AN ATTEMPT TOWARDS AN APOLOGY FOR HIS R— H— the D—. Deiphobe armipotens, genus alto a sanguine Teueri, Quis tam crudeles optavit sumere poenas, Cui tantum de te licuit? Virg. LONDON: Printed for R. WEBB, near St. Paul 's, MDCCLI. ( Price Six-pence. ) AN ATTEMPT, &c. I T is not for Want of having seriously reflected upon the utter Absurdity there is, in endeavouring to remove any Prejudice whatever that I have undertaken the present Performance; I am too sensible myself of the Satisfaction there is, in giving an absolute Credit to any Thing, only because it is doubtful, or improbable, to think of depriving any Body else, were it in my Power, of such glorious Use of the reasoning Faculty; nor is it from any particular Affection I bear the illustrious Person I am attempting to justify, since, so far from having received any Favour at his Hands or owing him any Obligation whatever, (unless one could be weak enough to reckon the Enjoyment of Liberty, Life, and Religion, such a Debt, which even in that Case would be due to him from me, only in common with every Protestant in Great-Britain and Ireland ) that it is not many years, since his R— H— follow'd some Birds through a Feild belonging to a Tenant of mine, just before the Eddish was cut, yet no Offer of any kind of Recompence has to this Day been made, the Reader may be sure none was ever ask'd; this I hope is enough to clear me from any Shadow of Suspicion of being in the least biass'd in his Favour. I have never before ventured to make any Complaint of this Matter publick, even at a Time when the World must do me the Justice to own it has been troubled with Cries enough against his R— H— of a less greivous Nature. As to any Expectations of insinuating myself into his Favour, by writing on this Side of the Question, I believe the Manner, in which I have ventured to treat this Subject, lies manifestly so wide of any Road leading to the Favour of the Great, as to secure me, with all dispassionate People, from being so hardly thought of. But (to close the Paragraph and Sense, which by this Time I fancy the gentle Reader may be out of Breath for) it is from a Weakness I have long labour'd against to no Purpose, a natural Love to Justice, which has always made me rebel against that universally-received Doctrine of condemning a Person's Actions without Exception, and by the Gross, because some particular ones of his have not been exactly to our own Minds and Likeing; being yet, for any Thing I could ever see to the contrary, of Opinion the Man exists not, whose real Character is not a Compound of good and bad. After having thus (as I flatter myself) fully proved my Qualifications for the Work I have taken in hand; to proceed in it, I shall begin with the greatest Charge, and what may be deem'd the Cause why every other laid to his R— H— has been aggravated. Sorry I am, that the Thing itself is too flagrant for me, or any Man in his Senses, to think of entirely reconciling the Publick to it; yet still (with Submission to better Judgements) I can't help thinking it capable of being placed in so mitigating a Light, that the Objectors themselves would own, if it did not make against them, and I would not chuse to be thought so void of common Sense, as to expect that from any Man) that, considering his R— H— 's Youth and warm Blood, the Situation he was in is what might have hurried away any one, ever so little influenced by Party-Spirit. Every Reader must know that I am talking of the Victory gain'd over the Rebels at Culloden. I suppose it is allow'd on all Hands to have been the most fatal Stroke that could have been given to the Glory, Riches, and Trade of these Kingdoms; and the settling the State and the Protestant Church upon stronger, and more durable Foundations than they have ever yet rested upon. It would be too tedious to enumerate all the particular Advantages, which would have accrued to both, on a contrary Success; but what will immediately occur to every Body is the determining the Rights of Electors to Parliament, and repealing the septennial Bill ; and as for the Church she could not fail of finding her Account in the great Discouragement, which of course would have been given to Dissenters of all Denominations. It is an old Aphorism, that to judge impartially of the Merit or Demerit of any Action, one ought to put one's self in the Place and Circumstances of the Person, at the Time of his performing it. In the present Case, this would be too dangerous for me to advise the Reader to, or shew him the Example myself; but so far we may follow his R— H— with Safety as to consider, what were in all Probability some of the Reasons that prompted him to do as he did. In the first Place, if I may be allow'd to make use of an Argument from the Force of Blood, though I know it is at present generally exploded, he might be actuated, for any Thing that appears to the contrary, by a Sense of Love and Duty to his M—y; in whom he had always found the best and tenderest Father; two such Motives may no doubt have very violent Effects in young Minds, where they are unhappily left to operate to their full extent; but should they be allow'd to be brought as Arguments against his R— H—, I can't be sure if afterwards they might not yet be apply 'd to the Disturbance of some few Families, even of Distinction in Great-Britain ; though no doubt at vast Distances from Town, and of but small Fortunes; not to mention Ireland, of which I don't know enough to pretend to judge; but even supposing his R— H— the only Instance left, in whom they were to be found at this present, I don't see whereon to build so heinous a Charge against him, especially when it comes to be consider'd, that by his high Rank he was actually debarr'd from all the Advantages in Education, which are to be drawn from foreign Travel, as it is now happily practiced, and the domestick Occurrences in modern Life at White's, &c. &c. &c. for as he never lost more than he could pay, he could have no Pretence for hating a Father for not allowing him more than he could afford. Add we, that the Person, whose Schemes and Hopes he so entirely destroy'd, may be said to have been absolutely unknown to his R— H—; one, who would never give him any Opportunity of seeing his Face; one, who very possibly may have been represented to him in a very disadvantageous Light, and entirely unlike his real Character; I mean as we have it from the independent Electors. Every Body is liable to be imposed upon by Misrepresentation of Things; Princes more than other Men. It is the great Advantage of People in middling Stations, that Truth of Princes always flows down to us, pure and unadulterated; whereas Truth to Princes by mounting upwards against it's natural Course, and by the Force necessary for gaining it a Passage, gets something from every Channel it goes through, before it arrives at them; so that, though we may absolutely depend upon all we hear of them, they have no Manner of Reason to believe any Thing that comes to their Ears; the more Shame say I, for those, who dare impose upon them. However, this Prejudice was not so entirely peculiar to his R— H— but that many, otherwise, good Men, were so blinded by the same Party-zeal, as to venture their Lives and Fortunes along with him, in Opposition to this Person, whom they had been taught to regard in so odious a Light as verily to believe he could have no Chance of finding any Body disposed to submit to his Rule, but from the Conviction (we have indiscreetly let People be almost laugh'd out of) of his not being what he pretends to be. Another Argument I have ventured to make use of, in Favour of his R— H—, I am sensible may be retorted upon me, for being too selfish in him; but since we can none of us propose universally to reform Mankind, it would be inhuman to refuse our Commiseration at least to Weaknesses that appear to have their Foundation in Nature. It is this. He might perhaps be induced to the committing this Action by some Apprehensions, which I cannot but say, and I hope I am not prejudiced in it, appear to me 'to have been justly grounded ( viz ) that if he had not done as he did, he might have been reduced to the Condition of a private Man, or what we, though I verily believe his R— H— does not, should think still worse, to that of a dead one. Now, notwithstanding all the Pretensions to Virtue, which have been so common, not to say cheap, latterly, I must own I still think ill enough of Mankind to be apt to believe there are others in the World, who, if they could be ask'd, whether they would consent to have their Brains knock'd out, on Condition the Duty on Salt or Candles should expire punctually with themselves, would be apt to boggle for some Time; therefore why it should have been expected of his R— H— to have laid down his Life quietly without making any Resistance, for the Sake of Advantages, by the very Supposition of which he is deprived of all Possibility of partaking, I must fairly declare I can see no manner of Reason. But suppose an Author should all of a sudden grow desperate, and take it into his Head to advance, that in the fatal Affair we are talking of, his R— H— was not so much in Fault as those, who (according to the innate Justice of Mankind) commit the greatest Mistakes, and are themselves the Occasion of the greatest Errors, yet lay the Event of them at other People's Doors; might I not ask them, when they complain of him so bitterly, for the compleat Mischief he brought upon them, and their whole Design, why in the Name of Wonder did not they prevent it? Would they have the Assurance to answer, they could bring no more Men into the Field? Now I would be glad to see the Man so ridiculous a Favourer of his R— H— as to dare advance that, if the Gentlemen in that Opposition had brought fifty or sixty thousand Men more against him, he either could or would have attack'd them; unless, on the other Hand, his own Army had been a little re-inforced. Would not one sometimes be apt to think that there are People in the World, who see wrong Measures taken, and things carry'd on in a Manner contrary to what they approve of, without endeavouring to hinder them, only that they may have the Pleasure of roaring afterwards either against the Managers on their own Side, or those who gain any Advantage on the other? Without such a Supposition, it will be hard to account for the Behaviour of such of my Countrymen as lie under the Suspicion of not having dared to promote their favourite Cause, when it was in so thriving a Way; for we must either conclude, that they stood by, neutral Spectators, on purpose to open against his R— H—, if he should be Victor; or that they, who are call'd by a Name odious to the present Government, are only such till they have an Opportunity of being so to any Purpose. When I have gone thus far, to convince the Reader I am not animated with the Spirit of an Editor, who, whatever Author he is at Work upon, is determined to see no Blemish, either in his personal Character or Writings; I will of my own Accord give up the Point, the Sc—ts so justly complain of, as absolutely indefensible, his permitting, perhaps it might be proved commanding, (at least his Officers did) his Troops to fire sharp Shot, instead of only Powder upon the Rebels. What will become of British Liberty, if People are to be knock'd on the Head for following their lawful Employments? and what Cruelty can equal his R— H—, in not considering there was not a Family engaged against him, which had not generously furnish'd the Army under his Command with Father, Brother, or nearest Relation? It would be look'd upon as an Affectation in me, an Omission by Design, should I take leave of this Subject, without taking Notice of one particular Branch of this Charge, though even at the worst I think it a very trifling one; namely, that during the whole Northern Expedition, his R— H—'s Table was never cover'd without Highlander's Harselets, dress'd in some Shape or other. Now, though enough might be said in Alleviation of this, (were it proved incontestably true) from the immoderate Passion for new Dishes of all sorts, that has spread so universally amongst us of late; yet, I shall wave it for the present, as I will make no Scruple of owning myself so far inclined to favour his R— H—, where there can be any visible Pretence for so doing, as to suspend my Belief of this Article, till I can light upon any one of the Cooks, who will give in upon Oath, before any of his Majesty's Justices of the Peace, that he himself, or some Brother of the Profession to his Knowledge, actually dress'd the said, Dish, and deliver'd it over to proper Persons, in order to be served up. What I think makes considerably in Favour of my Doubt is, that it is well known his R— H—, so far from being in any wise nice in his Diet, while he was upon that Expedition, always contented himself with whatever could be got for him, with the least Trouble; so far at least cannot be disputed, that they could not be literally a constant Dish, as they all along were the Game in the World the shyest of its Pursuer. I have been told, and have heard it affirm'd more than once, by one of undoubted Credit, that there actually did exist in Print, and not a great while ago, a certain university Performance, which, had it never been publish'd, would have been call'd a famous Oration, but that the supposed Charge in that Speech, which was only supposed, was too inexplicite; that it was difficult to say where the Encomium on the beaten Italian Roman-catholick ended, and the Satire on the victorious English Protestant began, both from the Authors paradoxical Manner, and from a certain Obscurity in his Stile, which was imagined to arise from his blinking the Law; and moreover I was told that either he, or his Readers, did not understand Latin; but as this Piece is at present no where to be found, I reckon I am excused from taking farther Notice of it. It would be pity to disturb the Ashes of an Invective, which is now at Peace in a separate State; and which, from all I can learn of it, was in that its Day very innocent; though, perhaps, that might be owing to its being very unintelligible. There is to my own Knowledge, another Satirist, (as he thinks himself) in every Respect preferable to the former, of whom it might be proper to take some Notice, if the Poignancy of his Reproofs did not lie chiefly in Dashes; but as it is not half so easy to write an Apology, or an Attempt towards one, all in Asterics, as a Philippic, I am afraid I must leave him unmolested, to avail himself of all his Influence over the Marrowbones and Cleavers of Clare-market, and yet they (however it happen'd I can't tell though I am certain of the Fact) rang on both Sides last Westminster Election. Let us proceed now to his R— H—'s Conduct in Flanders, of which it is very difficult for us to pick up any exact and authentic Information, as it must have been remitted to us, either by his Friends, or our Enemies. The first, I dare not produce as Witnesses to be rely'd on in this Case, and I think we should be in the wrong to believe our Enemies; they indeed say more in Praise both of his Conduct and Courage than the former. In this Dilemma, it may be safest to stick to the true British Way of thinking; which is, that the Soldier, who comes off alive, has done nothing for us; and that he, who dies, has been paid by us before-hand for so doing. But let this be how it will, the Impartiality I profess, obliges me to declare, I have not one Word to say in Excuse for his R— H—'s unaccountable Over-sight, in having reckon'd upon our faithful Allies, any otherwise than one ought to reckon upon our faithful Friends in private Life. Besides (taking Success for the only approved Test of every Design) some Blame will still hang upon his R— H— for any Disadvantage we suffer'd from the Enemy; since there still remain'd under his Command (deserted as he was by our Allies) a little Army, almost incapable of fearing Numbers, while it follow'd him: nay, if the Truth was known, it might appear he had a considerable Superiority over the Enemy, at so moderate a Computation as one Englishman against ten French, which has always been reckon'd an advantageous Bett on our Side. Another Thing, I despair of ever being able to palliate, is his endeavouring to reduce the Army under military Discipline; and I should have sufficient Reason for that Despair, if it were from this only Circumstance attending it; its being copied from the French, which alone is enough to render it odious to every freeborn Briton ; all that can be said for it is, it seems to have been undertaken from a Want of examining into the Difference there is between our Government and theirs; the Officers in that Service, as they have no P—t for themselves, or nearest Relations, to have Seats in, actually have Nothing better to do, than apply themselves to the Study of the Science they profess. I have heard from a Friend of mine, who has been abroad, and a good deal conversant with them, that when he first arrived amongst them, he has more than once been ready to blush, and that, for Persons of distinguish'd Birth, and some Rank in the Army, at hearing them talk as minutely and intelligibly of all manner of military Operations, as if their Characters or Bread depended upon it; to a Degree, that a common Engineer of ours (says he) would be ashamed to think himself suspected of knowing so much. I dare not urge too far, as a palliative Argument, the Propensity we have, one and all, always to abuse, and constantly to copy from that Nation; but this is certain, that the present unfortunate Charge against his R— H—, and a Politeness, which, though of his natural Growth, is so different from our Manners as to pass for foreign, are the only Fashions I have ever heard him condemn'd for learning from our Neighbours. As I make no Secret of my being a good deal distress'd for a proper Defence, in this immediate Subject, I trust the Reader will have the Goodness, in Return, to forgive, if I am forced to go a great Way for proper Matter upon the Occasion. Perhaps then he might be dazzled with that tinsell Observation of the Submission the French enure themselves to at Home, being what will, one Day or other, render them the Lords of every Body else; but this Doctrine is, and always must be absurd, if apply'd to so brave and generous a Nation as we are, who are above concerning ourselves to what Country we become a Province, or how soon; provided always, till then, we can keep ourselves clear of any Subordination at Home. I know it has been urged still farther against his R— H—, that he not only endeavour'd to recover military Discipline, but was authorized to do so by Law; and it is hard to separate the Ideas of it, and Injustice; but happily for us he seems not to have known how many illegal Things he might legally do, else it would have been no Amends to the Sufferers to have said, in Excuse of Tyranny, that it did not rise to the Level of the Law; since it is possible to suppose a Country, where the Law itself may be more insufferable than any Abuse of it could be. In Answer to this Charge I have no more to say, than though, in a political Sense, to be able to do Hurt is, and ought to be, an actual Crime, yet in a legal one, to have even attempted it, if it fail of Success, is so far from being one, that it is absolutely unpunishable. It is farther charged upon his R— H—, that he not only honours with his Company and Conversation, but has now and then advanced in the Army some, who, though of our most distinguish'd Families, are only of about the same Years with himself. It has been said in Excuse of this, by some, (who I suppose had their Reasons for it) that very few of our Veterans had seen more Service, and that there might be in that Number those, who had forgot even what they had seen; but far be it from me to give into any Reason that may yield the least Encouragement to the Forwardness of the Youth of this Age, at all Times too much prejudiced in Favour of itself, but now insolent enough to conceive itself as capable to learn, and as active to execute, as we, of advanced Years, know ourselves to be. But if there is any Thing favourable to be said, in Extenuation of this Charge upon his R— H—, it is, that though he is so great a Prince, it is possible he may have some of the Failings of human Nature in him; amongst which, when one is mercifully inclined, one may have the Goodness to rank the Choice of Persons of the same Time, and Turn of Life with oneself. Having thus far endeavour'd to vindicate, in a friendly Manner, (if the Expression does not sound too familiar, though it means no more than giving up the main Points of an Accusation) so much of his R— H—'s Behaviour as is at all relative to his Command, let us follow him into the Country. I cannot but say, I am surprized his passionate Love of his Park and Retirement should fill so many well-meaning People with Alarms for the publick Repose, which they conceive to be in the utmost Danger thereby. This is being so afraid of not sleeping, as to keep oneself awake by that very Fear. So far we will allow to be true, his R— H— is there at the Head of a great Body of Huntsmen, not to mention Whippers-in, &c. &c. &c. who as they sometimes see, and perhaps may, some of them, have had the Honour to have been spoke to by him, I make no manner of Doubt, would be ready to a Man to sacrifice their Lives in his Service. But my Amaze still continues that this should be thought a justifiable Pretence for People of quick-sighted Fears, to put themselves and the Publick in Terrors, as if Windsor -Castle was not therefore safe. Had his R— H— had any such Design, what could have prevented his trying to put it in Execution, when he had so fine an Opportunity, by having Cannon ready planted in his Park for a Trial, and that at a Time when it is very well known that Fortress was but very indifferently garrison'd? But if the Grounds of Suspicion were ever so just and clear, ought we not to rest quite secure on that Side, so long as we have the Satisfaction to know that important Place is in the Hands of one, who can never in the least be suspected of any Kind of Inclination to give up any Thing to his R— H—. As to that foolish Story of one belonging to his Suite being shot upon the Spot for reconnoitring too curiously some of the Outworks; I can take upon myself to assure the Reader, that the Thing happen'd long before any of these Suspicions had been broach'd, and was in reality nothing more than a Dog of his R— H—, who suffer'd Death for marauding. The last mention'd Circumstance is far from being the only one that has made me often and seriously wish, he had been pleased to content himself without having either Hare or Partridge at his Table, or indeed any Thing the Product of his own Park. A Gentleman, who lives in his Neighbourhood, has zealously endeavour'd to give my Wish it's Effect, by putting it, as far as in him lay, out of his R— H—'s Power to do otherwise, having most generously afforded half a Crown for every Partridge Nest that could be brought him in the Season. What adds to the Magnificence of this Expence is, that it is not done with a View of making a Merit of it, but (I suppose) as a Return of Gratitude for family Obligations; which is having a Memory almost unparallel'd in this forgetful Age; wherein I have lived to remark, though I yet make Use neither of Crutches nor Spectacles, more Instances than one of extraordinary Acts of Friendship, Kindness and Obligation, placed upon those who have so soon, and so entirely wore out all Traces of them as scarce to have thought of, and never to have put in Practice, the least Mischief in Return to their Benefactors. I have been told some leading People in the City are quite in my Way of thinking as to this Article, nay carry it farther, as appears by the Hints they give out, how popular an Act it would be in his R— H—, should he think proper to live, if it was but for one Month, himself and his Family, entirely upon our own Herrings. For my own Part, I shall not take upon me to determine, if such an Excess of Popularity might not, in the Event, do more Harm than Good; a Doubt which in all Probability could never have enter'd my Head, had I any Herrings to sell; but as to my Wish, I believe scarce any one will differ from me in it; I mean of those, who by living within any reasonable Distance of his R— H—, have accustom'd themselves to look upon his Game as their own. However, though the Advice I would have given is what I have no Manner of Reason to imagine would have been follow'd, I am far from being one of those who cry out upon a Practice contrary to it, as being so heinous a Crime in his R— H—; and I flatter myself that as to this one Point at least, I shall have the good Luck to find more than one Reader of the same extenuating Disposition with myself. Every Body must be sensible of what infinite Prejudice so exalted a Station as that of his R— H— must have been to him, in so free a Country as this; where nothing but an immense Fortune can screen a Man from the Odium of being a Gentleman; a Rank, which like the Posts in our Streets, every Link-boy thinks is placed for him to play at Leap-frog over. But with what Justice, the Rancour of a certain Set of People, not satisfied with heaping up all that the most severe Observation can furnish them with against their Day of Wrath, still adds to the Load, to be thrown on the Object of it, Circumstances, impossible to have been avoided, I appeal to the impartial. Thank God, his R— H—, who is undoubtedly a Gentleman, has not his Fortune to make; so that he has nothing to fear from the Clog, that Appellation has always been to Preferment, at least is at present in these Kingdoms. But his R— H—'s Birth is what, I imagine, could never have been made use of as an Argument against him, if it had not been thought a necessary Introduction for the Charge of Pride, which was to follow it. No doubt his R — H — might have eluded it if he had been pleased to merry-make with his Neighbours, as other country Gentlemen do, who, I take for granted, would have made him welcome to their best; and I don't doubt but a many of us would have taken a Ride from Town, and have been jolly at the Lodge, with all our Hearts. But whether the Privilege may not extend upwards as well as downwards, of living in the Country in what Manner one will, is a Point that may bear disputing upon. However, to reason a little upon the Case; I don't know a Vice, and scarce a Virtue, that Mankind is so much obliged to, as this same Pride; for take it in the worst Sense, it is no more than a Valuation of Merit and Rank, which can't be settled between the Publick and every Particular; for if both Parties agree upon the Sum total; it is no longer Pride; for which Reason I have often wonder'd to find it so common a Reproach, from the trading Part of this City, as it is only an Endeavour to get a greater Price for a Commodity than it is really worth; but then to take it in its best Sense, how useful a Monitor is it to the World, by its never failing to stick inseparably to every thing low, dirty and mean, that has got over our Heads, never to forget the Nastiness of its Origin! If any Thing therefore, his R— H— is to be pitied, for being born in a Rank so much above Pride, as to have it absolutely out of his Power to be proud if he would, and for having no one Pretence to it, that can be disputed by any Man living. But could he be guilty of it, not he would be to be blamed, but our Constitution, which has the unaccountable Defedt to have neglected the binding out the nearest in Blood to the Imperial Crown of these Realms to the most eminent Tradesmen in the City; which, I take it, is the only Method to be thought of for convincing this great Metropolis that Trade is sufficiently the Concern of the Crown. The next Objection is point blank contrary to the last, but bears so hard upon his R— H—, that could I look upon it as undoubtedly true, I should reckon I threw away all Pretensions of ever hereafter passing myself upon the World for a disinterested Writer, should I so much as offer to palliate it. But is it not too gross to Sense to be conceived, that his R— H— forgetting every Advantage over the more amiable Part of his Fellow-Subjects, which could be drawn from Birth, Youth, Person and Valour, (the most dangerous Qualifications, were our fair Countrywomen of an Access still more difficult than the Strictness of our present Religion and Morals have rather too severely ty'd them up to) should so far have neglected Beauty of our own Product and Manufacture, as to have taken Notice of a Piedmontese Girl; he, who suitably to his high Rank, might, and ought to have amused himself with bringing Unhappiness and Infamy into at least a dozen Families? I shall tack to this Article, because it has no kind of Connection with it, the greivous Accusation against his R— H— for being inclined to grow fat, but as I have been very well assured he does not encourage it, either by too much Sleep, or too little Exercise, and that consequently it cannot be fix'd upon him as his own Choice, and besides that, his Country has never yet had any Cause to complain of any Inactivity in him, when she stood in Need of him, I am of humble Opinion, it ought to be treated with that Favour and Indulgence, which Crimes, springing from Constitution, in every Body else, never fail receiving from the Publick. Thus have I endeavour'd to remove, or at least to alleviate, every Thing I have yet heard laid to his R— H—'s Charge, with the least Appearance of Probability, and I have little Doubt but all those, who will allow themselves Time seriously to reflect, how prone we all are to pull down to our own Level whatever over-tops us, either by Merit or Birth, will agree with me in believing, that one is likely to have heard rather more than less than the Truth. I have no Doubt neither, but the Publick will do me the Justice to own, that if, on the one Hand, I have not over familiarly treated a Name so respectable, on the other, I have kept myself free from a Degree of Flattery, which is now o'Days grown to be look'd upon, not only as the sole Dialect in which Men of such exalted Rank are to be address'd, but to be spoken of. If I have so much Success, as to have wiped off any one of those Strokes of Aggravation, which have been added to his Picture, but were in Reality no Part of it, I shall have answer'd the only View I had, namely, the doing Justice to one, whom I own I cannot help wishing well to, because I wish well to myself. FINIS.