most heartily thank You, that You have opened mine Eyes, and promife, I fhall not offend You, in this Manner, for the future. I also thank You, in the Name of my Fellow-Citizens, for having fo timely afforded an inconteftable Argument for repealing the New-Rules.

THE fenfible Shock, You have already given my Credit, to the extreme Joy of your pious God-fathers, at the Board, moves me to dread, that, at your next Meeting, You will cenfure my third Letter, in the fame unheared-of Manner. I heartily wish, the fecond, third, and fourth Paragraphs, erafed; but, fince this plaguy Thorn, in the Sides of all Tyrants, the PRESS, remanes yet free, I must even let them ftand. But hope, that it may not offend You to be told," that You were found an Over-Match for the Cunning of the Aldermen;"" that I hoped, that the Aldermen were not prepared to bring You to the Field of Action;" or, " that it never was more necessary for the City, or, more incumbent on the Commons, to fhew their good Senfe, Virtue, Freedom and Fortitude, than at this Juncture. I really and truly intended no Offence to You; but, if your Conduct proves, by your heavy Cenfure, these Surmifes, falfe, will it not be hard, I fhould be cenfured! If then, You should examine the Porter of the Tholfel, and he should fwear, he did not neglect his Office, knowingly, or defignedly, I beg You will not vote this, High-Treafon, as You did that, false, malicious, and fcandalous! Indeed, each Accufation would be alike true and juft. But, if You judge otherwise, Who must not submit? But, let me whisper it in your Ear, by Way of Advice, for your own Sake, not to receive your Documents in this, publicly, from the Aldermen, nor fend your next criminating Decree, first, to them, and afterwards, by the Candidate Aldermen's Clerk, to the Prefs, as You did the former.

Now, I return to MY DEAREST FRIENDS and FELLOW-CITIZENS, for whofe Wealth, Peace, Honor and LIBERTY, which are not lefs dear to me, than mine own, I have fo long ftrenuously contended; and, I befeech You to look narrowly into my Conduct, examine me ftrictly, confider the true Tenor of my Actions, the Purport and Intent of my Labors, and then weigh the fevere Cenfure paffed upon me, by the Commons, who should be your Reprefentatives and Servants, my Guardians, and judge, whether or no, I deserve fuch Treatment, or whether or no, I be, by these fashionable Judges, fairly tried, and justly convicted and fentenced. If You find it fo, I fhall fubmit: But, if on the contrary, You find, that I have been treated with Injustice, or undeferved Rigor, if You find, that no Principle of Justice, or Law, was regarded in the violent Determination, a Writing cenfured by Fragments, and an Author condemned upon negative Evidence, and unheared, fure You will exert your felves in the Vindication of the injured Fame of your innocent, if not ufeful, Servant.

I AM very well fatisfied, there are many Men of Worth and Honor, in the Commons, and for their Sake, not lefs than mine

own, I am forry for their being led, by artful, defigning Men, into this unparalleled Proceding. As they are anfwerable for their Conduct to You, it is fit You look into this Matter, and let all thofe, that are not engaged in any finifter Scheme, declare the Ring-leaders of that fcandalous Confpiracy, detect the Artifices, by which they were deceived, and publish their Proteft against the Iniquity.

Bur, let my Fate be what it may, watch these Commons in the Court of Darein Hundred. Providence has raised You, among the Board, a CHIEF MAGISTRATE, refolutely determined to fupport your RIGHTS and LIBERTIES, particularly, in that Court. It is with Pleasure, I hear, he declared, in the Court, which he held, with due Regard to every Citizen, open to a later Hour, than it has been known in the Memory of Man, " that he was neither afraid, nor afhamed, to declare, that he was in the Intereft of the Commons and Citizens, and that he would use his utmoft Might, upon all Occafions, to support and promote that Intereft, in all ReSpects whatsoever."'

THE Election of Recorder, is put off for fome Reasons, onely known to the Sages, and their best documented Minions in the Commons. But, as these Rulers are fo infatuated in their Councils, that fome of their clofeft Secrets, tranfpire, I beg Leave to give You fome Intimations of their Intentions.

BEFORE any other Gentleman of the long Robe, fufpected the late Recorder's Refignation, I am well informed, the Place was engaged to a certain Favorite of the prevailing Faction. But, when it was found, that the Commons and You, would intereft your felves in the Election, then it was made a Point with the Grandees, and they pitched upon a Man, more likely to fuccede, related to a Citizen's Family, but more nearly related to a certain powerful Gentleman, by whofe Authority alone, the Tyranny and Ufurpation of the Board, is now fupported, contrary to JUSTICE and LAW. One of the young Aldermen, not yet grounded in the dark Myfteries of the Board, gave it as a Reafon to a Gentleman, who follicited him for his Intereft for a Lawyer, who defervedly stood well with the Board," that the ALDERMEN were now pushed at, and, that they must therefore choose fome Body Recorder, who has a powerful Intereft to fupport the Board."- -Should not You, for the like Reafon, choofe fome Body, that has Intereft, and is, in him self, abic and willing to pull them down to their primitive Stations, and to raise the Commons to theirs? The fame may be fayed, of the Office of Receiver-General. It behooves You to look narrowly into the Disposal of both, And, if your Commons join with your Inflavers, in choofing one unfit for your Purposes, it is incumbent on You, to prohibit his Election in the Court of Darein Hundred, for the Reasons and Purposes in my last mentioned.

I HOPE YOU fee, I am neither difmayed, nor difcouraged, by the undeserved Cenfure of your Commons, nor the Frowns of great or small Aldermen, Though they should procede to disfranchife

me,

me, I fhall pursue my intended Course, with equal Steadiness and Zeal, without Dread, or Hopes, of incuring, or obtaining, the Cenfure, or Applaufe, the Enmity, or Friendship, of any Man, as a Return, or Reward, for the inconfiderable Labors of,

A

S I have labored, with indefatigable Induftry, to promote your Honor and Intereft, in all Points, for the public Emolument, in general, I hope You will think it excufable, where Self-Prefervation is at Stake, to endeavor to inform your Judgement more fully, in a Matter, wherein the Public, in general, is not a little concerned, I mean the folemn Determination of the SHERIFS and COMMONS of this City, of the 21ft of laft Month, difperfed throughout all Europe, by your Order, whereby the Veracity and Reputation of a Fellow-Citizen, is most grievously and injuriously, if not illegally and unjustly, aspersed and cenfured.

YOUR moft extraordinary, and, I may fay, unprecedented Procedings, in this Cafe, have obliged me to appeal to the Public, against your Decree, in my laft Letter, addreffed to the COMMONS and CITIZENS of this CITY.

By that, I hope it is evident to all thofe, that read it, that You have done an Act of Injustice, for which, the utmoft You can now do, is hardly an Attonement; an Injury, which may, for aught any of You know, and which, I have Reason to believe, the Movers for the Cenfure, intended to be irreparable.

BUT, as I had not, then, Time to collect any legal Proofs of the Truths I had afferted, and of your evident Partiality, I take this Opportunity of giving You, and the reft of the CITIZENS, a fuller View of the Teftimony, upon which, You, arbitrarily,

figned

figned and published my Condemnation; by which, I offer fuch of You, as retain any Senfe of TRUTH, FREEDOM and HONOR, an Opportunity of breaking the hateful Bonds impofed upon You, of pulling the shameful Hood-winks from before your Eyes, and, of branding thofe, with due Difgrace and Infamy, who craftily, fervilely and wickedly, led You into this unparalleled Iniquity, that by doing me common Juftice, You may duly punish the Authors of your Shame, and vindicate the Honor of the WORTHY COMMONS.

BEFORE thefe Procedings of the Sherifs and Commons, as they are called, were brought forth by You, I am well informed, they were long hatched by your pious God-fathers, the Sponsors, for your Servility, paffive Obedience and Non-refiftance, at the Board of Aldermen. But, these Gentlemen had Sagacity enough to judge, that they had long loffed all Credit with the Citizens, and that, therefore, any Cenfure, they should pass, especially, on an Opponent of their Tyranny, muft neceffarily retort upon them felves. So, they employed fome of their best documented and approved Pupils, in the Commons, and having framed an Affidavit, and fignified their Pleasure to their Creatures, it was but introducing it in fome artful Guife, unknown to, and unfüfpected by, the free and honeft COMMONS, and the Bait could not fail of giving a quick and easy Paffage to the hidden, deftructive Hook.

THAT this was a Surprise to many of You, I was convinced before fome of You declared it fuch. And I now appeal to all those of You, that are not inftructed in the Secrets, or blinded with Prejudices, in Favor, of the Aldermen, whether You apprehended any more, upon reading the Motion, and the Affidavit of Mr. Morgan, than that fome Complaints were made against that Of ficer, which wanted but your Concurrence, to turn him out of his Employment? If that be the Cafe, how much are You abused, as well as I!Then, if You find, your Officer is made a Tool, to abufe both You and me, is it not incumbent on You, to vindicate your own Honor, by fhewing your Refentment to him and all other Offenders?

I SHALL not, in the present Instance, call the legal Veracity of Mr. Morgan's Affidavit, in Queftion. But, I beg Leave to explane it a little, by which, You may fee, that, though it be made the Handle, it does not even help to ftrike at my Affertion, or rather Suppofition.

HE fwears, he has been for fixteen Years, Officer of Commons, of this City." By which, every one understands, that he ferves that Office in Perfon, and that there can be no Neglect, or Omiffion, unknown to him. Otherwife, his Affidavit could be of none Ufe. But, I have already informed You, that he is, at the fame Time, Mace-Bearer to the LORD MAYOR, that is, an upper Servant to the Board of Aldermen, and a Deputee Sword-Bearer; and, I now beg Leave to inform You, that he has been, and, for aught I know, is ftill, a Gunner, or Matrofs, in the Train of Artillery; by which, every one may fee, what You, Gentlemen, can

all

all teftify, that with Regard to You, he is obliged to act, though he does not choose to fwear, by Deputee. -He fays, "he ferved all Summonfes, as he was directed by the several Lord Mayors of the City; and, that he never did neglect, or omit, ferving fuch Summons, or Summonfes, villingly, or defignedly," that is, of his own free Will, or Defign, whatever his Deputees might have done; otherwife, he would have fworn more pofitively to this and the following Affertions, and in the ufual Phrafe, directly, or indirectly. He fays, " he never did omit, nor receive Inftructions to omit, fummoning any Particular, from my Lord Mayor, or any other Perfon, at any Time, to the best of his Knowlege, Remembrance, or Belief." And You are to suppose the fame of his Deputees, who are not lefs Faith-worthy than him felf. But, what has been fufpected, and not without Foundation, is, that the Parties interested, gave him a Lift of the Perfons, onely, whom they would have fummoned, not pofitive Inftructions to omit fummoning any. this, notwithstanding any Thing, that appears by this Affidavit, might often have been the Cafe.

BUT, now, let Us fuppofe this Affidavit as pofitive as it appears to be true, I hope, I have already fhewn You, that your Judgement, was, at beft, but premature, your Cenfure, in general, partial, in those that defigned it, corrupt and iniquitous. Is it not, then, incumbent on You, who, for the Satisfaction of the Public, and the Sake of Truth," have made and published this, at beft, erroneous Decree, to reverse it, and to publish the Reverfal, from the fame Reasons and Motives? -I am forry You have left your felves no better a Resource, than to lie under the Imputation of Error, or Ignorance, which is common to all Men, or, to Injustice, Ingratitude and Cruelty, of which, You can not be guilty, but willfully, and through deliberate Choice-See who have led You into this Maze! give them up to Shame, and inflict condign Punishment.

I Now beg Leave, for your better Information, to offer fome legal Proofs of the Truth of the cenfured, or condemned Allegation, or rather, Suppofition, in my fecond Letter, which was moved and voted to be falfe, malicious and fcandalous.

I HAVE already informed You, that nothing has been more frequently and justly complaned of, than the Neglects, Omissions and Irregularities, committed, in calling or fummoning Poft-Affemblies and Committees, to tranfact the most weighty and important Affairs of this City, and that, notwithstanding, the Solemnity and Truth of Mr. Morgan's Affidavit, he has been acceffary, if not inftrumental, to this Grievance, I come now to demonstrate.

ONE of the Privileges allowed a Criminal on his Trial, is, to fhew the Falsehood or Fallacy of the Teftimony produced against him, or to make known the true Character of the Evidence. the former, You have been pleased to rob me; how undeservedly, how unjustly, how illegally, I refer to the firft Dictates of the

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