AN EXAMINATION OF THE IMPARTIAL State of the CASE OF THE EARL of DANBY IN A LETTER TO A Member of the House of Commons LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Walter Davis Bookbinder in Amen-Corner neer Paternoster-Row 1680. AN EXAMINATION Of the pretended Impartial State of the CASE Of the EARL of DANBY c. THough I have little curiosity to read the Pamphlets that swarm at this time and think it almost as great an Errour to mix with the Crowd of Writers as to mingle with any other Riot yet I was drawn from my own Inclinations by so specious a Title as An Impartial State of the Case of the Earl of DANBY having been conversant in many Affairs that relate to that Lord. At the first Reading of it I was not a little surpriz'd to find as I then thought a thing Publisht with such a Title and confirmed with such confident promises of Truth and yet to be composed of Three things so far from Impartiality The First is the manner of Arguing which is most upon Questions begg'd The Second is of many Untruths which I presum'd were easie to make appear by matter of Fact The Third is an endeavour to fix upon the King most of the Errours and Crimes that were Charged on him Yet with this first Nation I was not satisfy'd but read it more carefully the second time and being then convinced it was subject to these Errours I thought it my Duty to my King and Countrey to let them not be ignorant of any Information that I could give since some particular knowledge that I am furnisht withal makes me more capable to present them with some Observations than others though of greater Abilities then I cou'd have done I therefore apply'd my self to Examine this sharp Censure upon the Parliament for so ill Rewarding the Merits of this Deserving Lord as to let Malice have too great a share in his Prosecution And in the same place there is an assurance that nothing should be related but what may be depended upon for Truth Who the Authour of this is I cannot tell but if it were not the Lord himself 't is a Friend more passionate than usual and one that gives him so large a Character and in whose Cause he condemns both King and Country that it seems hardly credible that one man should be so extravagantly kind for another but rather the production of Self-Interest and Conceit and comparing the Stile and Arguments with this Lords Speech in the House of Peers when he was Charg'd it helps to confirm my Opinion that this Lord was the Friend that Writ it and 't is more probable that he is so much a Friend to himself than that any other should be so to him I shall now proceed to particular Remarks and begin with the first matter of Fact The faithful Discharge of this Lords Trust as Treasurer of the Navy to the satisfaction of His Majesty and the great content of the Sea-men 'T is fit to observe That this Office depends on the directions of the Commissioners of the Navy what to pay and on the Lord Treasurer or Commissioners of the Treasury for Money to pay so that if this Lord gave content it seems he was supplyed to make himself capable of the performance But his Impartial Friend attributes all this to his Lordship as he does other things to his Management with so much Prudence and Success But yet it will appear he has but ill-luck in his first Assertions for since the Treasury of the Navy is so confin'd the great Trust that remains in him is onely in Sums of Money which can be violated by no ways but falsely disposing it or applying some to his own private use the last of which has been counted a high Crime for the King's Treasures have ever been taken to be Sacra Patrimonia and none were to use any of it but were liable to great punishments But this Lord ventur'd to apply Two thousand seven hundred forty seven pounds five shillings and eleven pence of the Kings Money to his own use and was short so much in his Account for his Faithful Discharge of Treasurer of the Navy and was forgiven it by a Privy-Seal bearing date the 21 of February 1676. which was about three years after he was Lord Treasurer A seasonable time to pass such an Account to be forgiven for some Money when he had gotten the Command of all the rest but I shall not dispute whether this fault hinder'd His Majesty from being satisfy'd with his performance in that employment since his bounty and goodness was in other things much more extended to this Lord but how well returned will appear by the following Observations After this stumble in the Threshold he proceeds to his advancement in 73. to the place of Lord Treasurer which he says he managed with so great Prudence and Success that contrary to all Mens expectations but especially of his Enemies who assured themselves of his immediate ruine by that Preferment he supported for near six years that condition of his Master which it was not then thought cou'd have been made to subsist for so many Months without any Supplies or Burthens laid upon the People in all his time Here his Impartial Friend begins boldly to assert and as confidently to beg the Question That this Lord supported the Kings Condition for six years that was thought cou'd not have been made subsist six Months I believe 't would puzzle the Author to name the Persons that were of this Opinion for they cou'd find no subject-matter for their Judgment but must be guided by Flattery or Ignorance And 't were very uncharitable if not malicious to believe that those that Managed the Revenue before this Lord should be so weak and dishonest for less than such a Conjunction cou'd not reduce such a Revenue to so deplorable a condition as to give any a just ground to believe they had not left a subsistance for six Months This heavy Charge on his Predecessours seems not onely very partial but very extravagant which will be best discerned by examining the great Success and Prudence of this Lord and perhaps it will appear that Men shou'd rather have judg'd and his Enemies have apprehended that the Kings Revenue was left in such a condition to this Lord that it might easily have been supported for much a longer time than six years and if any Calculation was made for his Ruine it must have been from other causes As to that of Supplies it is very true that there were none given directly to the Kings sole use in his time but the Eighteen Months Tax for 1238750 l. which was given in the Lord Cliffords time was all paid in this Lord's half of which viz. the last three Quarters was solely disposed by him and the first three by the Lord Clifford for Publick Uses which contributed to leave the Kings condition in a better posture than is here acknowledged which will be shewn in
a more proper place when I set down the state of the Kings condition in point of his Revenue as it was left by his Predecessour the Lord Clifford At the same time I will present how this Lord left it by which every reasonable man will be best convinc'd Yet before I plainly set them down I will beg leave to take notice of some Particulars which perhaps may be useful to the consideration of the Generals The first Illustration of this Lords Prudence is drawn from the Chargeable War with the Dutch the whole burthen of which this Impartial Friend wou'd lay upon this Lord to discharge forgetting or resolving to forget all but his concerns and that the War was begun in the time of the Commissioners and the great Charge of it was in the time of the Lord Clifford who might as well complain that he had no benefit of any Tax given in his time as this Lord that there was none given in his But that I may not say more than I can clear nor desire to be believed onely from confident affirmations I must acknowledge that I have seen the disposition of the three first Quarters of the Tax the first was made the third of April 1673. which was not three Months before the Lord Clifford resign'd his staff the second also was signed by the Lord Clifford the third Quarter was projected by the Lord Clifford with this Lord then Sir Thomas Osborne whose Name I have seen to the bottom of the List being so entered at the Exchequer the other three Quarters were not medled with but left wholly to the disposition of this Lord in whose time also al these six were paid Concerning other Taxes and Monies I shall give the Account in a more proper place and onely add this Observation That all Assignments upon this Tax ever found credit for the advancing of Money and this burthen of the Dutch War did not lye so wholly upon this Lord nor was the Tax so unuseful to him in discharging of his part of it I will not unnecessarily dwell upon particulars as what Arrears were upon several Offices the general states when laid down will best answer that but I will onely touch upon some others that will not relate to that whereby every thing may have its just examination One great particular applyed to the Honour of this Lord and to the Infamy of others is the setling the Debt to the Goldsmiths which yet is not a Debt paid but the setling of a perpetual Interest to be paid I will not deny but 't was a just and good action nay though Mr. Coleman claims a share in it whose benefit perhaps only made him active in it But upon this occasion I would onely present a small view of the Impartiality of this Writer he calls this stop of the Exchequer an Infamous Action and fixes it upon many persons allowing no excuse for them though it was own'd by the King in a publick Declaration by reason of the necessity of Affairs but when this Lord was Charged with Crimes of higher natures he allows the Plea that the King commanded it and though privately to be sufficient to wipe off all Infamy from him This cannot appear good Reason or clear Justice and less shewed towards the King than any if this Lord be charged with an ill Action it must be fixed on the King and if a good one be to be claimed 't is wholly applyed to this Lords Honour and the King must be allowed no share of his own goodness The next particulars he uses to help shew what great things this Lord performed is the War of Algiers and the Rebellion in Virginia the last quickly ceas'd and while both hapned if there had been a considerable Fleet for Summer and Winter Guards kept out besides it had been a matter of some consideration otherwise the sparing of those was more considerable than the paying for these Other more slight particulars are set forth in the next Paragraph the great abatement of the Corn-Act to the diminishing the Customs Threescore thousand pounds a year The Act for Prohibiting the French Commodities which has lost not less than one hundred and fifty thousand pounds a year from the said Revenue which this Lords Predecessours did receive yearly into the Exchequer What these Acts might lessen from what the Customes might have been none can well guess but one thing will confute the Argument viz. That there was more paid in his Predecessors times for let any take a medium of the time of this Lords being Lord Treasurer and 't will appear the Customs never yielded so much as in his days The next complaint is the 200000 l. borrowed on the fifth part of the Excise and the inconvenient manner of repaying it This I confess is hard to be understood for in some measure this Money was of use not of disadvantage to this Lord for the full 200000 l. was lent in his time and at his going out on the 25th of March 1679. 83400 l. was left to pay which since was paid by these present Commissioners so that of consequence that sum was used in the assistance of his management and not the whole any burthen to make the work so much the harder for his Prudence and Success The next Paragraph sets forth this Lords care to be very great to see Money applyed to the most publick uses as will appear by the weekly Certificates in the Exchequer to which he appeals and from which publick uses he never diverted one penny that was so appropriated notwithstanding the many false suggesting to the contrary c. This dark Text needs a Commentary First as to the Weekly Certificates of the Exchequer 't is to be observ'd that they do indeed give an Account of all Appropriated Moneys but by the way lest it should be taken for granted it does so of all other Moneys 't is fit to let it be understood that though it should and ought to do so yet this Lord caused many Sums of Money to be paid by his private direction and never conizable in the Exchequer which the Commissioners of the Excise cannot deny and Mr. Bertie or a private Letter the Voucher for their being plac'd and allow'd to their Account That he never diverted any appropriated Money he means I suppose by Acts of Parliament is very true but 't is as true that he could not have done it if he had the inclination to have attempted it for his Warrant or directions would have met with no obedience in the Exchequer for the Auditor would not have directed Monies nor the Tellers have paid it to a wrong Voucher which renders not the Exchequer a proper way for private dispositions of Money for there no Lord Treasurer can be obey'd against an Act of Parliament expresly directing nor in any thing that is deriv'd solely from his own Authority but yet where this Lord had power to divert he has not been scrupulous to use it for when
Money was lent on the credit of the Fifth part of Excise he hindred it from coming in which was often complained of publickly at the Exchequer by the Lenders of the Money and diverted it to other uses Nor can the late Commissioners of the Excise deny this if they should the Lenders will prove it who daily solicited them to bring it in A second instance is in the Poll-Bill which was given for an actual War with France upon which many Eastland Merchants were promised payment for Hemp and Masts and other Furniture for Ships which were taken up of them but no care taken to reserve Money for them out of the Act but are now before the present Lords Commissioners who are contriving Securities or Payments for them so that it seems this Lord observed just Rules where he could not violate them and broke them where he had power or opportunity In the same Paragraph this Lords Industry is set forth in the Improving the Kings Revenue but this was no peculiar Industry in this Lord that was unpresidented for the Customs were once let for 300000 l. per Annum and improved to 600000 l. just before his time and the Excise was likewise improved but this is more the Industry of private men than of a Treasurer for by their desire of gain they bid upon one another which a Treasurer must receive or put out the Candle they bid by as they say was done in the Case of Mr. George Pitt and Mr. Brett c. Nor was the Art new which he there bragg'd of to break a Bargain and resume the Farm of the Excise for the Kings advantage for the Lord Clifford made him a President for the like trick by re-suming the Farm of the Customs which he had let to Sir William Bucknall and others for 600000 l. per Annum so that I can neither say the Art is new or good Lastly if this Lord so improved the Revenue he has also improved the Argument against himself if he has not used it with that Success and Prudence which is so boasted of in the beginning For the Revenue of Ireland I can say little to it onely the Charge that my Lord Ranelagh lyes under and the protection always shew'd in keeping that business from a strict Examination does not seem to make out any advantage that the King has found by the disposition of that Farm The next Honour that is attributed to this Lord is that he paid rarely more than Eight per Cent. for Money borrowed notwithstanding the shakes lately given to Credit c. I hope this knowing Man in the Exchequer would not for proof appeal to the weekly Certificates for this if he does he will sind nothing there of the payment of any such Interest at all for this Lord practic'd most upon Tallies of Anticipation the way that has been the great destroyer of the Revenue which is done by a fictitious Bill thrown down by a Teller for Money when really he has it not and he discharged by a Tally instead of an Issue which Issue is removed from being vouch'd by Record in the Exchequer so that when 't is paid or when the Interest is paid or what Interest is paid never appears there so that all the vouching lyes among those that deal in Money and if they can but agree well there is no sence against their Combinations This I set down as briefly as I can onely to shew that this Lord could not know what Interest he paid though he might know what he agreed for for if a Tally is to be paid a year after the Interest may commence with the date of the Tally if they be but pleased to agree and when the Farmers or Contracters of the Excise have advanced great Sums the Commissioners have by their Acquittances given Vouchers instead of Records for the Commencement of the Interest and I have heard nor is it improbable that they were all very well acquainted The next Paragraph is of greater moment answering the scandal that the Revenue has been squandred under the name of Secret Service and upon this shews from the Certificates of the Pells that there has been accounted from Easter 73 to March 79 Eight Millions sixty two hundred seventy six thousand seven hundred sixty seven pounds besides the Interest of the Goldsmiths and divers other particulars which are not included in that Account and then desires it may be computed what could possibly remain to have been laid out extravagantly and 't would appear a very inconsiderable Sum. First 't is to be observed That 't is confest there are divers particulars which are not included in that Account of the Exchequer but the Argument that is here offered is drawn from the Comparison of what that Account is and what the Revenue may amount to in that time which infers that onely the Revenue is brought to that Account but since he desires a Computation I will furnish him with one more particular than perhaps he desires and then the vail being pull'd off this fallacie among others will be discovered First The Revenue in that time may indeed amount to about that Sum but in the Account of the great Sum he sets down there are these Particulars contained viz. The Eighteen Months Tax amounting to 1238750 l. The Tax for Building the Thirty Ships 584978 l. On the Fifth part of the Excise 200000 l. The Poll-Act 252900 l. The first Act for Disbanding the Army and other Uses c. 619388 l. This had appeared an Argument of some moment if it had been stated upon the Account wholly of the Revenue and that it had been left uncharged by this Lord but without searching into the fallacies of it the condition of the Revenue as it was left by this Lord will best determine his Prudence and Success The next thing insisted on is Secret Service which he says those that are versed in the Exchequer know that many Sums are included in that way of Payment that are either for Publick Service upon Expedition for sudden occasions or to save greater Fees where His Majesty is pleased to let it be so as in the Case of the Lord Treasurer and Chancellor of the Exchequers Salaries c. This is a compound of Mistakes for there are none in the Exchequer that can know what any Secret Service Money is applyed to for the Orders are in a us'd name and no Service mentioned but the words betray themselves for if it be for saving of great Fees 't is of consequence that the Exchequer knows not what 't is for or else they would have their Fees accordingly but for this very cause because those that were versed in the Exchequer did not nor could not know what such Monies were for the passing of such Orders was stopt by the Officers till the certain Fees were agreed for otherwise they took it as free gift and rather than it should be known what it was for a proportion of Fees were consented to But
the particular instance of saving the Lord Treasurers and Chancellors of the Exchequers Fees on their Salaries by this way is yet more unluckie since if the Author had been at all versed in the Exchequer he would have known that there was never any Fees demanded or taken for those Salaries though the Orders came in their Names and the payment exprest since the Exchequer had a being and this very Lords Pension of 8000 l. per Annum was never included in Secret Service and yet paid without Fees As for the Sum paid as I remember 't was delivered in Parliament to be 252467 l. paid in two years and about three Months upon which I shall onely say that it was much more than was used in all the time before and since he says that one third at least if not half the payments for secret Service might be exposed to view as well as other Payments I cannot dispute it but onely wish they had either been so exposed or else not so paid that those jealousies of ill disposing Moneys and corrupting Members of Parliament had not so much prejudiced the Kings Affairs As to the way of Arguing That this private Account is better than what was formerly contrived It is not my design to dispute upon the comparisons of ill things but leave every thing to be considered abstractedly and to bear its own proper weight but without question the issuing of the Kings Money ought to be publick and the occasion intelligible on the Records unless the Privy-Purse for which none sure would grudge a plentiful provision and no just Bounty or Reward ought to be concealed 't is just and honourable for a King to bestow but not for others to have the secret power nor can any thing be more inconvenient than too great opportunities of power given to any Subject it breeds and nourishes temptation in him and suspition in others and what two greater Rocks can a King Govern between than too much power in one and the jealousie of that in all others I will instance one particular that shew'd a subject for these two and 't will be easie to judge how immodestly power was used and what just jealousies it must give it far exceeded this way of Secret Service for a whole branch of the Kings Revenue and no less than the Excise was endeavoured to be brought under the sole disposing of this Lord out of all due course of Common-Law for so the Method of the Exchequer is taken to be by a particular Cashier was erected and one Mr. Kent put in which project the Patent says was seriously examined by the Lord Treasurer and the Chancellour of the Exchequer c. The Chancellour of the Exchequer was then Sir John Duncombe who utterly renounced the knowledge of it and thought it a Patent of a most dangerous consequence besides in the same Patent when it comes to the disposition of the Money it leaves out the Chancellour of the Exchequer and says it shall be paid into the Exchequer or in such other manner as the Lord Treasurer shall think fit These are the very words and 't is probable if that the Chancellour of the Exchequer had approved this and some other things he had not been removed from an employment which he performed with so much uprightness This Patent was questioned in Parliament and being of so infamous a nature and a Question accordingly form'd That this Patent is illegal and of dangerous consequence this Lord found such open friends perhaps by Secret Service that though they granted themselves 't was an ill Patent yet for fear it should be part of the Charge made good against this Lord and not being yet so hardy as to give their Negatives found our an invention to avoid the sure blow by the Orders of the House which give a freedom for any to move for the adding or taking away any words to the stated Question upon which priviledge they mov'd and seconded one another with private zeal in this publick Cause to leave these words out of the Question viz. Illegal and of dangerous consequence which they carried in the Affirmative and then the Question onely remained This Patent is 'T is casie by this to judge what power an Ambitious Man may aim at and what jealousies excess of power in a Subject may justly give since it could thus operate upon the major part of a House of Commons and leave such an incomparable Question upon their Books I have dwelt too long perhaps upon these particulars from which I confess no demonstrative Argument of the whole is to be fram'd but I thought it fit to shew what Artifice lay hid under every specious particular and how little the promise was performed of relating nothing but Truth What excuse the Author would make I cannot guess unless that he was unfortunate to choose such a subject to defend that always gave great suspitions to be inseparable from the contrary I will now give a plain Account of the Generals which must be the sure proof of all first As to the condition of the Revenue how it was Jest by the Lord Clifford of which I have procured a Copy truely written from the Original Paper under Sir Philip Floyds hand COPY June 10. 1673. THE Customs were Charged with about 153000 l. for the Navy Ordnance c. and I hope this last Fleet will go near to clear it Almost two Thirds of the Rent of the Excise for the Quarter dae at Michaelmass next is Charged for the Forces Cofferer c. All the Forces are provided for till the 25th of July and the last new Additional Leavies till Michaelmass next The Houshold is provided for till Lady-day last The Treasurer of the Chamber till Christmass last except the old Arrears in the late Lord Treasurers time The Office of the Works till Lady-day last The great Wardrobe hath been supplyed from time to time as their most pressing occasions have required Tangier is weekly provided for on the Customs The Ordnance bath had as much yearly in proportion as in the former Dutch War but by reason that that Office hath not kept the Accounts I cannot justly say how that Office stands The Victualler is paid within a small matter except the last agreement for the Land-men The first Three Quarters of the Tax given by the Parliament are assigned the three last are untoucht which amount to about 600000 l. There will be in October and November for payment of the Fleet and Yards in ready Money these three following Sums From the Advance of the Excise 150000 342500 l. From the French Money 112500 Vpon the 3 Quarters of the Subsidy 80000 The Chimney-Money and the Law-Bill are lest free to be Charged as there shall be occasion By this it appears that there was 942500 l. left in Money and the Charge upon the Revenue not 300000 l. for the Excise was left Charged not above 110000 l. when the Lord Clifford went out and whether this be a
Truth any that doubts it may be resolved by Sir Stephen Fox or Mr. Richard Kent And to shew also that the Condition of the Customs was truely presented and the Lord Clifford in his Paper guess'd right that the return of the last Fleet would clear it I have obtained a Copy of a Letter written from Mr. Mounteney who was then Cashier of the Customes to Sir Robert Howard the then Secretary to the Treasury COPY SIR I Have a List signed by the Lord Treasurer Clifford and Confirmed by the present Lord Treasurer the said List being wholly paid onely Eight thousand four hundred pounds payable to the Treasurer o the Navy I do hear there are several Talleys struck on the Customes but I know not of what value nor to whom payable I understand the persons have made their applications to my Lord Treasurer and that my Lord intends to make a new list which is all I can say to this Affair Custom-house London the 10th of Nov. 1673. Sir Your very humble Servant Rich. Mounteney It now remains to shew on the other side the effect of the great Prudence and Success so boasted of by as faithfully presenting the State of the Revenue at Lady-day 1679. when this Lord left it and to be as clear in this as I was in the other I have obtained likewise a Copy of it as it was presented to these present Lords Commissioners of the Treasury The Charge upon the Three great Branches of the Kings Revenue Computed to remain Lady-day 1672. Remains unpaid of Tallies Charged on the Customs 435106 01 00 Of Tallies Charg'd on the Excise 550464 15 04 To repay the Advance 250000 00 00 The Charge on the Hearth-Duty by Tallies and the Advance-Money 250000 00 00 Total 1485570 16 04 And now the equal Reader is left able to judge though the Impartial Author says he is not whether this Lord or the People of England be most unhappy in his Misfortunes but to those that will not take the pains to examine this and are not convinced there never was a better Officer in this station he proposes a new sort of Evidence from Coffee-houses themselves who have complained of the good Husbandry this Lord used for his Master for fear it should keep off the use of Parliaments I will not wonder at such a proof for the Writer uses always great liberty but I will onely do the same and desire those persons also that will not take pains to examine this to receive the Evidences now in the Coffee-houses for his Lordships Character I am almost perswaded that if Ballads had been sung in his favour they would have been urged as Evidences of his Innocency but I dare not take the liberty to urge those that are sung on the contrary for Testimonies of his guilt but after such Evidences as Coffee-houses introduced the next may probably be Ballads I have now finisht my Observations on that part of this Lords Ministry which belonged to the Treasury and shall now proceed to State-Affairs in which other Sphere for 't was not enough to shine in one the Impartial Author presents him as great a Minister as he has done a Treasurer concluding as he begun That what he had said concerning this Lords Administration in his Office as Lord High Treasurer he spoke upon certain knowledge and what he shall say in relation to his Transactions in the Affairs of State are partly so and the rest upon such assurances that he is no less confident of the Truth of them Thus he tells us that he builds upon some assurances by him received as firmly as on his own certain knowledge This I suppose he might do without any Compliment to those from whom he received them for by the Examinations of all compared 't will I suppose appear their Credits ought to have no preheminence He first introduces his Discourse with a Complaint he heard this Lord make that it was an infinite Misfortune to him that His Majesty did take him so much from the business of the Treasury whereby he could not make those improvements in his Revenue and give those dispatches that were necessary and exprest his regret that he was employed in any other business than the Treasury As to the improving of the Revenue it has been discours'd already but for Dispatches I suppose he did not believe much time was necessary if it be true as I have heard That he endeavoured to gain a belief in His Majesty that no man could be a good Treasurer that was easie of access As for that regret this Lord had for the increase of business and consequently power in the Kings Affairs I shall onely make some Observations upon this Lords Temper and Proceedings which will shew he rather desired to engross all Affairs than share any The assurance of a modest and consin'd nature would have best appeared by the easie and friendly carrying on the Kings business with such Ministers and Officers as were of good repute but instead of that this Lord shewed a Temper of a contrary nature by attempting the removal of every one that was not prostrate enough to him he began with Sir John Duncomb and Sir Stephen Fox men of most unquestioned worth in their Employments then brought a Charge in the Council against Sir Robert Howard Auditor of the Receipt the success of which is publickly known and might questionless have been very well guessed by this Lord but there were two great causes that blinded his Reason his Son the Lord Dunblain had the Reversion of the Auditors place and the removal of him with the others had reduced the Exchequer into his uncontradicted power The Ministers in State-Affairs that did not submit implicitely found him not less ambitious my Lord Arlington and Mr. Secretary Coventry seemed to have Writs of Ease in Forreign Affairs and very often were reports and expectations of their leaving their places and those that were upon better terms with him were obeyers of his power and not sharers in any and I am confident whoever throughly examines this Lords Temper and Carriage amongst Men and business he will hardly conclude it probable that any regret could spring from his encrease of power rather the Character of a very great Man may be applicable to him as to our part of the World Aestuat infelix angusto limite Regni Juv. Sat. 10. The reasons why this Lord entered unwillingly into Forreign Transactions was because he always shew'd himself averse to the Counsels wherein he found His Majesty engaged and reckons up The breach of the Triple League a War with the Dutch a League with France and an Army of English then in France These Particulars will not concern my Observations if any did amiss let it be examined when there is such an Impartial Account as this pretended to be given but upon this depends the following Paragraph which ought not to be let pass without some Reflections He complains there that the Nation was too hasty and did