To the Right Honourable HENRY LORD BOOTH, Baron DE LA MER of Dunham-Massy, Lord Lieutenant of the Coun∣ty-Palatine of Chester, one of the Lords of the Treasury, and one of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council.
My Lord,
THat I presume to present this Abstract to your Ho∣nour, the just Interest your Page [unnumbered]Lordship hath, both in it and its Author, is sufficient Apo∣logy.
It must never be forgot, what good Service Your Tri∣al (though Your own extra∣ordinary Prudence, and cou∣ragious management thereof) did to the Publick, in stopping that Sluce of Blood which had unjustly been then opened, with a Design (which had well-nigh effected) to suffocate our Laws, and feed their Ty∣rannical Arbitrary Power. For 'tis evident, the Fanatick Plot, then, like them that made it, afterward, disserted the Stage, Page [unnumbered]and (though your Honour's undaunted Appearance, and powerful Aid) have never since (as 'tis hoped they ne∣ver will) dare to appear a∣mongst us; the unavoidable Mischief whence otherwise would have followed, most Men now are wise enough to apprehend.
Your Lordship's Vertues indeed, have always (from a very early beginning) rendred You a no less real Friend to your Country, than a formi∣dable Enemy to the mightiest of its Opposers: And Your generous Courage hath em∣bolden'd Page [unnumbered]You to express it, even with the greatest Hazard, in the worst of Times. You have done and suffered much (I'me sure Your share) for the Publick; and your Lord∣ship's last generous Essay, hath now made all Men very sensi∣ble of it; so that your Ho∣nour's Fame needs not the Aid of my Breath to blow it fur∣ther Abroad. Only I must crave your Lordships leave to say, that I am proud of this Occasion, to tender your Ho∣nour even so small a Testi∣mony of real Gratitude, from one, who is a Member of a Page [unnumbered]Family that hath been ho∣nour'd with a long and unin∣terrupted Friendship of Yours; not only in Your Father's Time, but in Your Lordship's since.
May Your Honour go on to dazle and outshine all your Enemies, in faithfully serving the best of Princes, and the most ungrateful of Nations! May Almighty God long preserve your Person and Ver∣tuous Family, in Grace, Health, and Prosperity! And may this your Trial, be the last that ever may entitle You to the Patronage of the like Page [unnumbered]Abstraction! is the sincere Prayer of,
My Lord,
Your Honours most Humble and Faithful Servant, P. N.
