we of this, that whilft the evil counsellors, against whom his majesty did so justly declare, live at eafe, an act (as we are told) is to be brought into the parliament for banishing during pleasure many thousands of inconfiderable people who cannot be charged with crimes any way comparable to theirs; and fome of them free of the leaft appearance of any. What conftruction would the advisers of these things have even those who are best affected to the government put upon them? One might reasonably think that fuch things may be fit to keep up the party of the late King James, and fright the nation into a belief of the neceffity of continuing a ftanding army, that they may be fit to lead men of estates, or those who have any thing to lofe, into fnares both at home and abroad (particularly in France, where the late King James is still fuffered) by pretending correfpondence or conversation with fuch as may be obnoxious to the law; but no man can fufpect the worst of counfellors of fuch defigns. And therefore I confefs

confefs I am at a ftand; for fuch vaft numbers of people were never yet banifhed for crimes of ftate: nor does the multitude ever fuffer for them, except only in barbarous countries. If it be faid that ill men may have designs against his majesty's life, and therefore ought to be banifhed; I answer, nothing is more likely to draw on fuch a mischief, than extraordinary severities used against them. For nothing does fo much fit a man for such an attempt, as despair; against which no distance of place can long protect.

My opinion therefore is, that an act of indemnity (excepting only affaffins and other notorious criminals, whom we cannot at present reach) is more fuitable to our prefent condition, than an act of banishment: and that to procure the nation fo great a bleffing, the parliament fhould proceed, without delay, to the punishing of the greatest criminals, both of this and the laft reigns without which an oblivion will be one of the greatest injuries that can be done to us. I SHALL

I 4

I SHALL only add, that there is ground to believe fome men will endeavour to perfuade the parliament to take this affair into confideration before all others; because it was the first thing done in the last feffion of the English parliament; and the bill having past there almost without debate, they will make use of that as an argument why it should do so here. What the confiderations were which moved that parliament to do so, I will not prefume to determine, neither is it my bufinefs; circumstances of affairs may be different in different nations: fure I am, that in this particular they are different, that a greater number of men, in proportion to the people in each nation, will fall under uneafy circumstances by fuch an act in Scotland, than has been found to have done in England.

THE

THE SECOND

DISCOURSE

Concerning the

AFFAIRS of SCOTLAND;

Written in the Year 1698.

T

HE affairs of which I have spoken in the preceding discourse, are fuch as the present conjuncture makes a proper fubject for the approaching feffion of parliament: but there are many other things which require no lefs their care, if the urgent and preffing diftreffes of the nation be confidered. Ifhall therefore with all due refpect to the parliament offer my opinion concerning two, which I prefume to be of that nature.

THE

THE first thing which I humbly and earneftly propofe to that honourable court is, that they would take into their confideration the condition of fo many thousands of our people who are at this day dying for want of bread. And to perfuade them seriously to apply themselves to so indispenfible a duty, they have all the inducements which those most powerful emotions of the foul, terror and compaffion, can produce. Because from unwholfome food difeafes are fo multiplied among the poor people, that if fome course be not taken, this famine may very probably be followed by a plague; and then what man is there even of those who fit in parliament that can be fure he fhall escape? And what man is there in this nation, if he have any compaffion, who must not grudge himself every nice bit and every delicate morfel he puts in his mouth, when he confiders that so many are already dead, and so many at that minute ftruggling with death, not for want of bread but of grains, which I am credibly informed have been eaten by fome families, even