Transcriber's Note: This e-book, a pamphlet by Daniel Defoe, wasoriginally published in 1712, and was prepared from The Novels andMiscellaneous Works of Daniel De Foe, vol. 6 (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1855).Archaic spellings have been retained as they appear in the original,and obvious printer errors have been corrected without note.
Being a LETTER from an ENGLISHMAN
at the Court of HANOVER.
And thou shalt teach these Words diligently unto thy Children, andshalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy House, and when thouwalkest by the Way. Deut. vi. 7.
And what thou seest write in a Book. Rev. i. 11.
LONDON: Printed for J. Baker, at the Black-Boyin Pater-Noster-Row. 1712.
Why how now, England! what ailest thee now? What evil spirit nowpossesseth thee! O thou nation famous for espousing religion, anddefending liberty; eminent in all ages for pulling down tyrants,[1]and adhering steadily to the fundamentals of thy own constitution:[2]that has not only secured thy own rights, and handed them downunimpaired to every succeeding age, but has been the sanctuary ofother oppressed nations;[3] the strong protector of injured subjectsagainst the lawless invasion of oppressing tyrants.
To thee the oppressed protestants of France owed, for some ages ago,the comfort of being powerfully supported, while their own king,[4]wheedled by the lustre of a crown, became apostate, and laid thefoundation of their ruin among themselves; in thee their posterity[5]find a refuge, and flourish in thy wealth and trade, when religion andliberty find no more place in their own country.
To thee the distressed Belgii[6] owe the powerful assistance by whichthey took up arms in defence of liberty and religion, against Spanishcruelty, the perfidious tyranny of their kings, and the rage of thebloody Duke d'Alva.
From thee the confederate Hollanders[7] received encouragement to joinin that indissoluble union which has since reduced the invinciblepower of the Spaniards, and from whence has been raised the mostflourishing commonwealth in the world.
By thy assistance they are become the bulwark of the protestantreligion, and of the liberties of Europe; and have many times sincegratefully employed that force in thy behalf; and, by their