POlicy, truly so call'd, is, The Art of governing a Multitude wisely, which is best done by ruling according to their own Inclinations, for then they will obey with­out Reluctancy; and their Inclinations being bent to their own Good, which consists in Plenty of all Temporal Commodities, (and especially of Money, which purchases all the rest;) and in Peace, which secures to them the enjoyment of what they already possess, (which Two make up that which we call the Common Good, and by the effects make the People see they do so,) is the only true Government, and only likely to be durable; and they who govern thus are the only wise, that is the only true Politicians.

But the abuse of any thing is altering the meaning of the Word to a sinister Sense; hence those Men who neglect this natural method of governing, and do really over­burthen, impoverish, and harass the People, and instead of easing, and enriching them, make use of Quirks, and Tricks to bubble them, that either they may not see it, or not lay it to Heart, have gain'd also the Name of Politicians; tho' they have no more right to it than a Mountebank, who neglects Nature, and makes use of Quacking Language, odd Gestures, and Tricks, (not to benefit his Patients but to get their Money,) deserves to be reputed a good Physician. The People should be made sensible by real effects of the Peace, and Plenty, the Governours have blest them with, and not be fool'd with airy Words, or lull'd with pleasing Dreams that they shall be happy and rich God knows when or how; not reflecting that while they thus loll on sluggishly in the Contemplation of this Visionary Felicity, the Robber is actually in their Houses plundering them of all their real Possessions. Such a Go­vernment then being against Nature, it's the greatest Miracle in Nature if it lasts long, or indeed any longer than till their Feeling and Experience open the Peoples Eyes, to see through the blinding Mist that was cast before them.

Many are the Stratagems and Tricks our Quack-Politicians make use of, but none of such universal usefulness as the Mysterious Art of Plot-Forging: For the horrid Noise of a Plot entertains the Peoples present Thoughts with its Novelty, and their future ones with the expectation of its Discovery; so that they have not the leisure to mind their own Concern, or to reflect how the Common Good goes to wreck. It frights the Vulgar with the hideous Idea of an Enemy lying in Ambush, which, they having the Dress in their Hands, and power to make any Fiction pass uncontroll'd; is easily improved into a Conspiracy to cut all their Throats; and so set all the Peo­ple a madding. It enhances the Credit and Awfulness of the Governours as wondrous wise Men, in that the most secret Practises lie open to their searching Eye, and exact Intelligence. It fifts the Honest Party, who love Truth more than Tricks, from those of their own Faction, and either exposes them to certain Obloquy and Ruine, [Page 2] if they offer to contradict the manifest Forgery; or if they do not, then it makes the Plot-Fiction authentick, because it passes uncontroll'd. It breeds a horrible Cry against those at whose Doors the Plot Framers think fit to lay their own Brat, and 'tis an excellent Gin to entrap those who are obnoxious to the Courtiers, either for their Honesty, or the rich Prey of their Money. It fixes their unthinking credulous and affrighted Bigots more firmly to their Devotion. It countenances, by a pre­tended Necessity, the bold licentionsness of clapping up causelesly, and lawlesly, whom­soever they please in Prison; and how slight a pretence will serve, their Carriage to­wards divers Peers, and others last Year has shown us. It makes the Commons more pliable to be let Blood in the Silver-Vein, even to the last Ounce, to be secured (for­sooth) against such formidable or rather fantastical Contrivances. Lastly, 'Tis the most direct method for a Governour, whose Ambition transports him to make him­self absolute, by setting up a Title of Conquest, or what other he pleases to carry through his haughty Designs; for it gives him both an occasion, and a colour to strengthen his own interested Party to that Predominancy of Power, that all the rest of the Nation must be forced to truckle whenever he sees sit to attempt it, or pleases to lift up his Foot to tread upon their Necks.

Our Government, while the Revolution was a Novelty, and the Kingdom in an ill-humour, did not indeed stand in need of any new Plots, it self being every bit a meer continued Plot, carried on by Forgeries, and shamming Delusions of the Peo­ple; but now that the Nation is sensible of their Folly, and sees that all those gay, and hollow Pretences end in a flat Cheat of the Dutch, and other Confederates, to gull silly England, at the expence of their Blood and Treasure to maintain their War; that better half of the Nation (if they dare speak out) do hate the Proceedings of the Court-Party; nay, that the whole Nation repines at the dearness of Commo­dities, scarcity of Money, damp of Trade, and insupportable Taxes: Our new Government is put to its Shifts, and Plots are now become absolutely necessary, and an essential part of our Mountebank-Policy.

First then out steps Fuller, patronized by my good Lord of Canterbury, with Plots in his Budget to sell by Whole-sale; nay, he flew so high, that he threatned to im­peach divers of the House of Commons, as if he should tell them, Look to your selves, Gentlemen; for whoever opposes the voting Money enough, I'll all-to-be-Traytor him. Mo­ney, like a true Chymist, he got before-hand, which he spent prosusely in Drunken­ness and Bawdry: But that was no Rub in the Case, the more Rogue he was, the bet­ter he was qualified for a Plot-Witness. The true Patriots in the House of Commons not knowing on which of them the Plot might light, and resenting to be over-aw'd by Court Tricks, got the Cognizance of it to be brought before them; but Fuller directed them to a wrong Lodging, and himself disapp [...]ared: Whereupon he was [...]tigmatized by their Votes for an unpardonable Cheat, &c. and ordered to be prose­cuted, though he came off with a slight Punishment for so great a Crime. And so this Archiepiscopal-Plot fell to the ground, and, like that of the noble Salamanca Do­ctor, went out in a stink.

But the next Plot was more hopeful, being to be performed by a greater Master in the Cheating-Trade, the Infamous Villain Young; for his counterfeiting Hands so dextrously was alone as good as half a Testimony; we cannot doubt but that [Page 3] (Money being his only aim) he was to be well paid by the Old Plot-Forger: But the Plot was by Providence detected, and the Falshood of it so industriously discovered by the Bishop of Rochester, it prov'd Abortive; which had it taken had cost the Life of many an Honest Man. Our Court hop'd that if discovered it would pass sor one of Young's Knavi [...]h Pranks; but the World is not so stupid as they imagine: For Young, and his Comrade Blackhead, lying in Newgate sor Debt, and living on others Scraps, without a Penny or a Friend to help them, Who were those that came in a Coach to a Tavern near hand, and sent for them out divers times? Who was it paid their Debts, and Fees, and fetch'd them out, put good store of Money in their Pockets, and good Cloaths on their Backs, a little before they began their Plotting-Trade? And why was the enquiry into those particulars, though so much prest by divers worthy Persons, so industriously waved even to this time? This was too tender a point for the Bishop to meddle with, who in all likelyhood suspected the mat­ter, and is a great flaw in his Book: So that no Man of Sense, when things are thus carried, but smells an old Fox, though they dare not put him up and hunt him, for fear of being indicted for spoiling the King's Game, and a greater Wheel moving the lesser ones.

So fond they are of Plots, that my L. Nottingham himself, whose Nose, as it seems, was more sagacious and reach'd farther than his Understanding, smelt out a Plot the last Summer; and thereupon (which was one of his bold strokes to dash out the Laws) he gave out Warrants to seize, and imprison divers Peers, and other Persons of Quality, without the least Evidence against them then, or since: Some of them, to avoid Vexation and Charge, had kept themselves private; whereupon a very pleasant Female-Proclamation was issued to apprehend them, branding them publickly to the whole Nation as guilty Persons who had fled from Justice; whereas 'tis now evident, that had the Court had the least colour of Justice against any of them, the utmost Severity of it had been inflicted on them without Mercy. How­ever, as soon as this slanderous Proclamation had cryed Hoo-loo, the State-Hounds, led by my L. Lucas, who thought it a great Honour to become a Catch-Pole in such a Legal Employ, hunted them dry-foot, and took divers of them, not dangerously Plotting, but very quietly Napping: But when they had them, they had nothing in the World to say to them, but only that they were resolved, in despight of Justice and the Laws, and the Priviledge of Parliament to boot, to put them to as much Trouble and Vexation as they could. These unwarrantable Warrants were highly resented in the House of Lords, and Satisfaction demanded from my L. Nottingham, and his Lawyers, for violating so notoriously the Liberty of the Subject: But the Court-Party (a Fault which no doubt they will amend for the future) being, by ill-hap, unsurnished of King's-Evidences to swear Plots falsly against them, stick'd hard to get them indemnified; and so the Plot light to be on the other side, viz. to enure the Nation to Slavery, and make it to endure the breach of our most Fundamental Laws that concern the Subject's Liberty; that so it may be no wonder hereafter if the Court play them the same foul play in the like or other Cases, in regard there was such a signal Precedent for it so powerfully abetted, and protected. And thus our Noble Law breakers came off with Impunity, and Honour too; for what is damna­ble in the Eye of the Law is meritorious in the sight of the Court. How can the [Page 4] State with Justice hang Robbers, and such like Malefactors, when those Men escape Scotfree who rob free-born Englishmen of their Liberty, which is more valuable than their Money, unless our Laws be made of Cobwebs, which catch only the lesser Flies, and let the great ones break through and escape.

Another Plot begins already to bud forth in our two late Proclamations: Blank Warrants, Sign'd in likelyhood by themselves, must be laid up foolishly, and found miraculously, and then comes out a Proclamation, complaining sadly and seriously that my L. Not [...]ingham's Hand and Seal were forged by the disaffected, forbidding all Warrants with the Old Seal to be of any effect, and promising a New Seal, and Jastly offering five hundred Pounds to the Discoverers; and then (to make it more credible, and fill the Heads of the Nation with Proclamations,) a Second Thought Proclamation follows upon the Neck of the former, offering five hundred Pounds, and Indemnity besides to any even of the Contrivers, if they will but discover their Ac­complices. Now the Devil must be an arrant Ass, if he have not one Rogue of his in all England, who (as Bedlow upon the self-same account found himself Guilty of the Murder of Sir —Godfry,) will not take the Money when he may come in so safely, and accuse some-body or other falsly, by which means my Lord's Credit will be cleared, and a new Plot made; and doubtless it's now hammering upon the An­vil. Yet for all the Art and Wit this Stratagem makes a shew of, any Man with half an Eye may see 'tis but a very botching and bungling piece of Policy: For why could not the Forgers of the Old Seal, (had there been any such,) as well counter­feit the New Seal too, when it came out, and so frustrate all the Ends pretended to by the Proclamation. However, 'tis some happiness that we are safe from being Gaol-Birds till the New Seal be made; which is to inherit the illegal power of the Old One, only we shall have the comfort to be imprisoned with a better Grace; that is, by Warrants of a later Edition, with the noble Formality of a New Seal. Cer­tainly the Nation had been better satisfied, had a Proclamation told us such unlawful Practices should be used no more; whereas this accuses every Body, and satisfies no Body.

These Plunges the Court-Party are put to, that they may tyrannize over the Li­berty of the Subject, and yet give their Actions a Face of Legality; which, together with their defeat in Fuller and Young, make every Man see clearly that they stand in huge need of a Plot, and of King's-Evidences to countenance and justifie their Pro­ceeding. But where must such Fellows be found? The arrantest Rogues, whom their Crimes have coop'd up in Gaols, are fittest for Perjury, and especially if they might escape Hanging by it, then, to be sure, they would swear heartily and lustily to whatever the great Ones should inspire them with, upon pretence of Reprieve, or Pardon. Now it light very Providentially, (as they imagined,) that the Arch-Robber Whitney happ'd to be in Young's Nest, who was flown, i. e. in Newgate; and withal condemned to be hanged: To him they apply, being well allured that they neeeded not lay long Siege to his Honesty, if he might but hope for a Pardon. The Method they took was this: First, Capt. Richardson tells him he must certainly dye without any hopes of Mercy; then, to relieve his Despair, come some honest Williamites to him, as Sir John Austin, Dutton Colt, Sir Ralph Dutton, and Sir Thomas Pope Blount, some of whom treated with him about making a Plot; and it so concerted, that he [Page 5] should say, (and by consequence swear if need be,) that the Lords Litchfield, Ayles­bury, Salisbury, and Worcester, and some others whose Names I have not, had trea­ted with him, by their Agents, to assemble his Gang of Robbers, and kill the King, as he was hunting in Epping, or Windsor Forrest, promising him vast Rewards when his work was done. But whom should he name for those Agents? Whitney's House was at Cheston in Hartfordshire, where lived on Dr. Thorowgood, his Countreyman, and Neighbour, who meeting him sometimes in London, they went to drink at the House of one Mr. Burchil, at the Queens head in White-Swan-yard, over against Somerset-house, having in their Company one Mr. Pike, Thorowgood's Friend, and constant Associate. They had done this twice or thrice, and so Whitney judg'd those the fittest Persons that could be pretended to have treated with him, and Bur­chil the properest Man to witness that Treaty. This Project amounting to a rough-draught of the Plot thus cunningly laid, so that now nothing but dextrous managing the Persons was wanting; a Paper was carried to my L. Nottingham with the Names of the Lords, as principal Movers, and of Thorowgood and Pike, as the immediate Treaters and Interveners: This got Whitney his Reprieve; and Warrants were sent to take up Thorowgood and Pike, who getting Light of the Design, and not willing ei­ther to be Knaves voluntary, nor tortured, (by the usual merciless Severities exer­cised in Prisons since the erection of this New Government,) or perhaps hanged be­cause they would not be so, kept out of the way. The first thing to be done was to work upon Mr. Burchil, and to bring this about, a Dragooner, by Name Bowes, comes to his House, and tells him he was going to Whitney in Newgate, and that he would do a Friendly Office to go along with him, and give him a Visit: The honest Man, little dreaming what a Trap was laid for him, went with him very civilly. Whitney seemed very glad to see him, and after a while began to put it upon him, that he knew and heard Dr. Thorowgood and Mr. Pike treat with him about killing the King, and that if he would but witness it, it would be a means to save his Life, and also be highly advantageous to himself. Burchil replyed, that he did never in his Life know or hear any such thing, and so could not in Conscience assert it. After Whitney had plyed him with all the most pressing Intreaties, and high-promising Motives usual in such a case, and saw there was no hope of making him a Villain by Fair-means, then (as the method of Plot-Forging required,) he was to try what might be done by Foul; wherefore he began to speak very loud, to threaten him highly, and to abuse him with opprobrious Language for refusing to witness so im­portant a Truth. This loudness of his was the Watch-word for Tucker to come in, who had placed himself on purpose at a convenient distance, and knew his Cue when he was to act in this intended real Tragedy, fell upon Burchil with bitter Invec­tives, hunching him rudely with his Elbowes, and telling him he would be hanged, and all he had seized on for the King, if he refused to witness what Whitney had de­sired; and in conclusion, like a true Servant and Imitator of my L. Nottingham, without Law, and in dispite of it, clapp'd him up and made him Prisoner. The poor Man lay there about three Hours with an aking Heart, fearing he should be made pass through Prance's Purgatory, and be tortured for not yeilding to attest a Falshood. By that time they hop'd that the Fright for what he had suffered at pre­sent, and his apprehension of worse, would have daunted and warp'd his Honesty▪ [Page 6] Tucker and Bowes came to him with a Paper Signed by Whitney, containing all the Parti­culars he would have him swear, which they shewed him, promising that if he would subscribe it, he should immediately be set free, and richly gratified in to the Bargain. What should he do? No Friend could come at him that he might acquaint them with his Condition; and he feared that should he refuse, Torture would come next, and pehaps that Tucker and Bowes, who he saw were Confederates, might swear false against him if he persisted in his Resolution: Wherefore to get free from the Clutches of these Harpies, (never intending to stand to it,) he Signs the Paper, after he had capitulated with Whitney to give it him under his Hand to indemnifie him, which he did, and (Bowes and Tucker present) fubscribed a Paper to that purpose, which Burchil has yet by him. And now the Plot went merrily on, and began to look very Towardly. They assured themselves now of Burchil, who was freed and comple­mented. The Paper was sent to the over-joyed Secretary; some say that Whitney was examined by him too, or by some from him; but 'tis certain, Orders were given to my Lord Chief Justice Holt, to examine Burchil, who sent a Tip-staff, accompa­nied by Bowes, at ten a Clock at Night the same Day to bring Burchil before him; who, as they were going, spent many Exhortations and Encouragements upon him, to make him stand stiff to his Subscription. Being come before my Lord, Bowes took his Oath he saw him sign it; and upon my Lord's asking him, Burchil frankly acknowledged it was his Hand. Then, says my Lord, you can swear to the Contents of the Paper. No, my Lord, replyed Mr. Burchil, I cannot swear it, for there is never a word of Truth in it; laying open in order how he had been treated with Caresses, and rough Usage to induce him to swear a Falshood, and that he on­ly Signed it out of Fear, and that he might free himself out of their Claws, dread­ing he should have been worse used, had he continued there, and refused it. Upon which, my Lord, (who I hear has had a little Taste of Arbitrary Court-Tricks,) did very worthily free Burchil, and gave order immediately to hang VVhitney. And so this horrid Damnable Hellish VVilliamite Plot, through the Prudence and Sincerity of this one Honest Man, very luckily came to nothing, and the growing Noise of it spread by the Court-Party was quash'd, and suddenly hush'd; which, had it taken, it had been a blessed time for Hangmen, and Gaolors, and Executioners, for we should have seen e're long the Heads of those Honourable, and Innocent Personages fly off at Tower-Hill, and Multitudes of others imprisoned, ruined in their Estates, and put to Death: It being much easier to improve a Plot, when Statists think they have got Ground enough, with Safety to their Credits, to own it, than it is to make it take at first, the Foundation of all such fictitious Contrivances being so un­steady, and rotten.

Our Courtiers, having lost the advantage of carrying their Plot on, resolved now to make their advantage of its Miscarriage, by crying up their own Integrity and Honesty in freeing Burchil, and hanging VVhitney, (though neither of them was more than what the Law required;) that so, by preserving their Credit, as to this Plot, which they saw would not take, they might be the better believed in future Ones, which they hoped would take; but we may thank the Ill Success, and not some Men's Good VVill: For 'tis manifest from every Circumstance, that while they had hopes it would come to something they abetted it, as much as ever they could, without [Page 7] telling the World openly they were the Original Contrivers of it, which being such a deep, and so sacred a Mystery of State, ought not to be revealed to the profane Eyes of the Vulgar, or searched into too narrowly: For, who was it that sent VVhitney's first Paper to my Lord Nottingham? And why were Warrants immedi­ately issued to take Thorowgood and Pike, since the Information, coming only from a Condemned Man, who was never in his Life of any Credit, and would say any thing to save his Life, could signifie nothing? Who was it that got him a Reprieve? Who sent Bowes so seasonably to Mr. Burchil, who was the only Man that could as­sist his Pretence in witnessing against Thorowgood and Pike? How came it to be be­lieved that a Plot was Forging by all the Persons who were in the nearest Circumstan­ces while it was contriving? Who hired Tucker to join with VVhitney in reviling and threatning him, because he would not be perjured, and to clap him up so rudely and illegally? Would such a Fellow do such an action, which might lose him his Place, and make him to be soundly punished besides, unless he had been bribed, or powerfully sollicited to it? Or durst he have done it, unless some Great Persons had assured him besore-hand of Impunity? And if not, Why is he not severely punished for it since, but still continued in his Employment; since it will not be safe for any Man to visit his Friend in Prison, if such villainous Tricks be permitted? Indeed my Lord Chief Justice was angry with him, and said he deserved to lose it; but he thought it not fit to procced farther, least it might offend some to whom he was to be upon occasion a very useful Instrument. Who was to have got VVhitney's Par­don, which he was sure of, and upon the Prospect of which he began this Jigg? Why did the Honestest of them fall off, and protest he would have no Hand in Plots? Why did the two Plot-makers (one of them especially) go above a dozen times to VVhitney in Newgate, with whom they had no Acquaintance? Let any sincere honest Gentleman ask them to what end they made such frequent Visits to a Villain? and (for I know what they have said, and will say.) he shall see that they give such a [...]leeveless account of their Errand, that would make any Man of Sense spew to hear [...]hem. Do they think us such Fools as to believe that all the fore-mentioned Poppets did manage themselves so dextroufly and regularly, without some unseen Hand be­ [...]ind the Curtain which moved all the rest? Or would even any of those Gentlemen [...]ave gone about a Plot, but that they were either set on, or at least knew it would [...]e grateful and welcome to the State; and that the Court would abett it, if they [...]ould first bring it to f [...]dge? Lastly, Why was the Bill, making Perjury in Capital Crimes Fellony, without Benefit of the Clergy, thrown out by the Court-Party, but [...]hat they might not discourage False Witnesses, when they should stand in need of [...]hem, to swear to their Plots?

Yet I will not charge all those Gentlemen who visited VVhitney, with knowing [...]he Drift of the Plot-men; one or two of them, I believe, were for another end, or [...]ere carried thither for a Blind: One of them has cleared his own Credit, by falling [...]ff, when he perceived them making Plots; another of them I have great reason [...]o think of too quiet a Genias to meddle in such Matters. It will be expected that [...]nce I name them all, I should likewise by name distinguish the Guilty from the [...]uiltless: But I conceive 'tis more proper to leave to those two latter an occasion [...]f clearing themselves, by laying the enormous Crime at the Doors of those who [Page 8] did really deserve that Imputation. And it being more their Concern than mine, if they refuse that Duty to Truth, and their own Honour, they must blame them­selves for the Shame and Infamy they may incurr: For certainly the Memory of those who were the Contrivers and Abettors of this Damnable Hellish VVilliamite-Plot, let them be whom they will, and as great as they will, will so stink before God and every good Christian, that no Man of any Honour or Reputation but will avoid their Conversation, and abhor them as Atheistical Reprobates, Suborners of Per­jury, the worst of Murtherers, and the most profligate of Villains.

These Particulars, which happ'd to come to my certain Knowledg, by conver­sing casually with those who knew the bottom of that Mystery of Iniquity, (and many more we might have known, had not Burchil out of Fear been so reserved;) I thought fit to communicate to my Dear Countreymen, that they may use their best Prudence to avoid the Snares which the Interested Court-Party will lay for them: Hoping too, that these short but clear Hints will keep the People from being allarmed with the hollow Pretences, and loud Noise of imaginary Plots; and that instead of hating, they will pity those who shall fall into such State-Traps. And lastly, that, plucking up the Hearts of true Englishmen, they may stand up for our Laws, Liberty, and Property, against Lawless Orders and Warrants, base Slavery, and unpitied Beggary, under which we groan already; and since the Nation subsists by preserving those Common Goods, if we supinely neglect the Preser­vation of them, we must expect that our Dear Native Country will e're long be overwhelmed, and buried in its own Ruines.