ch Reason to detest as their Ancestors had to admire.

When the necessary Rigor of the military Oeconomy is relaxed by an
unbounded Indulgence to superior Officers, when supreme Orders are
stripped of all their Meaning and Force, by the arbitrary Construction of
those to whom they are directed, when the greatest Offenders, relying upon
their affluent Fortunes and almighty Influence, shall be able to resist
the united Demands of a whole People, crying for Vengeance, we can never
be astonished at the Consequences which will follow. The Restraint of
publick Awe will be removed, popular Displeasure despised, and our
invaluable Possessions will be sacrificed to Indolence, Timidity, or
private Revenge.--That this was our Case we had but too much Reason to
apprehend, when such uncommon Circumstances of Delay protracted the
Execution of a late Sentence so long. At last we find that neither
Artifice nor Intreaty, Interest nor Power, can wrest from us that Victim
to Justice which our Misfortunes require of us.----Whether we are to look
upon any hidden Mover in this dark Labyrinth as antecedently guilty or no,
we refer to the Deliberations of Parliament; and, waving all Assertions
and Murmurs not sufficiently supported, shall acquiesce in the Result of
their impartial Enquiries.

My Lord, you cannot do greater Justice to yourself, or Favour to your
Friends, than by promoting, to the utmost of your Power, that Scrutiny we
have recommended to you, that the Causes of our Disasters may no longer
be concealed, nor their Authors escape with Impunity: May future
Discoveries reflect an agreeable Light upon your Conduct, and restore you
to that Esteem you once deservedly possessed. If these Reasonings are not
founded on so exact a Knowledge of the inaccessible Situation of _St.
Philip_'s, or so accurate a Calculation of the Force of the two Squadrons
as your Lordship obtained, we may expect you will confute them by an open
Vindicacation; for Silence and Contempt will only confirm them.

It would be malignantly partial to have directed the popular Clamour
against you, had not you invited this Address by the Talk you voluntarily
undertook, in which you have advanced so little material, that the Admiral
was indebted more to the Generosity of your Friendship than the Merit of
your Evidence.

To draw this Letter to a Conclusion; when the Actions of any Officer are
not called to publick Account, it creates a strong and probable
Presumption in