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EVIDENCE of FACTS,



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N T A I N I N G



An Impartial VIEW of PARTIES at Home,
and AFFAIRS Abroad.



>no quo fcelefti ruith ? Aut cur dexteris

Aptantur enfes condlti ?
Non ut fuperbas ireoidts Cartbaginis;

Romanus arces ureret :
Sed ut, fecundum vota Partborum, fua

Urbs h<zc perlret dextera.
Neque hie lupis mos 9 nee fult honilus

Unquam nifi in difpar feris.
Furorne cescus, an rapit vis acrior :

An culpa ? Refponfum date.
Tacent) &? era pallor albus inficit,

Mentefque perculftz Jtupent.

Hor. Epod. Od. Vlli

The SECOND EDITION.



LONDON:

Printed for J. ROBERTS^ \nWarwlck-Lane, M.DCC.XLIIH









ERRATA.

PAge 147. line 35. inftead of Influence upon the Leglflaturg
read Influence upon the other Members of the Legtflature ;
p. 171. 1. 42. inftead of by read thro 1 ; p. 173. 1. 6. dele late;
p. 174. 1. 43. inftead of fomented read inflamed.



Faction Detected,

B Y T H E

EVIDENCE of FACTS.



OPPOSITION to the Meafures of Government,
whether good or bad, is no new thing in this or
any other Country, where the People have any
Share in the Legiflature. For wherever that
Circumftance is found, the Materials for the Advancement of
private Views abundantly occur : And in proportion to the
Importance of fuch a Country, Subjects ambitious of Prefer-
ment have more Incentives to urge them on to Purfuits of this
Nature, more InftrBments to aflift them in their Undertaking,
and more Pretexts to delude and to impofe upon the Multitude.
The Employments in fuch a Country muft of Neceffity be
numerous and lucrative, the Engagements of the Publick fre-
quent and expensive, the Dangers from its Neighbours
greater, their Jealoufy and Ill-will more to be apprehended,
and consequently with more Privacy and Caution counteracted.
This enables artful Men to raife Murmurs againft the moft ne-
cefTary Charges of the State, and to quarrel with the beft
Means of Publick Security with a manifeft Advantage, be-
caufe it is eafy to difpute the Wifdom of Meafures, which can
never be intirely difclofed, till they are fully executed ; and
the Poifbn infufed into the People has performed its Operation
before the Nature of the thing can pofiibly admit a Detection
of the Falfities and Mifreprefentations employed againft them ;
while the Pablick, already prejudiced, never give themfelves
the Trouble to examine what is paft ; either taking more De-
light in the Difcovery of Error, than in the Purfuit of Truth ;
or not having the Means furnifhed with equal Induftry, or being
diverted by fome frem Objection, ftarted to fome new Conduct.
In proportion to the Riches of any Country, Poverty be-
comes more preffing upon many by a natural Contraft. In all
fuch Countries the Wretched are certainly more wretched than
in others which flourifh lefs ; becaufe the Neceflaries of Life
are dear, and not to be had without that Induftry, which

Numbers

# >,/ -..^s KV<~\ .-' <r

fe^A. /COO



(6)

Numbers will be found to want, in all Place's, however op-
portune the Means of Employment may be ; and Men of this
Ipnd may be induftrions in a Fa&ion, which is carried on by
Noife, Drunkennefs and Riot, when they can be fo in nothing
elfe. In all trading Countries the Profpect of Gain allures
many to adventurous Undertakings above their Abilities, by
which fome muft be undone, and thefe never fail to attribute
to Mifmanagements of Government, thofe Evils which arife

from their own Sloth, Incapacity or Avarice. Again, in

fuch Countries, the Luxury of fome induces others to follow
them in the fame Expence, to the Ruin of themfelves and of
their Families, and the Generality of thefe unite in Views of

a like Nature,. As in all populous Countries, from a Variety

of Diftrefs, fuch Objects muft be very numerous ; fo from the
very Numbers of a People alone, Faction always derives a
great Advantage, fince from the Difference of Difpofitions,
with which Men are born into the World, fome will infallibly
arife from time to time, framed by Nature itfelf of a reftlefs
and difcontented Temper ; form'd, whether they have Caufe
for it or not, to be as well a Torment to themfelves, as a

Plague to the Society in which they live. Nor can Oppo-

fition, right or wrong, want even Property to gild it over
and to grace it ; for Men arifing from the loweft Level of the
People, 2nd advancing into confiderable and eafy Fortunes, are
by a natural Confequence, too often led to confpire againft that
very Felicity, Peace, Quiet and Profperity, to which alone they

have owed their Exigence. Arrogance and Pride, without

a more than common Share of Underftanding, are the univerfal
Product of all hafty Advancement. Thefe Men repine at
what they never before had Leifure to confider ; that there is
ftill a certain Difference between their Condition and that of
another Rank, which they cannot remedy by all their Efforts to

exceed them in Expence. This fomething, which they

find ftill wanting, fours them with their own State, and in-
clines them to fall in with any popular Difcontent ; partly,
to gratify their Vanity in infulting thofe above them j and
partly, to create a Chaos, out of which they hope to emerge
tipon a Level with thofe thev envy.- From whence the Ob-
fervation holds moft true, That all Nations, in proportion
to their Increafe, grow turbulent and factious, and from thte
Quarter arife thofe levelling Schemes, in the Contention for
which, fooneror later, Anarchy enfues ; and in procefsof time,
the Lofs of that real Liberty, whofe facred Name is fo often
fpecioufly prophaned by Malice and Ambition. Even Liberty
itfeifj the, more perfect it is, produces thefe EiFe&s more ftronghy ;

for



( 7)

for Wantonnefs and Lieentioufnefs, which are its evil Genii,
tempt all depraved Tempers to abufe it, and expofe many to the
Laflj pf the Laws, and to the juft Indignation of Power ; which
none, who feel, forgive, however they deferve it. At the fame
time, the natural Tendancy in all Mankind to expect more Favour
than they merit, provokes unjuft Refentments againft Govern-
ment, and a certain Infirmity (of which we all in fome De-
gree partake) to be uneafy with what we have, and to endea-
vour after more, inclines Multitudes, either out of Views of
private Benefit to themfelves, or general Views of Encreafe of
Privilege to the Order in which they ftand, to follow any Set

of Men, who take the Lead in Oppofition of any kind.

All thefe move by a fecret Principle to that Quarter where it
erects its Standard, be it juft or unjuft, be it to fave or to de-
ftroy their Country.

It is obvious from hence, and it is a Truth that cannot be dif-
puted, however it may affeft the Credit of many pretended Pa-
triots, that the difcontented Party of all Denominations confift
in general of Men of no Principle, and of very unworthy Cha-
racter. Its Root is always the fame ; but indeed its Effe&s
are very different. It becomes in fome Conjunctures of very
beneficial Confequence, when it is led by Men of honeft Views ;
and equally pernicious in others, when conducted by Men of a
different Character. In the firft Cafe, it is ah Oppofition ; in the
fecond it is a Fafiion.

Faction is of two kinds in this Country. Oppofition led by

Republicans ; and Oppofition led by Jacobites ; Of the two

great Parties into which this Nation has been long divided
the IVhigs (though not Republicans] have formerly joined the

firft the Tories ( though not 'Jacobites ) do conftantly

abet the laft. They who know the Nature of this Country,

who are acquainted with our Hiftory, need no Definition or
Defcription of thefe two Parties, and all who are capable of
Obfervation and Refle&ion can eafily trace the Reafons or*
their refpe&ive Conduct. It is therefore fufficient for us in
this Place, that this is a Fat, which cannot be denied ; and
without a zealous Attachment of one or other of thefe two
Parties, Faction is incapable of doing much Prejudice to
Britain.

A Fa&ion of the former kind once deftroyed the Liberties
and Conftitution of this Nation. It grew up unobferved with
the great Improvements of its Commerce, and was nourifhed
in the uncommon Meafure of Profperity, which arofe from a
long Tranquillity, and a wonderful Encreafe of Wealth
after the Difcovery of the Wejl-Indie^ which diffufed itiel

'



through the Comtnons^ and gave them Ability to contend with
a Prince^ who, ignorant of this new acquired Vigour of the
People, and vainly fond of Power, provoked it by avowed At-
tempts to introduce an abfolute Authority.

This Faction, by the Imprudence of that Prince, appeared
at firft no more than an honeft Oppofition. But abetted at
length by the Majority of tne Nation, (who neither perceived
how dangerous it was, ner could have well avoided joining
with it, if they had, to preferve themfelves againft the violent
Attack then made upon their Freedom,) grew too ftrong both
for the Prince and for the Laws. The miserable Confequences
that it brought upon us are related at large in the Hiftories of
England from 1642 to 1660.

Thefe Evils of Faction in a Republican Form, prevented its
Revival again in the fame Shape. The People of Engla nd had
(fince the Union of the two Houfes of York and Lancafter}
never feen it in another. They therefore feared it in no other.
This gave it Opportunity to fhew itfelf in a new Form, and
Oppofition became again a Faction in the Reign of the late King
William^ and a Faction of a much more dangerous Nature than
the firft.

For whereas the Republicans, who are the Leaders of the firft
Faction, are in this Country little more than Whigs overheated
by Oppreffion, and an extravagant Abufe of Power j as in rea-
lity there is very little of that Principle exifting among Men of
Property and Fortune, and as it is chiefly confined to Men of an
inferior Clafs ; they may be eafily brought to moderate their
Views by what it is in the Power of every honeit Government
to apply : But the Leaders of the fecond Faction fet out with
Expectations, that no Government, without being felo de ft,
can gratify. For they fet out upon the View of changing the
Prince upon the Throne, and in neceflary Confequence to
transform the Conftitutioq and Religion of the Kingdom.

In a word, a Jacobite Faction aflumed the Shape of Oppofi-
tion in that Reign ; that is, the People under the Circumftances
I have mentioned, and the Difcontented of all Denominations
acted in a Party, directed either fecretly or openly by Leaders,
whofe Views intended the Reftoration of King Jatties II. or of
his Family.

Now that this Faction was more dangerous than that which
had appeared before, is farther manifeft from hence. That the
Republicans profejjed a Principle, and of a kind, which led them
to do very great and glorious things. Their Zeal was indeed
miftaken, but it clafhed in its Purfuit, neither with the Honour
nor the Independency of their Country, a,nd the Strength of

this



( 9 )

this Party lay in the Acceflion of thofe who had the
Share of Senfe and Honefty. They were therefore fteady in
every Conjuncture to defend the 'Nation againft its Enemies ar
broad, and particularly againft its moft dangerous Enemy of all
the French ; and unlefs in Times of extream and rare Necefli-
ty, were deferted conftantly by their Auxiliaries the Whigs* be-
fore they could bring their Scheme to any mature Effedt.

But the "Jacobite Faftion profejjed no Principle at all, or fuch
asdeferves the Name of none.They had indeed a View, but it
was private Title, the Intereft of one Man, and of one Family.
An Object in itfelf unworthy any Party, and criminal too in
the higheft Degree, in this Inftance, becaufe it was the private
Title, and the Intereft of a Man and Family, who by their E-
ducation and Religion were nourifhed in a fatal Enmity to their
Country. Thefe Men therefore, from the indifpenfible Nature
ofthis their firft View, could be animated withnogood Sentiment
for the Publick, and from the Circumftances of their Cafe, were
obliged to aflift the Ambition, fupport the Power, and abet the
Views of France^ by whofe Force alone they could hope to bring
their Point to bear. Their Oppofition therefore tended in every
Step todeftroy the Honour and Independency of their own Cpun?-
try. The Strength of their Party lay in the Acceffion of thofe
who were the weakeft and moft difhoneft Men ; for who elfe
could join in fuch a View as this ; and therefore as all who fur-
nifhed them Afiiftance muft be either tainted in their Principles
to their Country, or wrong in their Heads before they could en-
gage with them, their Conduct was eonftant, or wilful Error;
and thus their Auxiliaries the Tories, if ever they feparated from
their Faction, never did it till it was almoft too late, and ncvex
faw that they were deceived, or that they blindly concurred to
the Ruin of their Country, till that Ruin was at the very Gate.

It is vifible from hence, that there is much lefs Danger from
a Republican than from a "Jacobite ; or in fofter Terms, from a
Whig than from a Tory Oppofition. A Whig Oppofition is there-
fore that alone with which the People for many Years have
ventured to concur, and the only one with which they canj^r
a Moment concur fafely. ^ ..;

But even when they follow this, they are not always without
Danger. For when Oppofition under any Title riles high, and
becomes formidable, demanding fuch Terms, as Government
is honcftly under equal and real Difficulty either to grant or
to refufe, the Symptoms are ftrong, and the Sufpicion gene-
rally juft, that fuch an Oppofition is converted into Faction.
Nor can the Generality of Men diftinguifh eafily of what
Species it may be j for both the RtfcubLican Principles, and

tha



,. , t.^jg " I A! "**-*

the *Jcccbilc J r icws, being long fmcefufficiently detected, and be-
ing there-lore both become deferrable to all honeft Men ; both
the one and the other are extreamly careful not to avow their
refpe&ive Pur fu its. When they take off the Mafk with greateft
Freedom, the Republicans denominate their P'a&ion by no harfher
'Name than that of a Whig, nor the Jacobites than that of a Tory
Oppcfition. - Nor would the Tfhigs be brought to fupport the
one, nor the Tories to abet the other without this Artifice ; and
")et by this Delufton of Names, both Parties have been at diffe-
rent Times led on till they have very near deftroyed the Con-
ftitution. In far., every Faction will, without Scruple, affume
any Appellation to impofe upon Mankind j and the moft inve-
terate Jacobite Faction, to carry its View, will profefs to act
upon a Whig Principle, when that becomes the favourite Princi-
ple, as it is at this Time. An Oppofition therefore may become
Republican or Jacobite, when the Vulgar little conceive it to be
either. The Judgment muft be formed not upon what Men call
themfelves, but upon what they do, upon what they at, upon
what is the vifible Tendency of their Meafures and Purfuits.
Whether they are a Faction or not, or of what Species their
Faction is, can be determined only by their Conduct, and may
be infallibly determined by that means. Now the Criterion
of a Whig Conduct, is (as may be collected from what we have
already obferved) to refijt and reduce the Power , and the Crite-
rion of a Jacobite or Tory Faction, direflly or indireftly, to aj/t/?,
encourage, and fupport the Interefls of France.

This I have premifed to give a general Idea of the Nature of
Oppofition, and of Faction in this Country, that I may with
more Facility lay open to the Publick what I have to offer as to
the Oppofition of this Time -and which I think it my Duty
to offer, becaufe I will be bold to affirm, that they are grofsly de-
ceived in it, and that inftead of purfuing a Whig Oppofition,
which they conceive it to be, they now abet and fupport a Tory
Opposition, and a Jacobite Faff ion, -which from the CircumJJances
of this Time, and the Impudence of its proceeding, is become more
dangerous than ever that Faff ion yet has been in this Nation.

Had this been afierted two Years ago, it would have met
with nothing but Ridicule, and it would have been impoffible
to have induced the Majority of the People of England to have
believed that the Jacobites could have ever given this Country
any Uneafinefs again. The Reafon is very evident.

All the ill Humours of the Nation collected together had,
for feveral Years laft paft, combined a very ftrong Oppo-
fition ; but this Oppofition was led by Whigs, l>y Men
known to be of this Principle, and they" had the 'Aicendant

- both



( II )

both by their fuperier Abilities and Experience, and by the
Turn of the Nation, to fuch a Degree, that they kept down
all Efforts of the Jacobites. They direfted the Means of Op-
pofition ; and the Tendency was therefore to Points wholly
free from any Symptoms of that kind. The Tories and Jaco-
bites fullenly worked on under thefe Leaders, and could never
attain any Degree of Influence over Men of better Parts, and
better Principles ; they knew not directly whither they were
going, but they hoped towards Confufion, and that they might
have a Chance to work out fomething if that Confufion fhould
arife. The People at the Beginning of that Oppofition, which
lafted near twenty Years, were living in great Numbers, who
remembered the Conduft of this Faftion in the Reign of King
fl&liam and Queen Anne.- They remembered how, after King
William was ieated upon the Throne, and after being grown
deteftable by various Attempts of Plots and Aflaflinations, they
had been obliged to foften their true Name .into that of Tory*
how under that Title they had difclaimed their fecret Tenet, and
profefled only to maintain certain Opinions as to Church and
Ssatej which had been plaufibly introduced among the People in
the great Rebellion by the Clergy, and inculcated from the
Pulpit, to make a Party againft the violent Doctrines of the Re-
publicans of that Time. The wrong Opinions of the one be-
got thofe wrong Opinions of the other : And though the Paf-
fion of the firft had been difgraced by the Iffue of that Rebel-
lion, the Nonfenfe of the other had not yet difgraced itfelf fo
far The Prefiyterians had ruined both the Church and Mo-
narchy ; but the High Churchmen had not brought in Popery
and arbitrary Power, they had even afiifted (at laft) in fome De-
gree at the Revolution to keep it out The Publick in general
were not able to judge but of what they faw ; and they did
not fee how near they were to have done both before they had
the Senfe to ftop, nor how they were puzzled to reconcile their
Nonfenfe with that Conduct. Thefe therefore were the favourite
Party of that Time. Of thefe the Jacobites laid hold :- -All this
the People, during the late Oppofition, faw very clearly ; (for
many, as I have obferved, were at the Commencement of it
living, when the Jacobites, thus under the Name of Tories,
led the Oppofition of that Time ;) how the Pecple were de-
luded by it ; whither they were carried, and what Pretences
they had ufed.

They remembered that this Fa&ion fet out with a furious
pretended Zeal for Monarchy , Nan - Rcjiflance, and Heredi-
tary Right j they remembered how they ftirred up the People

B a with,



( 12 )

with Imaginary Degrees about -the Church ; they remembered
above ail the infamous Endeavours ufed to diftrefs the Govern-
ment' in its Attempt to reduce the Poiver 0/" France, and to pre-
sent the Exertion of our own Weight to maintain the Ballance
of Europe. -The various Means exercifed by different Perfons
at the lame time according to their different Capacities to effect
this End, and according to the different Capacities of thofe upon
whom they pratifed~ fometimes pretending that we had nothing
to do with Affairs upon the Continent- fometimes that the
View of reducing France was impracticable, that the Expencc
was not poffible to be borne, that our Trade was ruined - fome-
times that France was really not dangerous - - equally magnify-
ing every S iccefs of that Power to terrify, equally mifreprefent-
ing every Defeat to betray their Countrymen into a falfe Secu-
rity -ridiculing every Meafure that was taken for that End
inhnuating, that the King was a Dutchman^ and had only the
Intereft of Holland at Heart that every Alliance was made for
the Intereft of the Dutch alone that the Nation was beggared
for a Foreign View that the King delighted in War, becaufe
it afforded a Pretext to maintain great Armies that Holland
was not yet attacked, and the French King, whatever he pro-
po r ed, could never be rafh enough to attempt thatat leaft that
till he did attempt it, this Nation had no Reafon to flir, nor
any thing to fear.

They remembered this Conduct, and they rem-embered how
by poifoning the People by thefe 'and an Infinity ot other falfe
Infmuations, and by Mifreprefcntations of the Expence which
they themfelves rendered infinitely more grievous, by the Ob-
ftruclkm given to the Supplies, and the Neceffity, which pro-
ceeded from thence, of borrowing large Sums at high Intereft,
they laid the firft Foundation for the Debt under which the Na-
tion yet laboursThat by thefe Means they at length reduced
the King to the Neceflity of confenting to the Partition Treaty,
for which they reviled and abufed him, and raifed the Ferment
of the People upon him, though it was the Infant of their own
Faction -That by this means they preferved France in the Ze-
jiith of her Power, at leifure to prepare againft the Death of the
King of Spain, an Event which was expected every Day That
though the Profpe^t of a new War was ib immediate and ib cer-
tain, they forced the Reduction of the Army to feven thoufand
Men i fo that when the War of 1702 broke'out, before the
Grand Alliance could take place, by the Management of thefe
"faithful and fteady Friends of France* that Prince was enabled
to make an entire Seizure of the Spanijh Monarchy, and .to
Jftrengthen bim&lf tofuch Point, 35 tp carry on a War againft

moft



( 13 )

taoft of the Powers of Europe for twelve fucceffive Years, to
which England alone contributed above Seventy Millions.

They remembered farther, (though this pernicious Conduft
had eftranged the Nation from them for a time, and had caft
the Administration of Affairs into the Hands of the Whigs ;
during which whole Period, this Nation was attended with the
moft amazing Series of Succeffes ever read of in Hiftory j) that
the fame Men continued the fame Practices, till by low Arts,
they had frightned, and by infamous Infinuations gained botty
upon her and upon the People, ftill concealing their grand View
till they had got into the Adminiftration.

They remembered farther (though it feems to be forgotten
now) what they did when they came there. That they be-
trayed the Faith of this Nation and deferted their Allies*
That they did it with Circumftances, which clearly proved
their Intention to yield them up a Sacrifice to France.-

That they made a feparate and an infamous Peace, by which
they faved France from inevitable and immediate Ruin, and
caft away that immenfe Treafure, which had been expended in
the War, entailing a future Expence ftill greater even than that
they had thus iniquitoufly thrown away ; expofmg us to greater
Danger than we had even then efcaped, laying a Foundation
for her Advancement to a much higher Point of Power, and
preventing at the fame time, by their Perfidy to the Confede-
rates, as far as in them lay, all Probability of the fame Union
to obftruct her Views again.

They remembered how clearly and how fteadily this Plan
of ferving France, had been purfued, and how it was brought
to its full Effect. And they remembered how near their
Grand View, to which this was fecondary, was brought to an
Iffue too. "In what manner before the Death of the Queen,
they had deeply laid the Plot of abufing her Authority to bring
the Pretender to the Throne. How notwithstanding their a
fe&ed Loyalty to their Royal Miftrefs, by which they had not
only duped her, but deceived the Nation ; they bafely medita-
ted her Ruin, to whofe Weaknefs they owed their Advancement.
How by their dark Intrigues they broke her declining Confti-
tution and caufed her Death. The only Service they ever did
her ; fending that unhappy Princefs, by this Precipitation of
her Fate, to a better World, before fhe had experienced in this,