A Seasonable

WARNING

And CAUTION

Against the

INSINUATIONS

Of Papists and Jacobites

In Favour of the

PRETENDER.

Being a LETTER from an ENGLISHMAN at the Court of HANOVER.

And thou shalt teach these Words diligently unto thy Children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy House, and when thou walkest by the Way. Deut. vi. 9.

And what thou seest write in a Book. Rev. i. 11.

LONDON: Printed for J. Baker, at the Black-Boy in Pater-Noster-Row. 1712.

A SEASONABLE

WARNING AND CAUTION

AGAINST THE

INSINUATIONS OF PAPISTS AND JACOBITES IN FAVOUR OF THE PRETENDER.

WHY how now, England! what ailest thee now? What evil spirit now possesseth thee! O thou nation famous for espousing religion, and defending liberty; eminent in all ages for pulling down tyrants, and adhering steadily to the fundamentals of thy own constitution : that has not only secured thy own rights, and handed them down unimpaired to every succeeding age, but has been the sanctuary of other oppressed nations; the strong protector of injured subjects against the lawless invasion of oppressing tyrants.

To thee the oppressed protestants of France owed, for some ages ago, the comfort of being pow

a Edward II. Richard II. Richard III. James II. b In the several barons' wars in the reign of king Stephen, king John, &c.

C

Especially of the persecuted protestants in the Low Countries, in queen Elizabeth.

erfully supported, while their own king d, wheedled by the lustre of a crown, became apostate, and laid the foundation of their ruin among themselves; in thee their posterity find a refuge, and flourish in thy wealth and trade, when religion and liberty find no more place in their own country.

To thee the distressed Belgiif owe the powerful assistance by which they took up arms in defence of liberty and religion, against Spanish cruelty, the perfidious tyranny of their kings, and the rage of the bloody duke d'Alva.

From thee the confederate Hollanders & received encouragement to join in that indissoluble union which has since reduced the invincible power of the Spaniards, and from whence has been raised the most flourishing commonwealth in the world.

By thy assistance they are become the bulwark of the protestant religion, and of the liberties of Europe; and have many times since gratefully employed that force in thy behalf; and, by their help, thou, who first gavest them liberty, hast more than once rescued and preserved thy own.

To thee the present protestant nations of Europe owe their being at this day freed from the just apprehensions of the growing greatness of

d Henry IV., who turned papist, and with much difficulty granted liberty to his protestant subjects by the edict of Nantes.

e The French refugees, who being received here, are grown rich and wealthy by our trade.

The Flemings, when threatened with the inquisition from Spain, under the reign of Philip II.

g Under William Henry, the first prince of Orange, who formed the revolt of the Dutch provinces, and laid the foundation of the States General and their commonwealth.

h The circles of Swabia and Franconia, the Palatinate, and the countries of Hessia, Wirtemberg, and others.

France; and to thy power, when acting by the glorious protector of thy liberty, king William, is the whole Christian world indebted for depriving the French tyrant of the hopes and prospect of universal monarchy.

To thy blood, thy treasure, the conduct of thy generals, and the vigour of thy councils, are due, the glory, the fame, the praises, and the advantages of twenty years' war, for the establishing and restoring the liberty and religion of Europe.

When posterity shall inquire into the particulars of this long and bloody war; the battles, sieges, and stupendous marches of armies, which, as well with loss as with victory, have been the subject of thy history; it will for ever be frequent in their mouths; HERE the British troops, fighting with dreadful fury, and their usual constancy, shed their blood in defence of the protestant cause, and left a bloody victory to God's enemies and their own; as at Steenkirk, Landen, Camaret, Almanza, Brihenga, and the like: or, HERE the British troops, with their usual valour, carried all before them, and conquered in behalf of the protestant interest, and Europe's liberties; as at Blenheim, Ramilies, Barcelona, Oudenard, Sarragossa, Blaregnies, &c. Here the British navies triumphed over French greatness; as at Cherburgh, La Hogue, Gibraltar, &c. There their land forces reduced the most impregnable fortresses; as at Namur, Lisle, Menin, Tournay, &c.

And wherefore has all this English and British blood been spilt? Wherefore thy nation exhausted; thy trade sunk and interrupted; thy veins opened? Why hast thou struggled thus long, and with so much vigour, as well with French tyranny abroad, as popish factions at home, but to preserve entire the religion and liberties of Europe,