THE PUBLICK SPIRIT OF THE WHIGS: Set forth in their Generous ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE AUTHOR of the CRISIS. WITH Some OBSERVATIONS on the Seafonableness, Candor, Erudition, and Style of that Treatife. ADVERTISEMENT. UPO PON the firft Publication of this Pamphlet, all the Scotch Lords, then in London, went in a Body, and complained to Queen ANNE of the Affront put on them and their Nation, by the Author of this Treatife. Whereupon, a Proclamation was published by her Majefty, offering a Reward of three hundred Pounds to discover him. The Reason for offering fo fmall a Sum was, that the Queen and Miniftry bad no Defire to bave our fuppofed Author taken inte Cuftody. THE PUBLICK SPIRIT I OF THE WHIGS, &c. CANNOT without fome Envy, and a juft Refentment against the oppofite Conduct of others, reflect upon that Generosity and Tenderness, wherewith the Heads and principal Members of a struggling Faction treat those who will undertake to hold a Pen in their Defence. And the Behaviour of those Patrons is yet the more laudable, because the Benefits they confer are almoft grátis: If any of their Labourers can scratch out a Pamphlet, they defire no more; there is no Question offered about the Wit, the Style, the Argument. Let a Pamphlet come out upon Demand in a proper Juncture, you fhall be well and certainly paid; you fhall be paid before-hand; every one of the Party who is able to read, and can spare a Shilling fhall be a Subscriber : Several Thousands of each Production fhall be fent among their Friends through the Kingdom: The Work fhall be reported admirable, fublime, unanswerable; shall ferve to raise the finking Clamours, and confirm the Scandal of introducing Popery and the Pretender, upon the QUEEN and her Ministers. B. 2 AMONG AMONG the prefent Writers on that Side, I can recollect but three of any great Diftinction, which are the Flying-Poft, Mr. Dunton, and the Author of the Crifis: The first of these seems to have been much funk in Reputation fince the fudden Retreat of the only true genuine original Author, Mr. Ridpath, who is celebrated by the Dutch Gazeteer, as one of the best Pens in England. Mr. Dunton hath been longer and more converfant in Books than any of the three, as well as more voluminous in his Productions: However, having employed his Studies in fo great a Variety of other Subjects, he hath, I think, but lately turned his Genius to Politicks. His famous Tract, entitled, Neck or Nothing, must be allowed to be the fhrewdeft Piece, and written with the most Spirit of any which hath appeared from that Side fince the Change of the Ministry: It is indeed a moft cutting Satire upon the Lord Treasurer and Lord Bollingbroke, and I wonder none of our Friends ever undertook to answer it. I confefs, I was at first of the fame Opinion with several good Judges, who, from the Style and Manner, fuppofe it to have iffued from the fharp Pen of the Earl of Nottingham; and I am still apt to think it might receive his Lordship's laft Hand. The Third and Principal of this Triumvirate is the Author of the Crifis; who, although he muft yield to the Flying-Poft in Knowledge of the World, and Skill in Politicks, and to Mr. Dunton in Keennefs of Satire, and Variety of Reading; hath yet other Qualities enough to denominate him a Writer of a fuperior Clafs to either; provided he would a little regard the Propriety and Difpofition of his Words, confult the Grammatical Part, and get fome Information in the Subject he intends to handle, OMITTING |