THO' the Justice of the Right Honourable the House of Peers in their Proceedings a­gainst Captain Matthew Smith, has given an Intire Satisfaction to all, that by examining the Stratagem, have discovered that the bottom of the De­sign in Publishing his Two Books, was meerly the Contrivance of a Party a­gainst a Person of Great Honour and In­tegrity; yet because others, that either being in the Party that put the Unthink­ing [Page 4] Captain, upon so Rude an Enter­prize, or that take every thing for Truth that they desire should be thought so, are still Whispering their Discon­tents, and Buzzing it from Ear to Ear, that the Captain has very hard Mea­sure; I thought fit to rectify that Mi­stake, and set the whole Affair in its pro­per light: Not as a Busy Intermedler in Publick Affairs, but as a Friend to Truth and Justice, that having it in his Power to Disabuse the Nation, thinks it his indispensible Duty not to neglect this Opportunity of doing it.

The Author is so perfect a Stranger to his Grace the D. of S. that he never had the Honour of Speaking to him but once in his Life, and that is now about Three Years ago, and 'twould be a grea­ter piece of Disingenuity, than he can believe any Man will be guilty of, to insinuate that the Author is making his Court to the D. by this discovery of the Artifice, that has been employed to Asperse his known Honour and Fide­lity.

Nor has he any Intention to Lessen Captain Smith's Services, or hinder him from the Just Reward that is due to them, by making Reflections upon his Person or Conversation, any further than the [Page 5] necessity of speaking Truth extorts them from him, nor will advance any thing in Confutation of his Books, or Detecting his Criminal Confederacy, but from apparent Matters of Fact, and Irreproachable Evidence.

I am not ignorant that this Narration is Impar Congressus, for which I humbly beg his Graces Pardon, and intreat the Reader in Honour to make that Allowance through the whole Discourse; but if any think fit to Chide the Undertaking upon that Consideration, (having already con­fest my Fault) I have only this Boon to ask; That they would suspend their Censure till they have Read the Book, and then a God's Name let them speak their Pleasure.

To proceed orderly in this Affair, I am obliged to acquaint my Reader, that tho' Captain Smith's Letters of Corre­spondence with his Grace the D. of S, had been long transfer'd from Hand to Hand in Manuscripts; yet the Printing and Publishing them under the Title of Me­moirs of Secret Service, raising all the Clamour and Noise, that has been made about them since; it will be necessary in laying open the Design against his Grace, and discovering the Captain's Practices, to begin with that Book.

[Page 6]And herein I will prove.

First, Tho' Captain Smith with great Assurance, has Printed his Name in the Title-Page of those Memoirs, as Author of the Book; It was not written by him.

Secondly, That the Writing, and Gi­ving away Five Hundred of those Books, Publishing and Maintaining the Captain, and the Person that Wrote it, was carri­ed on by a Contribution, at the Charge of a Party.

Thirdly, That the very Letters of the Captain's Correspondence, as now Printed in the Memoirs, are so Alter'd, and in them are so many Additions, Spu­rious Glosses, and Artificial Connexions, that they cannot be said to be the same with the Originals sent to the D, and consequently, that no Inferences can or ought to be collected from them, to sup­port Captain Smith's Pretensions against him.

Fourthly, That the Substance of both his Books, generally speaking, are meer Fardles of Improbabilities, Incongruities, and Invented Falsities.

And having dispatch'd an Answer to the First, I shall proceed to this Second Book, Entituled, Remarks upon the D. [Page 7] of S— 's Letter concerning Captain Smith, &c.

The Book claim'd by Captain Smith, Entituled, Memoirs of Secret Service, was Written by Mr. Thomas Brown, a Stiff Jacobite, and a Mercenary Poet, that will Write any thing, or against a­ny Man for Money. And here methinks Captain Smith, that pretends to be so stout a Williamite, has made a Horrible Blunder in his Politicks, at the Threshold of his Enterprize, in employing a Rank Prostituted Jacobite, to do (as he calls it) Service for the Government; and I can­not get over the Aenigma, without the Assistance of a Proverb, Like to like— Tho some will applaud his Judgment in the choice of such a Tool; for design­ing to Calumniate an Eminent Minister, who was so fit to undertake it, as a De­bauch'd and Mercenary Jacobite, whose pe­culiar Talent lies in Scandalizing Man­kind.

A Sheet of the first Impression of these Memoirs, by a Mistake, coming to me to be Corrected, gave me the first Opportunity of Guessing at the Au­thor.

Reading the Preface, the Paraphrase, the Observations, and the Minutes, which almost compose the whole Pamphlet: [Page 8] And meeting a Quotation in Latine from Titus Livius, to which Language I knew Captain Smith so perfect a Stranger, that he familiarly breaks Priscian's Head in English: And knowing that he is no more able to Write one Line of that Pre­face, than to run away with the Mo­nument, confirm'd my Opinion, that Mr. Brown was the Author of it. Now

Resolving to make my self Master of the Secret, I sent for Mr. Brown to me. At his coming, I charg'd him with the Fact; shew'd him the Infamy and Dan­ger of the Action, and he immediately confess'd, He was the Author of the Book, Entituled, Memoirs of Secret Service; Curs'd Captain Smith, for drawing him into a Snare, and employing his Pen to so Base a purpose, for which, he said, he heartily Beg'd the D's Pardon; and by way of Atonement, voluntarily offer'd to tell me all he knew in the Matter. These Words were spoken in the Presence and Hearing of Mr. M. S. Physician, Mr. A. R. Bookseller, and Mr. B. B. Printer.

At another time discoursing this Sub­ject with Mr. Brown, in the Presence of Mr. A. R. he told us how bravely he Li­ved, while he was Writing the Book [Page 9] before-mentioned; and that when he had finished the Copy for the Press, and Cap­tain Smith being then out of Pocket, and expecting no great Sum of Money till the Sitting of the Parliament, he gave him a Bill under his Hand for the Pay­ment of Fifty Pounds for Writing that Book. And now having proved this Par­ticular beyond Dispute, I proceed to my Second Head; which is,

That Writing, Publishing, and Giv­ing away above Five Hundred of these Memoirs, and the Charge of Maintain­ing the Captain and the Poet, while he was Writing the Book, was carried on by a Contribution, at the Charge of a Party.

For Proof of this Particular, I must again make use of Mr. Brown, who at the same Place, and Time, and before Mr. A. R. above-named, told it me, in the very Words they are inserted in a­bove. He also added the Names of se­veral Considerable Persons that were Contributers to the Charge, which I think is neither Safe nor Prudent in me to re­member: And also that Dr. Chamber­lain, who lives in Suffolk-Street, (to use Brown's own Words) was Casheer to the Party, and sent Money to Captain Smith [Page 10] by his Foot-Boy, as often as the Captain sent for it.

Having travell'd so far, and success­fully in this Affair, and my Curiosity tempting me to possess my self of the whole Matter, I soon perceived what I had long suspected, and now am obli­ged to prove as my Third Particular, viz.

That the very Letters of Captain Smith's Correspondence with his Grace the D. of S, as now Printed in the Me­moirs, are in many Places alter'd, and so many Glosses and Artificial Connexi­ons added to them, that they cannot be said to be the same with the Originals sent to the D, and consequently that no Infe­rences can or ought to be collected from them, to support Smith's Pretensions a­gainst him.

Captain Smith in April 1696, deliver­ed all the Copies of his Letters of Cor­respondence with his Grace into my Hands; and now upon reading the Book, finding those in Print run smoo­ther, and that they were more intelligi­bly connected, than any I had read that were Written by Captain Smith himself, without the help of a Prompter, I began to suspect some Foul Play, or Trick, was in the Wind. I diligently compared the [Page 11] Written and Printed Letters, and soon found tho' they are bad enough still, that the Finger of Tom Brown had been there; for several Passages are added to those in Print, that were not in his first Written Copies. Some flat Words were chang­ed for better; and in other Places whole Sentences Alter'd, to mend the Sence, to smooth the Cadencies, and to make them speak more to his purpose in Print, than they did in Manuscript. This I thought sufficient to destroy all his Pretences to Veracity.

However, because this Proof, tho' as plain as Demonstration to my self, yet was liable to Exceptions by those that favour'd the Person and assisted the Con­trivance.

I enquired from whose Hand-Writing the Letters were Printed off; and being assured it was done from Captain Smith's Hand-Writing, to save the trouble of Transcribing, I procured the Copy to be left with me, by which I soon per­ceived, tho' the Letters were Written in Smith's Hand, yet they were in several Places Corrected, Mended, Alter'd, and several Additions made to them, by blot­ting out what had been Written by the Captain, and Interlineations and Additi­ons made in Mr. Brown's Hand, and the [Page 12] difference between the two Hands as plain to be seen, as the Nose on either of their Faces: And resolving not to be single in the knowledge of this Artifice, I shewed the Copy with the Additions and Altera­tions to a Minister of State; who, if there be occasion, I am sure will do me Justice in what I have asserted.

Still methinks I hear some Body en­quire, How I came by the Blotted and Interlined Copy? I Answer:

It was delivered into my Hands by the Bookseller and Printer, when the first Impression was Printing off; and I be­lieve that very Copy is yet in my power to produce, if required to do it.

After this, having an Opportunity to Discourse Mr. Brown, I charg'd him with making the Alterations and Additions a­foresaid. He would fain have shuffled it off at first; but when he heard me say, I would shew him his own Hand in the Copy to prove it. He answer'd:

What wou [...]d you have me do? Smith cannot Write Sense; and I having Wrote the Preface, made Observations, and lick'd over his Minutes, I was forc'd to stick in here and there a Word, and now and then Usher in a short Sentence to make his Let­ters speak Sence, and seem of a piece with the rest; for which Captain Smith promi­sed [Page 13] to bear me Harmless. This was spo­ken in the presence of Mr. J. H. and Mr. T. W. and that it might not slip my Memory, I wrote it down about half an hour after. And this leads to the Fourth Particular, viz.

That the substance of his two whole Books, call'd Memoirs, &c. are meer Far­dles of Improbabilities, Incongruities, and Invented Falsities.

To Answer the whole Books, will be the business of another time. I shall only regard them now en Passant; I have sufficiently prov'd, tho he values himself upon it, he was not the Author of it, yet to do him a kindness, and supposing it contains his meaning, I shall treat it as if it were so, without regard to the dismal Trunk he speaks through.

His Preface, and two first Letters to his Grace, displaies his Quality, tells you he was of the Inner-Temple, and had been Comptroller of that Society, and then without doubt it was well govern'd. I think that Dignity is otherwise called Master of Misrule at Christmas; and since his Extravagant Expences upon that Oc­casion, laid the Foundation of his Ruine, and that the Office so aptly agrees with the Rakish Qualifications of the Person, I will not grudge him the Honour of it.

[Page 14]He was also Captain of an Indepen­dant Company. *p. 8. Did Duty at Windsor-Castle, when His Ma­jesty came thither upon the Revo­lution, and would Insinuate that he was Broke for no other Reason, but because he had been a Captain in the Late King James 's Reign; but that is a Great Mi­stake. He was Broke for being an Er­rant Coward. For the truth of which I appeal to the Noble Lords that Broke him. This Passage, would admit of se­vere Reflections upon his Honour, for what will a Coward not be guilty of: but I will not add to his Afflictions.

He acknowledges himself to be a ve­ry Weak Man, and I find, in running over his Letters, that Natural Imbeci­lity has had a strange effect upon his Memory, as well as his Courage, as ap­pears by the Observations following.

In the 19 and 20 pages, He says the E. of P. next to his Grace the D. of N. was the first Person he communicated the Contents of his Letters of Cor­respondence to, and that this was done in May 1696. but he extreamly forgets himself, for he shew'd them to Francis Jermy, Esq and Mr. William Read, at the latter end of March, left them three Weeks in his Custody, and put them all [Page 15] into my Hands to peruse on the 23d of April, 96.

He says he had no Design to Accuse his Grace the D. of S. and in page the 26th, out of a tender regard no doubt to his Graces Honour, harrangues sweet­ly upon it in these words.

I could not avoid, says he, being upon my Oath, to discover a Correspondence be­tween a great Minister of State and my self. That Honourable House cannot but remember, I answered their Questions with all the Submission and Profound Respect (Oh Fine Tom. Brown!) it was possible for me to express, in relation to that Noble Peer. I said nothing but what I could not avoid: And I am sure no reasonable Man will think me guilty of so much Folly, as to believe that I had a Design to Accuse any Person, or that I would Destroy my Blooming Hopes; for under the Circum­stances I then lay, 'twas not my Interest to Oppose in the least the Dispositions of the Court.

Poor Man! how he struggles between his Unwillingness to accuse the D, and his Tenderness of an Oath? This was in November, 1696.

And yet almost Eight Months before, that is to say, at the beginning of April 1696. He told this Story to [Page 16] Mr. Jermy and Mr. Read, and prayed them to assist him in making his Complaint to the King against his Grace the D. of S.

And on the 16th and 18th of April, 1696. Captain Smith in a Publick Ta­vern near Charing-Cross, in the Compa­ny of Mr. Jermy, M. William Read and my Self said, That he had reason to be­lieve that the D. was in the Assassination-Plot, because he having given him notice of it, his Grace had not acquainted His Majesty with it, but went out of Town, as he believed, that it might take effect, and therefore desired Mr. Jermy and my Self, to recommend him to some Person of Quality near the King, that he might inform His Majesty, That by this Great Minister's Omission of his Duty, His Ma­jesty's Life was still in Danger: Which he aggravated with all his Abilities, and repeated it so often, that we were al­most afraid to hear him, tho he was not ashamed to speak it.

I say Ashamed to speak it, and will leave it to the Readers Judgment whe­ther I have not authority to serve my Self with that Expression; for after two or three meetings, where the D's con­cealing his Services, and the King's Life being still in Danger, was the whole sub­ject of his Discourse; and I having pro­mised [Page 17] him, if his Letters made it out, to carry him to a Minister that would represent it to the King: I was asto­nished upon receiving a Letter from him, contradicting all his confident Affirma­tions but a Week before; and I could not forbear thinking, if the Devil owed him a shame, he might have took some other time to have paid it. The Letter is dated April 21. 1696.

[Page 18]This Letter, under his own Hand Writing, I have by me, ready to pro­duce if their Lordships are pleased to require it; and think it is a full and ef­fectual Answer to both his Books; for if they labour with any design, except that of discovering abundance of Rude­ness and Ill-manners in the Captain; they contain little else, but what he has an­swered himself, in the above-recited Let­ter, to all Intents and Purposes.

Shewing this Letter to Mr. Jermy, who first brought the Captain to me, he was very angry with him, saying, What a Vile Fellow he is to Say and Un­say at this Scandalous Rate, and abuse a Person of Quality? When to wipe his Shoes would be an Honour to him.

Not long after seeing the Captain in the presence of Mr. Jermy and W. Read. I charged him with these Ungentle-man­like Proceedings, in Affirming and Deny­ing in Matters of that Importance: But he thought he excused himself suffici­ently by saying, That when he wrote that Letter, a Friend had told him he would reconcile him to the D. and put him in hopes of getting him an Allowance; but now, says he, I see I was deluded, and I will go to the King my self, and if he will not hear me, I will appeal to the Parlia­ment, [Page 19] where I am promised Friends that will do his Buisiness for him. This Discourse was about the 3d of May, 1696. by which, and the recited Letter, 'tis apparent, that all he Designs is his own Sordid Interest. When he was in expectation from the D. then the D. did communi­cate his Services to His Majesty. When he finds nothing coming, then he chan­ges his Note, and his Grace did not do it. Which, to say no worse, is a mani­fest Contradiction, and a Satyr would have turn'd him out of his Cell, as all Mankind ought to do out of their Com­pany, for blowing Hot and Cold with the same Breath.

Till about the middle of November following I heard no more of Captain Smith, and then he was pleas'd to tell me, Mr. Jermy and Mr. Read, That he had been with the L. C. the E. of A. the E. of P—h and Sir W. T. that they had promised him a Pension of Four Thousand Pounds a Year; but he mould not accept it without a Considerable Title. He knew they intended to make him a Lord, but he scorned to accept of any thing below a Duke. This Relation will appear strange to those that know him not; but if any Man of Consideration seems to question the Truth of it, they may [Page 20] when they please have it confirmed un­der the Oathes of the three Gentlemen above-named.

But while we were expecting the Issue of this bold adventure, we were told that our Captain's Blooming Hopes were Frost-bitten. It seems they knew him better at Kensington than he knew him­self, and discharg'd him from appearing any more at Court: And soon after, as he says himself, all his Friends dropt him, and I fear those that took him up since, and made him a Property to serve their own Designs, will e're long desert him also; for that commonly is the fatal con­sequence of depending on, and serving the Interest of a Party.

His Rappers are so thick sowed, and grown so Rank through his whole Books, that I must content my Reader at present only with a few Gleaning, till the whole Crop is fit for Threshing out, and then he shall have a large Amends. The Captain says, that Holmes, a Proclamation-man, lay with him one Nigt, when the Government was in search of him; but he generously suffer­ed him to escape in the Morning. I hope the Captain does not Reckon that Neglect, among the number of his Services; but what is more strange, he would not [Page 21] earn the Thousand Pound Reward for ta­king him, because he mould not betray any Body for Money. Bravely spoken, but who can believe it, that considers how he paid his Dear Respects to his Unkle, and there are Men of Honour that have known his Conversation from his Co­ventry Cradle, that are of Opinion, The Captain would have Hang'd his — for half the Money.

To prove his ability to serve the Go­vernment, instead of Firm-ground, he lays hold on two slender Reeds, which are too weak to bear the weight he lays upon them; and yet upon examining, are strong enough to wound his Credit, and destroy all his pretension to Merit from them.

His Topping Instance is from his In­timacy and Interest in one Mr. John Hewet, who was employed by certain Jacobites to deliver their Forreign and Inland Letters, when they durst not trust them by the Common Convenien­cies.

The Captain has truly described his pretended Correspondents Employment, but trifles and imposes upon the Rea­der, when to make his Intelligence ap­appear more considerable then it was; he is forced to set him up for a Gentleman.

[Page 22] John Hewet was a Poor Lad, kept up­on Charity, and the Jacobites experien­cing his Fidelity, trusted him with the Delivery of their Letters; but for the Captain to pretend to an Interest in that Boy, and in six or seven Months time to make no better use of him; is to say he had undertaken a Province he knew not how to manage, or in truth that he had no Interest at all in him. Had there been such an Intire Trust and Confidence between the Boy and the Captain, as he pretends to: Jack Hewet was able most Weeks in the Year, and almost every Day in the Week, to have put a Pac­quet of Letters into the Captains Hands, that being Discreetly Managed, might have been safely returned to Hewet, and afterwards have been delivered by him as directed, without the least suspicion that they had been opened. Such a smart touch as this had been service in­deed, and deservedly would have made the Captains Fortune; but since this was every day in the Bov's power, and he would not oblige the Captain with it, there is no reason to believe that the Boy would trust him with a greater matter, and what in all probability he was not trusted with himself; for none but Fools and Madmen, would put so [Page 23] many Lives into the Hands of a Lad but of 13 Years of Age.

But that which puts an End to the Captains Pretence of Corresponding with Hewet, is, That John Hewet being Interrogated upon Oath by the Lords in Parliament, declared, That he never Ac­quainted Captain Smith with any of the Jacobites Secrets; but finding him Inqui­sitive, and Prodigal of his Money, he col­lected News out of the Post-Boy to get some Money from him, under pretence that it came from France.

Captain Smith was present when the Lad made this Oath; and as he made no Answer to it then, neither has he at­tempted to disprove it in his Memoirs, tho' he has impertinently wasted 14 Pa­ges, in giving Reasons why he Corre­sponded with Hewet; when Hewet has Sworn he never Corresponded with him. The Competition and Credibility is to the Captain's Disadvantage; the Lad is upon his Oath, and the Captain but on his Honour. The Captain assists the Boy with an Excellent Character, and so gives him Credit against himself; but neither the Lad, nor no Body else that know him, will bestow one favourable Word upon the Captain. So that Pre­tence is vanished.

[Page 24]His next Assylum, or Argument to prove himself capable of discovering the most Secret Caballings, and closest De­signs of His Majesty's Enemies: Nay, if he might be supplied with as much Money as he wanted, That it should be utterly impossible for any thing, either Fo­reign, or Domestick, to escape his knowledge, was, because Sir William Parkins, one of the Chiefs of the Jacobite Party was his Unkle, and not only trusted him with his choicest Secrets, but employed him to Court other Men to assist in the Design, take Com­missions under him; and I know not how many other Good-Morrows, as Incredi­ble as his refusing to get a Thousand Pounds upon a Point of Honour!

The bare recital of these Improbabili­ties, as they are apparent in his Memoirs, naturally lead me to ask Captain Smith a few short Questions?

What necessity was there to be at so much Charge in Corresponding with Hewet, when Sir William Parkins was so Free with him, that was no Stranger to all their Designs?

What made him ignorant of the Day when the Treason was to be acted, since all the Conspirators knew of it above a Fortnight before?

[Page 25]Why was he not more Plain and Par­ticular in his Letters to my Lord D, when his Grace and Mr. V. so often de­sired it? There is no question to be made but Sir William Parkins could have fur­nish'd him with the whole Matter, and there can be no excuse for his Non-com­plyance with his Grace's repeated Com­mands, but that either the Captain for­got to ask his Unkle, and then he negle­cted his Business: Or, that Sir William Parkins could not tell him, and then no Body will believe him: Or that Sir Wil­liam would not tell him, and then 'tis plain he would not trust him; so that take it which way you please, it looks with an ill Face upon the Captain, and he would do well to lay his Services a little closer together for the future.

Among other Names that he gives us a Catalogue of, as his Acquaintance a­mong the Quondam Jacobites, he is plea­sed unluckily to mention Captain Porter: Let us hear what that Gentleman is plea­sed to say in the Matter, whom the worst of his Enemies never accus'd for prevaricating in any thing relating to that whole Conspiracy.

About a Fortnight, or thereabouts, since, having an Opportunity to Dis­course Captain Porter, I took the Free­dom [Page 26] to ask him, Whether he knew of any Correspondence and Trust between Sir William Parkins and his Nephew Captain Matthew Smith? Captain Porter was plea­sed▪ Answer,

That once, and no oftner, as he could remember, Captain Smith came into a Room where Sir William Parkins, Him­self, and others, were in Consultation upon their Business: Captain Smith was no sooner sat down, but by a private Intimation from Sir William Parkins, they drop'd the Subject they were dis­coursing on, and fell a talking about a­nother Business: And when Captain Smith left the Room, Sir William Par­kins took that Advantage, To forewarn his Friends that were present from keeping Capt. Smith Company, or Discoursing any of their Matters before him. 'Tis true, says Sir William, I Married his Aunt, and therefore am obliged to be common­ly Civil to him; But pray have a care of him. He is a — and a Fellow that I never trusted. This Relation, upon my Request, Captain Forter was pleased to give me leave, if I thought fit, to Pub­lish in his Name, and he would own it. And after this, he that can believe any thing that Smith says will boggle at nothing.

[Page 27]Another Witty Gentleman, and of great Integrity and Honour, that is no Stranger to Capt. Smith, who will quick­ly tell you his Name, tho' I am oblig'd to conceal it, told me he knew Captain Smith was the utter Aversion of Sir Willi­am Parkins, the Scorn of the whole Family, and never fit to be trusted with any thing that he could Tell, Sell, or Pawn for 6 Pence.

He pretends to an Acquaintance with Capt. Boys, who was some time in the Counsels of the Jacobite Party. I ask'd that Gentleman what Interest Capt. Smith had among them; but he averr'd he ne­ver knew him. He is safe in naming the rest of his pretended Correspondents a­mong the Jacobeans; for they are all ei­ther Dead or Banished England; or there is no reason to doubt but they would con­firm the Opinion of his being a most No­torious Romancer. In short,

All his Pretences to do Service for the Government, were but Tricks to supply a Boundless Extravagancy. He was dri­ven to his last Shift, his Inventions were upon the Wrack how to subsist; and his Relation to Sir William Parkins giving him a Colour to impose upon the Go­vernment, he resolves to make the ut­most Penny of it, Trumps it up upon all Occasions, and keeps up his Correspon­dence [Page 28] with the Duke by repeated Promi­ses what he could and would do from that Relation, while he did nothing but abuse and delay his Grace upon those Pretences, which, in truth, had Colour enough to deceive any Man.

He makes no Pretences to be qualifi­ed for this Employment by vertue of his Understanding, and Sincerity, which is the Wisest Thing he ever discovered; for all that have known him from his Birth, till he set up for a Memoirer and Remarker, are sensible he never carried any such things about him: And I am not so much sur­prized, to find him so early discarded by the D, as I admire it was not done 12 Months sooner; but this must be ascri­bed to his Plying the D. with large Pro­mises in every Letter, and his Grace's Unwillingness to neglect any Opportu­nity of serving the Government, where there was such a plausible Pretence as Smith laid hold on to serve himself, and abuse the D's Candor and Credulity by False Insinuations. However do but

Read all the D's Letters to our Cap­tain: See the Encouragements he gave him, if he could do Service, and if you don't discover in his Grace a continued Series of Uneasiness and Suspicion of the Author's Veracity, as well he might [Page 29] from his Arguing, instead of Infor­ming, which only was his Duty; from his Stuffing his Letters with Impertinent Trash, and Idle Stories, instead of Real Services, and his promising many Dis­coveries, and at best giving but a Dark sight into any thing, I will forfeit my Judgment. I have already shew'd what Tricks have been play'd with his Let­ters, and now think it material to add, and I undertake to prove it by Credible Witnesses,

That before he delivered out any Copies of his Letters, he knew from a Good Hand, That his Original Letters sent to the D, were lost: And then what might not a Man of his Principles do, to support his own Pretensions.

Another thing the Captain makes a Noise with, is the Merits of his Service; which can only be known by his Let­ters: And tho' I have said enough to in­validate the whole, by the Tricks that he has play'd with them, and the Suspi­cion that lies upon them all, by his know­ing the Originals were lost, yet let any unprejudiced Eye View them in the Dress they now appear in, without the Sham and Trick of Language, Ornament, and Dress, pretended Private Discourses, Minutes, Notes, and Observations, which [Page 30] have no other Authority to give them Credit, but the empty Flourishes of the Poet's Fruitful Brain, to Earn the Sum of Threescore Pounds, and the Naked Affir­mation of a Profligate Wretch, to gain Four Thousand Pounds a Year and a Duke­dom by his Services; and if he disco­vers any thing in them but Impertinent Chat, Nauseous trifling with a Minister of State, and dim Discoveries, he has a clear­er Eye-sight and Understanding than o­ther Men dare pretend to.

This brings me to take a View of his Second Book, Entituled, Remarks upon the D. of S—'s Letter to the House of Lords, concerning Captain Smith; being a Vindication of his Services, &c.

A general Survey of these Remarks, without Animadverting upon particular Instances, is enough to Nauseate any Modest Reader; for in no one Line have they treated that Truly Great Person like a Gentleman, for which the Infamous Poet is as much to be scorn'd, as the Malicious Captain, and their Suppor­ters and Managers.

Every Page is so besmeered with Sor­did Clownery, Saucy Language, and Impudent Reflections, that would shame any Pen, tho' made of Brass; or any Men, but such a Couple of Contempti­ble [Page 31] Wretches, as have club'd their Nod­dles to render themselves Ridiculous, and Punishable. There is too much in these Remarks to be confuted, almost e­very Line may be disproved, or ought to be Reprehended, they are well nigh Bursting with Stinging Wind, such as the Hackney Jade Pegasus lets fly when he is too hard Girt upon a full Belly.

They are nothing but Idle and Imper­tinent Repetitions of his Memoirs, which being answer'd already, I might have slighted for that reason; but since Mr. Brown, after all his seeming Penitential Sorrow, crying Peccavi, and begging Par­don for his first Offence in employing his Pen to so Base a Purpose, has aggrava­ted his Crime by relapsing into his for­mer Faults and Follies, which no Body will wonder at that knows his Chara­cter, give me leave to guess at the Oc­casion of it, and give them both a short Answer.

Our Hackney Imp of Parnassus, that all the Vacation stands at Livery to be Ridden by every Malicious Fop; being extreamly out of Sorts, as it often hap­pens by his Idleness and Debauchery, and reduced to the true State of a Heathen Philosopher: The Riding-Coat that Smith gave him when they were Memoiring, [Page 32] being wore Thredbare, and his whole Man calling for Amendments, for fear of falling into the Rag-Man's Hands, for want of Reparations; he once more, to his Shame, engages with Smith, and all on a sudden Tom Brown appears New Rig'd from Stem to Stern; and immediately after, out comes these Remarks to ac­quaint the Town who was the Author of them.

The Captain puts his Name to the Pamphlet, and 'tis flourish'd with a Quo­tation out of Virgil. I cannot but won­der at his Confidence, in pauming him­self upon the World for a Man of Learn­ing, when he is so Notoriously known to be one of the greatest Dunces in Na­ture; who if he was to Fast till he could Construe so many Words in Latin, or Write any three Lines in the whole Re­marks, would certainly Die of Hun­ger:

But he has so long accustomed himself to claim the Honour of Services he never did; that it's now grown into a Habit, and he cannot leave it: Tho' by his good Favour it lays an indelible Blot up­on his Reputation: For he that for no­thing has Forehead enough to own a Book that not one Line of it his own, What will he not do when Four Thou­sand [Page 33] Pounds a Year, and a Considera­ble Title is to be the Purchase of his Leasing?

I confess, the Remarks are worded to the best Advantage of so ill a Cause. The Poet has shew'd his great Abilities in the Black Art of Scandal, and trick­ing up other Peoples Malice into a gau­dy Dress of Words, to delude the Vul­gar Readers into a good Opinion of what he is advancing. How easie a Matter this is for a Man of Parts to do, that gives himself a Loose into the Common Place of Railery, without confining him­self to the Laws of Truth, or the Rules of Decency and Good Manners, is very in­telligible to Men of Sence: They both abhor the Practice and make allowance for it; while the meaner sort are capti­vated by the Stile, and led Blindfold in­to Error. I shall therefore disappoint the latter, and I hope, oblige the for­mer by answering Matter of Fact only, without being at the trouble to remove the Rubbish and Trumpery that enclo­ses it.

The Preface acquaints us how provok­ing a thing it is to a Man of any Spirit to be treated with Contempt; which I sup­pose is no new thing to him, and he has no reason to be in such a Chafe, or Passion [Page 34] about it; since he never was, nor de­served to be treated otherwise.

He is ambitious, you see, all along of a Considerable Title, and yet is an­gry that his Adversaries have found a fit one for him, viz. Fool or Madman, tho others are of opinion, he has so great an Alloy of the former in his Constitution, that he is in no danger of falling under the denomination of the latter: Nor will they allow it con­ferr'd upon him by the Malice of his Enemies, since it has been the whole study of his Life to acquire the Title. They are pleas'd, as a Specimen of their Good Manners, to join Quality with In­solence, which is an Argument the Dung-Hill and the Tann-Fat lay too near both their Fathers Doors, for either of them to pretend to be Gentlemen. How might I expatiate on so fruitful a Sub­ject; but I hate to be thought a Trifler.

He runs on with the old story of Stifling and Deprecicating his Services, which methinks 'tis now high time to give over, since with all the Interest he has with a Party to assist him, he could never persuade any body to believe, that he has done any Service but what he has been very well paid for; and his bold demanding and threatning for more, has [Page 35] made him slighted and despised by eve­ry body.

His Insolent behaviour at Kensington, caused him to be discharged the Court. Tho he gave away some hundreds of his Books among the Honourable the House of Commons, he could not find one Member that would deliver his Pe­tition to the House. He has addrest to the Right Honourable the House of Peers; and their Lordships have com­manded his Book of Remarks to be burnt by the Hand of the Common Hang­man. Whither will he go next? Are not the King, Lords nor Commons Able to Judge of the Merits of his Service! Had he Wit to his Malice, and Power to his Venom, he would set the King­dom in a Flame.

I will next proceed to his Grievances, and the First that presents it self is a Complaint, That he was taken up by a Messenger when the Plot was warm; and this he construes as a Design upon his Person and Papers; when any thing, be­sides himself, would have known, that it was to comply with his Request of being concealed, that they did it, tho they would not trust him with the Reason why they did it. Had he any harder measure than others under his Circum­stances? [Page 36] Was not Sir Thomas Pendergarst and Mr. La Rue, that were the First Discoverers of the Assassination-Plot, ta­ken up and committed? Was not Mr. Fisher and Mr. Grimes that knew more of the Plot than the Captain can ho­nestly pretend to, taken up by Messen­gers, and kept sometime Prisoners in their Houses? Is there not many Rea­sons to be given for these Prudent Pro­ceedings? Well! in some colder Cly­mate 'tis possible our Doughty Captain may come to great Military Preferment; but certainly his Head is not long enough to make a States-man.

In his next Complaint he Fights in the Dark, and gives us an unaccountable Stretch of his Talent. Some Body (he leaves the Reader to Guess who) he says, supprest Sir William Parkin's Peti­tion, which after the ineffectual Applica­tion of the House of Commons, pray ob­serve it, I had, says he, the Fortune to prevail with him to make. What an in­credible Story have we here? That af­ter the Honourable Members of the House of Commons, that visited Sir Wil­liam in Newgate, could not prevail with him to make a Confession; yet our Cap­tain, that was his utter Aversion, effect­ed it. Can any Man in his Right Mind, [Page 37] imagine that Sir William Parkins was so void of Sense, to believe that Smith could more effectually prevail with the King to Pardon him, than a Whole House of Commons! Away Captain! This Remark lies so Wide, and Broad, 'tis impossible to swallow it without Choaking. Farther, he says,

The Lady Parkins went to Kensing­ton to give a Petition to his Grace the the D. of N. to deliver to His Majesty. His Grace had prepared the King to Re­ceive it; was expected; the D. of N. sent to enquire for the Lady Parkins; she was not to be found: yet a certain Person, without so much as a Letter to Guess at his Name or Quality, found her, when no body else could, and sent the Lady away full of Sorrow and Despair, assuring her it would not be re­ceived. There is little Reason to be­lieve the Lady would take her Answer from any Person, but the D. of N. who had promised to deliver it, nor that any Certain Person would suppress a Petition that His Majesty expected. When Smith told this Story first, he laid the Blame upon the Lady for not coming to Kensing­ton till the Council was up, and gone, and the King retir'd into His Bedchamber, tho now he lays it upon a Certain Person.

[Page 38]His Invention is so Barren, and he is at so great a Loss for New Matter, that he is forced to harp upon the same Strings in his Remarks, that he had before al­most fretted to pieces, by his nauseous Repetitions in his Memoirs: His Inte­rest in Hewet and Sir William Parkins is still the Burden of the Song; and yet neither in his former nor latter Book takes he any Notice, that Hewet has deny'd it upon Oath, and that Sir Willi­am has branded him with a Hard Name, and discharged the whole Party from trusting him with the Knowledge of their Matters; for tho he was his Wifes Re­lation, he knew him too well to repose any Confidence in him.

To magnifie his own Intelligence, through both his Books, he underva­lues the discovery of Sir Thomas Pen­dergarst and Mr. La Rue, tho the whole Nation is satisfied with their Candor and Sincerity in the whole Affair.

Upon this Head he has so remarka­ble a piece of Effrontery, that I cannot pass it over without admiring at his Confidence, in setting up himself for a common Calumniator, and one that ne­ver Starts in publishing the most Noto­rious Falshoods in the World: Such as every Eye can discover, and every Man [Page 39] detect that hath read any thing in these Proceedings. He was ignorant of the Day on which His Majesty was to be Mur­dered, and therefore would persuade the Reader, that the Conspirators themselves did not know it; tho you may read it in all the Tryals upon Oath, that the Day was appointed before the Date of his Let­ters to the Duke; and all that were to be Actors in were enjoyn'd to be ready on it. But this is not what I principal­ly intended, but that which follows.

In Page the Eighth he has these Words, Whoever will take the pains to compare the Evidences of Captain Porter and Mr. Pendergarst with my Memoirs, will find there a sufficient Confirmation of every Tittle, that I say: Tho he will plainly see, that They were even then but half informed of those things which I had long before fully discovered.

There might be some pretence for his saying he knew more of the Plot, and before Sir Thomas Pendergarst did, whom Captain Porter sent for to Town, but a little before the Treason was to be put in Execution; but to say he knew it sooner, and better than Captain Porter, is to tell the World, that if he has any Conscience, 'tis so Case-hardened it will boggle at nothing, and that Beel­zebub [Page 40] would Keck at a Story that Cap­tain Smith makes no Scruple at. Cap­tain Porter and Sir William were Hand and Glove in the whole Conspiracy, and mutually corresponded in every Cir­cumstance. Smith does not pretend to have the Discovery of this Plot from Sir William, but from Jack Hewet; and in short, Smith would persuade us, that Jack Hewet knew more of the Assassina­tion-Plot than either Sir W. P. or Cap­tain Porter.

He says his Grace knew what he was, and what he is, before he had any Cor­respondence with that Noble Peer: I have no Faith in that Article, but on the contrary am of Opinion, that if his Grace had known Smith's Veritable Cha­racter, he would have dismist him much sooner than he did; tho his Grace could not have done it so early as he deserved it. However, since he values himself upon being known to the D. that he may not give himself any further trouble in publishing his own History, a Gentle­man has undertaken to write his Life, and then every Body may know him also.

The next thing he makes a Noise with, is the Merits of his Services; but since he is unable to value them him­self, [Page 41] what Expectations can he have from a Subject, when his Demands are so extraordinary, that he scorns Four Thousand Pound a Year, unless one of the most Considerable Titles of Honour in the Kingdom be Tack'd to his Squireship. But to ballance the Account. He serv'd in Secret Service as he calls it, after he has made the whole Nation Ring of it) full Seventeen Months, his Grand Tour beyond Sea being thrown into the Scale to make Weight, for which he acknowledges to have recei­ved from His Majesty above Three Hun­dred Pounds; which if the Proper Judges had not thought sufficient, there is no Question but he would have re­ceived (if he had known how to ask it) a further Compensation; and there­fore he ought to have been determin'd by them. This was paid above-board; but when the Captain and I am at lei­sure, to a [...]unt for all the Sums of Money he [...]as clandestinely received from the Party that Fool'd him into be­ing an Author, it will surprize the Nati­on to hear there was so much mischief carried on, under so Thin and Mean a Cover.

To Conclude. In his Memoirs, he says, he never complain'd of his Grace. [Page 42] In page the 15th of his Remarks he says, he did complain of him, and that he had reason for it, but that he did it in an Unhandsome manner, or threatned to com­plain of him in Parliament, he utterly de­nies. And,

Yet as confidently, as he denies it, it will be prov'd upon the Oathes of Three Witnesses, (when ever required) that he did do it, and that very Unhand­somely too, as you will find immedi­ately.

After asserting so notorious a Falsity, he Wonders that his Grace should think it neither Safe, nor Decent, to have any more to do with him, and says, 'tis a My­stery that none but the D. can unfold; but for once, and use it not, without trou­bling his Grace, I will be the Captains Oedipus, and, in short, am ready to produce the Person, that in April, 1696. told his Grace at his House, in St. James's Square, that Captain Matthew Smith in a Tavern near Charing-Cross, in the pre­sence of Francis Jermy, Esq Mr. Willi­am Read and the Author, did vilely a­buse his Grace in a very reproachful Lan­guage, and said he would complain of his Grace to the King; and if His Majesty would not hear him, he would complain against him the next Parliament, where he [Page 43] was promis'd the Assistance of Friends that would do his Business for him. And after this I presume neither the Captain, nor no Body else, will wonder at his Graces Future Conduct toward him: Who is so False and Vain a Creature, then when his Book was Printing, and he upon the Pinn of commending his own Politicks, he said in the presence of two Reputable Citizens, That it was in his Power either to Preserve or Ruine the Pre­sent Government at his Pleasure; with other like Rhodomontades, that I am both afraid, and ashamed to Publish.