every Man came now prepared to act the part, he was directed, regardless of every principle of Rear fon and Juftice that fome Mrs, finding this, through Shame and Defpondency, retired to the Country; that there were no M rs in the He, but the Creatures and Minions of the Ct, who were determined to finish the Affair before the Country Mrs could come to Town; and that he must prepare for the worst, with all his Refolution; but, that it was impoffible to affift or advise him.

THIS melancholy Profpect could not fail of moving a Mind lefs fenfible of public Ills, than that with which every Man, who has read any of Mr. Lucas's political Papers, will judge him actuated. However, he was far from being fhocked or difpirited. He faid," he was long prepared for the worst, that Fortune could do to him; but, that he was forry to find his Country was to bleed, and that by the Hands of her unnatural Children: That it was doing him too great an Honour to wound her through his Sides; but, that as all thefe Things. could not be effected, without the immediate Direction, or Permiffion of a SUPREME POWER, he would fubmit, and endeavour to bear them, as became a good Subject and a Chriftian.

rs,.

THIS Converfation pafs'd with fome M in the Ct of Rts. Soon after it ended, and they had entered the He, Mr. Lucas was called in. His kind Friend, the Chairman, put him in mind of the Indulgence of the He, in allowing him a longer Day to answer the Questions propofed to him, when he was laft called before them; and now defired he would give direct and concife An→ fwers to these Questions. And then, ordered the Clerk to put the Addreffes to the Citizens, &c. into, his Hand. Whereupon, Mr. Lucas answered him, to the following Effect:

H 2

“SIR,

-y

"SIR, I gratefully acknowledge the Indulgence of the House, in allowing me a further Day to answer thefe Questions; I have made the best Ufe of it, that Time and Circumftances would permit. But, the only End, that fo much Time could poffibly ferve, was to let me fee the great Weight and Importance of the Points, that must be put to Iffue, by my answering thefe Queftions. I am ignorant of the Law, and unacquainted with P. Proceedings; and thefe happen at a Time when there are no Lawyers, except the M—————s of this He in Town; therefore I ftand utterly unadvised before you. I have looked over the Papers pointed at by the He, in the Hands of the Clerk. I have looked over the Complaint entered in the J and V. 1 and Vs against me. I find the Papers, with the Writing of which I am charged, and about which I ftand here examined, are already cenfured and condemned; and that the He is now in fearch of legal Proof against the Author. I have already informed you, Sir, the Principles upon which I am willing, nay defirous, to give you a pofitive, definitive Anfwer; but thefe are Conditions, with which, it feems, I am not to be indulged. Now, Sir, though I am as little concerned for mine own Fate in this Enquiry as any Body can with, yet, as I apprehend, the Rights and Liberties of the Subjects of this Kingdom in this Question concentrate in fo mean and contemp-. tible a Point, as my poor Perfon; that it is a Question, on which the Priviledges, nay, the very Being of this H. e, of the P. t and Kingdom depend, I must think it my Duty to preferve every Right of a Subject, as far, as it is committed to me; and therefore, I hope it cannot be difagreeable to the He, that I infift on my Right of refufing to anfwer this Queftion, upon any other Terms, than those I had before propofed,

which was no more than the bringing me before a Court of definitive Judgment."

AN Answer to this Purpofe was probably expected from Mr. Lucas, by the Ministry. And, therefore, one of the Ld L L- -t's Secretaries, unable to conceal how far he and his Master were concerned and interested in this Profecution, brought the Dedication to the King, the Addrefs to the Lord Lieutenant, and the Addreffes to the Citizens, with which poor Mr. Lucas had the other Day prefented his E- -y, to the House in his Pocket; and to cover the L-d Lt's unprecedented, unparallelled Forwardness in this Perfecution, got an Addrefs moved to be made to his E -y, for the laying these Papers before the He -e; which Motion for an Address, though generally known to be made ex post Facto, was formally entered in the 7, and published in the Vs, as if done in due Courfe and Form.

AFTER a Pause of some Minutes, Mr. Chairman produced the Books Mr. Secretary laid before the House, and asked Mr. Lucas, if he knew these Books? To which he answered, He could not tell,

fo

He was bid to look them over, and then ask'd the fame Question again. To which he made the fame Anfwer. Upon which, Mr. Chairman thought fit to infinuate, that these were Prevarications, and put the Question in another Form. To which Mr. Lucas replied, "Sir, low as Providence has placed me in Life, I reverence Truth and deteft every Tendency to Falfhood, as much as any Man. I might make you the fame Answer to thisQueftion, as I did to the former. But, Sir, I will be more explicit, and fhew you, that I am far from intending any Degree of Prevarication; for however I may revere and honour the H_ Le of CS, I do not at all fear it: For Fear is only for Slaves, or Criminals; and I am neither. That 1 did give

the

the LdL like Titles, and in thefe or the like Bindings, I do confefs; but, as I am now examined, as an Evidence before you, and as an extraordinary Evidence, against no other than myfelf, I hope, though I am not abfolutely fworn, it will not be judged wrong, that I answer, with juft Regard to Truth, with all imaginable Caution and Tenderness. You fee then, Sir, that thefe Books were not in my Cuftody, by the Quarter from whence you obtained them; therefore, I cannot pofitively fay, if I would, that thefe are the identical Books I delivered at the Ce. Though, if they were, I humbly conceive it would be no legal Proof of my being the Author of them; and whether or no, I hope the Ed t is not to come before thisH

three Books of thefe or the

L
give Evidence against me.'

Leto

UPON this, he was turned out by an Exclamation, as loud and violent as it was general. Great Art and Industry were expended in making this Speech criminal, but whether it was fo or not, there was now too much Heat and Confufion to make it out. When their Rage fubfided a little, they defired he fhould be again afk'd, whether he was the Author of thefe Papers; and fo they call'd him in again. As foon as he came within Sight of the Bar, the Chairman cried out, no Reflections, no Reflections, Sir, upon my I _d L.

Mr. Lucas, unwilling by his Motion to interrupt the Chairman, made fome Stops in coming toward the Table; upon which Mr. Chairman, with great Indignation and Vehemence, every now and then, cried out, come on, Sir! come on, Sir! anfwer the H Le, Sir! but no Reflections on my Ld L at your Peril, Sir! or on any Body, Sir! Come, Sir! take them Books in your Hand, look them over, Sir! and anfwer, whether you are the Author of them? without any Reflections, directly,

Sir."Mr. Lucas took the Books one after an other in his Hands, looked upon them, and then faid to this Effect.. "Though I am called an Evidence, Sir, I cannot forget, and I hope the He will confider, that I ftand here upon the Defenfive; I never fought to throw a Reflection upon any Character, nor fhould I prefume to attempt it in this He, at present, were it neceffary. You must fee the Nature of the Cafe, and I hope you will find, I have faid and done nothing but what was my Duty, when I stood in Defence of the Freedom and Right of my Fellow Subjects and myself; in regard of whom, I now claim the samè Liberty in answering this Question, that I did before, I decline answering it, either in the Negative, or Affirmative, till I am affured that I am brought to a final Trial."

He was now turned out again, with no lefs Violence than before. But, upon fome Hefitation, how to dispose of him, all Doubt and Difficulty waś readily obviated by a very eminent Lawyer +, who rofe to great Efteem and Favour with the Publiè for having been reputed to have long refifted high Temptations from the Ministry. This made himt fo popular, that the Citizens of Dublin conferred a very honourable and important Employment upon him. But, upon his joining with the Aldermen against the Commons, contrary to his Declaration and Promife, in which, and fome other remarkable Inftances of Mifconduct, Miftake, or Neglect of his Office; which were difcovered by Mr. Luca who could never keep Secrets of that Kind; and upon its being fome Way found out, that the utmost Bribe, offered the Gentleman, by any Lord Lieute nant, was the Commiffion of a Captain of Horse, which any grave Barrister befide, would rather look