at the infidelity, heresy, and profaneness they see, or from sharing the contagion of it, have, by their arts, been perverted.

But, notwithstanding that we have these things to complain of, so much hath been done already toward taking off the causes and effects of these evils, and to prevent the further consequences of them, as to give us great hopes, that, through the blessing of God upon your Majesty's authority and example, and the endeavours of your subjects in their several stations, we shall escape the danger we have so much reason to fear.

For, as books have been published in favour of heresy and downright infidelity; so others have been written from time to time, as occasion required, in defence of the fundamental truths, whether of natural or revealed religion, with great clearness and strength of argument. The vain pleas of the several advocates for infidelity have been particularly considered and refuted, to the silencing, if not the conviction, of some of the principal of them.

A lecture was founded, not many years since, by Mr. Boyle,* in defence of the christian religion against all the adversaries of it; and many excellent and useful sermons have been preached and published upon that occasion.

Societies have been formed for the reformation of manners; funds of charity have been raised for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts, and of christian knowledge at home, and for the pious education of poor children; great variety of plain and useful discourses have been distributed among the meaner sort for their more easy improvement; and parochial libraries have been set up for the use of ministers in the country, that they might be better provided for the instruction of those committed to their charge.

Authority hath often interposed for the countenancing these excellent designs, and for withstanding the bold attempts that have been made upon our common faith; and, for preventing the increase of irreligion and profaneness, royal injunctions and proclamations have issued, Acts of Parliament have passed, prosecutions at law have been ordered, gracious speeches from the throne have been made, and from thence such bright patterns of piety and virtue have shone forth, as have, no doubt, prevailed upon many, though the influence of them hath not extended so far as might have been expected.

But then the infidelity of some hath been attended with this good consequence in others, that the zeal of devout persons hath thereby been excited to do every thing that in them lay towards resisting and stemming the increase of this great evil; nor have their endeavours been altogether fruitless; our eyes daily see the happy effects of them; divine service and sacraments have of late been oftener celebrated, and better frequented than formerly; the catechising of youth hath been more generally practised, and with greater success; vast sums have been furnished by private contributions to sustain the charge of educating poor children in the pious manner above-mentioned; and many other new and noble institutions of charity have been set on foot.

To be preached at Bow Church, in Cheapside, London.

Many churches have been repaired and adorned at the expence of the several parishioners and other benefactors; and many chapels opened in the larger parishes, though not sufficient to answer the wants of the inhabitants. Great sums of money have been by publick authority provided and applied for the building, supporting, and adorning other churches; and your Majesty has been graciously pleased, upon our humble address, to recommend to your Parliament to find out means for the building of such as are still wanting; of which from the great satisfaction with which your message was received, and the great progress made upon it, we hope to see the blessed effect; when all, who are religiously disposed, will have the opportunity of giving publick testimony of it, and the careless be left without excuse.

In the mean time, other methods of redressing these mischiefs, may, we humbly conceive, be successfully tried, such as your Majesty's great wisdom and piety, and the foregoing observations, will suggest to

you.

We entertain not the least doubt of your Majesty's first resolution to render the laws and proclamations set forth for the suppression of immorality and profaneness useful to that purpose, by an impartial and vigorous execution of them; and to reform the corruptions of the stage, which have been so instrumental in vitiating young and innocent minds, and have given so just offence to all serious and devout christians.

We are intirely persuaded, that your Majesty will, in the most effectual manner, discountenance all such persons as are profligate in their lives, or the known abettors and spreaders of impious opinions; and the repeated assurances which your Majesty, whom God long preserve, hath been pleased to give to your people of your care to transmit the succession of the crown in the protestant line, as established by law, give us great hopes, that our enemies of the Romish communion will, at last, be effectually discouraged from attempting the ruin of that excellent church, of which, under Christ, your Majesty is the chief governor and glorious defender.

From the application of these several means, which, we do not doubt, but your Majesty will use, we promise ourselves very great and durable effects; but that for which we at present in most earnest and most humble manner address ourselves to your Majesty is, that, by your royal interposition, an act may be obtained, for restraining the present excessive and scandalous liberty of printing wicked books at home, and importing the like from abroad; in such manner as to the wisdom of your Majesty and your Parliament shall seem most expedient. For as we take this liberty to have been one chief source and cause of those evils whereof we have spoken, so we question not but the restraint of it would go a great way in the cure of them.

There is another pernicious custom that has very much, prevailed amongst us under the false notion of honour, which we beg leave to mention in this place; and that is, the practice of fighting duels, which has so far obtained, that your Majesty hath had many occasions, and some very lately, to see the dismal effects of it.

We do therefore, in all humble duty, beg your Majesty to take the most effectual methods to extinguish those false notions, so contrary to

the laws of God, and so destructive of all society, and to put a stop to this wicked and unchristian practice by such means as your Majesty, in your great wisdom, shall think most proper.

We have also good hope, that all, employed 'in authority under your Majesty,' will, as we pray, 'truly and indifferently minister justice to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of true religion and virtue;' and wish that some way may be found for the recovery and improvement of christian knowledge and piety in families, which, we fear, is too much neglected.

We likewise hope, that especial care will be taken of the education of young people at the Universities, by providing that tutors make it their business to teach their pupils the principles of the christian religion in the course of their other studies, and endeavour to make them serious in it, with a particular eye to such as are designed for holy orders.

And for ourselves, who are called to this holy function, we beg leave to assure your Majesty, that we will take all possible care of the discharge of our own duty, and do all that in us lies, that the canons of our church may be strictly observed both by ourselves and those committed to our charge.

We have those parts of our discipline which your Majesty hath, in your great goodness, thought fit to recommend to us for farther improvement, under our most serious consideration; and hope, in some measure, to answer the wants of the church, and your Majesty's expectations in referring them to us; as we shall at all times hereafter, as often as your Majesty shall be pleased to require our attendance for these purposes, endeavour to make our synodical meetings subservient to the good order and establishment of this church, the interest and advantage of the christian religion, the satisfaction of your Majesty, and the honour of God.

And our daily and fervent prayer to God shall be, that your Majesty may be the happy instrument of these and many other blessings to this church and state; that you may be as prosperous in your designs against infidelity and vice here at home, as you have been in all your undertakings against the common enemy abroad; and may, by that means, add, what alone is wanting to compleat the glory, and crown the successes of your ever memorable reign.

A PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION

OF THE

FAMOUS TOWN AND CITTADEL OF DUNKIRK,

With all its Fortifications, viz. Rice-bank, Forts, Harbour, Peere, the Bason, the Number of the Ships in the Harbour, and Cannon in each port, as it is now in the possession of the Queen of Great Britain. With a particular Account of the Churches, Cloisters, and Nunneries, their Worship and Ceremonies, and all Things worthy of Observation.

Printed 1712. Quarto, containing Twenty-one Pages.

THE PREFACE.

It was not the author's first intention to have published this to the world, being designed for his own private observation; but the repeated importunities of several of his acquaintance, who had the perusal thereof, have at last prevailed with him to commit it to the press, hoping it will meet with a favourable reception from all who are desirous to know the particulars of that famous place, which hath made so much noise in Europe.

The author is not insensible but it will meet with censure from the captious, and perhaps from the imperfection they may find in not expressing this description in that regularity as the curious may expect. However, what is here related is genuine in every particular, wherein he has studied more of truth, than art or eloquence, and adapted to the comprehension of the weakest capacity; and doubts not but the candid reader will accept of his good intentions, and excuse the omissions that may have escaped in this scrutiny.

AT

T the entrance into the peere on the right hand next the sea, is a wooden fort, supported with mighty beams and piles drove into the sea. It lies opposite to the other fort, of which I shall make mention hereafter. Here are twenty-four pieces of cannon mounted, whereof six are brass. There are also two very large mortars. There are places for ten pieces of cannon more. It has a communication with the walk on the peere by a gallery. It has a beacon, and in the middle of the fort are the barracks for the soldiers; it is all boarded with prodigious beams of timber, and right against each cannon are placed about forty cannon-balls, besides great numbers upon piles, with great quantities of powder, and a great many carriages for cannon under the piazzas of the barracks. The fort is all raised round above breast-high, where the cannon is, with great pieces of timber; there

are two great gates, and one draw-bridge coming into the fort, which lies a full mile on the peere from the town.

Next to the fort last mentioned, lies the famous Rice Bank, of which I shall be very particular in describing what is worthy of observation. It lies about half-way the peere, and has a communication with the walk on the peere, by a very long gallery, which is railed all along above breast-high: It is supported with great piles drove into the sea. The form of the Rice-bank is round, and is built with stone half-way up, the other half brick: The walls of it are wide enough for a coach, and, where the cannon is planted, are wide enough for six coaches to go a-breast, and the grass as even as a bowling-green. There are mounted twenty-two pieces of cannon, which are prodigious large, and between each two iron cannon is one brass; there are also six large mortars mounted, which are reckoned the largest in the world; there are places for twenty-six pieces of cannon more, and against each cannon are placed about forty cannon balls, besides great numbers upon piles. At the first coming into the Rice-bank is a draw-bridge; then there are four gates at small distances one from the other, all plated over with iron. The entrance into it is but narrow. There is an ascent of fifteen steps into the court-yard, which is very large and spacious, and round it is pitched with stone. In the middle is a very large well of good water, and all round are the barracks for the soldiers, which are built with brick two stories high; there is likewise a noble house for the governor and other officers, and a fine church at one end of the yard is railed in with iron rails; a very prodigious quantity of cannon-ball, and bomb-shells of all sizes, besides the magazines of powder, which are very large. It is incredible to relate the vast magazines of all sorts of warlike stores that are therein. In going up the walls, where the cannon is planted, is an ascent of forty steps, and there are four ways. of going up the walls at equal distances. The barracks for the soldiers will contain at least two thousand men. It is all surrounded with the sea, and lies about half a mile from the town; it is impossible to express the strength of it.

Next to the Rice-bank coming into the peere, lies Fort Devett, which lies about a quarter of a mile from the Rice-bank; it has a communication with the walk on the peere, by a long gallery which is railed all along, above breast high, to keep one from falling into the water, supported with great piles drove into the sea. The form of it is triangular, and built with stone half-way up, the other half brick; the walls are wide enough for a coach. At first coming in is a draw, bridge, with two gates at a small distance one from the other. The ascent to the walls where the cannon are planted is twenty steps, and there are mounted ten pieces of iron cannon, and places for twelve more; there are against each cannon above twenty cannon halls, besides great numbers upon piles. There are barracks for the soldiers; it lies between the cittadel and the Rice-bank, on the right hand, and is all surrounded with the sea, except at low water. At the entrance into the peere, on the left hand next the sea, is a wooden fort, supported with mighty beams and piles drove into the sca; it lies opposite to the other fort. Here are mounted twenty-one pieces of cannon,