SOME ADVICE, &c.

Gentlemen,

Since the first Institution of your Society, I have always thought you capable of the greatest Things. Such a number of Persons, Members of Parliament, true Lovers of our Constitution in Church and State, meeting at certain times, and mixing Business and Conversation together, without the Forms and Constraint necessary to be observed in Publick Assemblies, must very much improve each others Understanding, correct and fix your Judgment, and prepare your selves against any Designs of the opposite Party. Upon the opening of this Session, an Incident hath happen’d, to provide against the Consequences whereof will require your utmost Vigilance and Application. All this last Summer the Enemy was working under Ground, and laying their Train; they gradually become more frequent and bold in their Pamphlets and Papers, while those on our side were drop’d, as if we had no farther occasion for them. Some time before an Opportunity fell into their Hands, which they have cultivated ever since; and thereby have endeavoured, in some sort, to turn those Arts against us, which had been so effectually employ’d to their Ruin: A plain Demonstration of their superior Skill at Intrigue; to make a Stratagem succeed a second time, and this even against those who first try’d it upon Them. I know not whether this Opportunity I have mentioned could have been prevented by any Care, without straining a very tender Point, which those chiefly concern’d avoided by all means, because it might seem a Counterpart of what they had so much condemn’d in their Predecessors. Though it is certain the two Cases were widely different; and if Policy had once got the better of good Nature, all had been safe, for there was no other Danger in view: But the Consequences of this were foreseen from the beginning, and those who kept the Watch had early warning of it. It would have been a Master-Piece of Prudence, in this Case, to have made a Friend of an Enemy. But whether that were possible to be compass’d, or whether it were ever attempted, is now too late to enquire.