A memento treating of the rise, progress, and remedies of seditions with some historical reflections upon the series of our late troubles / by Roger L'Estrange.

Sect. V. How to Prevent, or Remedy Seditions arising from the CITY.

WHere the Metropolis is not well Season'd,* 1.1 and in good Or∣der, Many, and Great are the Advantages it has to Di∣sturbe a Government. It has Men, Mony, and Armes always at hand. But yet let a Prince, in his Greatest Distress, have a Care how he Abandons it; for 'tis by much a more dangerous Enemy at a Distance, then at Home.

The Ordinary Pretenses of a Troubled City, are either con∣cerning Religion, Oppression, Privileges, or Poverty, but still 'tis Ambition that sets the Wheel going; and it is the Mo∣narch's yielding at first, that destroyes him in the End. For while the Party is Tender, and Wavering; the Humour Cor∣vigible, and the Authority of the Prince, not as yet either exposed by Patience, or Prophan'd by Popular Contempt, and the Insolencies of the Rabble; Then is the time, to cut off all Possibility of Sedition. Murmurings are but the Smoak of Re∣bellion; the Fire's already in the Straw, but easily smother'd: That is, if seasonably look'd after: for if it break forth in∣to a Blaze, All the Buckets in the Town will hardly Quench it. The very first Mutterings against the Government, are but a pretty way of putting the Question; as who should say, Sir, May we Rebell? And the Forbearance of the Prince, seems to Answer them: Yes; Ye may. And Then, to work they go.

First, upon Religion: the most Dangerous,* 1.2 and the most wicked Quarrell in Nature. Is there a God?* 1.3 Or, Is there none? Let any Reasonable Rebell, whether Atheistick, or Religious, answer me. If a God there be; Upon what Nation will he power out the fierceness of his Wrath; Upon what Heads will he employ his Thunder? If not upon That Nation, where his Divinity is made a Stale; His Majesty Affronted in

all his Attributes: And upon Those Heads, that entitle the Basest of Corruptions to his Immaculate Purity; and the Di∣ctates of the Devill, to the Inspirations of the Blessed Spirit.

* 1.4Now to Those that say in their Heart, There is no God: They'l yet allow the Political Convenience of persuading the People otherwise. So that were This Freedom in Matters of Religion is permitted to the Multitude: Either the Abuse draws down a Vengeance from Heaven, or the Superstitious League among the People unites a Party against the Soveraign.

To deal frankly; All Seditions are to be imputed to Mis∣government:* 1.5 To the want of Early Care in the Magistrate. One Man begins; He Imparts himself to Others; They Conferr with Their Interests, and so the Mischief Branches it self, till it comes to Overspread a Nation. How easie a matter is it, to Smother a Spark in the Tinder-Box? A little Harder, to blow out a Candle: Harder yet, to put out the Fire. In short, when the Town is in a Flame, thank Him that neglected the first Spark.

The Prince that would prevent Schismaticall Seditions, in a City, must begin with the Clergy,* 1.6 and assure himself of the Pulpit. To say 'tis Dangerous; may in some Cases be a Truth. But Dangerous as it is; If it be more so, to let them Alone, What signifies that Objection? Suppose the Hazard almost des∣perate, on the One side: But there's a never failing Certainty on the Other: Here 'tis Hard; There 'tis Impossible. It is Necessary also to suppress Conventicles, Pamphlets, and all other Irregularities, which either Draw People together, or Vnite them, in Order to a Separation.

* 1.7In a Particular manner, let heed be taken, that the Ma∣gistracy of the City, consist of Persons Well-affected to the Government of the Church: And if they Struggle, let them be timely Taught, that the Liberty of their Charter, does not discharge the Bond of their Allegiance. This Strictness ought to be indispensible; for it is not to be Expected, that One Schis∣matick should Punish Another.

The Second Grievous Complaint is Oppression; and whe∣ther it be True or False, let it be strongly Vrg'd and Credited, 'tis the same thing.

Some Oppressions are Procur'd at the Instance of certain Ill Instruments about the Soveraign;* 1.8 on purpose to stir up the People against him. And this is done by shewing how Other

Princes hamper Their Capital Cities: Never considering, that the same manner of Governing will no more fit all Varieties of Custom, Temper, and Scituation, than the same Doublet and Hose will fit all Bodies. And then they Cry, This Damn'd City must be Humbled and Taken down. 'Tis very Right; but This must be spoken softly, and done warily. For to Le∣vel the Menace at the City, in stead of the Delinquent, is a great mistake. In such a Heat as This, a Prince needs no more than Three or Four Churlish and Rash Officers; Two on Three spiteful and Illegal Actions, to bring his Royalty in danger. Briefly; a Mean there is, betwixt Fury and Slumber; and equally ruinous to Princes, are Those Counsels that lead to either of These Extreams.

May not That very Thing which these People pretend they aim at, be done by Gentle, Legal, and Familiar Means? Let them Choose their own Officers; That pleases the City: But 'tis the Publick Care to see the Choice be Honest: and that secures the Prince. On the One side, no Clemency can be too great, that stands with the Rule of Government: On the O∣ther side, no Severity too strict, in Case of a Contumacy that Crosses it.

Burthensom Taxes are many times a Great Complaint, and sometimes a Iust One. Lighter, or Heavier they are ac∣cording to the various Humours of the Prince; and the dif∣ferent Exigencies of Times and Occasions; Nay, and accord∣ing to the differing Disposition in the People at several times, to understand them. Publick Necessities must be Supply'd; and the Supream Magistrate is the Iudge of Publick Necessities. Yet still where a more than Ordinary Levy is Necessary,* 1.9 the Ordinary way of Raising it may be Convenient: for the One way, they only stumble at the Present Burthen; but the O∣ther, they are startled with an Apprehension of the Perpe∣tuity of it. In which Case, it fares with Rulers, as it does with Racking Landlords, in Comparison with Those that Let better Penny-worths. The One has more in his Rental, but the Other has more in his Pocket: And the Reason is; the Tenants run away with the Rent.

Sir Francis Bacon is of Opinion, That [Taxes and Im∣posts upon Merchants, do seldom good to the King's Revenue; for that he wins in the Hundred, he loses in the Shire; the Par∣ticular Rates being Encreased, but the Total Bulk of Trading rather Decreased.]

Some Oppressions again there are, that proceed only from the violence of Extorting, and Corrupt Officers. To Com∣plaints against Abuses of this Quality, a Prince his Ear is to be ever Open; for it is in a Peculiar manner, his Duty, to Re∣lieve the Oppressed.

A Prince that Invades the Priviledges of a City,* 1.10 Breaks his Word: If they are Forfeited, he may Resume, or Remit at Pleasure: Otherwise, let them stand Sacred. It can never be safe to Govern ad Libitum: for when People find no Secu∣rity in Obedience, it puts them upon the Experiment of Sedition. If a Monarch has an Over-grown Subject, that he would be quit of; that he would Sacrifice to his Proper Advantage; let him but give him a Temptation to Encroach upon the Rights or Customs of his Imperial City: and if he take the Bait, let him Discover him, and bring him upon the Stage of a Publick Oppressor. Such an Action lays That City at his Feet. To Finish; That Prince that would have his Sub∣jects firm to Him, in Danger, must be Kind to Them, in Peace.

The Fourth and Last Motive to Sedition, is Poverty: A Terrible Enemy to a Great and Populous City;* 1.11 Nor is such a City, in Extream Want, a less Formidable Enemy to the Mo∣narch: for Hunger is neither to be Aw'd, nor Flatter'd.

The Causes of it are so many, and so incertain, 'tis hard to assign particular Remedies.* 1.12 In some Cases, Restraint of Build∣ing is convenient; In others, Sumptuary Laws; the Regula∣tion and Emprovement of Trade; The calling of Corrupt Mini∣sters to Account, &c.—For fear of the worst, it is good, if the Necessitous Party grow Numerous, for the Prince rather to make War with Them abroad, then to stay, till They make it upon Him, at Home; by That means, exchanging a Civil War, for a Forreign.

If the Mischief be too far gone, and that it breaks forth into a Direct Sedition; yet can it very hardly happen, that a Prince can warrant the forsaking of his Metropolis.

First, with Five Hundred Men he keeps a Million in Awe; That is, If He Himself, and his whole Party, be not Coup'd up under the same Roof, They can Destroy Him, by Number; and He, Them, by Fire; in case of being put to that last Extremity.

Next; Let the Prince but carry the First Scuffle, and (the World to nothing) the Town is his own. Whereas, let Him withdraw; so great is the Advantage he leaves to the Rebels, both as to the Readiness, and Proportion of Men, and Provisions for War; that (at a Distance) he may get the Better of Five or Six Pitch'd Battels, and yet Lose all at Last. For They shall sooner Re-enforce a Broken Army, than He Recruit a Scatter'd Regiment.

A Third Reason may be, that it lessens the Reputation of his Power, to give Ground.

We shall conclude with the Fourth; which is, That Citi∣zens will stand better, far from Home, than under their own Walls: for what with the Importunities of their Relations: Their Interests in view; and the Convenience of a Near Re∣treat; They Fight in Distraction. We speak here of a Ci∣vil War, for against a Forreign Force; These Reasons tran∣sport them into a more Determinate Obstination. From the City, now to the Country.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Danger of an Ill-order'd City.
• * 1.2

  Pretext of Re∣ligion is a dan∣gerous and wicked Quar∣rel.
• * 1.3

  Is there a God?
• * 1.4

  Or is there None?
• * 1.5

  All Seditions proceed from Misgovern∣ment.
• * 1.6

  Begin with the Clergy to prevent Schism.
• * 1.7

  Let the Magi∣stracy be well-affected.
• * 1.8

  Oppression procur'd by Ill-Instru∣ments.
• * 1.9

  Though the Levy be Ex∣traordinary, let the Way be Ordinary.
• * 1.10

  Priviledges are Sacred.
• * 1.11

  Poverty is a terrible Ene∣my.
• * 1.12

  The Prince not to forsake his Metropolis.