fo terribly stripped, appeared to her majesty and the kingdom a very unnecessary hardship; upon which account it was, at feveral times, relaxed by the legiflature. Now, as the relaxation of that ftatute is manifeftly one of the reafons, which gives the bifhop thofe terrible apprehenfions of popery coming on us; fo I conceive another ground of his fears is the remiffion of the first-fruits and tenths. But where the inclination of popery lay, whether in her majefty, who propofed this benefaction, the parliament which confirmed, or the clergy who accepted it, his lordfhip hath not thought fit to de

termine.

The other popifh expedient for augmenting church revenues is, engaging the clergy to renew no leafes. Several of the moft eminent clergymen have affured me, that nothing has been more wished for, by good men, than a law to prevent (at least) bifhops from letting leafes for lives. I could name ten bishopricks in England, whofe revenues, one with another, do not amount to 600 pounds a year for each and if his lordship's, for inftance, would be above ten times the value' when the lives are expired, I fhould think the overplus would not be ill disposed towards an augmentation of such as are now fhamefully poor. But I do affert, that fuch an expedient was not always thought popish and dangerous by this right reverend hiftorian. I have had the honour formerly to converfe with him; and he hath told me feveral years ago, that he lamented extremely the power which bishops had of letting

1

letting leafes for lives; whereby, as he said, they were utterly deprived of raifing their revenues, whatever alterations might happen in the value of money by length of time. I think the reproach of betraying private converfation will not, upon this account, be laid to my charge. Neither do I believe he would have changed his opinion upon any fcore, but to take up another more agreeable to the maxims of his party, That the least addition of property to the church is one flep towards popery.

The bishop goes on with much earneftnefs and prolixity to prove, That the pope's confirmation of the church lands, to those who held them by king Henry's donation, was null and fraudulent; which is a point that, I believe, no proteftant in England would give three-pence to have his choice, whether it should be true or falfe. It might, indeed, ferve as a paffage in his hiftory, among a thoufand other inftances, to detect the knavery of the court of Rome: but I afk, Where could be the ufe of it in this introduction? or why all this hafte in publishing it at this juncture; and fo out of all method, apart, and before the work itself? He gives his reasons in very plain terms: We are now, it feems, in more danger of popery than towards the end of king Charles the fecond's reign. That fett of men (the tories) is fo impiously corrupted in the point of religion, that no fcene of cruelty can frighten them from leaping into it; and, perhaps, from acting fuch a part in it as may be affigned them. He doubts whether the high-church clergy have any principles; and there

fore

fore will be ready to turn off their wives, and look on the fires kindled in Smithfield as an amiable view. These are the facts he all along takes for granted, and argues accordingly. Therefore, in despair of diffuading the nobility and gentry of the land from introducing popery by any motives of honour, religion, alliance, or mercy, he affures them, That the pope hath not duly confirmed their titles to the church lands in their poffeffion: which therefore muft be infallibly reftored as foon as that religion is established among us.

Thus, in his lordship's opinion, there is nothing wanting to make the majority of the kingdom, both for number, quality, and poffeffion, immediately embrace popery, except a firm bull from the pope to fecure the abby and other church lands and tithes to the prefent proprietors and their heirs. If this only difficulty could now be adjusted, the pretender would be restored next feffion, the two houfes reconciled to the church of Rome against Eafter term, and the fires lighted in Smithfield by Midfummer. Such horrible calumnies against a nation are not the lefs injurious to decency, goodnature, truth, honour, and religion, because they may be vented with fafety; and I will appeal to any reader of common understanding, whether this be not the most natural and neceffary deduction from the paffages I have cited and referred to.

Yet all this is but friendly dealing, in comparison with what he affords the clergy upon the fame article. He fuppofes that whole reverend body, who differ

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differ from him in principles of church or flate, fo far from difliking papery upon the abovementioned motives of perjury, quitting their wives, or burning their relations; that the hopes of enjoying the abby lands would foon bear down all fuch confiderations, and be an effectual incitement to their perverfion: and fo he goes gravely on, as with the only argument which he thinks can have any force, to asfure them, that the parochial priests in Roman catholic countries, are much poorer than in ours; the feveral orders of regulars, and the magnificence of their church, devouring all their treasure; and, by confe quence, their hopes are vain of expecting to be richer after the introduction of popery.

But after all, his lordship despairs that even this argument will have any force with our abominable clergy, because, to use his own words, They are an infenfible and degenerate race, who are thinking of nothing but their present advantages; and, fo that they may now fupport a luxurious and brutal course of irregular and voluptuous practices, they are easily hired to betray their religion, to fell their country, and give up that liberty and thofe properties, which are the prefent felicities and glories of this nation.

He seems to reckon all these evils as matters fully determined on, and therefore falls into the last usual form of despair, by threatening the authors of these miferies with lasting infamy, and the curfes of pofterity upon perfidious betrayers of their trust.

Let

Let me turn this paragraph into vulgar lánguage for the ufe of the poor; and strictly adhere to the fenfe of the words. I believe, it may be faithfully tranflated in the following manner: The bulk of the clergy, and one third of the bishops, are fupid fons of whores, who think of nothing but getting money as foon as they can; if they may but procure enough to fupply them in gluttony, drunkenness, and whoring, they are ready to turn traitors to God and their country, and make their fellow-fubjects flaves. The reft of the period, about threatening infamy, and the curfes of pofterity upon fuch dogs and villains, may stand as it doth in the bishop's own phrase; and fo make the paragraph all of a piece.

I will engage, on the other fide, to paraphrase all the rogues and rascals in the Englishman, so as to bring them up exactly to his lordship's style: but, for my own part, I much prefer the plain Billingsgate way of calling names, because it expreffeth our meaning full as well, and would fave abundance of time, which is loft by circumlocution: So, for inftance, John Dunton, who is retained on the fame fide with the bifhop, calls my lord Treasurer and lord Bolingbroke traitors, whoremongers, and jacobites; which three words coft our right reverend author thrice as many lines to define them; and I hope his lordship doth not think there is any difference in point of morality, whether a man calls me traitor in one word, or fays I am one hired to betray my religion, and fell my country.