New-England Courant.

To the Author of the New-England Courant.

S I R, No. VIII.

I prefer the following Abstract from the London Journal to any Thing of my own, and therefore shall present it to your Readers this week without any further Preface.

WITHOUT Freedom of Thought, the can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as publick Liberty, without Freedom of Speech; which is the Right of every Man, as far as by it, he does not hurt or control the Right of another. And this is the only Check it ought to suffer, and the only bounds it ought to know.

This sacred Privilege is to essential to free Governments, that the Security of Property, and the Freedom of Speech always go together; and in those wretched Countries where a Man cannot call his Tongue his own, he can scarce call any Thing else his own. Whoever would overthrow the Liberty of a Nation, must begin by subduing the Fteeness of Speech; a Thing terrible to Publick Traytors.

This Secret was so well known to the Court of King Charles the First, that his wicked Ministry procured a Proclamation, to forbid the People to talk of Parliaments, which those Traytors had laid aside. To assert thee undoubted Right of the Subject, and defend his Majesty's legal Prerogative, was called Disaffecton, and punished as Sedition. Nay, People were forbid to talk of Religion in their Families. For the Priest had combined with the Ministers to cook up Tyranny, and Tuppress Truth and the Law, while the late King James, when Duke of York, went avowedly to Mass, Men were fined, imprisoned and undone, for saying he was a Papist: And that King Charles the Second might live more securely a Papist, there was an Act of Parliament made, declaring it Treason to say that he was one.

That Men ought to speak well of their Governours is true, while their Governours, deserve to be well spoken of, but to do publick Mischief, without hearing of it , is only the Prerogative and Felicity of Tyranny: A free People will be shewing that they are so, by their Freedom of Speech.

The Administration of Government, is nothing else but the Attendence of the Trustees of the People upon the Interest and Affairs of the People: And as it is the Part and Business of the People, for whole Sake alone all publick Matters are, or ought to be transacted, to see whether they be well or ill transacted, so it is the Interest, and ought to be the Ambition, of all honest Magistrates, to have their Deeds openly examined, and Publickly scann'd: Only the wicked Governours of Men dread what is said of them; Audivit Tiberis probra queis lacerabitur, atque perculsus est. The publick Censure was true, else he had not felt it bitter.

Freedom of Speech is ever the Symptom, as well

as the Effect of a good Government. In old Rome, all was left to the Judgment and Pleasure of the People, who examined the publick Proceedings with such Discretion, & censured those who administred them with such Equity and Mildness, that in the space of Three Hundred Years, not five publick Ministers suffered unjustly. Indeed whenever the Commons proceeded to Violence, the great Ones had been the Agressors.

GUILT only dreads Liberty of Speech, which drags it out of its lurking Holes, and exposes its Deformity and Horrour to Day-light. Horatius, Valerius, Cincinnatus, and other vertuous and undesigning Magistrates of the Roman Commonwealth, had nothing to fear from Liberty of Speech. Their virtuous Administration, the more it was examin'd, the more it brightened and gain'd by Enquiry. When Valerius in particular, was accused upon some flight grounds of affecting the Diadem; he, who was the first Minister of Rome, does not accuse the People for examining his Conduct, but approved his Innocence in a Speech to them; and gave such Satisfaction to them, and gained such Popularitty to himself, that they gave him a new Name; inde cognomen factumi Publicola [illegible], to denote that he was their Favourite and their Friend-----Late deinde leges----Ante omnes de provocatoine ADVERSUS MAGISTRATUST AD POPULUM, Livii, lib. z. Cap. 8.

But things afterwards took another Turn. Rome with the Loss of its Liberty, lost also its Freedom of Speech; then Mens Words began to be feared and watched; and then first began the poysonous Race of Informers, banished indeed under the righteous Administration of Titus, Narrva, Trajan, Aurelius, & c. but encouraged and enriched under the vile Ministry of Sejanus, Tigillinis, Pallas, and Cleander; Queri libet, quod in secreta, nostra non inquirant principes, nist quos Odimus, says Pliny to Trajan.

The best Princes have ever encouraged and Promoted Freedom of Speech; they know that upright Measures would defend themselves, and that all upright Men would defend them. Tacitus, speaking of the Reign of some of the Princes above mention'd says with Extasy, Rara Temporum felicitate, ubi sentire qua velis, & qua sentias dicere lices: A blessed Time when you might think what you would, and speak what you thought.

I doubt not but old Spencer and his Son, who were the Chief Ministers and Betryers of Edward the Second, would have been very glad to have stopped the Mouths of all the honest Men in England. They dreaded to be called Traytors, because they were Traytors. I dare say, Queen Elizabeth's Walsingham, who deserved no Reproaches, feared none. Misrepressentation of publick Measures is easily overthrown, by representing publick Measures truly; when they are honest, they ought to be publickly known, that they may be publickly commended, but if they are knavish or pernicious, they ought to be publickly exposed, in order to be pubickly detested.

Yours, &c,

SILENCE DOGOOD.

To the Author of the New-England Courant.

S I R, Rhode-Island, June 25.
The following Lines which are the Production of a Rhodian Muse, I desire you to insert in your next Courant; but not with a Design that they would be thought to run Parrallel with the losty Kitelic Strains which flow from those celebrated Bards, that have had the Advantage of breathing a more Sublime Air than we, who are confined within these narrow Limits.

In the days of old, when Shepherdess and Swain,
Supinely lodg'd all Night on flow'ry Plain;
Incircled in each other's Arms, would be
The faithful Shepard and his constant She,
Serenely blest, the Nights thus stole away,
and Morning Blushes usher'd in the Day:
Where lovely flowers did unfold their sweet
And fragrant Smells, the early Lovers greet;
No soft deluding Art was then in Use,
No haughty Female, nor was Man profuse;
But calm and undisturb'd the lowly Pair,
In humble Weeds appear'd, exempt from Care.
A Vein of Health ran through their moulding Clay,
To prop that Life which swiftly hasts away.
Their Nymphs were deck'd with Innocence & Truth
The lasting Transports of their blooming Youths;
These are the Odours which perfume the Tust,
The Balm that sooths the Animated Dust;
Then through the gloomy Scene these found the Way,
Such Paths must lead unto Eternal Day.

Yours, & c.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Hague, March 3. All our Advices from France continue as favourably as can be expected in relation to the Plague; that Distemper every where abating sufficiently to give Hopes of its speedy Cessation. Letters from Vienna and the North continue to mention the great Preparations of the Czar and the Turks; and through the latter would perswade the Christians not to take any Umbrage, 'tis plain they will at least take Precautions. The Eyes of Europe seem to turn more at present toward the Congress of Cambray at the Opening of which our Politicianss give out we shall hear something New: But whether that Time be so near as they imagine, is what may believe they have Reason to question.

Paris, March 4. The Insanta Queen arrived at the Place of the Old Louvre on Monday the 2d instant, about Five in the Evening, being met by the King at her Alighting, who conducted her into her Apartment. The next day, she received the Compliments of the principal Courtiers of both Sexes; and it was observe'd that most of the Ladies imitated her Majesty's Dress in Body-Coats and in their Hair. The Dutch Ambassador, Mynheer Hop, had like to have been trampled upon in the Croud at the Queens Entry; his Horse having started and thrown him. The Parliament did not assist in the Cavalcade; nor would they open a Letter they received the Night before, because the Contract of the King's marriage was not according to Custom Register'd in their Court. On Saturday last, the Seals were taken from Monsieur Daguesseau, and given to Monsieur d'Armenonville, Secretary of State, whereupon the former is once more retired to his Country Seat at Fresne. The Mareschal de Bezons is likewise retired; and Men talk of some Letters to banish certain Persons of Distinction.

Paris, March 6. 'Tis reported here, but we know not upon what ground that the Princess of Modera is dead. The Duke de Noailles, Grammont, Charost

and some others; as also the Mareschals de Villars and Tallard are in daily Expectaton of sealed Letters from the King, to order them, after the Example of the Chancellor, to repair to their Country Seats. Yesterday about Five in the Afternoon, The Insanta-Queen, accompany'd by the Dutchess de Ventadour, the Princess de Soubize, the Dutchess de Tallard, and Mademoiselle de la Lande, made a Visit to the King, who met her at the Entrance of his Guard-Room. She made her Reverence to his Majesty, who having embraced her by the Hand and led her into his Apartment, where she tarry'd almost an Hour. During this time the Chambers upon the Terrass near the Chappel were fired. The King's Coach wherein the Insanta-Queen sat, was preceded by two others, and guarded by six of his Majesty's Lite-Guard with a Sub Brigadier.There were likewise six of the King's Pages, and as many Footmen. The Feasts to be made upon this young Princes's Account, by the King, the Regent, and the City, will last from Sunday to Thursday next.

London, April 21. We have advice that the States General have at length resolved to own that the Czar in Quality of Emperor.

We are advised that an Alliance is now certainly sign'd between France, Spain, and the Czar, and that a Treaty is on Foot between the Emperor, the King of Poland, and the Elector of Bavaria.

Our Letters from all Parts of Europe prognosticate a War, and many of the Emperors Troops having already received Orders to march to Italy, it is very probable, that that Country will be the Theatre of War.

Boston, July 9. Our Merchants have Advice, that the Pirates still continue on this coast, and have taken Capt. Mulberry outward Bound from this place.

Custom-House, Boston. Entered Inwards.

Joseph Jackson, John Niggs, and Samuel Beckwith from New Hampshire, James Lewis, Gersham Cobb, John Wharfe, Isaac Freeman, and Barnabas Lathrop from Connecticut, Peter Mudock, and Thomas Davis from Long- Island , Paul Starbuck and James Ferguson from North Carolina, Jonathan Bull from Virginia, William Hinder from Antigua, John Venteman from Jamaica, Samuel Broadhurst from New York, and John Hovenden from St. Lucas, Roger Dench from New Foundland, George Boutillier from Cape Francois, Ebenezer Putman from Barbadoes, and Henry Timberlake from St. Christophers.

Cleared Out.

John Flood for New Hamshire, David Yeamans for New York, Joseph Gorham, and Joseph Allen for Connecticut, Hosea Lhommedieu and Benjamin Lhommedieu for Long-Island, Richard Quick for South Carolina, Thomas Astonnn for Antigua, Nicholas Davis for Surranam, Henry Clark, Ship Patience and Judith for London.

Outward Bound.

Tomas Copping, and William Blake for North Carolina, Peter Mudock for Conneticut, Thomas Davis for Long-Island, Philip Lewis for Surranam, Robert Peate for Jamaica, Samuel Mould for West Indies.

ADVERTISEMENT

RAN away from his Master, Mr. Joseph Franklin of Boston, Tallow-Chandler, on the first of this Instant July, an Irish Man Servant, named William Tinsley, about 20 Years of Age, of middle Statue, Black Hair lately cut off, somewhat fresh-colored Countenance, a large lower Lip, of a mean Aspect, large Legs and heavy in his going; He had on when he went away, a Felt Hatt, a white knit Cap striped with red and blue, white Shirt and Neckcloth, a brown Colour'd Jacket almost new, a Frieze Coat of a dark Colour, grey Yarn Stockings, leather Breeches trim'd with Black, and round to'd Shoes. Whosoever shall apprehend the said Runaway Servant, and him safely convey to his abovesaid Master, at the blue Ball in Union Street, Boston, shall have Forty Shillings Reward, and all necessary Charges paid.