Thus will the ministry have a fair profpect of obtaining the full fenfe and import of the prediction, without burthening the public with more than 650,000l. which may be paid out of the finking fund; or if it be not thought proper to violate that facred treasure by converting any part of it to ufes not primarily intended, may be easily raised by a general poll-tax, or excife upon bread. Having now compleated my fcheme, a fcheme calculated for the public benefit, without regard to any party, I entreat all fects, factions, and distinctions of men among us, to lay afide for a time their party-feuds and petty animofities; and by a warm concurrence on this urgent occafion, teach pofterity to facrifice every private intereft to the advantage of their country. A COMPLEAT VINDICATION OF THE Licensers of the STAGE, FROM THE MALICIOUS AND SCANDALOUS ASPERSIONS O F MR. BROOK E, AUTHOR OF GUSTAVUS VASA. WITH A PROPOSAL for making the Office of LICENSER more Extenfiye and Effectual. By an IMPARTIAL HAND. Firft printed in the Year MDCCXXXIX. A COMPLEAT VINDICATION OF THE LICENSERS OF THE STAGE, &c. IT. is generally agreed by the writers of all parties, that few crimes are equal, in their degree of guilt, to that of calumniating a good and gentle, or defending a wicked and oppreffive adminiftration. It is therefore with the utmost fatisfaction of mind, that I reflect how often I have employed my pen in vindication of the prefent ministry, and their dependents and adherents, how often I have detected the fpecious fallacies of the advocates for independence, how often I have foftened the obftinacy of patriotifm, and how often triumphed over the clamour of oppofition. I have, indeed, obferved but one fet of men, upon whom all my arguments have been thrown away; which neither flattery can draw to compliance, nor threats reduce to fubmiffion; and who have, notwithstanding all expedients that either invention or experience could fuggeft, fuggeft, continued to exert their abilities in a vigorous and conftant oppofition of all our measures, The unaccountable behaviour of thefe men, the enthufiaftic refolution with which, after a hundred fucceffive defeats, they ftill renewed their attacks; the fpirit with which they continued to repeat their arguments in the Senate, though they found a majority determined to condemn them; and the inflexibility with which they rejected all offers of places and preferments, at last excited my curiofity fo far, that I applied myself to enquire with great diligence into the real motives of their conduct, and to discover what principle it was that had force to infpire fuch unextinguishable zeal, and to animate fuch unwearied efforts. For this reafon I attempted to cultivate a nearer acquaintance with fome of the chiefs of that party, and imagined that it would be neceffary for fome time to diffemble my fentiments, that I might learn theirs. Diffimulation to a true politician is not difficult, and therefore I readily affumed the character of a profelyte; but found, that their principle of action was no other, than that which they make no fcruple of avowing in the moft public manner, notwithstanding the contempt and ridicule to which it every day expofes them, and the lofs of thofe honours and profits from which it excludes them. This wild paffion, or principle, is a kind of fanaticifm by which they diftinguish thofe of their own party, and which they look upon as a certain indication of a great mind. We have no name for it at court, but among |