His Brother tried the Experiment, and every one knows the Succefs of it.

As Speculations are beft fupported by Facts, I fhall add to thefe domeftick Examples one or two parallel Instances out of the Swedish Hiftory,

which may be fufficient to fhew us, that a Scheme of Government is impracticable, in which the Head does not agree with the Body, in that Point, which is of the greatest Concern to reasonable Creatures. Sweden is the only Proteftant Kingdom in Europe, befides this of Great - Britain, which has had the Misfortune to fee Popish Princes upon the Throne; and we find, that they behaved themselves as we did, and as it is natural for Men to do, upon the fame Occafion. Their King Sigifmond having, contrary to the Inclinations of his People, endeavour'd by feveral clandeftine Methods, to promote the Roman-Catholick Religion among his Subjects, and fhewn several Marks of Favour to their Priests and Jefuits, was, after a very fhort Reign, depofed by the States of that Kingdom, being reprefented as one who could neither be held by Oaths nor Promifes, and over-ruled by the Influence of his Religion, which dispenses with the Violation of the moft facred Engagements that are opposite to its Interefts. The States, to fhew farther their Apprehenfions of Popery, and how incompatible they thought the Principles of the Church of Rome in a Sovereign were with those of the Reform'd Religion in his Subjects, agreed that his Son fhould fucceed to the Throne, provided he were brought up a Proteftant. This the Father feemingly complied with; but afterwards refufing to give him fuch an Education, the Son was likewife fet afide, and for ever excluded from that Succeffion. The famous Queen Chriftina, Daughter to the Great Gustavus, was fo fenfible of thofe Troubles which would accrue both to herfelf and her People, fhould fhe avow the Roman - Catholick Religion while he was upon the Throne of

Sweden;

Sweden; that he did not make an open Profeffion of that Faith, 'till fhe had refigned her Crown, and was actually upon her Journey to Rome.

In short, if there be any political Maxim, which may be depended upon as fure and infallible, this is one; that it is impoffible for a Nation to be happy, where a People of the Reformed Religion are governed by a King that is a Papist. Were he indeed only a nominal Roman-Catholick, there might be a Poffibility of Peace and Quiet under fuch a Reign; but if he is fincere in the Principles of his Church, he must treat Heretical Subjects as that Church directs him, and knows very well, that he ceases to be Religious, when he ceases to be a Prosecutor.

Monday,

N° 44

Monday, May 21.

Multaque præterea variarum monftra ferarum
Centauri in foribus ftabulant Scyllæque biformes,
Et centum-geminus Briareus, ac bellua Lerne
Horrendum ftridens, flammifque armata Chimera,
Gorgones, Harpyaque, et forma tricorporis umbra.
Corripit bic fubita trepidus formidine ferrum
Eneas, ftri&tamque aciem venientibus offert.
Et, ni dota comes tenues fine corpore vitas
Admoneat volitare cava fub imagine forma,
Irruat, et fruftra ferro diverberet umbras.

Virg. Æn. 6. v. 285.

Of various Forms unnumber'd Spectres more;
Centaurs, and double Shapes, befiege the Door:
Before the Paffage horrid Hydra ftands,
And Briareus with all his hundred Hands:
Gorgons, Geryon with his triple Frame;
And vain Chimæras vomit empty Flame,
The Chief unheath'd his shining Steel, prepar'd
Tho' feiz'd with fudden Fear, to force the Guard,
Off ring his brandish'd Weapon at their Face;
Had not the Sibyl flop'd his eager Pace,
And told him what thofe empty Fantoms were,
Forms without Bodies, and impaffive Air.

DRYDEN.

Asarwala try Gentleman at the SI was laft Friday taking a Walk in the Side of Rofamond's Pond, pulling a handful of Oats out of his Pocket, and with a great deal of Pleasure gathering the Ducks about him.

Upon