Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 9.djvu/194

184 has been the style of some persons, whose ancestors, (I mean those among them who had any) and themselves, have been flying in princes faces these fourscore years; and from their own inclinations would do so still, if their interest did not lead them rather to fly in the face of a kingdom, which has given them wings to enable them for such a flight.

Thus, about four years ago, when a discourse was published endeavouring to persuade our people to wear their own woollen manufactures, full of the most dutiful expressions to the king, and without the least party hint, it was termed flying in the king's face; the printer was prosecuted in the manner we all remember, and I hope it will somewhere be remembered farther, the jury kept eleven hours, and sent back nine times, till they were under the necessity of leaving the prisoner to the mercy of the court, by a special verdict; the judge on the bench invoking God for his witness, when he asserted that the author's design was to bring in the pretender.

And thus also my own poor endeavours, to prevent the ruin of my country, by the admission of Wood's coin, were called by the same persons, flying in the king's face; which I directly deny: for I cannot allow that vile representation of the royal countenance, in William Wood's adulterate copper, to be his sacred majesty's face; or, if it were, my flying was not against the impression, but the baseness of the metal; because I well remembered, that the image which Nebuchadnezzar commanded to be set up for all men to fall down and worship it, was not of, but pure. And I am heartily sorry we have so few royal images of that metal among