Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 5.djvu/406

398 recover their esteem and credit. I did, in one of my papers, overthrow this idle affected opinion, which has been a thousand times urged by those who most wished, and least believed it: I there showed the difference between a short madness of the people and their natural bent or genius. I remember, when king James II went from England, he left a paper behind him, with expressions much to the same purpose; hoping, among other things, that God would open the eyes of the nation. Too much zeal for his religion brought us then in danger of popery and arbitrary power; too much infidelity, avarice, and ambition, brought us lately into equal danger of atheism and anarchy. The people have not yet opened their eyes, to see any advantage in the two former; nor, I hope, will ever find their senses enough to discover the blessings of the two latter. Cannot I see things in another light than this author and his party do, without being blind? is my understanding lost when it differs from theirs? am I cheated, bewitched, and out of my senses, because I think those to have been betrayers of our country, whom they call patriots?

He hopes his seven correspondents will never want their places; but is in pain for the poor kingdom, lest their places should want them. Now I have examined this matter, and am not at all discouraged. Two of them hold their places still, and are likely to continue in them; two more were governors of islands: I believe the author does not imagine those to be among the places which will want men to fill them. God be thanked, a man may command the beefeaters without being a soldier; I will at any time undertake to do it myself. Then it would be a little hard,