member of our society, as well for his own marvelous and delectable compositions; as for the encouragement he has given our brethren, whereby many excellent pieces have been made publick; is was also notorious for the opprobium, it occasionally throws on some other worthy patrons and brethren, such as the sweet savour'd Mr. Heydegger, the Rev. and modest Mr. Henley, and the witty Dr Zoilus. He adds the book is much worse, tho' it had met with unmerited success. Then quotes several verses, and from thence takes occasion to satyrize other dramatick performances, that have been lately introduced upon the stage;
The last couplet he quotes, is,
Confesses, that upon consulting the book of martyrs, he does not find any member of their society amongst them, their brethren always discreetly concluding, that whenever either senfe or religion begun to pinch them, they were immediately to be thrown off, like a straight pair of shoes.
Free Briton, Thursday, Feb. 25. No. 65.
IN this paper the author considers the natural relation of his Majesty's German dominions to the interests of Great Britain. As they are no parcel of the British Crown, nor sway'd by our laws, so they are not entitled to our protection: but as a country in friendship with us, as a barrier against popery, they deserve our support and assistance.
Holland, he says, is a part of our national care, as a bulwark against the princes of the continent, that the King of Great Britain, as Elector of Hanover, can protect this useful and inseparable ally from the attempts of the princes of the Lower Circles of the Empire.
Observes, that K. William thought the house of Hanover, and their dominions, highly serviceable to the liberties of Europe.
That the Act of Settlement is no argument against the truth of his assertion.
That it seems to have been the opinion of the legislature, that a prince succeeding to a great kingdom possess'd of foreign dominions, would rather make the interests of the lesser country subservient to the greater, than the greater to the less.
That the legislature made themselves judges of this interest by limiting the prerogative, and by restraining the King from engaging in any war on account of foreign dominions without the consent of parliament, not that he should never engage in any at all.
That K. James I. was stigmatiz'd with infamy for suffering the Palatine Electorate to be swallow'd up in pursuance of the ban of the Empire.
That the case with respect to the Electorate of Hanover is the same, and more justly claims our care, than ever the Palatinate did. 'Tis a protestant Electorate, threatned by the same power, with the fame usage, and on our account.
That in all our quarrels with the Emperor he will most likely execute his vengeance on such of our allies as are nearest to him, which are this Electorate, and the Dutch republick.
As to the objection of keeping up an army for the defence of an ally, when he was not invaded, he answers, that Q. Elizabeth did the same in the Netherlands, at and after the war between the Dutch and Spaniards.
Refers these objectors to the present state of Sweden, whose King, as Landgrave, never suffers his Hessian and Swedish interests to interfere.
Quotes an argument from a pamphlet, entitled, Considerations on the
