where it
remains to this day, and in my humble opinion, a very offensive sound to
every true Protestant, who is old enough to remember those dangerous
times.

During the Ministry of that corrupt and Jacobite earl above-mentioned,
the secret pernicious design of those in power, was to sell Flanders to
France; the consequence of which, must have been the infallible ruin of
the States-General, and would have opened the way for France to obtain
that universal monarchy, after which they have so long aspired; to which
the British dominions must next, after Holland, have been compelled to
submit, and the Protestant religion would be rooted out of the world.

A design of this vast importance, after long consultation among the
Jacobite grandees, with the Earl of Oxford at their head, was at last
determined to be carried on by the same method with the former; it was
therefore again put in practice; but the conduct of it was chiefly left
to chosen men, whose voices were louder and stronger than those of the
other sex. And upon this occasion, was first instituted in London, that
famous cry of "FLOUNDERS." But the criers were particularly
directed to pronounce the word "Flaunders," and not "Flounders." For,
the country which we now by corruption call Flanders, is in its true
orthography spelt Flaunders, as may be obvious to all who read old
English books. I say, from hence begun that thundering cry, which hath
ever since stunned the ears of all London, made so many children fall
into fits, and women miscarry; "Come buy my fresh flaunders, curious
flaunders, charming flaunders, alive, alive, ho;" which last words can
with no propriety of speech be applied to fish manifestly dead, (as I
observed before in herrings and salmon) but very justly to ten
provinces, which contain many millions of living Christians. And the
application is still closer, when we consider that all the people were
to be taken like fishes in a net; and, by assistance of the Pope, who
sets up to be the universal Fisher of Men, the whole innocent nation,
was, according to our common expression, to be "laid as flat as a
flounder."

I remember, myself, a particular crier of flounders in London, who
arrived at so much fame for the loudness of his voice, that he had the
honour to be mentioned upon that account, in a comedy. He hath
disturbed me many a morning, before he came within fifty doors of my
lodging. And although I were not in those days so fully apprized of