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Numb. 69.
THE poor Protestants in Hungary, when Count Teckely took Arms, were something, in my Opinion, like the disciples of our Saviour, who thought he was come to restore the Temporal Kingdom to Israel: The Innocent People had been Insulted, and ill Treated by the Germans, but especially by the Priests; who always taking Care to misrepresent them to the Emperor, as the Principals in the Discontents and Disturbances of the Hungarians; took Care, also that whatever Breaches happen’d between the Hungarians and the Germans, were upon all occasions, plac’d to the account of the Protestants: Upon these suggestions, the Priests, like Satan in the Case of Job, got the Power of them, and had them committed, as it were, to their Discretion, with a Behold! He is in thy hands.
Nor did the Emperor in this Case, imitate the Merciful part of the Almighty’s Commission to Satan, in the Case of Job, but save his Life; for these poor Miserables were deliver’d over, without any Restriction, to the Soldiers, and to the Priests; the first it may be suppos’d, had little compassion for their goods, the latter had less for their Lives and Posterity; and in the Prosectution of this Latitude, their churches were seiz’d, their Schools dissolv’d, their Estates and Honours sequestred, their Persons imprisoned, and drag’d to Publick Executions; all manner of Injuries and Oppressions practised upon the People, and all sorts of Cruelties upon their Ministers, 200 of which we find at one time in the Spanish Galleys, coupled with Turks, Moors, and Malefactors, and Condemn’d to the Miseries of the Oar, a Martyrdom, if I may be allow’d to be Judge, much worse, and more intolerable than the severest Tortures of a Dioclesian Persecution.
Yet under all these Extremities, the horror of which I cannot pretend to describe by words, nor can the 24 Letters, be capable of such a Position, as to Convey true and proportion’d Idea’s of their Sufferings, to the Mind; yet I say, under all these Extremities, the Protestants of Hungary never offer’d to take Arms, or to rise in their own Defence; never Oppos’d Force to Violence, or Defended the Just and Native Right they had, as Men and Christians, to the Freedom and Independency of Conscience; but Patiently, and with a Passive Fortitude, unexampled in these latter Ages of the World, submitted their Necks to the Yoke of Persecution, and became Martyrs to their Cause, chearfully Suffering all the Indignities, Tortures and Distresses, that a Cruel Ecclesiastick Tyranny, which is always the worst, could Invent.
Not that it was not Lawful for them to have, by Force, repell’d such unjust Oppressions; and that Murther, Tyranny and Injustice, may not be withstood by the Innocent Oppress’d People, whenever they find all Peaceable, Legal [290] Methods, ineffectual to Secure their Civil, or Religious Right – This is a Doctrine so rooted in the Laws of Nature, so confirm’d from Heaven, and so constantly Practised by all People, and Nations in the World, of what Religion or Profession soever; that to Oppose it, must be to extinguish Reason, obliterate Nature, contradict the Practice of Immemorial Custom, and give up the Power God has intrusted every Man with, to defend the Blessings bestow’d, and which it must be as Lawful to Maintain as Enjoy.
But as to the Present Case, I say, however Lawful it was, for the oppress’d Protestants of Hungaria, to have Defended their Natural Rights; yet were it want of Power or Opportunity, of Probable Means, or what else was the Reason; it is plain they did not flie to the last Remedy, or take Arms, till the other part of the Nation, the Nobility and Gentry, whose Patience was less, tho’ their Sufferings were not so great, broke out into Rebellion, as they call it, on account of their Civil and National Rights.
Nor can I be prevail’d upon to say, that even these had not a just Pretence to defend their Hereditary Rights, their laws, Lands, Possessions and Honours, against all manner of illegal Violence; tho’ at the same time I must own my self of Opinion, That the Oppressions they felt, were occasion’d very much by a want of Temper, and consideration on both sides: The Emperor too eager to impose Garrisons of Germans, and to Fortify their Towns, and keep the Possesion of them in the hands of Foreigners: The Hungarians too Tenacious of Liberty, in denying Quarters to the Auxiliar German Troops; who, according to the Emperor’s Oath of Defending the Country against the Turks, and which, with the Native Troops, was own’d impossible, he was forc’d to bring among them the German Soldiers, too Licentious and apt to Plunder, Spoil, and Insult them: The Hungarians Hot, Fiery, Revengeful, and to the last degree, Cruel and Barbarous, when they thought fit to fall upon the Germans. Thus mutual Extreams increas’d the mutual Aversion; and the Emperor resolving to maintain the Possession of the Country, perhaps drove him to those Infringments of Right, which gave Legal and proper Title to the Hungarians, to take Arms in General, for the Defence of undoubted Property.
How Bless’d! how Wise! How in all things, Ages and Circumstances, Beneficial both to Prince and People, is the Sublime Quality of Moderation? ’Tis born of Heaven; ’tis the Father and Fountain of Human Prudence; ’tis the Character of Wise Men; the Healer of National, and all Personal Breaches; the Saver of Nations; the Restorer of Peace; the Preserver of Justice. ’Tis the Essence of all manner of Politicks; ’tis the Beauty of Princes, the Wisdom of Statesmen; the Happiness of Subjects; the Safety of Families: ’Tis the Honour of the Man, the Distinction of the Gentleman, and the Glory of the Christian; ’tis the Pledge of Divine Favour, and the best Temporal Blessing of the World.
What Ruin has the want of it been to Mankind? The Defect has all the black Characters that can attend a Publick or Private Mischief; where it happens in Princes, they become Tyrants, Murtherers, Persecutors and Oppressors; if it falls upon the Statesmen and Publick Ministers, they become Thieves, Robbers, and Insulters of Mankind; it makes the Clergy of any sort, leave the Peaceable, Gentle, Easy-to-be-entreated Example, of their Meek and Lowly Lord and Master, and become Bloodhounds, Ecclesiastical Devils, the Confounders of Religion, and Disturbers of the World; if the Military Men want it, they turn Beauteseus, Firebands, and Swarms of Locusts, to devour God’s Creation, and lay wast the Earth. If it be wanting in Subjects, they become turbulent, and disorderly Rebels, to the Destruction of Government it self, and the Breach of Common Order in the World; in civil Societies it breaks the Sacred Band of Laws, perverts Justice, and overturns Constitutions.
If it falls in a Court, it breaks Councils, betrays Secrets, supplants Great Ones, suppresses Small, reproaches the Vertuous, and ruins wise Men; it runs the Wicked into all manner of fatal Extreams, makes all good Men wicked, wise Men Fools, and Fools mad.
If ever it should, as God forbid, affect Parliaments and National Councils, no Tongue, no Pen can describe the fatal Effects.
It will confound Councils, embroil Friends, divide 500 Men into 500 Parties, bring Abortion, Confusion, and Distraction, upon every Proposal; it will disappoint Princes, betray Confederates, protract Wars, and make the Physicians of a Country become the Nations Plagues: It would fix instead of cure, National Diseases, encrease instead of redress Grievances; it would clash Interests, ruine Religion, betray Property, blast Peace, and turn a national Representative into a Mission of Devils.
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Shall I say the Hungarian Troubles were the Fruit of this abhor’d Negative? I might with equal Justice and all manner of Truth, say, that all the Confusions, all the Oppressions, Persecutions, and National Mischiefs in the World, owe their Birth to the Want of this Healing, Heavenly Temper of Moderation; and the Scripture is most universally confirm’d, That where there is Strife and Contention, there is every evil Work.
What Characters the Agents of immoderate Principles merit, the Story of the Hungarians will lead us to consider at large; and perhaps more at large than is expected.
ADVICE from the Scandal. CLUB.
THE Society having publish’d their Supplement, to the Account of their Proceedings for the last Month, receiv’d the following Epistle.
Scandalous Gentlemen,
IN your Monthly Supplement, as you call it, I find a most Impudent, Scandalous, Abusive Account, of a Recorder of a certain City; who, as you say, bound over a Justice of the Peace, to the Quarter Sessions.
If you are not asham’d, to vent such an Impudent Forgery to the World, and stand in it; I expect in your next Review, the Story Repeated, if you are not afraid to do it, with a Recantation, and Acknowledgment; which I shall accept as Satisfaction, or else G–d D–m me, I will Cut your Author’s Ears off.
Also I expect you should give, the World an Account of the Place, where you pretend this thing was done, and not blind the World, with a Sham Story; when you are afraid to tell where, and who the Man is; for I am the Justice of Peace you have abus’d.
The Society having consider’d Seriously of this Matter, Declare themselves very unwilling to do any thing, to have their Author lose his Ears; and yet more unwilling, to be Charg’d with Forgery and Falsity, Crimes they Challenge all Mankind to fix upon them or their Author.
Wherefore, since his Worship is so willing to rake in the Sink of his own Conduct, they have thought fit humbly to desire him to Answer the following Questions.
1. Who he means by the Great I. in his Letter, I expect, I shall accept, I will Cut off your Author’s Ears, I am the Justice, &c.
2. When his Worship has sent his Name, they promise to tell both him and the World whether he is the Man or no, in as plain English as he can expect.
But as they verily believe, he scorns to humble himself so far as to give us his Name; the Society Resolv’d,
1. It seems plain to them, the Story must be True; or else, how should his Worship know himself by the Character, his Name and Place of Abode being conceal’d?
2. If this be not the real Gentleman design’d, then they begin to doubt the Coat fits more Justices than one; they being very well assur’d of one, and the Author of this Letter putting in for another.
3. As to Reprinting the Story, ’tis a thing very preposterous in Books, to have one Story told twice; but since they are Challeng’d on the Pain of Dastardy, to tell it again, they choose to be Charg’d with a vain Repetition, rather than pass for Cowards; and if the Gentleman makes himself more Publick by it, than they in kindness to him design’d, he must thank himself.
4. As to Satisfaction, Recantation, and the like, the Author being to Answer for that, says, no Man shall be willinger to own and acknowlege any Mistake, or Affront, than himself; and is very careful to put nothing upon Mankind that should deserve it; but all the Satisfaction he is able to make in this Case is This, That every Article of the Fact is Litterally, Expressly, and Positively True; and he wonders his Worship should put him upon the Proof of Fact, when every Boy of 10 Years Old, near a Town call’d Colechester, can tell it as well as he.
5. For reprinting the Story, they doubt ’tis some-body presses that, in order farther to affront him; but since the penalty is declar’d, he gives his Worship Notice, that he will beg the Reader’s Pardon, and reprint it in the very next Review; and as for his Ears, he is as willing to have them cut off by a swearing Justice, as by any Body, and when his Hands can’t defend them, he consents to part with them. –
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A Gentleman, who sent the Society a Letter mark’d W.B. concerning the Address of Chester, is desired to leave the Gazette in which the Paragraph he mentions is to be found, at Mr. Matthews’s; since in those Gazetts, we have seen, it is not as he expresses it.
To be Printed by Subscription.
JURE DIVINO: A Satyr against Tryanny and Passive Obedience; in Twelve Books, By the author of the True born Englishman.
The whole will be near 100 Sheets in Folio, with Large Annotations, Printed on the Finest Paper; No more to be Printed than are Subscribed, The Price to be Ten Shillings, Half a Crown only to be paid down, the Remainder on Delivery. Subscriptions are taken in at the following Places.
At Mrs. Bonds Bookseller, at Charing-Cross.
At the Smirna Coffee-house near St. James’s.
At Capt. Turner’s in the Auction Room near the House of Commons-Door.
At the Bousslers Head Tavern at Charing-Cross.
At the Essex Coffee-house, Mitre-Court, Fleet-street.
At Mr. Clutterbuck’s, Hatter, the Corner of Water Lane in Fleet-street.
At Taylor’s Coffee-house, Pater-Noster-Row.
Read’s Coffee-house in Black-Fryers.
Etherege’s Coffee-house, Birching-Lane.
Jone’s Coffee-house, Finch Lane.
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Mr. Jonathan Robinson’s, in St. Paul’s Church-Yard.
Mr. Samuel Chrouch, Mr. Richard Parker, and Mrs. Billingsly, Book-sellers in Cornhill.
ADvertisements are taken in by J. Matthews in Pilkington-Court in Little-Britain.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S.
Speedily will be publish’d,
THe Rights of the Church of England, Asserted and prov’d; in Answer to a Book, Entitled, The Rights of the Protestant Dissenters, &c. Humbly Dedicated to the Honourable the House of Commons.
Just publish’d.
HUdibras; in three parts, price 6s. N.B. The first Part is Printed according to the first Edition; Corrected by him. And there is likewise added to this Edition, of the first Part, the Life of the Author, and some New Illustrations. Printed for George Sawbridge in Little Britain.
LIves English and Foreign: Containing the History of the most Illustrious Persons of our own and other Nations, from the Year 1559, to the Year 1690. By several hands; who have been assisted in the Work with many private Memoirs. In two Volumes in 8vo. The English Lives are, William Lord Burleigh, Sir Walter Raleigh, George Duke of Buckingham, Marquess of Montross, Oliver Cromwel, Duke of Hamilton, General Blake, Duke of Albemarl, Earl of Shaftsbury, Duke of Monmouth. Printed for B. Took, at the Middle-Temple-Gate in Fleet-street, and W. Davis, at the Black-Bull in Cornhil; and sold by John Nutt near Stationers-Hall. 1704.
AT the White Swan upon Snow Hill, over-against the Green Dragon Tavern, are made and sold the Newest fashion Flower-Pots for Gardens; Urns, Eagles, and Pine-Apples, to stand upon Posts of Large Gates; also large or small Figures, all made of hard Mettal, much more durable than Stone, and cheaper; also Candle Moulds, fit to make Wax or Tallow Candles, from 1 in the Pound, to 20: There is also made Artificial Fountains, that Play Water from 1, 2, or 3 Foot, to 20 or 30 Foot high, 1, 2, 3, or 6 Hours together, without Repeating with the same Water; which Fountains or Engines may be made use of to extinguish Fire 40 or 50 Foot high, with a continued Stream, larger than the Common Fire-Engines.
* * * A Doctor in Physick Cures all the Degrees and Indispositions in Venereal Persons, by a most easie, safe, and expeditious Method; and of whom any Person may have Advice, and a perfect Cure, let his or her Disease be of the longest Date: He likewise gives his Advice in all Diseases, and prescribes a Cure. Dr. HARBOROUGH, ( a Graduate Physician) in Great Knight-Riders-street, near Doctors Commons.
Just publish’d,
The following ad appears in S at this point, but is not in either of the HRC copies of Vol. 1: “THE Amours of Alcippus and Lucippe. A Novel. Written by a Lady. Printed for James Round at the Seneca’s Head in Exchange-Alley. 1704.”
Just Publish’d,
THE Monthly Journal, of the Affairs of Europe; Containing Divers Important and very Entertaining Matters, not Extant in other Accounts; for the Month of SEPTEMBER, 1704. to be continued Monthly, Printed for George Sawbridge in Little-Britain; and sold by John Nutt near Stationers-Hall.
MDCCIV.