other Sovereigns. Therefore King William, by the partition. treaty, defigned to confer a benefit on thefe natives, by faving them from a more powerful master, and therefore more dreadful tyrant! If they were unwilling to receive this benefit, it was nevertheless real; and, in truth, though the pride of even vulgar Spaniards was perhaps hurt by the thought that their monarchy was to be difmembered, yet they could not avoid having dreadful apprehenfions of an Emperor of Germany, or a King of France as a mafter. Thofe Spaniards who chiefly opposed the partition treaty were a fet of venal courtiers, who wanted to fell themfelves at an high price. However, it is fufficiently clear, that this treaty violated no law HUMAN or DIVINE; and the character given to William as a warrior and politician by our Hiftorian, is in many refpects defignedly defective, and in all others highly injurious.'

--

Thefe reflections are, in our judgment, ingenious and pertinent. Mr. Comber has likewife been particularly happy in detecting the contradictions which abound in the Hiftorian's character of James the Second.

Let us now,' fays our Author, fee with what glorious colours our Hiftorian paints James the Second. He has employed black only in the portrait of William and Mary. In his account of the famous battle of the Boyne, he fays of this • unhappy monarch: "Through the whole of this engagement "his PERSONAL COURAGE was MUCH MORE CONSPICUOUS "than his MILITARY SKILL." Ub. fup. §. XXIX.

Here is, indeed,' continues our Vindicator, only a com'parison of courage and skill, yet conceived in fuch terms as lead us directly to conclude, that even his skill was confpicuous, though lefs than his courage, if there be any propriety in language. We do not compare negative quantities.

Dr. Smollet, however,' adds he, gives us an account of the matter very different from this. In his relation of the battle, he [the Doctor] fays, "James himself STOOD ALOOF during "the action, on the hill of Dunmore, furrounded with fome fqua"drons of horse, and feeing victory declare against him, retired "to Dublin, without having made the LEAST EFFORT to re"affemble his broken forces. Had he poffeffed either SPIRIT or "CONDUCT," &c. Here,' fays our Author, is an express declaration, that James poffeffed neither SPIRIT (COURAGE), nor CONDUCT (MILITARY SKILL); therefore in him the one could not be much more confpicuous than the other.-Again, the Doctor moft juftly remarks: "He [James] feemed to have been EMASCULATED by RELIGION. He was deferted by that ❝ COURAGE and MAGNANIMITY, for which his youth had

"been

"been diftinguished."-" ALL HIS FACULTIES WERE SWAL"LOWED UP IN BIGOTRY." Ub. fup. C. I. §. XXVIII. Nothing,' fays our Author, can be more juft than this! SUPERSTITION is "an unreasonable fear of the Deity;" and as the Deity, when confidered as an object of terror, is the most terrible, SUPERSTITION must make the greatest cowARDS of her votaries. And POPERY is the worst of all SUPERSTITIONS!

Our Hiftorian, however,' continues Mr. Comber, to the account of James the Second's death, fubjoins the following extraordinary declaration. " HIS RELIGION CERTAINLY

66 OPENED AND IMPROVED THE VIRTUES OF HIS HEART."

If,' adds our Author, he can reconcile this panegyric to any principles but those of a Papift, he has my leave; but I confels the talk too difficult for myfelf, or any perfon I have yet con• verfed with on the fubject. He introduces this panegyric, indeed, with mention of the virtues of private life, but confines not his eulogium to THESE. He makes it as general as poffible, and in this acts wifely and confiftently. For there is fuch a CLOSE • CONNECTION betwixt ALL the virtues, and the principle of RELIGION which muft perfect them, is of fuch UNIVERSAL INFLUENCE, we may fafely conclude if it effects one, it has a ten< dency to effect them all. Let us fee then what virtues this RELIGION has produced in James, that we may judge of the rest.

.

Dr. Smollet will inform us what virtues POPERY opened and improved in James during his expediton to Ireland, when he had time to have learnt from experience of the bad confequences of inhumanity, the virtues of HUMANITY. He owns James's conduct on this occafion very ill agreed with his declaration at landing, that he would preferve the perfons, properties, and liberty of confcience of his Proteftant fubjects. He even repealed the act of fettlement, by which they were fecured in the poffeffion of eftates forfeited by the rebellion of Papifts. Ub. fup. C. I. §. XXXVIII. And though he paffed an act for liberty of confcience, he profcribed all the Proteftants of Ireland, who fubmitted not to his government, and deprived the established church of all power and prerogative. Ibid. §. XXIX. To him may juftly be ascribed the cruelties of Rofene in that kingdom. For this French General, who acted only as an auxiliary, and under his eye, must be fuppofed to have been either exprefly directed, or at least countenanced in the commiffion of them by this tyrant. Dr. Smollet gives the following pathetic ⚫ defcription of them. "Parties of dragoons having stripped all "the Proteftants for thirty miles round-drove these unhappy "people before them like cattle, without even fparing the enfeebled old men, nurfes, with infants at their breafts, tender

66

"children

253

"Children, women just delivered, and fome even in the pangs of "labour ! About FOUR THOUSAND of thefe miferable objects "were driven under the walls of Londonderry." Ub. fup. § XXXIV.

To add to the horror of this fcene, be it remembered, that the Doctor confeffes, moft of thefe victims to popish cruelty, had the protection of James in their pockets; a protection as • useless as that which the Priefts of Rome give their deluded Votaries against the juftice of God! The Hiftorian, indeed, would perfuade us, that James, on this occafion, was ONLY UNABLE to defend his proteftant fubjects; but it appears from confiderations above fuggefted, and the accounts of Dr. Smollet, ⚫ that he was UNWILLING. And this ingenuous Writer confeffes, that he actually tyrannized in Ireland to fuch a degree, as to raife the current value of Brafs Money above the real nearly as THREE HUNDRED to ONE. He then forced it on Proteftants, and when they had laid it out in goods, took them at his own price. Ibid. § XL. Was he only unable but not unwilling to defend his proteftant fubjects from this violence? fuch are the virtues which Popery opened and improved in the • heart of James!

These animadverfions are fhrewd, judicious, and fpirited. Our Author preferves the fame spirit in his Comment on the enfuing extract.

66

The following flagrant sentence,' says he,' in an'Eulogium on this Hiftorian, attracts my eye. "HE (that is the Hiftorian) "TAKES, fays the Panegyrist, ALL OCCASIONS TO DECLARE HIMSELF AN ADVOCATE FOR THE NATURAL "RIGHTS OF MANKIND, WITHOUT ADOPTING THE BARBAROUS MAXIMS OF AN ENTHUSIASTIC REPUBLICAN."

On this our Author animadverts as follows- What kind of • Advocate he is of the natural Rights of Mankind,' fays he, I have clearly fhewn above. He is the Friend-No! he is the Slave of arbitrary Power. It would be unnatural to ex" pect fuch an one fhould adopt the barbarous Maxims of an enthufiaftic Republican. Yet (behold!) all kinds of contradic-. tions feem naturally to fubfift in our Hiftorian. He exclaims, "The zeal of the Parliament towards their Deliverer feems to "have over-fhot their attachment to their own Liberty and Pri

vileges: Or at least they neglected the fairest opportunity "that ever occurred, to retrench thofe Prerogatives of the "Crown, to which they imputed all the late and former Cala"mities of the kingdom. Their new Monarch retained the

old regal Power over Parliaments in its full extent. He was left

at

"at liberty to convoke, adjourn, prorogue, and diffolve them at his pleafure. He was enabled to influence Elections, and op"prefs Corporations. He poffeffed the right of chufing his "own Council, of nominating all the great Officers of the "State and of the Houfhold, of the Army, the Navy, and the "Church. He referved the abfolute Command of the Militia: "So that he remained Mafter of all the Inftruments and En"gines of Corruption and Violence, without any other restraint "than his own Moderation." B. VIII. c. I. § 1.

6

Every power, fays our Author, which the Hiftorian here enumerates as blameably left to William, at the Revolution, is what the long Parliament are juftly branded with Infamy for endeavouring to wreft from Charles; and which, whenever wreft⚫ed from a Monarch, must destroy Monarchy in every thing but name. Is it not amazing, that a man, who elsewhere declares ⚫ himself a violent Partifan for Monarchy, even before its limits were at the Revolution prefcribed in the Petition of Right, fhould here adopt the fentiment of a Republican? Can we reconcile this glaring Contradiction otherwife than by faying The Hiftorian is ambitious of wresting every Jewel of Prerogative from the Crown, when it appears on the head of a • Prince he diЛlikes?'

Hitherto, for diftinction's fake, the Author of the compleat Hiftory of England, and Dr. Smollet, have been confidered as different perfons, though it is well known they are one perfon. Some Reader may probably afk, "How can this • Vindicator reconcile to common sense the conduct he charges the Hiftorian with? Since the paffages taken in the fenfe the • Vindicator gives them, contain most palpable Contradictions, is • it not reasonable to conclude, that the Hiftorian, famous for his abilities, intended them in fome other fenfe confiftent with • each other?" I answer, "If Dr. Smollett, or any body elfe who will tell his name, will fhew a fenfe refulting from the general rules of Interpretation, which will make the paffages confiftent, I will publicly retract my charge fo far as the pafC fages thus reconciled affect it. Till that time, I must be allowed to offer the fulleft and cleareft conviction which can be given of any Author's calumnies, the Teftimony of his own • Mouth!

Dr Smollett feems never to have given himself the trouble of a thought about acquiring or maintaining the character of Confiftency; and it feems now much too late to attempt to • establish it.

6

However, as the candid Reader may be defirous of knowing how I account for thefe Aagrant Inconfiftencies in Dr. Smollet,

2

Smollett, fufficient to blaft the character of any Author of otherwife the higheft reputation, and feldom found in this degree even in thofe of the loweft, he has a right to my opinion, which is as follows. Dr. Smollett appears, from strong and exprefs paffages above alledged to be a determined Partifan of the Houfe of Stuart, and on numerous occafions to give vent to their malevolent spirit in the muft furious effufions. But ⚫ then the force of truth is very great; and we have many inftances of men acting in contradiction to their avowed and generally-ruling Principles. The more abfurd any Principles are, the more reasonably may we expect that common • Sense will, on many occafions, get the better of them. None ⚫ can be more abfurd than thofe of the Partifans of the supposed • defcendants of James the fecond. Hence therefore may we 'perhaps account for fome of the Declarations on the fide of Liberty. However, it is no wife uncharitable to fuppofe, that < moft, if not all of them, are to be afcribed to the immediate intereft of the Hiftorian. Though he affected to confider the whole nation as Jacobitish not long ago, he well knows this is not the cafe of the prefent times; and if he was to depend for a Subfcription on the friends of an abjured Family, he muft have a fhort Lift.'

There are many other paffages in which our Author has, with great propriety and judgment, reprehended the Hiftorian; but the limits we have prefcribed ourselves, will not allow us to do farther juftice to his Criticifm. Let it fuffice to obferve, that this Vindication is, in general, wrote with great acuteness, and fhews the Author to have a competent knowlege in the Hiftory of his country. His errors appear to proceed from the warmth of his zeal for liberty; and though they may have a tendency to leffen his merit as a Writer, yet they may perhaps be thought to enhance his worth as a Citizen.

Nevertheless, we must take leave to remark, that the becoming severity with which our Author uts the Hiftorian, fometimes lofes its force from the perplexity of his file; and his farcasms are now and then fo involved in obfcurity, that their poignancy is not fufficiently felt. But, upon the whole, we may fafely venture to recommend this VINDICATION as a proper Appendix, to be bound up with the work improperly called the Compleat Hiftory of England. R-d

Here is an inaccuracy of expreffion, which, we fi profe, escaped the Author's, or the Corrector's attention.

The