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Who then, can take Allegiance in the contracted and abufed Senfe of our high Justice? Allegiance is, and can be, no more, than a due Obfervance of the Law, to which King and People are equally, mutually bound. The King is to obferve, fulfil, maintain, and execute the Law, on his Part, with Juftice and Mercy; and to this, he fwears, at his Coronation, as a Renewal of the ORIGINAL COMPACT between the King and People. And the People, on their Part, are bound to honor and obey the King, under the Law, not otherwise.

Now, can any Man, below the Rank of a Chief Justice of the King's Bench, in Ireland, put any other Construction on Allegiance, than this, without coming under the Imputation of being a Stranger, or an Enemy, to the Principles of our Government, by which alone, the present Establishment can be vindicated and fupported? Was it not, by the juft Obfervance of thefe Principles, by taking Allegiance in this true and natural Senfe, that our Ancestors have, more than once, rescued their Country, from the oppreffive Paws, nay, from the devouring Jaws, of Tyrants, and their most dangerous Tools, dependent, fervile and corrupt Judges? By exerting thefe Principles, it furely was, that We were enabled to cut off, or expel, fome of those Monsters, which, in his Lordship's Stile, were the fole Owners or Proprietors of the Laws, facred Monarchs, the Lord's Annointed, and whofe Perfons were held inviolable; by thefe, We were enabled to get rid of the destructive and deteftable Notions of bereditary Tyranny, Jure Divino; and by these, We had the national Conftitution revived, and the Reins of Government reftored and committed to the Hands of a PARLEMENTARY KING, who alone can be the lawful and rightful Governor of our Common-Wealths, with all due Deference and Submiffion to the Irish Chief Justice's ftrong Attachment to abfolute Monarchy.

Here, I take Leave of this righteous Judge, hoping, I may have Occafion for no further Intercoufe with him, until, by the Humanity of fome Man in Power, my Character and the true State of my Cafe are made known to his MAJESTY, by whofe Grace and Clemency, I hope to be fome Time, fo effectually fended from the lawless Power of this Judge, that I may, without Dread, ftand before him, and

approve

* Soon after this learned Judge completed thefe extraordinary Services, with matchlefs Zeal; he became fo odious and contemptible in the Eyes of the Populace, that it was judged expe

approve mine Innocence and Loyalty, by a fair and legal Trial, in the Face of my Country, as I can, in the Sight of the Almighty. — I ask, I wish, no more.

If any Man can now think the Disloyalty and corrupt Principles of this Judge, as well as his extrajudicial Procedings againft the Author, not fufficiently expofed, let him confult the following Papers: For, more can not be here fayed, without falling too far into that, of which it was hardly poffible to keep quite clear, making Anticipations or Repetions of them.

As the weekly Paper, called, The CENSOR, was complaned of, in Parlement, and prefented by a Grand Jury of Eafter Term, 1750, it was judged proper and neceffary to republifh fuch of those, as the Author wrote, and as they bear fome Analogy to thefe, it was also thought fit to annex them +. And to fhew, that the unfortunate Author was not quite fingular in his Complaints of the evil Government of Dublin, it was deemed expedient to fubjoin, by way of Appendix, the ADDRESS of the Merchants and Traders, Citizens of Dublin, to the KING, delivered by feveral hundred subscribing Citizens, to the Lords Juftices of Ireland, on the 30th of November laft, and thence tranfmitted to Great-Britain, and prefented to his MAJESTY, at St. James's, the 25th of December following. Together, with the Declarations or Refolutions of feveral of the moft loyal and free Corporations of that City, against the Ufurpation and Tyranny of the Board of Aldermen; all in the Order of Time, in which they were refpectively publifhed, as well before, as fince, the late Election, or Impofition of Members and Common-Council, on that unfortunate City.

Thus far, with Relation to thefe Papers, and now, a Word or two for the Author. He is fo unfortunate, as to be charged with the unpardonable Crime of having malicioully expofed, or misreprefented, the Conduct of fome Men, long fince dead and buried in Oblivion, and that, with the fole, wicked Intent, to caft Reflections on their virtuous, furviving Iffue.

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This

dient to let him retire, with the ufual Wages of Prostitution, a Penfion upon the abufed Public. And fure Ireland is not much to be envied her long black Lift of Penfioners, in which fome of her wort Enemies ftand foremost !

+ Several of thefe Papers were inferted by the Editor, in the Publication of which, the Author was neither concerned nor confulted.

This Accufation alone, were it well founded, should be enough to ruin him in the Eyes of the Humane and Benevolent. But, it is fo far the Reverse of Truth, that he challenges his Enemies to point out a fingle Inftance of this Guilt.

It is true, he always aimed at telling fuch Truths, as regarded the publick Weal, without the leaft Concern, whether or not, or whom, they pleafed or difpleafed. He charged every Mal-adminiftration, on which he might with Safety touch, where it juftly lay, quite regardlefs of the dead or living, that might be offended at the Recital. He related and recited many hiftorical Facts, with the fame Views, and upon the like Motives and Principles. But, when he found any of the living, running into the hateful and deftructive public Vices of their Ancestors, he expofed the Vices of the Ancestors, whether dead or living, and gave a proper Caution against repofing Confidence in the Progeny of fuch, as, not onely, attempted to juftify, but even embraced, the moft wicked and infamous Meafures of their Parents, or Predeceffors. This, I will venture to affirm, is the utmost his carping Enemies can, with any Appearance of Reafon or Truth, charge upon him, in this Respect. And, whether this be criminal, or the Duty of a public Writer, is fubmitted to every honeft and judicious Heart. Though, if he had had the Misfortune to run into these Errors, the View, with which alone he could have done it, the Service of the Publick, at the Expence of his own Interest and Peace, would furely obtain him fome Excuse, This, at the worft, must be the Cafe, if any Credit is given to the following Declarations.

I moft folemnly declare, in the Prefence of God and the World, that, as far as a Man can fay, he knows his own Heart, my fole Motive for entering into, or interfering in, the Disputes between the Commons and Aldermen of Dublin, and in endeavoring to reftore the Freedom of Elections, in general, of thofe of Members of Parlement, in particular, for that City, was a tender Senfe of the indifpenfable Duty of every Citizen and Subject, to preferve his own Privileges, and thofe of his City and Country, for the Honor and Intereft of the King and People, which I have ever looked upon as invariable and infeparable. And, that in all I have done, upon this Occafion, I have had no private Refentment, Pique, or Prejudice, to any Man, or Body of Men, but, to the beft of my Knowledge and Ability, labored for the common Good of the whole Community, with

out

out the left Influence or Biafs from Party or Faction. And, though fome have been malignant enough to charge me, clandeftinely, with offering private Injuries to Individuals, Í moft folemnly proteft and declare, that I never did, knowingly, or defignedly, in Thought, Word, or Deed, injure or annoy any Man, unprovoked, nor, in any Senfe, invade the known Property of any Perfon whatsoever.

One Thing further is neceffary to be cleared up. I, therefore, beg the Reader's Indulgence to declare, that it is not from any Defire to recriminate upon these uncharitable Men, my moft mercilefs Enemies, nor to revenge the fevere and irreparable Injuries, they have done me and my Family, that I republifh these Papers: For, though I am not altogether fuch a Worm, as to bear being trod on, without turning; yet, Juftification, not Revenge, is the Object of my present Wifhes. But my greateft Anxiety arifes from the fatal Wounds given my City and Country. And yet, though I wifh for nothing more, than to fee the unjuft Enemies of both, for ever ftripped of all Means of annoying either; my Conduct in Dublin, while I ftruggled under the infupportable Weight of illicit Power there, might, I think, have convinced them, that I was fo far from feeking, that I prevented, their Deftruction, at the Hazard of mine own. And even now, that it has pleased the ALMIGHTY, in Part, to hear the Prayers of that poor oppreffed People, by bringing the chief Author, or Promoter, of the heaviest of their late Calamities, to fome Portion of that Shame and Difgrace, that his Adminiftration deserved; yet, do I look upon him with no less Pity, now he is fallen, than I held him in Contempt, in the Heighth of his abused Power *.

Given at WESTMINSTER, the prefent Place of my Pilgrimage, March 17th, 1750.

C. LUCAS.

* I may be now allowed to carry this Declaration further; I never was nor could be angry with any Man for barely differing in Sentiments from me, when the Difference appeared to have arofe from pure Conviction. It is onely at the Perverseness or Corruption of mine Adverfaries, I am provoked. But, now that I have lived to be convinced, that many of my Perfecutors are afhamed and forry for what they have done to me, particularly this late great Officer, who, I am affured, confeffes his having received very falfe Impreffions, which made him go the Lengths he did against me, I am refolved, as foon as poffible to forget," as I heartily forgive, the matchlefs Injuries offered me. But, for the Wounds given my bleeding Country, it is no more in my Power to forgive them than to heal them. Thefe I commit to

Heaven.

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To

To the RIGHT HONORABLE the

LORD MAYOR,

The WORSHIPFUL the

ALDERMEN and COMMON-COUNCIL,

And the most WORTHY

CITIZENS

Of the HONORABLE CITY of

NDON,

A DEDICATORY

ADDRESS.

May it please YOUR LORDSHIP and HONORS!

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DDRESSING your honorable and moft refpectable Degree of Arrogance, in one, who has the Misfortune to be utterly unknown to You. But, I flatter my self, that when my Motives and Intentions are confidered, I can not fail of obtaining Pardon from your Wifdom and Humanity.

The two Tyrants of moft univerfal and defpotic Sway, Indigence and Cuftom, have prescribed, Time immemorial, that every Book should be ushered into the World, by that commonly falfe and flattering Herald, a Dedication.

Had ALL-WISE PROVIDENCE judged it fit to enable me to encounter other Tyrants, as well as I can oppose these; I fhould now hardly have Occafion to roam in Exile, nor fhould I probably have the Honor of addreffing my felf thus to the chief Magiftrate and moft venerable Council and Worthy CITIZENS of the CAPITAL of Great-Britain.

Tyrants

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