heard him. The Court was at firft very well. pleafed with his figure, and the promises he made them; but upon examination found him a true Spaniard: nothing but fhow and beggary. For it was fully proved, that notwithstanding the boasts and appearance which he made, he was not worth a groat: nay, that upon cafting up his annual expences, with the debts and incumbrances which lay upon his eftate, he was worse than nothing. There appeared another witness in favour of the Count, who fpoke with fo much violence and warmth, that the Court began to liften to him very attentively; till upon hearing his name they found he was a notorious Knight of the poft, being kept in pay, to give his teftimony on all occafions where it was wanted. This was the EXA MINER; a person who had abufed almoft every man in England, that deferved well of his country. He called Goodman Fatt a lyar, a feditious perfon, a traytor, and a rebel; and fo much incenfed the honeft man, that he would certainly have knocked him down if he could have come at him. It was allowed by every body, that fo foul-mouthed a witness never appeared in any caufe. Seeing feveral perfons of great eminence, who had maintained the cause of Goodman Fact, he called them ideots, blockheads, villains, knaves, infidels, atheifts, apoftates, fiends and devils; never did man fhow fo much eloquence in ribaldry. The Court was at length fo juftly provoked with this fellow's behaviour, who fpared no age, nor fex, nor profeffion, which had fhown any friendship or inclination for the Plaintiff, that feveral began to whisper to one another, it was high time to bring him to punishment. But the witness overhearing the word Pillory repeated twice or thrice, flunk flunk away privately, and hid himself among the people. After a full hearing on both fides, Count Tariff was caft, and Goodman Fact got his caufe; but the Court fitting late, did not think it fit at that time to give him cofts, or indeed to enter into that matter. The honeft man immediately retir'd, after having affured his friends, that at any time when the Count fhould appear on the like occafion, he would undertake their defence, and come to their affiftance, if they would be at the pains to find him out. It is incredible, how general a joy Goodman Fact's fuccefs created in the city of London; there was nothing to be feen or heard the next day, but fhaking of hands, congratulations, reflexions on the danger they had escaped; and gratitude to those who had delivered them from it. The night concluded with balls, bonfires, ringing of bells, and the like publick demonftrations of joy. THE The WHIG-EXAMINER. N° 1. Thursday, September 14. 1710. Nefcia mens hominum fati fortifque future, Ꭲ HE defign of this work is to cenfure the writings of others, and to give all perfons a rehearing, who have fuffered under any unjuft fentence of the Examiner. As that Author has hitherto proceeded, his paper would have been more properly entitled the Executioner: at leaft his examination is like that which is made by the rack and wheel. I have always admired a Critic that has difcovered the beauties of an author, and never knew one who made it his bufinefs to lafh the faults of other writers, that was not guilty of greater himself; as |