LETTER XVIII.

To Bp. TRELAWNY.

O&. 25, 1701.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LORDSHIP,

HOPE all the pamphlets I have sent have come fafe to your Lordship's hands, Two more went this evening to the Exeter carrier; one of them, the answer to the paper of adjournments *. It came out here on Thursday, is a quarto of 18 fheets of paper, in a very close print; is written very craftily and skilfully, and will carry a reputation in the world, and by its friends be called unanswerable, till it is fully confidered; which, your Lordship may depend upon it, will be, if fomebody has life and health +. But in the mean time, till that is done, they will

* A Letter to the Author of the Narrative, "containing a Vindication of the Proceedings of "fome Members of the Lower Houfe, with rela"tion to the Archbishop's Prorogation of it, "May 5, 1701."

See the following Letter.

make

make a great noise with it, and make great advantages to their caufe by it. It is impoffible to write and print a thorough satisfactory answer to this bulky piece under ten weeks from this time; and before that can be done, unless fome fpirit be put into our affairs and the managers of them, and they attend here punctually, and behave courageoufly, our cause must fink, and we must be broken; for we are befet, and, unless a vigorous ftand be made, fhall find they will be too hard for us. Their lay intereft is much ftronger than it is imagined to be: they know it, and feel it, and accordingly speak in a much higher ftrain than ever they used to do, and talk more fecurely of fuccess at the next meeting. This is an account, in which, as I do not deceive your Lordship, so I am fure I am not deceived myself.

I wrote to your Lordship, I think, fomething of my fears about the advantages that would be made of fome differences between

the "Narrative" and the " Paper of Ad

journments ;" and fome conceffions made in the "Narrative," not I fear much to the fervice of the argument: it has proved fo, E 3

my

my Lord; for the book I send your Lordship this night lays hold of these disagreements, and exposes the common caufe by them; and they are so far from being wrought upon by any conceffions that have been made, that they take it as an evident fign, either that we distrust our caufe, or are weary of contending for it; and accordingly are grown by it more infolent and inflexible than ever they

were.

Our friends, I believe, are convinced now that there is but one way of dealing with these men, and that is the plain direct one, without hoping for terms or compromises, or bating them an ace in any thing. I wish all our friends may be of this mind at the next meeting. It is of the utmost importance that they should be fo. The gentlemen in Northamptonshire work with them perfectly, and will certainly ftand by them; and, which is a misfortune on the other fide, the great men in Ireland will probably stay there all this winter, as I learn from a letter I received from thence this evening.

What can be done by one poor hand and head, by the bleffing of GOD, I will do, towards

wards ftemming matters. But, in the mean time, it is a little uncomfortable to be left to work alone, without any affiftance, or any body to bear a part in the fame caufe. I shall think all the pains I can poffibly be at too little to serve so good a caufe; but I should be able to serve it to more purpose, if other pens were at work as well as mine: we fhall be borne down elfe by fwarms of the oppofite writers. Permit me, my Lord, to say these things to you, whofe influence in this matter. will be of great use, I know, towards raising up our friends into that degree of vigilance, industry, and courage, which are abfolutely neceffary to fecure the ground they have gained; and without which, I beg leave to fay once again, we must be broken.

I am your Lordship's most dutiful humble fervant,

FR. ATTERBURY.

LET

LETTER, XIX.

To Bp. TRELAWNY.

Nov. 17, 1701.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR LORDSHIP,

TH

HE inclofed is this moment printed off, and will be diftributed this evening into all the diocefes of this province; where it will be of great importance to keep off an interpofition, which, as things ftand, may happen to create a majority. My Lord of Altham died yesterday, and is the third member that the fide hath loft fince the last fitting. Dr. Edifbury fends me word, what your Lordship hath generously offered towards fitting up the place for the Lower House but I am much afraid, my Lord, that there is fomething else wanting to that end, befide

His answer to the tract mentioned in Letter XVIII. It was called, " A Letter to a Clergyman in the Country, concerning the Choice of Mem"bers, and the Execution of a Parliament-writ, for the enfuing Convocation, dated Nov. 17, 1701;" and was followed by a "Second Letter," on the fame fubject, dated Dec. 10, 1701. money.

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