mighty Soul was above ſuch abject thoughts as theſe; his Declaration was his own, theſe paltry Deſigns are our Undertakers, who would ſhelter their own Oppreſſions under his Sacred Name.
I would willingly know whether the late King James could have enſlaved us but by an Army, and whether there is any way of ſecuring us from falling again into Slavery but by diſbanding them. It was in that ſenſe I underſtood his Majeſty's Declaration, and therefore did early take up Arms for him, as I ſhall be always ready to do. It was this alone which made his aſſiſtance neceſſary to us, otherwiſe we had wanted none but the Hangman's.
I will venture to ſay, that if this Army does not make us Slaves, we are the only People upon Earth in ſuch Circumſtances that ever eſcaped it, with the 4th part of their number. It is a greater force than Alexander conquered the Eaſt with, than Cæſar had in his Conqueſt of Gaul, or indeed the whole Roman Empire; double the number that any of our Anceſtors ever invaded France with, Ageſilaus the Perſians, or Huniades and Scanderbeg the Turkiſh Empire; as many again as was in any battle between the Dutch and Spaniards in forty Years War, or betwixt the King and Parliament in England; four times as many as the Prince of Orange landed with in England; and in ſhort, as many as have been on both ſides in nine Battles of ten that were ever fought in the World. If this Army does not enſlave us, it is barely becauſe we have a virtuous Prince that will not attempt it; and it is a moſt miſerable thing to have no other Security for our Liberty, than the Will of a Man, though the moſt juſt Man living: For that is not a free Government where there is a good Prince (for even the moſt arbitrary Governments have had ſometimes a Relaxation of their Miſeries) but where it is ſo conſtituted, that no one can be a Tyrant if he would. Cicero ſays, though a Maſter does not tyrannize, yet it is a lamentable conſideration that it is in his Power to do ſo; and therefore ſuch a Power is to be truſted to none, which if it does not find a Tyrant, commonly makes one; and if not him, to be ſure a Succeſſor.
