Page:Thoughts on civil liberty, on licentiousness and faction.djvu/139

 on the contrary, delights in this most practicable, but most atrocious of all Mischiefs.—Invenomed Hints, ambiguous Imputations, private Crimes darkly alledged, but void of all Foundation:—These are the deadly Weapons of the abandoned but cunning Defamer.

Here then is a secure and ample Field for every profligate Minister of Faction: Here "he tosseth about Arrows, Firebrands, and Death; and cries, am I not in Sport?"

If a Prince, whose Words and Actions might justly be given, as an Example of Integrity to all his Subjects, should be ambiguously accused of such Things as his Honour would abhor:—

If such a Prince should be indirectly charged with Ignorance, for not distinguishing in a Point of Law, which even some of the ablest Lawyers in his Kingdom had not attended to:—

If neither the Virtues nor the Condescension of a Queen could protect her