Part 3

_I had too much Advantage on my side_, p. 22. _to change the Frock for the Petticoat I have chose, not to do it._ Well this plain Consession makes amends for all. What was pretended a little before, _viz._ That _some Years were passed before I had any Inclinations to a Petticoat_, was spoke by the Politician: But here the true, the sincere, the undebauched Monk speaks, who owns he would have taken up a Petticoat much sooner, but only was looking sharp out all this while for one that was well fringed with _Advantages_. And now as there are abundance of Husbands in the World, who as soon as their Wives happen to be mentioned in Company, cannot forbear to enlarge upon their several Perfections and Vertues; so it fares with Monsieur _de Cros_, for now he is got into his _Petticoat_, he will never have done. _'Tis a Petticoat_, continues he, _d'une étoffe d' Ecosse, of Scotch Cloth, which has been of far greater Ornament and Service to the Crown of_ England, _than even Sir_ W. T. himself. Since his Petticoat has done such rare Exploits, by my Consent let Monsieur _de Cros_ write a Panegyrick upon it. But by the bye this is a very figurative way of Writing; and therefore, though I don't understand it, I hope there may be some meaning in the bottom. _If he does not know so much already_, p. 26. _the History of the last Transactions in_ England _and_ Scotland _will better inform him._ Here we are referr'd again to a _Hans en Kelder_ of a History, which when it will be mid-wifed into the World the Lord knows. But I wonder extremely why he wou'd condescend so low to compare his useful Petticoat to Sir _W. T._ as why in another place _p. 8._ he tells us that the _Dutch_ Minister who forwarded the Triple-League, surpassed Sir _W. T._ in Prudence. A very sorry Complement this, both to his serviceable Petticoat and to his prudent _Dutch_ Minister, if as he pretends, _p. 62._ Sir _W. T._ was taken abroad _pour dupe_, for a Cully.

_I will not say any more of this Matter_, continues Mounsieur _de Cros_, p. 22. _because I have no mind to engage my self to publish the Misfortunes and Disorders of Sir_ W. T's _Family_. Methinks he might have left out Disorders, for Misfortunes is enough; _and that in my Opinion wou'd not be fair and honest_. Why the bare mention of a Petticoat should engage him in such a Narration, is hard to conceive; and yet this blind Insinuation is infinitely more malicious than if he had wandered into a large History. There the World would have been satisfied what these Misfortunes were, with which Monsieur _de Cros_ so brutally refreshes Sir _W. T_'s memory; whereas this blind _Innuendo_ leaves open room for the Conjectures and Surmises of all people, who in such Cases generally imagine the worst. _I have no Occasion_, says he, _that I know of, to complain either of his Wife, his Son, or his Daughters_; why then all these invidious Hints? Is it not enough for other Persons to condemn our Author, but must he pass Sentence upon himself.

_But suppose_, says Monsieur _de Cros_, p. 23. _that I had quitted the Frock, for the Petticoat, what of all that? 'Tis no more than what an infinite number of Persons of eminent Worth, such as Nuncio's, Bishops, Cardinals, Kings, and Popes have done in their time: Nay, there have been some Princesses in the World that have changed a Veil for a pair of Breeches, whose Posterity I don't question are held in great Veneration by Sir_ W. T. All this may very well be; and yet I cannot but observe how natural it is for your great Persons to excuse themselves by the Example of their great Predecessors. And thus the poor Ant in the Epigram that unfortunately tumbled down the Precipice of a Mole-hill, comforted her self with the Precedent of _Phaeton: 'Tis true_, says she, _I have had a damn'd Fall here; but what then? Sic cecidit Phaeton_, Phaeton _had one before me_.

_If I had been a sort of an Agent for Sweden_, says Monsieur _de Cros_, p. 24. _as Sir_ W. T. _has represented me, I should not have defended my self upon that score; I should have taken it for a great Honour to be employed by so mighty a King_. I wonder then where was the hurt if Sir _W. T._ conferr'd a _Swedish_ Agentship upon him. _But at that time I was at the Court of_ England _in Quality of Envoy-Extraordinary from the Duke of_ Gottorp, _whom Sir_ W. T. _never so much as mentions in his Memoirs, although he had two Ministers at the Congress, and_ France _stipulated for his re-establishment in the second Article of the Peace_. By Monsieur _de Cros_'s leave, the Agent was some Years older than the Envoy; and if Sir _W. T._ has omitted the Duke of _Gottorp_ in his Memoirs, 'twas pure Forgetfulness, but not want of respect. _Well_, concludes he, in a great Fit of Devotion, _p. 26. Heaven be praised Sir_ W. T. _is not the Dispenser of Glory and Immortality_. And Heaven be likewise praised, say I, Monsieur _de Cros_ is not the Dispenser of Scandal and Ignominy.

Sir _W. T._ in his Memoirs, _p. 335._ speaking of Monsieur _de Cros_, happen'd to let fall this short particular. _At_ London _he had devoted himself wholly to Monsieur_ Barillon, _the_ French _Ambassador, though pretending to pursue the interests of_ Sweden. Upon this Monsieur _de Cros_ raises a furious Outcry, and to furnish himself with a better pretence of complaining of his unjust usage, as he imagines, he has quite perverted the meaning as it lies in the Original: For whereas Sir _W. T._ barely says, that he devoted himself to the Service of the _French_ Ambassador at _London_, without specifying any time at all, Monsieur _de Cros_ has translated it, _Des qu'il avoir été à Londres_, that is, _ever since he came to_ London; and thereupon informs his Reader that Monsieur _Barillon_ was not at _London_ when he was sent thither, but the Marquis _de Ruvigny_, who was afterwards succeeded by Monsieur _de Courtin_. By this piece of _Fourberie_, to give it no worse a Name, he thought to have eluded the severe, but just imputation cast upon him by Sir _W. T._ of being one of _Barillon_'s Creatures, but with what Success any unprejudiced Reader may see. For,

Observe what he says in the next Paragraph. _I never devoted my self to that Ambassador_, p. 29. _and never maintained any Correspondences with him to the prejudice of my Duty._ As just before Monsieur _de Cros_, with an ingenuity peculiar to himself, had made Sir _W. T._ speak what he never designed, in order to invalidate his Testimony; so here, forgetting it seems what he had formerly advanced, he gives himself the Lye. There is no doubt but every man may make as bold with his own Reputation as he pleases, but then this gives him no Privilege to invade that of his Neighbour: and therefore Sir _W. T._ though he allows Monsieur _de Cros_ the liberty to contradict himself as often as he in his great Wisdom sees fit, and easily forgives him that Offence; yet he desires him for the future not to commit the same violence upon others.

It may very pertinently be demanded what Monsieur _de Cros_ means by these Words, _to the prejudice of his Duty_: For a man that pays so small a regard to Truth, as he seems to do, perhaps, may think nothing in the World an infringement of his Duty. But let us hear him explain himself upon this Chapter. _I confess, indeed_, p. 30. _that when he_, meaning Monsieur _Barillon, employ'd himself for the Interests of my Master, and of_ Sweden, _I became intirely devoted to him_. At last Monsieur _de Cros_ owns himself to be devoted to Monsieur _Barillon_; however to mollifie it somewhat, he pretends that he never made those Advances till that Ambassador cultivated the Interests of his Master and of _Sweden_. A miserable Evasion! for how perfidiously the Ministers of that Crown have all along dealt with their Allies, let _Candy_ and _Messina_ proclaim to the World. Their Friendship has been fatal to all that ever depended upon it, as the Histories of the last Times will evidently show; and though they pretended never so cordially to espouse the Quarrel of their Confederates, yet they seldom scrupled to abandon their Interests when it made never so little for their Advantage to do it.

_How this Dispatch by_ de Cros _was gained, or by whom_ (says Sir _W. T._ in his Memoirs, _p. 336._) _I will not pretend to determine._ And a little lower: _The Account I met with at Court was, that these Orders were agreed and dispatched one morning in an hours time, and in the Dutchest of_ Portsmouth's _Chamber by the intervention and pursuit of Monsieur_ Barillon. In this place Sir _W. T._ by no means pretends, to decide the Question, but only relates what were the general Sentiments of the Court upon it, and for the Truth of this, appeals to several eminent Persons still living. But it is pleasant to observe what a learned Harangue Monsieur _de Cros_ has made upon this Account. _'Tis a great deal of pity_, says he, _p. 35. that an Ambassador of_ England, _who had the Secretary's place so often proffer'd him, was not only during his absence, when he was negotiating the Publick Affairs at_ Nimeguen _and the_ Hague, _but even at his return into_ England, _so little instructed in what had passed there, and principally in an Affair of this Importance and Consideration._ Perhaps 'tis a great deal of pity, as he says; but by his favour 'tis no wonder at all, especially considering the Constitution of our Court at that juncture, that when they were to play any private Game, they never thought it worth their while to acquaint Sir _W. T._ with their Intrigues; nor does he envy the good Fortune of Monsieur _de Cros_ for being made a Party in them.

_What a horrid Impertinence_, adds our Declaimer, _p. 38. was it in him to endeavour to perswade the World, that the most important Affair of that time, on which according to him, the Fate and Destiny of_ Christendom _depended, was dispatched and concluded in an hour's time in the Dutchess of_ Portsmouth's _Apartment by the Intervention of Monsieur_ Barillon. We may well allow Monsieur _de Cros_ to Christen Truth by the Name of Impertinence, because he's so seldom guilty of such Impertinences; and his Memoirs when they visit the World, whatever Faults they may be charged with, will be never liable I believe to that Exception. Sir _W. T._ as has been already said, only delivers this as the Opinion of the Court, without interposing his own Sentiments: And indeed to any unprejudiced Person, who considers what an unfortunate influence that Ambassador in conjunction with the Mistress had upon the late King, this Account will not appear so _impertinent_ as Monsieur _de Cros_ represents it.

Sir _William Temple_, continues Monsieur _de Cros, p. 38. according to his Custom, so little regards the Reputation of his King, that he makes no scruple to prostitute it upon this Occasion after the strangest manner in the World._ Nor is this sufficient, but with his usual vehemence and fury he attacks Sir _W. T. for representing the King of_ England, _obliged so much as he was by his Quality of Mediator, and much more by the Interest of his Kingdoms, to procure repose to_ Christendom, _as corrupted by the Ambassador of_ France, _and by the Charms of his Mistress, sacrificing all_ Europe _and his own Dominious to a Power naturally an Enemy to_ England: _and this hand over-head, at an hour's warning, without the advice of his Council, lock'd up in a Woman's Apartment, as if he had been sensible that he was going to do an Action, the most unworthy the Majesty of a Prince, and the most opposite to the Happiness of his people_. What a profound respect Sir _W. T._ pays to the memory of that Monarch, as he knows best himself; so let his own Works speak for him, and particularly his Memoirs, since Monsieur _de Cros_ has reflected so severely upon that Book, where the Reader may find the following Character, p. 273. _I never saw him in better humour, nor ever knew a more agreeable conversation when he was so; and where he was pleased to be familiar, great quickness of Conception, great pleasantness of Wit, with great Variety of Knowledge, more Observation and truer Judgment of Men than one would have imagined by so careless and easie a manner as was natural to him in all he said or did. From his own temper he desired nothing but to be easy himself, and that every body else should be so; and would have been glad to see the least of his Subjects pleased, and to refuse no man what he asked._ And a little below; _Sure no Prince has more Qualities to make him lov'd, with a great many to make him esteem'd, and all without a Grain of Pride or Vanity in his Constitution; nor can he suffer Flattery in any kind, growing uneasy upon the first Approaches of it, and turning it off to something else. But this Humour has made him lose many great Occasions of Glory to himself, and Greatness to his Crown, which the Conjunctures of his Reign conspired to put into his Head, and have made way for the aspiring Thoughts and Designs of a neighbouring Prince, which would not have appeared, or could not have succeeded in the World without the Applications and Arts imployed to manage this easy and inglorious Humour of the King's._ The Reader will certainly forgive this long Citation, since now he is able to judge for himself, whether of the two holds the Memory of King _Charles_ the Second in the greatest Reverence, Sir _W. T._ who has drawn this true but tender Character of him, or Monsieur _de Cros_, who out of a Pretence of borrowing it out of the Memoirs, has made the above-mentioned invidious Representation of that excellent Prince. If there is any thing severe in Sir _W. T_'s Character 'tis towards the latter end; however, 'tis managed with all Decency of Language, and the Truth of it will serve to atone for the Plainness.

But now behold a new Occasion of Quarrel, upon this Passage in Sir _W. T_'s Memoirs, p. 336. _the King indeed told me pleasantly, that the Rogue_ de Cros _had out-witted them all_. To which Monsieur _de Cros_ replies, p. 43. that if Sir _W. T._ had not made the King speak these Words, but had said them himself, he would apply to him with as much Justice as to any man in the World, these Verses, which he had somewhere read,

_Coquin, ce me dit il, d'un arrogance extreme Va Cherchir les coquins ailleurs, coquin toi-memê._

Which may be thus rendred into _English_,

_He calls me a Rogue, like an arrogant Elf, Seek your Rogues, Friend, at home, you're a great one your self._

By the Pointedness of the Conceit one would be apt to imagine that this noble Distich was of Monsieur _de Cros_'s Composition, and indeed 'tis but fit that an Author who shews himself so phlegmatick in his Prose, should have the same dull Genius attend him in Poetry. But be the Verses whose they will, the merit of the Application intirely belongs to our _Letter-Writer_, who, to his Praise be it spoken, discreetly chose out two of the dullest Lines in the Universe, which it was impossible for him to murder, even by his own dull way of applying them.

After a long Discussion of the matter, he finds he is not so much hurt as he imagined at first. For in the first place he observes that the King called him _Coquin_ or _Rogue_ pleasantly, by way of Jest and without Passion; and in the second place, that if he called him so on purpose and with Design, yet he ought not to wonder at it, p. 47. since it was so usual a Compliment with him, and he had treated not only the most flourishing Republick in the World, _Holland_, and two Ambassadors of his most Christian Majesty, the Count _d'Avaux_ and Monsieur _Barillon_, but even some Members of Parliament who had presented him with an Address, by this familiar Term. And here I cannot but make two Remarks; 1. That Monsieur _de Cros_ does not preserve that profound Respect for the Memory of King _Charles_, as he would make the World believe; and that he makes no Conscience to sacrifice that Prince's Reputation upon every trivial Occasion, where himself is concern'd to vindicate his own No-Reputation. 2. That as we took Notice before, our great _Letter-writer_ still takes pains to justify himself by the Protection of great Names. Thus, if Monsieur _de Cros_ was a Monk, several Princes, and Kings, and Cardinals, and Popes were so before him; and if he deserted his Frock for a comfortable Petticoat, 'tis no more than what Nuncio's, and Pontiffs, and Persons of the highest Quality had shown him a President for: Thus if K. Charles the Second call'd him a Rogue, it never mortifies him; for according to our Author, he bestowed that very same Compliment upon Parliament-Men, Ambassadors, nay the States of _Holland_: and in like manner if he was Author of the abovemention'd dull Distich, he may still comfort himself by the Example of _Tully_, of _Nero_, nay and of _Augustus_ himself.

_I need not put my Invention to the rack_, says Monsieur _de Cros_ p. 49. _to revenge my self on Sir_ W. T. _If I had been minded to call Falshood to my Assistance, I should have bespattered him with bitterer things: but the Truth of my Remarks upon his Memoirs will revenge me sufficiently upon him._ 'Tis needless here to question the fruitfulness of Monsieur _de Cros_'s Invention, he having given but too many Proofs of it in this short Letter; and were it not that Dulness is the chief Ascendent in his Temper, he has variety enough of _Fable_, to qualify him not for a Writer of Remarks, but a Poet. In short if the dreadful Volume he threatens Sir _W. T._ with, perform no greater Execution than this little Specimen, Sir _W. T._ will have all the Reason in the World to bless his kind Stars for sending him so harmless an Adversary.

Our Author who found it so necessary to engage other Persons in his Quarrel, summs up all his Malice in his last Effort. Says he, p. 56. _This the most proud and vindicative of all kind, has in his Memoirs assaulted the Reputation even of the greatest Ministers, as the Duke of_ Lauderdale, _the most zealous and faithful Servant the King ever had_; (by the same Token that a[B] late Pamphlet has recorded a celebrated Saying of his, _viz._ that he hoped to see the King's Edicts to be Laws and above the Laws) _My Lord_ Arlington _who had brought him out of Dust and Oblivion to place him in Employments_; (but this Article having been cleared already, I shall now dismiss it without any further Remark) _The principal Ministers and sagest Magistrates of_ Holland, _the present Earl of_ Rochester, and _the Marquis of_ Carmarthen. If this were true, as 'tis apparently false, they don't want the Help of such a feeble Writer as Monsieur _de Cros_ to defend them. Lastly, p. 61. _Perhaps, says he, this great Minister, this great Confident of Kings and Princes, and only Preserver of_ Flanders, _had done wiser than to enter the Lists with a Monk, with a sort of an agent and a cunning Rogue_. To all which let this short Answer serve. Sir _W. T._ had it never in his intentions to enter the Lists with an Enemy of so prostitute a Character; he only mention'd him two or three times, _en passant_, and has other Business to employ him, than to engage himself in a War where he can Expect no Triumph.

[B] Mr. Johnson's _Argument_, &c.

FINIS.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

1. Passages in italics are surrounded by _underscores_.

2. Long "s" has been modernized.

3. The words Soloecism and moeurs use an oe ligature in the original.

4. Apart from changes listed above, printer's inconsistencies in spelling have been retained.