that you now know by experience, absolute power is only a vertigo in the brain of princes, which for a time may quicken their motion, and double in their diseased sight the instances of power above them; but must end in their fall and destruction.  Your memorial speaks a good father of your family, but a very ill one of your people.  Your Majesty is reduced to hear truth when you are obliged to speak it:  there is no governing any but savages by any methods but their own consent, which you seem to acknowledge, in appealing to us for our opinion of your conduct in treating of peace.  Had your people been always of your council, the King of France had never been reduced so low, as to acknowledge his arms were fallen into contempt.  But since it is thus, we must ask, ’How is any man of France, but they of the House of Bourbon, the better that Philip is King of Spain?’ We have outgrown that folly of placing our happiness in your Majesty’s being called, The Great; therefore as you and we are all alike bankrupts,[306] and undone, let us not deceive ourselves, but compound with our adversaries, and not talk like their equals.  Your Majesty must forgive us that we cannot wish you success, or lend you help; for if you lose one battle more, we may have a hand in the peace you make; and doubt not but your Majesty’s faith in treaties will require the ratification of the states of your kingdoms.  So we bid you heartily farewell, till we have the honour to meet you assembled in Parliament.  This happy expectation makes us willing to wait the event of another campaign, from whence we hope to be raised from the misery of slaves, to the privileges of subjects.  We are,

“Your Majesty’s

“Truly faithful, and

“Loyal Subjects, &c.”

[Footnote 298:  See Nos. 25, 26, 28.]

[Footnote 299:  The full-bottomed dress wigs.  Another name was “Duvillier,” used below.]

[Footnote 300:  See Percy’s “Reliques of Ancient English Poetry,” ed.  Wheatley, iii. 279.  “The Dragon of Wantley” is a satire on the old ballads of chivalry.]

[Footnote 301:  See Nos. 3, 63.]

[Footnote 302:  In the list of characters, Wycherley defines Novel as “a pert railing coxcomb, and an admirer of novelties,” and Major Oldfox as “an old impertinent fop, given to scribbling.”]

[Footnote 303:  James Cavallier was the celebrated leader of the French Protestants in the Cevennes, when these warlike but enthusiastic mountaineers opposed the tyranny of Lewis XIV. and made a vigorous stand against the whole power of France, which for a long time laboured in vain to subdue them.  It was in the heat of this gallant struggle to preserve themselves from religious slavery, that the first seeds of that wild fanaticism were sown, which afterwards grew up to such an amazing extravagance, and distinguished them, by the name of French Prophets, among the most extraordinary enthusiasts that are to be found in the history of human folly.  Cavallier, who found in