Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 9.djvu/158

148 in this last letter, is, where the drapier affirms, that, if a rebellion should prove so successful as to fix the pretender on the throne of England, he would venture so far to transgress the Irish statute, which unites Ireland to England under one king, as to lose every drop of his blood to hinder him from being king of Ireland.

I shall not presume to vindicate any man, who openly delares he would transgress a statute; and a statute of such importance: but, with the most humble submission and desire of pardon for a very innocent mistake, I should be apt to think, that the loyal intention of the writer, might be at least some small extenuation of his crime; for in this I confess myself to think with the drapier.

I have not been hitherto told of any other objections against that pamphlet; but I suppose, they will all appear at the prosecution of the drapier. And I think, whoever in his own conscience believes the said pamphlet to be wicked and malicious, seditious and scandalous, highly reflecting upon his majesty and his ministers, &c. would do well to discover the author (as little a friend as I am to the trade of informers) although the reward of 300l. had not been tacked to the discovery. I own, it would be a great satisfaction to me to hear the arguments not only of judges, but of lawyers upon this case. Because you cannot but know, there often happen occasions, wherein it would be very convenient that the bulk of the people should be informed how they ought to conduct themselves; and therefore it has been the wisdom of the English parliaments to be very reserved in limiting the press. When a bill is debating in either house of parliament there, nothing is