An answer to a scoffing and lying lybell; put forth and privately dispersed under the title of A wonderful account of the cureing the kings-evil, by Madam Fanshaw the Duke of Monmouth's sister.

Date:
1681
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An answer to a scoffing and lying lybell; put forth and privately dispersed under the title of A wonderful account of the cureing the kings-evil, by Madam Fanshaw the Duke of Monmouth's sister. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Ail Anfwer to a Scoffing and Lying Lybelli Pitt forth dnd privately difoerfed under the Title of A Wonderful Account of the Cureing thcfongs-Fvtl, by Madam Fanjhaw the Duke of Monmoutlf s Sifter. - Seep ins dim Reiigio peperit fcderbfa atque imp id fada, Suer it. /.' i. An fi quis atro dente me petiverit Inidtus ut flibo Puer? Hor. Ep.6. IT is ftill, and has been of old, the cunning Tricks of Wicked and evil Men for Religion fake, to run into all manner of AVtcked and impious actions, leaving no •Stone unturifed , that may any ways help to¬ wards the eftablifhrnentof their Diana♦ But as it has been the actions of fuch, who only make Religion their (talking Horfe, for their profit and advantage, which is their true Goddefs, fo it is moft eafie to find out whence the many late and molt inveterate Libells, which have been fpread abroad privately, proceed : even from fucin who would make Godlinefs their gain,and canfcnot what Idolatry is fet up,fo they may fill their Coffers: They care not whom they abufe and belye, nor whorii they defame and Libel,fo they may gain their point, or advantage their Intereft ^ but let fuch know,that as the old pro¬ verb is, ’17/ ill medling with edge Tools, and dan¬ gerous to defame aperfonof Honour,who may at fome time dr other, in all likelihood, have the power of Revenge. All the refuge thefe fort of perfons have, is the Blind under which they fhelterthemfelves, appearing only Incognito, or in Mafquerade, only to be known to their own party, and by fuch ridiculous Libells as thefe, to fortifie the imbicillity of a daggering Bro¬ ther, or toincreafe the malice of an inveterate Champion. But however this molt fcandaloiis Libel, put out under the name of Madam Fanfltaw, and at- tefted by feveral perfons of Honour, goes as yet unpunilhed, yet fince as Solomon fays,fometimes Anfwer a Fool according to bis Folly, fo we will give fome reply to a Knave or Knaves, accord¬ ing to his or their malice : And for tbis end we will confider this Libel, with it adjuncts of time and perfons, who wrote it, the fubftance of the Libel it felf, and for what end it was fpread a- broad. As for the fu ft, it is obferyabfc, that now more than ever, thzjefuiticaland popifh party, are again very bufie and very malicious, having renewed their hopes, by reafon of our fad De- ftraftions ^ a time very convenient to put forth their Venomn, and which they feldome rnifs to do upon every opportunity a time wherein they believe their boldnefs for their caufemay be (hewed,and In which they may (after their u- fual manner) Libel any body with impunity : a time of Trouble and Deftra&ion to the whole Nation, and of feeming Difgrace and difplea- fureto that moft noble perfon they endeavour to abufe : And laftly, a time molt fit for their purpofe, to turn all things, whether real or feigned into Ridicule, and to fet up Folly and Lyes fo like to Truth, that the Vulgar can fcarce fee the one from the other. As to the perfons in particular who Wrote this Libel, it were well they were known, that they might be branded, or left to the Indigna¬ tion of the people ; but as they are fhelter’d in the Croud,under the Vizard of Obfcurity,they may pafs unpunifhed for the prefent, till fome private Judgement, ufually the Reward of ma¬ lice, overtakes them : But as to the general,wc may very confidently aver, that it is one of the Popifh Fadion,fome Jefitit, or hotfpur Dukift, for they are hardly to be feperate; for you that have read the Libel, may perceive,that the Li¬ beller tells you, with fome Regret, That Ma- dam Fanfhaw is not a Papift, but Converted by her Husband to theProteftant Religion,which (hews the Libeller or Libellers malice to her, for that reafon, railing their malicious and Ri¬ diculous wonderful Narration, upon her name, tackt on with all the feoffs and jears imaginable. As to the fubftance of the Libel it felf, it is a moft ridiculous (lory, with little Wit, and much Malice, invented of an Apple-Womans Son, Cured of the -Kings Evil, by the ftroak of Madam Fnnjhaws Hand, in oppofition of that, not longfince published, of his Grace the Duke of Monmouth, her Brother, doing fomething of that Nature. But as the ftory, by the penning, and the Ridicule.and Buffoonery that Attends it, fhews it felf a meer Fabler fo there is no need to fay any thing further of it, but to pafs on to the Iaft and main point to be confidered,the end of this Story which is moft plain.- And as to this we may confider it Twofold: Firft, as to the Advancement of the Common Caufe., the.fecuring the Succefiion to the D. and the bringing in of Popery into England,the main end*.the other the means to that end. Se¬ condly , As to the abufe in particular, of His Grace the D.of Monmouth,becaufe a Proteftant, and an obftacle to the defigns of the Libellers. As to the firft, it is moft evident. That this Libel, with many others lately fpread abroad, is for no other end than the Advancement of the Papiftical Intereft , and the promoting of the Horrid Plot, which feems by thefe their wicked indeayours, not as yet to have an end,or