The unhappy distracted Times to which we are fallen, are very pathetically defcribed and deplored, by a Learned and Pious Divine, as well as a good English Man, the Lord Bifhop of St. Asaph, whofe Words I fhall make bold to tranfcibe. I have liv'd, fays that Worthy Prelate, to fee the Illuftrious Names, of the great Deliverers and Defenders of the Proteftant Religion, and of the Conftitution of the English Government, very rudely handled, and the great Benefits they did this Nation, treated flightly, and contemptuously. I have lived to See our Deliverance from Arbitrary Power, and Popery, traduced and vilified by fome, who formerly thought it was their greatest Merit, and made it Part of their Boaft and Glory, to have had a little Hand and Share in bringing it about: And others,who, without it, must have lived in Exile, Poverty, and Mifery, meanly disclaiming it, and using ill the Glorious Inftrument thereof. Who could expect fuch a Requital of fuch Merit? I have, I own it, an Ambition of exempting my Self from the Number of unthankful People. And as I loved and honoured thofe Great Princes living, and lamented over them when dead, fo I would gladly raise them up a Monument of Praife, as lafting as any Thing of mine can be and I chufe to do it at this Time, when it is fo unfashionable a Thing to speak honourably of them. A Year after the Queen's Acceffion to the Throne, I was able only to promife and prefage the future Glories and Succeffes of this Reign, from the good Appearances of Things, and 5 and the happy Turn our Affairs began to take and could not then count up the Victories and Triumphs that, for the Seven Years after, made it, in the Prophet's Language, a Name, and a Praise among all the People of the Earth. Never did feven fuch Years together pass over the Head of any English Monarch, nor cover it with fo much Honour. The Crown and Scepter feemed to be the Queen's leaft Ornaments. Thofe, other Princes wore in common with Her: And Her great perfonal Virtues were the fame before, and fince. But fuch was the Fame of Her Adminiftration of Affairs at Home; fuch was the Reputation of Her Wisdom and Felicity in chufing Minifters; and fuch was then efteemed their, Faithfulness and Zeal, their Diligence and great Abilities in executing Her Commands: To fuch a Height of Military Glory did Her Great General and Her Armies carry the British Name Abroad: Such was the Harmony and Concord betwixt Her and Her Allies: And fuch was the Bleffing of God upon all Her Counfels and Undertakings, that I am as fure as Hiftory can make me, no Prince of Ours was ever yet fo profperous and fuccessful, fo loved, esteemed and honoured, by their Subjects and their Friends, nor near fo formidable to their Enemies. We were, as all the World imagined then, just entring on the Ways that promised to lead to fuch a Peace, as would have answered all the Prayers of our Religious Queen, the Care and Vigilance of a most able Miniftry, the Payments of a wil ling and obedient People, as well as the glorious Toils and Hazards of the Soldiery; when God, for iv The DEDICATION. for our Sins, permitted the Spirit of Difcord to go forth, and, by troubling fore the Camp, the City, and the Country, (and oh, that it had altogether Spared the Places facred to his Worfhip!) to spoil, for a Time, this beautiful and pleafing Profpect; and give us, in its Stead, I know not what Our Enemies will tell the Reft with Pleasure. When things are come to fuch a lamentable Pafs, as is here moft emphatically exprefs'd: When the most venerable and most refpectable Characters are befpatter'd and vilify'd, not with Impunity only, but with Reward. When the Great HEROE, to whose Valour and Conduct, next under GOD, all the Triumphs and Glories of this Reign are justly to be afcrib'd; when, I fay,the Duke of MARLBOROUGH is not only flagitiously Libell'd by abandon'd Hirelings, but ungrate fully attack'd, upon frivolous and falfe Suggeftions, by thofe very Men who originally owe their prefent Preferments to his former Favour: It can be no wonder that fo Publick-Spirited a PATRIOT as Your LORDSHIP, fhould be one of the Principal Marks of the Malice and Hatred of a Giddy Faction. Your LORDSHIP has done too much both towards rooting out Popery in Ireland, and fecuring the Conftitution and Proteftant Succeffion in Great Britain, ever to be forgiven by a Cabal, who dare fo far to avow their Defign of bringing in a Popish Pretender, and with him Arbitrary Power, as to teach their Agents to prepare the Way for it, by acquainting the the World, That he has embrac'd the Faith of the Church of England. Nor is this altogether improbable: Tho' left he should scruple to come on faft enough, fome of our Divines are, it feems, willing to meet him half-way, by making bold Advances towards a Reconcili ation with Rome. But these Sinifter Designs can never be brought about, as long as fuch Patriots as Your LORDSHIP indefatigably watch for the Safety of this Nation; of which the Popish and Frenchify'd Cabal are fo fenfible,that they were lately wonderfully elated upon the Report, which afflicted all good Men, That Your LORDSHIP was among he Dead.May Divine Providence preferve many, many Years,fo valuable aLife as Your LORD SHIP's, for the effectual Difappointment and Confufion of the Secret and Open Enemies of our Excellent Conftitution in Church and State, and of the Christian Toleration,allow'd by Law, to our Proteftant Diffenting Brethren ! Permit Me, My LORD, to fhelter under the Shadow of Your Great Name, the following Sheets, which contain a Plain, difinterested, and Impartial Narrative. A flourish ing Nation brought on the Brink of Ruin, in order to fave it; The Yearly Expences encreas'd, to restore Credit and Oeconomy; The Course of a Glorious Successful War, distracted and stopt, in order to obtain a Safe and Honourable Peace; Powerful Allies treated with Haughtiness and Contempt, to cement Harmoay and Union; The Prerogative ftrain'd and debafed, by Turns,to preferve the Constitution; Sham Sham-Plots wantonly contriv'd to run down. |