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He cannot furely entertain fo mean an Opinion of the Judgment, Understanding, or Honesty, of a British House of Commons, as to fuppofe they will be influenced by fuch a palpable Piece of Sophistry. There cannot be conceived fo daring an Infult upon the Wisdom and Integrity of that Honourable Affembly, as fuch an impudent Suppofition would imply; unlefs this fame Gentleman were to petition, that in the Decifion of this great Affair, of publick and national Concern, Regard might be had purely to his private Emolument; and that the Candidates in the New Intereft might be voted in quo jure quáque injuria, only because this humble and modest Petitioner, being likewife very poor, has a confiderable Sum of Money depending.

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AND with Regard to the real Principles of this University, they are fuch as will approve themselves to every honest unprejudiced Perfon in the Kingdom. Its very Oppofers are fatisfy'd of this, notwithstanding

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withstanding they take fuch Pain's to blacken and mifreprefent them. They know, Sir, in their own Confciences, that we are moft firmly and unalterably attach'd to the Church of England, and to its great Support, the Proteftant Succeffion. They know that our Loyalty to his prefent Majefty is as untainted as our religious Principles. I fpeak from the very Bottom of my Soul when I charge them with being convinced of this; but fuch bafe Men pay little Regard to inward Conviction. It was previously agreed upon between the Gentlemen of a certain Interest in this County, that the ftale Cry of Popery and Jacobitifm fhould be revived to serve their prefent Purposes, and to facilitate their Succefs. But furely the Univerfity might have been fpared upon this Occafion; for, in the Name of Wonder, how is this Cry fupported? The whole Body is vilified and abused for the Action of a few inconfiderate young Fellows: And that very Action, now it has been fearched to the Bottom, is found to

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be imputable to almost any Thing rather than Jacobitical Principles. But fuppofing the Charge upon them to be juft, how often muft it be infifted on to be a most flagrant Piece of Injustice, an abfolute Contradiction to Common Sense, to make the University answerable for every single Action of each individual Member? If this Way of Reasoning be admitted in one Cafe, let it be admitted in all. Our Sifter-University, it is well known, would then come in for her Share of the Charge of Difaffection, But we hope for her Sake, as well as our own, that fuch impotent Slander, fuch partial Accufations, will always meet with the Reception they deferve. In the mean Time we call upon them to prove one fingle Act of Disloyalty upon the collective Body. Even their fubtle and malicious Inventions will, I may fafely fay, be puzzled to do this. But, 'till this be done, our Character -as good Subjects, as well as in every other Respect, will ftand unfhaken and fecure. The whole Herd of

of. Sycophants, let their Combination against the Place be' never fo ftrong, and their Efforts never fo united, will in the End be baffled and confounded. Their reiterated Blows at its very Foundations will but the more powerfully engage every virtuous and impartial Man, every true Lover of Learning and his Country, in its Support; and fo be the unwilling Means of establishing it the firmer :

---Veluti annofo validam cum robore quercum Alpini Borea nunc bine, nunc flatibus illinc Eruere inter fe certant; it ftridor, & altè Confternunt terram concuffo ftipite frondes: Ipfa bæret fcopulis; & quantum vertice ad

auras

Etherias, tantum radice in Tartara tendit. VIRG.

Ar the fame Time it must be own'd it lies upon us, as we regard the good Opinion of the World in general, to wipe off those virulent Afperfions which have been fucceffively thrown upon the Place, and

particularly thofe upon the chief Magiftrate in a late Defence. Too long a Delay may in fuch a Case, it is to be feared, be construed to our Difadvantage. A Consciousness of our own Innocence and Integrity may, it is true, help to deceive us into a blameable Security. In these Times, it must be confeffed, an uncommon Degree of Circumfpection and Activity is neceffary. But the Children of this World are in their Generation wiser than the Children of Light. On the other Hand it must be conceived, we may have hitherto been partly restrained by a Tenderness for the Character of a certain Society, which has fhewn fo little to that of the whole University besides itself. Whatever Motive our Silence may be imputed to, the World may rest affured that ftrange Scenes of Iniquity will e'er long be brought to Light "Till which Time it can be no unreafonable Request to defire those who are inclined to think ill of us, to fufpend their Judgment, and entertain as favourable an Opinion of this Univerfity, for the Sake

of.

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