, A T T E R B U R Y. culatlons among the people [T]. March 23, 1722*3, a brll was brought into the houfe of commons, for * inflicting
- l certain pains and penalties on Francis Lord Biflicp of Ro-
" chefier ;" a copy of which was fent to him, with notice that he had liberty of counfel and folicitors for making his de- fence. Un<!er thefe circumflances, the Bifliop applied, by petition, to the houfe of lords, for their direction and ad- vice, as to his conduit in this conjuncture [u] ; and April 4, he tiered h's fecretary to fee his papers all f:-.U J up, and wen; him I'd f direclly to the ( !^pit, where the council waited for him. The behaviour of the me lit nger?, upon this uccafion, feems to have leen very unwarrantable, if what the author of " A Letter to the Clergy of the " Church of England," &c. tells u=, be true, that the perfcn:, directed by order i/f the king and council, to feize his lord/hip and his paper?, rccvived a QricTt command to treat him with great refpccl and reverence. However this was, when he came before the council, lie behaved with a great deal of calm- cfs, and they with much civility to- wards him, He 1'id liberty to fpe.ik for himfclf as much as he pleadd, and they liftened to his defence with deal of attention ; and, whit is more unuhial, after he was withdrawn, he had twice liberty to re-enter the coun- cil-chamber, to make for himfclf firch repreltntaticns and r-qmfts as he thought pr< per. It is faid, thar, while he was under examination, he made ufe of our Saviour's anl'wer to the Jewifh council, while he flood before them ; If 1 tell ycu, ye will not believe " me ; and if I allb sfii you, ye will " not anlwcr me, nor let me co." After nu.irters of an hour's ftay at the Cock-pit, he was fcnt to the Tower, rnvately, in his own coach, without nv manner of noife oroblcrvation. [T] Thofe, who were the birtiop's f-itn.,-, and pretended to the greateft intimacy with him, Lid the whole -,i if the matter upon thcminifiry. They knew the birtiop fo well, they . his love to our conflitution, and iimcnt to the proteft.nnt fucceffion, 1 horrence of popery, and fcritl. .- ro-,-, irpt of the Preiender, and .udence, and ciicumfptc- ii, as v.ould never allow 1 i,i an attempt cf I'ubveit- ing the government, fo hnzarJous in itfelf, and fo repugnant to his prin- ciples; and therefore, they imputed all to the malice and management of a great rriniftcr of ftate or two, who were ic- folved to remove him, on account of fome perfonal prejudices) as well as tho conftant moleftation he gave them in parliament, and the particular influence and jflivity he had fhewn in the hte eleclion. The friends to the miniftry, on the other hand, were ftrongly of cpi- nion, that the bifliop was fecretly a fa- vourer of the Pretender's caufe, and had formerly been tampering with thing? of that nature, even in the Queen's time, and while his party was excluded f n m power; but upon their re-admiflion, had rdinqu idled that purfuit, and hi confederatestherein, and became a good fubjecl again. They urged, that the influence which the late duke of Or- mond had over him, affifted by his ov, n private ambition and revenge, might prompt him to many things, contrary to his declared fentiments, and incon- fiftent with that cunning and cautior, which, in other cafe?, he was mafier of. And to obviate the difficulty, ari- fing from the bifliop's nverfion to popeiy, and the Pretender's bigotry to that re- ligion, they talked of a new-invented fchemeofhis, not to receive the Pre- ter.der, whofe principles were not to Ire changed, but his fon only, who was to be educated a Proteftant in the Church cf England, and the bifhop to be his guardian, and lord -protector of the kingdom, during his minority. Thefe, and many more fpeculations, amufed the nation at that lime, and men, as ulual, judged of things by the mealure of their own affections and prejudices. [ u j He particularly defired their opi- nion in relation to a ftanding order of that houfe, prohibiting:, under a pe- nalty, any lord, to appear, either in per- fon
