A WORD OR TWO OF TRUTH, Addreffed to all Loving Englishmen, and which goes to the good old Tune of "Derry Down." HOME hither, dear countrymen, liften to me, COM And expofe the vile tricks of thofe fcoundrel French quacks, Whofe noftrums would make us their porters and hacks, Derry down, &c. &c. To enflave us for ages you all know they've tried, But as often we've drubb'd them, and pull'd down their pride; But in this as in t'other they'll find they're mistaken, As for vip'rous Mad Tom, he has long been our foc, He talks of our rights, of our freedom, and good, That his friends o'er the water may feize us while jangling, The defigns of their tyrants they ftill have in view, They can't bear that Britain fhould rule o'er the main. Tom Pain told them once how to ruin our fleet, Had beft catch the beast e'er they dare fell his fkin, He He rifes majestic-he ftalks to the shore- The Lion of England-how old Ocean shakes, Our tars are true-hearted, our foldiers are brave, We'll die for our King, for our Freedom, and Laws. Unite then, dear friends, and let Freedom impart, Jack, hand here that tankard of nut-brown old ftout, John Bull at his Monarch may now and then grumble, Under him and his father we've flourish'd and fought, For with God on our fide the whole earth cant confound us. The French feem to scorn him, but to us he's dear, In peace then and honour may Britons ftill fing, And blefs their Good God, their Old Laws, their Old King. God bless him, and fave him, and grant that he still, -Oh blefs him, and blefs him, and bless him again. LIBERTY AND PROPERTY PRESERVED AGAINST REPUBLICANS AND LEVELLERS. A COLLECTION OF TRACTS. NUMBER V. CONTAINING An Antidote against French Politics-A Picture of True and Falfe Liberty. LONDON: Printed and Sold by J. SEWELL, at the European Magazine Warehouse, Cowper's Court, Cornhill; J. DEBRETT, Picca dilly; and HOOKHAM and CARPENTER, Bond-Street. PRICE ONE PENNY. An ANTIDOTE AGAINST FRENCH POLITICS. AS a plain Englishman, who am not ashamed to che rish a partiality for my own country, I cannot help being heartily difgufted with the extravagant praises which have been bestowed upon Frenchmen and their politics. We have not been used to think so highly of them as a nation, and have always flattered ourselves that we ranked much above them in every folid accomplishment that can give confequence to a people. As to generofity of heart and elevation of fentiment, we leave them at an immeafurable distance behind us. To them the contrary qualities have been generally afcribed. Rapacity and faithleffnefs appear upon the records of hiftory as chargeable upon A them. them. A frivolous levity of character is the natural growth of France. It was the object of ridicule to our fathers; and our very children ftigmatize the vain and cringing coxcomb by the name of a Frenchman. I fhall perhaps be told, that these are antiquated or childish prejudices, which the liberal-minded Englishman ought to renounce. But before he renounces them, fhould he not inquire, whether they have been well-founded? The mere trick of words ought never to be taken in exchange for fubftantial and ufeful truths. The word liberality has been of late fo crammed upon us, and fo much abused by those who have it most in their mouths, that it is hard to fay what it is to be liberal. But fo far one may fay, that it is to be more than liberal to call evil good, and good evil; to furrender every idea and every motion to be moulded by thefe dictators in politics; and to make our minds like a glafs mirror, that fhall obfequioufly reflect whatever they may please to prefent before it. But these prejudices with refpect to our neighbours are ufeful, and therefore cannot with prudence be discarded by us: for, what is it that has animated our foldiers and failors in wars with the French, when fighting against great odds, but a firmness of foul as unyielding as their native oaks, and an undebauched partiality for their country? They thought themselves fuperior in the dignifying virtues that deserved to be victorious; and the very confciousness enfured them victory. For my part, I never wish to see the day when these prejudices (if they are fo to be called) shall lofe their hold upon an English heart; for if this honeft pride, this fterling patriotifm, fhould ever crouch to the cold maxims of free-thinking Reformers, we must bid an eternal farewel to that enviable importance we now have in the fcale of Europe, and even to our national independence. You may therefore very fairly, my countrymen, fufpect the foundness of their hearts or their underftandings, if they are Englishmen, who are ftudious to recommend French modes of thinking in religion and politics; and if they are Frenchmen, you may yet more abfolutely conclude, that they labour to propagate their opinions among you for the worft of purposes. The doing of good to us without any left-handed view, was ever fo rare a quality among them, that you cannot but question the integrity of their motives when they profefs to do it. It is a remark which no one has yet contefted, that nations have their character; and it may be added, that this character is often preferved for ages, and through various revolutions. While we are ftunned, therefore, by the praises lavished upon the people of France, let the still fmall voice of Hiftory be permitted to fpeak. We there learn, that even Antiquity noted those blemishes, which, if we are not quite infatuated, are ftill to be difcerned in their character. In a confpiracy which fome profligate and needy men of Rome had plotted against their country, the French nation was applied to for their fupport of the faction, as being notoriously fond of changes and tumults. The great Cæfar frequently reproves their levity, and unfteadiness of principle; as alfo does a Roman poet of the fame age. The paffage in his works, which expreffes it, had been appropriated to another people; but one honeft Frenchman who wrote notes upon the author owns that the character better agrees with the Gaulish (i. e. the French) nation, who were ever inconftant, faithlefs, lovers of change. The great orator of thofe days reprefents them as an impious, faithlefs people, natural enemies to all religion, and without any notion of the fanctity of an oath. This general opinion of their impiety among the antients, originated from a story which, with very few variations, might be told with truth of thofe who now inhabit that country. It is related that they iffued forth from their native territories in great numbers, defolating and murdering whereever they came. Allured by the richness of the Greek Temples, they difregarded the reputed fanctity of places for the fake of rioting in plunder; their leader obferving with irreligious mockery to his followers, "that the Gods had "no need of wealth, and that they should therefore give "it to men who knew how to use it better." - Is not this exactly the language of French Reformers, who have not left the facred utenfils of a Chriftian Altar unviolated by facrilege and robbery? Errors and abuses in religion may exift; but they who begin to correct by ridiculing and trampling upon all religion, can neither be acceptable to God nor benefactors to men. As we defcend to the latter and more regular accounts of their hiftorical character, we find ambition and perfidy. almoft univerfally prevailing in their councils. It is believed that their beft and greatest fovereign, Henry IV. A 2 had |