ADVERTISEMENT From Daniel De Foe, To Mr. Clark.

IT was my fix't Reſolution never to foul any Paper, or take up any Bodys time to Read, or my own, to Write any thing about the quarrell Mr. Clark would fain make with me; but I am oblidged to ſpeak to it, which ſhall be very ſhort; Mr. Clark who denys a paſſage Relating to him⯑ſelf in the Hiſtory of the Union, would fain Rail and huſs me into a Recantation of the paſſage in publick, and ſince he de⯑ſires it, he ſhall have all I can poſſibly make.

I had once the Honour to meet a Gentleman of Worth, and a Friend of Mr. Clarks upon this affair to whom (Mr. Clark preſent) I ſaid, and to Mr. Clark I ſaid at the ſame time, that I would Write to my Friends at Glaſgow from whom I had my Information, and if they would not ſtand to it, juſtify, own, and upon occaſion prove what they had reported of Mr. Clark, I would give him any Reaſonable Satisfaction, but if they would he could not expect, I would recant what I had clear evidence of.

Now being very deſirous of giving all Men Satisfaction that have any Objection to make againſt me, I accordingly have Written to my Friends at Glaſgow, and no doubt ſhould readily have complyed with Mr. Clark. But to my great misfortune they Unamiouſly Write me word, that what I have Written in my Hiſtory is all true, and they are ready to give ample Teſtimony of it in my Vindication when ever I pleaſe, and have ſent me the Name of five Gentlemen of that City, each of them of equall Reputation, Character and Cre⯑dite as Mr. Clark himſelf (no Reflection I hope upon Mr. Clark) who they ſay, particularly Remember the very words.

[2] What to do in this caſe I cannot tell, and would be glad Mr. Clark would adviſe me, I have a very great Reſpect, nay a Veneration and indeed the utmoſt regard to the office of a Miniſter of the Goſpel, and I believe I have ſhown it upon ſeveral occaſions; but I cannot perſwade my ſelf to oppoſe Mr. Clark's ſingle Negative, to five clear Affirmatives: Beſides what if one or more of the five ſhould be Miniſters too, will Mr. Clark adviſe me to take his word and Condemn theirs? When Truth is brought into ſuch a ſtraight, I cannot but think I am oblidged to go by the Number and Reputation of the Witneſſes, and there I leave it. If Mr. Clark has a mind to puſh it any further, for he talked much of going to Law with me, my Anſwer is Brief, The Law is open; and tho' I am a great way off, yet if he will inform me, what way he would have me proceed I'll oblidge him as much as poſſible in Anſwering (tho' at this diſtance) all the courſe of Juſtice de⯑mands, being fully convinc't of the Truth and Impartiality of my Hiſtory.

I had laſt Poſt a Printed Paper ſent me which ſome Body (I really know not who) has Write in my Vindication, I cannot but thank the Author of that Paper for the good will he has ſhown to me, and for his concern for Truth which to me ar⯑gues him an honeſt Man; And had he left out that needleſs thing called Praiſe (which asking his Pardon) the World al⯑ways calls Flattery, and I thank God I do not ſeek, nor can upon no Terms accept from any Body, had this been left out I would have ſet my hand to the Truth of every thing in that Paper.

I ſee but one thing in it requires Explication, viz. where he ſpeaks of my asking Mr. Clark pardon, and this I ſay needs Explication; not that it is wrong related, but leaſt Mr. Clark or any Body for him ſhould ſuggeſt that I had own'd, I had Injur'd him in the Hiſtory, and had asked his Pardon—The Caſe is plain, I did at the Interceſſion of two Honeſt Gentle⯑men, and Mr. Clark's Friends, they alledging it would be ve⯑ry prejudicial to him, agree to alter the Sheet as it was firſt Printed to leave out his Name, and ſome Reflections I had [3] made upon his Conduct (I appeal to thoſe Gentlemen, I told them at firſt I would not leave out the Matter of Fact) according to my promiſe, I cauſed the ſheet to be altered and Re-printed and gave ſtrict orders to the Printer, that none of the firſt ſhould be publiſhed, as Mrs. Anderſon and her Servants, I doubt not will do me the Juſtice to own: But by the miſtake of her Servants, and without my knowledge, many of the firſt ſheets were delivered out, which I reſented very much, and cauſed the leaf to be torn out of thoſe that came to my know⯑ledge, even after the binding, and when I ſaw Mr. Clark, I told him how it was, and tho' it was not my fault; yet I ask't his Pardon, for it is a miſtake.

But the good Gentleman is pleaſed to forget this civility, and Reproach me with it, after that acknowledgement as a wilful Act of mine, which obliges me to tell him, I think my ſelf acquitted of my Capitulation, and ſhall in any future Edi⯑tion let Mr. Clark ſee it more plainly.

This I ſay by way of Explanation, of the Paper which is publiſhed in my Vindication, I am told Mr. Clark is mighty warm to find the Author of that Paper: Indeed were I the Author, and had witten it in Vindication of another Perſon, I would for a Muskin of Wine own it to him at the Croſs of Edinburgh—The Articles of Perſonal Characters aforeſaid on⯑ly accepted, and I muſt ſay in Juſtice to the Author, and meer Dictates of Conſcience, that abating, what I call Flattery (a thing I abhor (and which I wiſh heartily that Gentleman had left out—I ſee nothing in that Paper, but I believe to be very true, all that is ſuggeſted ſeems juſt and fairly deduced, and all that is affirm'd, I dare ſay can be proved, and Mr. Clark's Paper is ſo well Anſwered by that Gentleman, that I need add nothing to it.

As for Scurrilous Treatment, and Abuſive Language upon me, in which Mr. Clark is pleaſed to abound, he that loves to roll himſelf in his own Mire, let him do it, Railing never mended an Argument, many a good one has it marr'd, many a bad one made worſe; I thank GOD, I have not been uſed [4] to it, 'tis neither the Sin of my Education, or Inclination; Leſs ſtill is it my Talent, and leaſt of all do I value it, when it flys at me from another; If it moves any thing in me 'tis my pity, for I take a Man when he is come to Railing to be but a few ſteps off, of diſtraction—And all Men commiſerate a Lunatick, in ſhort Paſſion and ill Language is below a Gentle⯑man, inconſiſtent with a Wiſe Man, remote from a good Man, the diſeaſe of a Learned Man, and above all indecent and unbecoming a Miniſter—'Tis a breach of good Manners a Reproach to Letters, a Scandal to Argument, and a Teſt of Human Frailty; on theſe accounts, I take no notice of all Mr. Clark's Gall; 'tis throwing Duſt againſt the Wind, and it all flys back in his own Eyes, let him Rail on.

I cannot think it needful to ſay any more, if Mr. Clark pleaſes to Writ Annually, or Monthly, or Daily, he is welcome, I deſire all my Friends, may let him alone, as I ſhall; when he has made an end, he will have done—and I am very well con⯑tent, to let him have the laſt word of Flighting, as he had the firſt.

As to the History of the Union—what I have written, I have written, there it ſtands ſupported by Truth, and ſufficient evidence ready to be produced, when Juſtice requires it, and what can any Hiſtorian deſire more.

If Mr. Clark thinks the World is to be amuſed with his Ne⯑gative, and with a bare denying the words upon his meer Reputation, I tell him again, there are Men of equal Repu⯑tation (and ſince he moves me to it, I do ſay) of Superiour Reputation to him, that do affirm he ſpoke them, and if I might adviſe him for his Reputation, it is my Opinion, he had better let it alone, than ſtir in this lay ſtill any further, leaſt the ſmell of it offend his Neighbours.