A WORD OR TWO OF TRUTH,

Addreffed to all Loving Englishmen, and which goes to the good old Tune of "Derry Down."

HOME hither, dear countrymen, liften to me,

COM

And expofe the vile tricks of thofe fcoundrel French quacks, Whofe noftrums would make us their porters and hacks, Derry down, &c. &c.

To enflave us for ages you all know they've tried,

But as often we've drubb'd them, and pull'd down their pride;
Tir'd out with their old trade before us of running,
They'd fain now cajole us with canting and cunning.

But in this as in t'other they'll find they're mistaken,
For I trust we shall ne'er be of God fo forfaken,
To give this fair land to fuch colleagues in evil,
As that murderer Marat, Tom Stich, and the Devil.

As for vip'rous Mad Tom, he has long been our foc,
And is leagued with all Hell to entail on us woe,
Whole years in his foul has the venom been brewing,
Which he now spurts about to accomplish our ruin.

He talks of our rights, of our freedom, and good,
But his aims be affur'd are in this understood,
For he only would fet us together a wrangling,

That his friends o'er the water may feize us while jangling,

The defigns of their tyrants they ftill have in view,
Though by different methods the end they pursue,
Conceited, pragmatical, infolent, vain,

They can't bear that Britain fhould rule o'er the main.

Tom Pain told them once how to ruin our fleet,
'Tis this which now makes him and Monfieur so sweet,
But they and their cronies in malice and sin,

Had beft catch the beast e'er they dare fell his fkin,

He

He rifes majestic-he ftalks to the shore-
His eyes flashing fire-terrific his roar-

The Lion of England-how old Ocean shakes,
As the founds thunder o'er it at which Gallia quakes.

Our tars are true-hearted, our foldiers are brave,
And who that is British will e'er be a flave,
Affifted by Heav'n in fo righteous a cause,

We'll die for our King, for our Freedom, and Laws.

Unite then, dear friends, and let Freedom impart,
Firm love of our Country to each honeft heart,
Be but true to yourselves and tho' miriads advance,
Old England fhall ne'er be a Province of France.

Jack, hand here that tankard of nut-brown old ftout,
Round with it my boys-we'll have more when 'tis out;
Oh curfe all French cut-throats, ftill, ftill let us fing.
While with Liberty bleft-So all health to the King.

John Bull at his Monarch may now and then grumble,
But will never permit bafe Seducers to Mumble,
Like man and wife, when they jar, 'tis but Peace to restore,
And far better to love, than they e'er did before.

Under him and his father we've flourish'd and fought,
And we'll act my boys as true Englishmen ought,
Our girls and our children fhall chuckle around us,

For with God on our fide the whole earth cant confound us.

The French feem to scorn him, but to us he's dear,
And while that is the cafe, we have nothing to fear,

In peace then and honour may Britons ftill fing,

And blefs their Good God, their Old Laws, their Old King.

God bless him, and fave him, and grant that he still,
May the agent be here of thy merciful will,
Our birthright to guard, our true rights to maintain,

-Oh blefs him, and blefs him, and bless him again.

LIBERTY AND PROPERTY

PRESERVED AGAINST

REPUBLICANS AND LEVELLERS.

A COLLECTION OF TRACTS.

NUMBER V.

CONTAINING

An Antidote against French Politics-A Picture of True and Falfe Liberty.

LONDON:

Printed and Sold by J. SEWELL, at the European Magazine Warehouse, Cowper's Court, Cornhill; J. DEBRETT, Picca dilly; and HOOKHAM and CARPENTER, Bond-Street. PRICE ONE PENNY.

An ANTIDOTE

AGAINST

FRENCH

POLITICS.

AS a plain Englishman, who am not ashamed to che

rish a partiality for my own country, I cannot help being heartily difgufted with the extravagant praises which have been bestowed upon Frenchmen and their politics. We have not been used to think so highly of them as a nation, and have always flattered ourselves that we ranked much above them in every folid accomplishment that can give confequence to a people. As to generofity of heart and elevation of fentiment, we leave them at an immeafurable distance behind us. To them the contrary qualities have been generally afcribed. Rapacity and faithleffnefs appear upon the records of hiftory as chargeable upon A them.

them. A frivolous levity of character is the natural growth of France. It was the object of ridicule to our fathers; and our very children ftigmatize the vain and cringing coxcomb by the name of a Frenchman. I fhall perhaps be told, that these are antiquated or childish prejudices, which the liberal-minded Englishman ought to renounce. But before he renounces them, fhould he not inquire, whether they have been well-founded? The mere trick of words ought never to be taken in exchange for fubftantial and ufeful truths. The word liberality has been of late fo crammed upon us, and fo much abused by those who have it most in their mouths, that it is hard to fay what it is to be liberal. But fo far one may fay, that it is to be more than liberal to call evil good, and good evil; to furrender every idea and every motion to be moulded by thefe dictators in politics; and to make our minds like a glafs mirror, that fhall obfequioufly reflect whatever they may please to prefent before it.

But these prejudices with refpect to our neighbours are ufeful, and therefore cannot with prudence be discarded by us: for, what is it that has animated our foldiers and failors in wars with the French, when fighting against great odds, but a firmness of foul as unyielding as their native oaks, and an undebauched partiality for their country? They thought themselves fuperior in the dignifying virtues that deserved to be victorious; and the very confciousness enfured them victory. For my part, I never wish to see the day when these prejudices (if they are fo to be called) shall lofe their hold upon an English heart; for if this honeft pride, this fterling patriotifm, fhould ever crouch to the cold maxims of free-thinking Reformers, we must bid an eternal farewel to that enviable importance we now have in the fcale of Europe, and even to our national independence. You may therefore very fairly, my countrymen, fufpect the foundness of their hearts or their underftandings, if they are Englishmen, who are ftudious to recommend French modes of thinking in religion and politics; and if they are Frenchmen, you may yet more abfolutely conclude, that they labour to propagate their opinions among you for the worft of purposes. The doing of good to us without any left-handed view, was ever fo rare a quality among them, that you cannot but question the integrity of their motives when they profefs to do it.

It is a remark which no one has yet contefted, that nations have their character; and it may be added, that this character is often preferved for ages, and through various revolutions. While we are ftunned, therefore, by the praises lavished upon the people of France, let the still fmall voice of Hiftory be permitted to fpeak. We there learn, that even Antiquity noted those blemishes, which, if we are not quite infatuated, are ftill to be difcerned in their character.

In a confpiracy which fome profligate and needy men of Rome had plotted against their country, the French nation was applied to for their fupport of the faction, as being notoriously fond of changes and tumults. The great Cæfar frequently reproves their levity, and unfteadiness of principle; as alfo does a Roman poet of the fame age.

The

paffage in his works, which expreffes it, had been appropriated to another people; but one honeft Frenchman who wrote notes upon the author owns that the character better agrees with the Gaulish (i. e. the French) nation, who were ever inconftant, faithlefs, lovers of change. The great orator of thofe days reprefents them as an impious, faithlefs people, natural enemies to all religion, and without any notion of the fanctity of an oath. This general opinion of their impiety among the antients, originated from a story which, with very few variations, might be told with truth of thofe who now inhabit that country. It is related that they iffued forth from their native territories in great numbers, defolating and murdering whereever they came. Allured by the richness of the Greek Temples, they difregarded the reputed fanctity of places for the fake of rioting in plunder; their leader obferving with irreligious mockery to his followers, "that the Gods had "no need of wealth, and that they should therefore give "it to men who knew how to use it better." - Is not this exactly the language of French Reformers, who have not left the facred utenfils of a Chriftian Altar unviolated by facrilege and robbery? Errors and abuses in religion may exift; but they who begin to correct by ridiculing and trampling upon all religion, can neither be acceptable to God nor benefactors to men.

As we defcend to the latter and more regular accounts of their hiftorical character, we find ambition and perfidy. almoft univerfally prevailing in their councils. It is believed that their beft and greatest fovereign, Henry IV.

A 2

had