That we are to have a peace, or that the peace is made, what sort ofpeace, or how it has been brought about; these are questions the worldbegins to have done with, they have been so much, so often, and to solittle purpose banded about, and tossed like a shuttlecock, from oneparty to another; the parties themselves begin to want breath to railand throw scandal. Roper and Ridpath, like two Tom T--men, have thrownnight-dirt at one another so long, and groped into so many Jakes's upto their elbows to find it, that they stink now in the nostrils oftheir own party. They are become perfectly nauseous to read; thenation is surfeited of them, and the people begin to be tired withill-using one another. Would any tolerable face appear upon things, wemight expect the people would be inclined to be easy; and were theeyes of some great men open, they may see this was the opportunitythey never had before, to make the nation easy, and themselves safe.The main thing which agitates the minds of men now, is the protestantsuccession and the pretender. Much pains have been taken on both sidesto amuse the world about this remaining dispute; one side to make usbelieve it is safe, and the other to convince us it is in danger.Neither side hath been able to expatiate upon the part they affirm.Those who say the protestant succession is secure, have not yet shownus any step taken, since these new transactions, for its particularsecurity. Those who say it is in danger, have not so clearlydetermined, even among themselves, from what particular head of publicmanagement that danger chiefly proceeds. Both these uncertaintiesserve to perplex us, and to leave the thing more undetermined thanconsists with the public ease of the people's minds. To contributesomething to that ease, and bring those whose place it is to considerof ways to make the people easy in this case, this work is madepublic. Possibly, the question propounded may not meet with acategorical answer. But this is certain, it shall show you moredirectly what is the chief question which the substance of thingsbefore us is like to turn upon; and to which all our questions seem totend. Were the great difficulty of the succession brought to a narrowcompass, though we might spend fewer words about it, we should soonercome to a direct answer. Before I come to the great and chief questionupon which this affair so much seems to turn, it seems needful to putthe previous question upon which so much debate has been among us, andlet that be examined. This previous question is this: Is there anyreal danger of the protestant succession? Is there any danger that thepretender shall be brought in upon us? Is there any danger of poperyand tyranny, by restoring the son, as they call him, of abdicated KingJames? This is the previous question, as we may now call it. It iswell known that there are some people among us, who are so far fromallowing that there is any such danger as the said question mentions,that they will have it to be a token of disaffection to the governmentto put the question, and are for loading whoever shall offer to startsuch a question, with characters and party-marks odious to good men,such as incendiary, promoter of discontents, raiser of faction,divider of the people, and the like: names which the writer of thesesheets, at the same time, both contemns and abhors. He cannot see thathe is any enemy to the queen, in inquiring as diligently as possible,whether there are any attempts to depose her, or dangerous prospectsof bringing in the hated rival of her glory and dominion. It is so farfrom that, that it is apparently the duty of every true subject of hermajesty, to inquire seriously, whether the public peace, the queen'ssafety, her throne, or her person, is in any danger from the wickeddesign of her, and her people's enemies. Wherefore, and for the jointconcern every protestant Briton has in this thing, I shall make nodifficulty, plainly and seriously to state, and to answer thisprevious question, viz., Whether there is any danger of the protestantsuccession from the present measures, and from the present peopleconcerned? I am not ignorant of what has been said by some, to provethat the present ministry cannot be suspected of having any view tothe pretender in any of their measures. The best reason which I haveseen given upon that subject, is, that it is not their interest; andthat as we have not found them fools that are blind to their owninterest; that either do not understand, or pursue it. This we findhandled sundry ways, by sundry authors, and very much insisted upon asa foundation for us to build upon.