APPENDIX TO THE HISTORY OF THE Crown-Inn, &c.

I Muſt aſſure you, that had I not, thro' the great Hopes and Ex⯑pectation of ſeeing you e're this, omitted ſomething in my laſt which I thought proper to communicate to you, and would have done it Perſonally if our good Stars had ſo directed, I ſhould have had no farther Occaſion of adding to all my former, being of themſelves ſufficiently long and tireſome.

[4] As in the greateſt Variety we are always put to the hardeſt difficulty in fixing our Choice; ſo in the vaſt Field, the numerous Subjects for Diſcourſe, one is at greater loſs to put one's Thoughts into any Method: for in all Inſtances, we find, there is no ſurer Evidence of a good Genius than that which is ſhewn in the Effect of Choice.

I have very great reaſon to believe, that every thing is well receiv'd by you; not thro' any Motive, but your ſincere Friend⯑ſhip, nor any Merit but the Subject; both I know are particular, but one much more worthy your Attention.

One wou'd believe by their Actions, that a Set of People here are really infected in their Brains, and that they lie under the ſame In⯑fluence with Creatures of another Species which have lately been viſited with a very odd Diſtemper: There is ſome kind of cor⯑reſpondency in their Maladies; only that which affects the Two-legg'd Creatures ſeems to be of the moſt fearful and tremendous Conſequence, and to threa⯑ten the Country in the moſt dear and tender Part: But thank God the Diſtem⯑per is not Epidemical; tho' it ſeems the Nature of thoſe infected, to endeavour all they can to ſpread it about, and to make [5] others in the ſame pickle with them⯑ſelves.

The Symptoms they are ſeiz'd with, are a kind of Splenatick Mad Fits, not much un⯑like Madneſs; they foam at the Mouth, roll their Eyes, and utter ſtrange incoherent Speeches, and in this manner go raving up and down the Town. The direct Cure for this we know were a Dark Room, and Clean Straw, with ſome Manual Exerciſe, ſlender Diet, and other proper Methods to correct the Fumes of the Diſtemper: But at the rate they go on, I deſpair of any Cure for them; and were it not for the Honour of living in a Free Country, where LIBERTY has been always the Peoples Right, they are ſuch as ought rather to be ſhut up in Peſt⯑houſes to prevent a Contagion, than to breath in the open Air among Men of free and generous Principles.

Some of theſe Creatures appear in Furr'd Gowns, Tufted Garments, and fit in the High Places, but are indeed Men of the moſt ſhal⯑low and humble Underſtandings; and you will find very few among them that act with a Spirit of Diſintereſtedneſs, or are not at⯑tached to the Perſon of young Shute.

I have ſcarce Patience to Preface any lon⯑ger, when I think what degenerate Fellows [6] I treat on. Good G [...]d, what is become of that ancient Spirit that uſed to reign in this Kingdom! or for which of our Sins was this ſtubborn Generation ſown among us, which have ſprung up like the Tares that almoſt choaked the good Corn!

Wou'd they produce an Inſtance of that Time when they have not been Tumultuous and Troubleſome, I would ſpare their Shame; unleſs it were like the D [...]l, who is good when he is pleaſed. They had ſet their Hearts ſo upon Rule, in the Widow's Reign, when they carry'd their Point as far, and ſat with as much Security, as the memory of any known Time ever afforded them, (the Days of Sir JACOB excepted) that 'tis no very great wonder they are ſo Impatient under their preſent Circumſtances. They had really under Her procured a pretty Te⯑nantable Leaſe, few COPY-HOLDS were firmer; and they were endeavouring to get a Grant of the Inheritance in Fee-ſimple; when, alas, the Leaſe it ſelf depending on one ſingle Life caſually expired.

Considering the Miſchief they might do, by the Influence of their former Power, and how likely the Deſperateneſs of their Caſe was to put them upon it; what a Happineſs muſt we acknowledge their Stupidity to be, in fancying they had Pretenſions to Renew it [7] under Mr. WRIGHT? And how juſtly may we impute our Safety to their miſerably de⯑ceived Expectations; and regret the leſs, that it is the deplorable Occaſion of their preſent Inveteracy, Rage, and Fury.

I told you the State they ſtood in at prefer⯑ring the Old Servants again, and the grievous Clamours they raiſed againſt it; tho' their juſtifying the ſame thing in the Widow, had made it a very remarkable Precedent; which, of all Men, they ought to be the laſt to Cen⯑ſure: But Nature is predominant. 'Tis true, one Inconveniency ſeems to ariſe from their being diſplaced, which is, that they are too much at leizure to Plot and Cabal with the Friends of young Shute, who by that En⯑couragement and Addition to their Party, begin to gather Life again, and to rouze themſelves from a Deſpair that the late Al⯑teration had thrown them into. Their Buſi⯑neſs is now to act in concert together, and not unlikely as Propperties to each other; the Family of the Bulls, by their Aſſiſtance, to introduce themſelves into Power again; and the other, by aſſiſting them, to advance the Intereſt of young Sir Jacob. One thing in this is certain, that they have uni⯑ted their Forces again; and the daily Cla⯑mours and Diſturbances we hear of in the Country, are the true Effects of it. 'Tis ſtrange, that the BULLS FAMILY, who [8] have always been the Tools to Sir JACOB and his Iſſue, ſhould not once endeavour to honour themſelves, by diſclaiming ſo ſcan⯑dalous a Correſpondence. But Reproofs are vain.

The Widow, poor Woman, began ſeverely to feel the Effect of Patronizing them ſo long; and 'tis pity a Life of ſuch Conſe⯑quence ſhould be ſullied with their MIS⯑CARRIAGES. I can hardly mention with⯑out Tears, the Advantage it may give Poſte⯑rity of treating her Memory with Contempt, and obſcuring a Hiſtory that would elſe have appeared as bright as the Element her own Vertues ſhone in, and could have been liable to no Contradiction from the moſt partial Pen.

But we will forgive them this; forgive the ſad Occaſion of her Death: But ſhall we forgive their going on in the ſame Road, their repetition of Practices that have always been pernicious to the Intereſt of their Country. 'Tis well known, they were her Averſion; the leaſt of her Care or Concern for Nine Years; which they ſufficiently revenged, by teazing her out of her Life in leſs than half the time; and heaping on her anxious Head as great a weight of Trouble and Perplexity, as their Pre⯑deceſſors the OLD SERVANTS had [9] loaded with accumulated Glory and Ad⯑vantages.

But I will have done with this Repetition; you know the Truth of it too well already: Do but revolve the Paſſages and Incidents of their laſt ſhort Reign, (for you muſt un⯑derſtand they have been in Power in other paſt Times to as good a Purpoſe) and you will find, that not one ſingle Action or Con⯑ſequence went well from the very footing of their Adminiſtration: Unleſs you will be⯑lieve that idle Story trumpt up by them at that time, of their beginning with Saving the Church; which in reality never flouriſhed with greater Tranquillity than during the Widow's time: And I believe they will them⯑ſelves acknowledge, when they have not a mind to be merry with us, that it was the higheſt Inſolence and Affront to impute the contrary to Her.

Now I am ſpeaking of this, I cannot but acquaint you with an odd Accident that happen'd here t'other Day: An innocent Country Vicar Preaching in Town, was Inſalted and very rudely Treated by the Pariſhioners of the BULLIAN PARTY. The Offence he was guilty of, was, bleſſing Heaven for the happy Situation of Affairs, and the imminent Danger we were lately reſcued from. But that is not the Occaſion I men⯑tion [10] it on. I cannot but ſmile to think, that the firſt Inſult or Indignity literally offered to the Church ſince the time of Sir JACOB, ſhould be by the Family of the Bulls themſelves, who have always expreſſed ſuch Reverence and Veneration to the Place and juſtified the Dignity of its Prieſts even to Rage and Madneſs.

Had the other Party done as much, good Heaven, what Clamours wou'd have been raiſed! It could not have eſcaped the Cenſure and Conſtruction of their going to pull the Church down, if no worſe. I hope they will not forget it, together with their pulling down of Conventicles, if there ſhould be Oc⯑caſion for the future to mention it to them by way of Alternative.

Poor Men, they have really been unfor⯑tunate, for the moſt part, in raiſing up Pre⯑cedents againſt themſelves; tho' they are the leaſt inclinable to be judged by their own Laws of any Men breathing. Had they foreſeen the Conſequence of juſtifying the Wid [...]w's Proceeding in Diſplacing her Old Ser⯑vants, and that the Splutter they made about her Right to do it, which they termed the higheſt Inſolence in any one to queſtion, wou'd ſo ſoon have reverted upon them⯑ſelves, they wou'd not probably have been ſo violent in maintaining the Legality and [...]