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THUS unlimited paffive Obedience, and Non-Refiftance, are infeparably connected with the Claim of an indefeafible hereditary Right. And if a Prince fets up the one himself, he may very reafonably require the other to be practised by his Subjects.

II. If ever the Chevalier fucceeds to the Crown, he can do no less, confiftently with the Principles of Justice and Gratitude, than restore to his Benefactor, the King of Spain, the important Fortresses and Ports of Gibraltar and Mahone. This would be no extravagant or unreasonable Demand in the latter to make, but would be a Thing highly injurious and ungrateful in the former to refufe; be cause these Places were conquered by those whom the Pretender muft ftile Ufurpers, and from those who have ever been affifting him in his greatest Exigencies: And upon his coming to the Throne, he can lay no Claim to thefe Places, either by Treaty, Ceffion, or Conqueft; consequently, can have no Appearance of Right, of any Sort, to detain them. Thus all the Trade to the Mediterranean would in a great Measure depend on the mere Will and Pleasure of the Court of Spain, and the Brittish Nation would not have it in her Power to rule in thofe Seas as the doth at prefent, but must submit to lose all that Influence, and the Benefit of her Maritime Strength, for want of Ports and Harbours for the wintering and refitting of the Ships, and Security of the Fleet.

III. THE fame Reasoning holds with refpect to the delivering up of Cape Breton to the French: Both Juftice and Gratitude demand it of him.

But

But as the Cafe ftands at prefent, if we prove fuccessful in the War, we shall certainly keep *it; and by that Means open to ourselves a Trade more beneficial than all the Mines of Peru: But should we prove ever fo unfortunate, we shall still be able to obtain fomething valuable in Lieu of it, and fo procure a Peace upon more advantageous Terms than could otherwise be obtained. Add to this, that it is much to be queftioned, whether France, in the Plenitude of her Power, would practise fuch unufual Moderation, as to be content with the re-delivering up of Cape Breton, as an Equivalent for all the Expences the hath been at in placing the Pretender on the Throne; when it will be entirely at her Option, to make her own Terms, and to infift upon the most valuable Poffeffions we have, either in America or elsewhere, in order to prevent it from ever being in the Power of the Brittife Nation to oppose her again,

IV. THE Duty on French Wines, &c. muft be confiderably lowered, fo as to be upon a Par with the Duties on the like Commodities of other Nations.

* THE furrendering up of this Fortrefs is now amply compenfated by the fettling of Nova Scotia; and it is alfo to be ob ferved, that the Ceffion of it was one of the principal Inducements with the King of France to conclude fo difadvantageous a Peace, by restoring all Flanders; from whence this Nation can be invaded with every Eafterly Wind, as it would both bring the Invaders over, and lock up our own Fleet in Port.

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+ IT is well known, that the French have looked upon land for a long Time paft with wiftful Eyes, as this fertile Country would fupply them with Wool for their Manufactures at Home, and Provifions for their Colonies Abroad; and as its Ports would be a Means of augmenting and protecting their Trade, and ftrike a Terror in the whole English Nation, when made the Rendezvous of a French Fleet.

tions. For it would be very ftrange, and an ill Requital of Favour and Protection, if the Chevalier, when King, fhould put the Subjects of that Crown, who reftored him to bis, upon a worfe Footing than the rest of Europe within his Dominions. The Produce of France, when imported here, pays heavier Duties at present than that of other Nations; and her Wines are charged about two thirds more than thofe of Portugal, which was wifely done in Confequence of an exprefs Treaty with the King of Portugal, for the Grant of a favourable Admiffion of our Woollen Manufactures, and other Commodities, into his Dominions. Can we imagine then that France would not embrace fuch an Opportunity as here fuppofed, to get these exceffive and difcouraging Duties repealed? And doth not the Thing itself look very plaufible, carrying a Face of Equity that it fhould be fo? In fhort, the Chevalier and his Friends, cannot, in point of Decency, Honour, or Gratitude, refufe to concur in fuch a Repeal; or if they would, they dare not.

WHAT then would be the Confequence with respect to us?-FRENCH Goods, of various Sorts, would be imported, as we are fo fond of their Fafhions, and their People work fo much cheaper. than ours, to the utter Ruin of our own Manufactures: French Wines would be almoft univerfally drank instead of Port, whereby that most valuable Part of all our Commerce, the Trade to Portugal, would be entirely loft, and very probably pafs from our Hands into thofe of the French: Thus there would enfue a general Stagnation of Trade and Manufactures; and our prefent ready. Specie would daily diminish, by being carried a

way

way into France, without any Profpect of its Return, or of receiving fresh Supplies from other Countries.

V. SEEING fuch a Reign as here fuppofed muft unavoidably be productive of infupportable Grievances, and Matters of just Complaint, the Number of Malecontents and diffatisfied Perfons would be much greater, and their Clamours more violent than ever. And as the prefent Reigning Family would be looked upon, at that fuppofed Juncture, as the Pretenders and Rivals to the Throne, the Difcontented and Difaffected would be fo much the more formidable. Therefore a very numerous Army would become neceffary to keep in Awe a free People, unaccustomed to bear the Yoke of Oppreffion;-or a new Revolution would foon enfue. Hence Taxes, instead of being diminished, would inevitably be multiplied, as the Government would have the fame Load of National Debt it hath at prefent, or must have Recourse to a Spunge to wipe it off: For in fuch Circumftances there could be no other Method of paying it. And if this should be thought the best Expedient, then the whole Publick Credit muft fink of course; Widows, and Orphans,

*

By the Tenor of the Chevalier's Manifefto, published during the Rebellion, it fhould feem, that he preferred the Expedient of Annihilating the Publick Debts to that of Paying them. For he is pleafed to inveigh against them as contracted to keep out his Family, which is by no Means true of the greater Part of them. For they were really contracted to withstand the exorbitant Power of France; which is a Duty fo incumbent on every Brittife King, that the Stuart Family themselves ought to have done the very fame Thing, if they had continued on the Throne. He then goes on, faying, "He would leave the

Matter to a free Parliament, whether these Debts should be "paid or not:" That is, in plain English, The firft Parliament he called after his Victories, compofed only of his own Friends and Followers, and the Soldiers of Fortune (for at fuch a Junc

ture

Orphans, and thousands of Perfons of good Fafhion, be reduced to the most indigent and abject State; and many Publick Charitable Foundations of Schools, Hofpitals, Infirmaries, &c. be obliged to be shut up. But if the fame Debts are fuppofed to remain, then the prodigious Expences of the Service, joined to the Interest payable to the Publick Creditors, would put the Government under a Neceffity of laying on many new and heavy Taxes, when the Trade or Money circulating in the Nation would bear no Proportion to anfwer them.

VI. AFTER thefe Things impartially confidered, we may clearly obferve, that the continual Affiftance of France would become fo abfolutely neceffary, that it would be impoffible to fupport fuch a tottering Crown without it. And therefore it would be the Intereft of the Chevalier, to fee Flanders always in the Hands of France, as he could receive Affiftance, with great Eafe, from his potent Ally, by Means of the Flemish Ports, to quell any Attempts of the Friends of Liberty to recover their Freedom: And it would be the Intereft of France to foment all our domeftick Divifions, at least not to take away the Cause of them, in order to keep the Crown of Great Britain ftill dependant.-So that in fact, the Chevalier would be little better than a Vice-Roy, or Lord Lieutenant, under the Grand Monarch; and the Brittish Subjects would actually be in a much worfe State, than if they were under an immediate French Government. VII. THERE

ture none others could dare to appear) would then determine, whether they fhould pay the publick Creditors, or fhare the Spoils among themfelves. And it is eafy to refolve which they would chufe to do.

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