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A69567
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The vindication of Slingsby Bethel Esq., one of the sheriffs of London and Middlesex against the several slanders cast upon him upon the occasion of his being proposed for one of the burgesses to serve in the late Parliament : for the burrough of Southwark.
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Bethel, Slingsby, 1617-1697.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing B2078; ESTC R4874
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14,038
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12
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THE VINDICATION OF Slingsby Bethel Esq One of the SHERIFFS OF London and Middlesex Against the several SLANDERS Cast upon him Upon the occasion of his being proposed for one of the BURGESSES to Serve in the late PARLIAMENT FOR THE Burrough of Southwark London Printed for Francis Smith at the Elephant and Castle in Cornhil 1681 The Vindication OF Slingsby Bethel Esquire One of the SHERIFFS of LONDON and MIDDLESEX AGAINST The several Scandals cast upon him c. SO long as I kept my private Station in which I have spent a great part of my Life I thank God I can say That though my Dealings in the World have been considerable I have had my Conversation so as not to meet with or deserve as I reasonably hope any Reproach from man But no sooner was I contrary to my Inclinations and Humour called forth by my Fellow-Citizens to a Publick Employment than the Envy and Malice of ill-minded Men was awakned so as that to use the Prophets words They bent their Tongues like their Bow for lies against me This I found in a great measure upon my Election to the Place I now bear in this City but when I was Nominated at the late Election for one of the Burgesses for Southwark This Malevolent Spirit being grown outragious mustered up all its Force and poured forthwith upon me whole Volleys of as Spiteful Calumnies as Wit sharpened by the keenest Malice could invent Notwithstanding all which I considered That this was not my Case alone but a common Accident attending Persons standing in Competition for Places of so great Honour and Trust and especially where the Election is to be determined by the Suffrages of a great Body of People divided by their several Parties and Interests amongst whom will be still found some Ill Men who preferring their Private Interests before the Publick Service will not baulk the foulest Practices for the obtaining of their own Ends and therefore I was at the first Resolved to sit down quietly under the Satisfaction and Assurance of mine own Innocency rather than to foul my Fingers by Raking into that filthy Dunghil of Reproaches cast up against me without the least Colour of Truth or Reason But being told by divers of my Fellow-Citizens that I ought to do something as well to Vindicate the Honour of the Place I now bear amongst them as to Justifie their Choice of me to that Office And also that those of the Neighbouring Burrough may not be thought to have been mistaken and deceived in the Person whom since that time they preferred to a place of so great Trust I thought fit to do them and my self so much Right as to Publish that which here follows for the detecting of the Malitious Falshood of those impudent Slanders which have been set on Fooâ— on purpose to disable me from holding any place of so great Trust First Then it was Objected that I am a Papist and a Jesuit and to give that lye the better Credit that upon some variance happening between me and Dr. Oates he did declare that he knew me beyond the Seas to be such This indeed would have been a sufficient barr to my admission to any place of Publick Trust and much more to my Sitting in the Parliament who have shewed so great a Zeal to the Protestant Religion and would have forfeited my Head also had the same been true But not to mention here the Tests that I have lately taken to the contrary as those that have known my constant Conversation or what I have Writ and Published will not believe that I have any kindness for that Religion so the Doctor is ready to declare to any one that desires information in that point that he was never the Author of any such Report nor could he know me beyond Sea under any Character whatsoever for I do affirm That I was never out of England since One thousand six hundred seventy two and I doubt not but the Doctor will satisfie any that shall ask the question that he never went beyond the Seas till the Year One thousand six hundred seventy seven Nevertheless the Doctor not being in Town to contradict this Story at the time of the Poll in Southwark it was well enough Designed to serve that turn Secondly It was said that I was a Souldier in the Parliament Army in the time of the late Wars and was most Cruel and Vnmerciful in the exercise of Arms. This as it seems inconsistent with the former Character so hath it in it self as little of Truth but among a divided Multitude in a jealous Age when the generality of Men are more prone to believe any thing of ill that they hear than to be at the trouble to examine the Truth of what is said it matters not whether Reports be true or probable so as they be delivered with sufficient Confidence and the more variety there is in those Stories however inconsistant they may be the better are they fitted to the various and different Humours and Interests of Man-kind And the bold and industrious Calumniator by this Method of Proceeding doth often prevail so far upon some of all Parties as to bring the person he hath a mind to oppose under their dislike And although the matter of this Election remaining under question I shall not say that this Project had its full effect in my Case yet to demonstrate that the last mentioned Objection was a meer Fiction designed onely to serve this occasion and could not be justly reflected on me I do affirm and several Hambrough Merchants now living may remember and the Registries of their Courts will plainly shew That I went to Hambrough in the Year One thousand six hundred thirty seven and lived there in continual imployment until December One thousand six hundred forty nine so as I could have no hand in the War or change of Government which happened in England within that time And though after my return into England I did with others submit to the Government I found there yet did I never Imbrace any other then Civil Offices in which I hope I may say without Arrogancie I demeaned my self with that Integrity Indifferencie and Moderation that I may justly challenge the greatest of my Enemies to instance in or to name any one Act of Severity Injustice or Partiality that I ever shewed towards any Party or Person whatsoever Thirdly That being at Hambrough at such time as the late Kings Death was resolved of in England I did there say That rather than he should want an Executioner I would come thence to perform the Office Although I do resent this most odious and malicious Slander with the highest Indignation imaginable yet having brought my Action at Law for Vindication of my self in this Point I shall not in this place discourse any thing of that Subject lest I should seem to anticipate Publick Justice or in any sort gratifie my Adversaries by letting them know what I have to give in
Evidence to prove the wilful Malice of those that cast this Reproach upon me or what I have to offer in aggravation of this Scandal Nevertheless I shall take that liberty here to say I was born a Gentleman and have had my Education accordingly and am of too great a Spirit to stoop to an Office of so base a nature to serve the greatest Prince or State in the World Fourthly That I was 〈◊〉 only one of the late Kings Judges but one of those two persons in Vizards that Assisted on the Scaffold at his Death This I may call a home thrust a blow levelled not at my Honour and Reputation only but since the Persons so Characterized are Excepted out of the Act of General Pardon and Oblivion at my Life and Fortune also and ought more deservedly to be Vindicated by some solemn course of Law then the forementioned Scandal but the Promoters of this loud Cry being lost in a Croud of People I cannot give my self or others that Publick satisfaction that the Merits of the Cause requires and therefore I am necessitated to give my self and the World the best satisfaction in this Point that I can And since Malice is so bold and daring I do bless that good Providence of God that set me in such Circumstances at that time when such Matter is Charged to be done that although I am of the Negative part I am able to convince the Author of that Report to the satisfaction of all Mankind of a most foul and malicious Slander and it is shortly thus Except I could be at Hambrough in Germany and at Westminster in England at one and the same time which all will agree is wholly impossible the odious Matter Charged upon me in this Article cannot be true and to prove that I was at Hambrough at the same time that the Matters Charged in this Article were Transacted at Westminster I vouch the same Evidence which I have Cited in my Defence upon the Second Article And as the Malice of this Design against my Honour will plainly appear by what is already said so that these several Slanders were broached and sent abroad on set purpose to way-lay me in my Election for one of the Burgesses for Southwark will yet further appear by that Scandalous Libel that goes abroad under the Name of How and Rich wherein the Author pretending to give an impartial Account of that Election after he had given a worthy Character of the rest of the Competitors suming up all the forementioned Reports which are sounded forth at large against me in a few softer words is pleased by an Elegant Irony to Characterize me as a Person sufficiently Eminent for the Figure I made in the late Revolutions And that this Character may find the better Credit with the World and that I may be thought still a Man of the same Spirit the Libellers adds That at the Election I threatned to pull one of the Kings Water-mens Coats over his Ears and that he thereupon Replyed to me Aye Sir so perhaps you would my Masters too if it were in your Power All which is most notoriously false and without any colour or ground of Truth Fifthly The next exception they take to my Nomination to serve as a Burgess in the present Parliament is That being one of the present Sheriffs for the Renowned City of London I live in a Garret and keep no House Were this admitted to be wholly true yet will it not be allowed as I conceive for a good exception in the Case of a Burgess to serve in Parliament if I be otherwise qualified for so great a Trust it being a Maxime That those that are most saving of their own Estates will be most careful of the Peoples But since it doth cast some Reflection on me in the Office I now bear I confess it will require a further Answer I say then that though this be not altogether true yet having less of Malice then the former I can the better bear it In the former matters Charged my Adversaries run upon me as if they designed nothing less then to tear me in pieâ—â—â— by this they seem desirous only to pull me down and degrade me by those they gave me the Character of a very bad Subject by this they would have me thought no good Citizen And as I have disclaimed those with that just abhorrencie that the Merits of the Case required so I doubt not but upon a due Consideration of so much of the aforesaid Exception as shall be found true as also of that which follows they will admit of so fair an Apology as will not leave me under the guilt of any misdemeanour But before I enter upon the Examination and Answer of Particulars I shall here enter my Protest That I have a true and real Veneration and Esteem for that Renowned City and have been ready to express the same upon all occasions both at home and abroad even before I had the Honour to be Called to the Office I now bear amongst them That I am always ready to pay that due observance and respect to the Government thereof that the Laws ordained for that purpose do require That though for many years last past I have not had any private Interest and Concern by way of Trade not expect hereafter any benefit or advantage thereby yet I have as hearty good wishes for the Trade Welfare and Prosperity of the said City as any Citizen whatsoever And as I have been always ready and willing in my place and station to promote those good ends so I brought the same resolutions with me into that Office which I now bear and shall endeavour to discharge with all integrity governing myself therein so far as I am able by the Laws of the City and of the Land to both which I acknowledge my self to be a Servant as my best Warrant as well as safest Guides And if in any thing I shall chance to fail or fall short of this it shall not be through any willful miscarriage or neglect but from mistake which may easily happen to one of my Education in the manage of an Office of that importance And now to return to that which is objected to my disparagement it is said That I live in a Garret and keep no House and this they aggravate by suggesting that for this reason I have been denyed several Priviledges granted to other Sheriffs not having done the City that honour in this respect as others in my place have done Ill will as it never speaks well so it seldom speaks true as it makes the worst Construction of all Actions so it commonly mis-reports all Persons against whom it hath any pique or prejudice this seems to be my Case and how I come to fall under these Circumstances will best appear by that which follows The Truth is being a single Person as I have been for many years and having neither the Concerns of a Family nor of Trade lying upon me