Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 11.djvu/215

Rh enemy. I pity poor deluded creatures, that have for seventeen years been acting against all their principles, and the liberty of this nation, without leaving so much salt as to keep the body of them sweet: for there has not been one good bill, during that term of years, which they have not opposed in the house of commons: contrary to the practice of those very few dissenters which were in the parliament in king Charles the Second's time, who thereby united themselves to the country gentlemen, the advantage of which they found for many years after. But now they have listed themselves with those, who had first denied our Saviour, and now have sold them.

I have written this only to show you, that I am ready to do every thing that is practicable, to save people who are bargained for by their leaders, and given up by their ministers: I say, their ministers; because it is averred and represented, that the dissenting ministers have been consulted, and are consenting to this bill. By what lies and arts they are brought to this, I do not care to mention; but, as to myself, the engineers of this bill thought they had obtained a great advantage against me: finding I had stopped it in the house of commons, they thought to bring me to a fatal dilemma, whether it did, or did not pass. This would have no influence with me; for I will act what I think to be right, let there be the worst enemies in the world of one side or other. I guess, by your letter, that you do not know that the bill yesterday passed both houses, the lords having agreed to the amendments made by the commons; so that there is no room to do any thing upon that head. What