Captain TOM's Remembrance to his Old Friends the MOBB of London, Weſtminſter, Southwark, and Wapping.

FOR ſo I love ſtill to call you, on the Score of old Acquaintance and Friendſhip. I take this occaſion to wiſh you Joy on the happy Deliverance of our good Queen from the bloody Deſign of the Popiſh Aſſaſſin Count Guiſcard, and on your own Eſcape, at the ſame time, from being dragoon'd into Popery and Slavery, and becoming Hewers of Wood, and Drawers of Water to the French King, and his Journy-Man the Pretender. For cou'd his Unchriſtian Majeſty have once got the Collar on your Necks, and ſaddled you with the St. Germain's Yonker; pray think, what a whipping Bill of Charges he'd have brought in, for nurſing, boarding and tutoring that Babe of Grace? He has no Conſcience, you know, in his Demands; and a Child ſo dutifully bred up as that is, wou'd not have had the Boldneſs to higgle with his Foſter-Father, and make him abate. No, he would have paid him to the full; and you muſt have found where-withal to quit the Reckoning. And ſo your ſelves and your Sons muſt have been chain'd to the Oar, and turn'd Swabbers under French Boatſwains, or been tranſported into Foreign Countries, to have had your Brains knock'd out in the French King's Quarrel, to make him Monarch of all Europe. And your Wives and Daughters muſt ſome of 'em have been common Strumpets to an Outlandiſh Jacobite Army, and others the hand⯑ſomeſt of 'em have been mew'd up in Nunnerys for the Uſe of Prieſts and Fryars.

Inſtead of ſubſtantial Beef and Pudding, your Stomachs wou'd have been taken down with brown husky Bread, and Herbs, and Rot-gutSoop. And for Sunday Apparel, you muſt have been content with coarſe tatter'd Jackets, Canvaſs Shirts, and Wooden Shoes. Thus, my Boys, you had for ever loſt all the Pleaſures of Eaſter, Whitſontide, and Chriſtmas: No more Holy-day Clothes, no more Cakes and Ale, no more Beans and Bacon in the Summer: no more Plum-Porridge, Mince-Pyes, and roaſted Sir-Loins in the Winter.

Inſtead of being eas'd of Taxes, the Nation muſt have been drain'd to ſatisfy the French King for the Expences of the War. And this wou'd have been skrew'd up to One Hundred and Fifty Millions, at leaſt, beſides the Charge of keeping a Standing Army at home, and Troops abroad, to help him to ruin the Allies. All this Mony, you may be ſure, cou'd never be rais'd without ſelling the Land, and the Stock, and Shipping of Great Britain. And then what wou'd you have done for Imployment to get your Living?

The Popiſh Gimcracks and Idolatry muſt have been ſet up in your Chur⯑ches, your Benefices have been given to Romiſh Prieſts, and the Chief of our Proteſtant Lords, Gentlemen, and Clergy muſt have been murder'd in their Houſes, butcher'd in the Streets, or pil'd up in Smithfield Bonfires, and you muſt have carry'd Faggots to the Flames, or have been fry'd your ſelves. [] For 'tis impoſſible the French and their St. Germain's Nurſling, and Popery and Slavery ſhou'd be eſtabliſh'd in this Iſland, without making a Wilderneſs of our Country, a Sacrifice of our Perſons, and a Seizure of our Eſtates.

Don't think, Gentlemen, I carry things too far here: Conſider how the French King has laid waſte his own Country, in order to eſtabliſh Arbitrary Power and Romiſh Bigotry in it. Call to mind how many Maſſacres the Pa⯑piſts have made in France ſince the Reformation; how many hundred thou⯑ſands of his own Proteſtant Subjects that King has deſtroy'd by Sword, Jails, Galleys and Baniſhment: And can you imagine that He and the Pre⯑tender wou'd uſe Britiſh Proteſtants better? Conſider how many Prote⯑ſtant Countrys he has ruin'd in Germany, and forc'd the Inhabitants to beg their Bread in other Lands: and do you believe he wou'd be more favoura⯑ble to Great-Britain, which has been the chief Hindrance of his becoming Ʋniverſal Monarch? Call to mind how the late King James cut off your Noble Patriots, under the Notion of Plotters: how he ſent your Biſhops to the Tower, fill'd your Armys, Univerſitys, and Councils with Papiſts, and ſet up a High Commiſſion Court, to turn out the beſt of your Clergy. Re⯑member how he deſign'd to govern you with a Standing Army, and impoſe a Sham-Succeſſor on you, to make Popery and Slavery perpetual. How did you bleſs the Day when our late Glorious Deliverer the Prince of Orange ar⯑riv'd, to reſcue you from all theſe Miſerys? Did not your Hearts o'erflow with Joy? And did not you ſhout him to Town with loud Acclama⯑tions, as the Saviour, under GOD, of our Church and State? Did not you then take Heart of Grace, and under my Conduct rout the Monks and Prieſts, frighten the Standing Army of the Popiſh King, and force him and his Iriſh Teagues to ſcamper? Did we not on all Occaſions ſtand by the Revolution, Heart and Hand, in which we and our Brethren all over the Kingdom, had ſo great a Share? And yet, to ſee the Impudence of a late Gallimaufry of mercenary Tatterdemalions, they wou'd fain top it on the World, that, forſooth, this ſame free-born Mob of Great-Britain had for⯑ſworn their Principles, turn'd Tail, and become arrant Enemys to the Re⯑volution, and to the Memory of the Glorious Prince who was the Inſtru⯑ment of it, and had run in with a Herd of Jacobites and Papiſts, to raiſe Tumults and Rebellions.

But to prevent your being gull'd with any Flam-Storys they may buz in your Ears, pray conſider, Gentlemen, if Guiſcard and his Fellow Bravo's had carry'd their Point, to murder the Queen and your beſt Patriots, and to fire the City, what Havock the Pretender and the D. of Berwick wou'd have made among you, with their French, Iriſh, and Popiſh Cut-throats, while we had no Army to oppoſe them, nor any Proteſtant Prince to make Head againſt them?

Gentlemen, I hope theſe things have open'd your Eyes, and brought you to your Senſes, and that you are convinc'd of the Errors ſome of your Number have been drawn into; and of the Knavery of thoſe who miſled them, and began to act the Tragedy laſt Winter that was to have been con⯑cluded in this. Attend therefore to the Advice of your old Captain, who exhorts you to continue faithful in the Duty you owe to your Queen and Country, to the Proteſtant Succeſſion, to your Religion and Liberty, and to your Selves and Families, as becomes true Britains; and to be ever ready to defend all theſe againſt Papiſts and Jacobites, who are ſtill brewing their Plots, and endeavouring to diſgrace and ruin the Authentick Mob of Great Britain, by falſe, ſpurious Anti-Mobs of their own Caſt. But I am confident you underſtand your ſelves better than to be thus deceiv'd; and that you will take Care not to forfeit your former Honour, and the Favour of your old truſty Leader,