and this important period wholly spent, in restoring the
prerogative to the prince, liberty to the subject, in reforming past
abuses, preventing future, supplying old deficiencies, providing for
debts, restoring the clergy to their rights, and taking care of the
necessities of the Church: and all this unattended with any of those
misfortunes which some men hoped for, while they pretended to fear.

For my own part, I must confess, the difficulties appeared so great to
me, from such a noise and shew of opposition, that I thought nothing but
the absolute necessity of affairs, could ever justify so daring an
attempt. But, a wise and good prince, at the head of an able ministry,
and of a senate freely chosen; all united to pursue the true interest of
their country, is a power, against which, the little inferior politics
of any faction, will be able to make no long resistance. To this we may
add one additional strength, which in the opinion of our adversaries, is
the greatest and justest of any; I mean the _vox populi_, so indisputably
declarative on the same side. I am apt to think, when these discarded
politicians begin seriously to consider all this, they will think it
proper to give out, and reserve their wisdom for some more convenient
juncture.

It was pleasant enough to observe, that those who were the chief
instruments of raising the noise, who started fears, bespoke dangers, and
formed ominous prognostics, in order scare the allies, to spirit the
French, and fright ignorant people at home; made use of those very
opinions themselves had broached, for arguments to prove, that the change
of ministers was dangerous and unseasonable. But if a house be swept, the
more occasion there is for such a work, the more dust it will raise; if
it be going to ruin, the repairs, however necessary, will make a noise,
and disturb the neighbourhood a while. And as to the rejoicings made in
France,[4] if it be true, that they had any, upon the news of those
alterations among us; their joy was grounded upon the same hopes with
that of the Whigs, who comforted themselves, that a change of ministry
and Parliament, would infallibly put us all into confusion, increase our
divisions, and destroy our credit; wherein, I suppose, by this time they
are equally undeceived.

But this long session, being in a manner ended,[5] which several
circumstances, and one accident, altogether unforeseen, have drawn out
beyond the usual time; it may be some s