Advice to a daughter as to religion, husband, house, family and children, behaviour and conversation, friendship, censure, vanity and affectation, pride, diversions : to which is added The character of a trimmer, as to the laws and government, Protestant religion, the papists, forreign affairs / by the late noble M. of H..

THE PREFACE.

IT must be more than an ordina∣ry provocation than can tempt a Man to write in an Age over∣run with Scriblers, as Egypt was with Flies and Locusts: That worst Vermin of small Authors has gi∣ven the World such a Surfeit, that in••te•••• of desiring to Write, a Man would be more inclin'd to wish, fo•• h•••• own ease, that he∣could not Read; but there are some things which do so raiseour passions, that our Reason can make no Re∣sistance;

and when Madmen, in two Extreams, shall agree to made common sense Treason, and joyn to fix an ill Character upon the on∣ly Men in the Nntion who deserve a good one; I am no longer Master of my better Resolution to let the World alone, and must break loose from my more reasonable Thoughts, to expose these false Coyners, who would make their Copper Wares pass upon us for good Payment.

Amongst all the Engines of Dis∣sention, there has been none more powerful in all Times, than the fixing Names upon one another of Contumely and Reproach, and the reason is plain, in respect of the People, who tho' generally they are uncapable of making a Syllogism or forming an Argument, yet they can pronounce a word; and that serves their turn to throw it with

their dull malice at the Head of those they do not like; such things ever begin in Jest, and end in Blood, and the same word which at first makes the Company merry, grows in time to a Military Sig∣nal to cut one anothers Throats.

These Mistakes are to be lament∣ed, tho' not easily cured, being suitable enough to the corrupted Nature of Mankind; but 'tis hard, that Men will not only invent ill Names, but they will wrest and misinterpret good one; so afraid some are even of a reconciling sound, that they raise another noise to keep it from being heard, left it should set up and encourage a dangerous sort of Men, who prefer Peace and Agreement, before Violence and Confusion.

Were it not for this, why, after we have played the Fool with throw∣ing

Whig and Tory at one ano∣ther, as Boys do Snow-Balls, do we grow angry at new a Name, which by its true signification might do as much to put us into our Wits, as the other has done to put us out of them?

This innocent word Trimmer signifies no more than this, That if Men are together in a Boat, and one part of the Company would weigh it down on one side, another would make make it lean as much to the contrary; it happens there is a third Opinion of those, who conceive it would do as well, if the Boat w••nt even, without endangering the Passengers; now 'tis hard to ima∣gin by what Figure in Language, or by what Rule in Sense this comes to be a fault, and it is much more a wonder it should be thought a Heresy.

But so it happens, that the poor Trimmer has now all the Powder spent upon him alone, while the Whig is a forgotten, or at least a neglected Enemy; there is no danger now to the State (if some Men may be believed) but from the Beast called a Trimmer, take heed of him, he is the Instrument that must d••stroy Church and State; a new kind of Monster, whose deformity is so expos'd, that, were it a true Picture that is made of him, it would be enough to fright Children, and make Women miscarry at the sight of it.

But it may be worth the exa∣mining, whether he is such a Beast as he is ••ainted. I am not of that Opinion, and am so far from thinking him an Infidel either in Church or State, that I am nei∣ther afraid to expose the Articles

of his Faith in Relation to Go∣vernment, nor to say that I prefer them before any other Political Creed, that either our angry Di∣vines, or our refined States-men would impose upon us.

I have therefore in the follow∣ing Discourse endeavour'd to ex∣plain the Trimmer's Principles and Opinions, and then leave it to all discerning and impartial Judges, whether he can with Justice be so Arraign'd, and whether those who deliberately pervert a good Name, do not very justly deserve the worst that can be put upon themselves.