HAving perus'd that most Elaborate-Piece which marches abroad under tie Title of an Answer to Malice Defeated, or some Reflections on Madam Cellier's Case; I could not but wonder how so much wit and ingenuity, accompanied with so clear a Demonstration of the Falla­cies of my Book, could be crouded into so narrow a compass as one side of half a sheet of small Paper, like Homer's Illiads in a Nut-shell; And how one single Person could be so strangely inspir'd as to be the Author of it: For it seem'd to me as if all the wits of the Town had clubb'd their ingenuity towards the writing thereof; and several Reflections and Imaginations crept into my Head about it.

Sometimes I was apt to think its Author's Name must needs be Legion; or at least that some Gentleman of at least 3 Names, must be the Pen-man; For Marcus Tullius Cicero was a great Orator.

Then I remembred how the Famous Doctor wholly refuted the Car­dinal, and rescinded all his Arguments in these three words, Bellarmine thon Ly [...]st; and began to think that the opinion of Pythagoras touching the Transmigration of Souls, was true; and that the Spirit of that Great Refuter had only shifted places, and was transmigrated into You.

But considering the good Manners and Civility with which you treat the whole Female sex at once, by joyning them with those you call the Popes Damnable and Malitious Imps, and saying, they are as great a tor­ment to England, as Hell it self is to them; and remembring withall, the Names and Titles which you have appropriated to your self, and the Marks wherewith you are adorn'd or rather stigmatiz'd, and the Civil Education which you have had in the several Universities wherein you have study'd under severe Tutors; then I concluded none but your self, or some Person of your Civil Education, could let flie this Answer into the World: And the rather, because you say Capt. Thomas Dan­gerfield is worthy of that title, wherein I fully concur with you; for it is a Maxim in the Ethnicks, that Fortitude consists more in Suffering than Acting; And You having had so many, and so frequent occasions to exercise that kind of Valour, as appears by the many Records of Your Worth: And there being a Commission vacant by the Death of Capt. Spurn-cow your Brother, I freely bestow it upon You, as Him that has the best title to it: For though I found no Records of your Horse­stealing, Yet I have been fully inform'd how you rid away with Mr. Briknel the Lieve-guard man's Horse, depositing conuterfeit Guineys for him, making him thereby such a Guiney-merchant, that he very narrowly escap'd Hanging, to his great charge and trouble. Go on therefore (Noble Captain,) and inherit the Virtues as well as the Title of your Predecessor; and it is not impossible but You may be a Lord in due time, as it appears he was both in France and Spain, &c.

[Page 6] And if the Critical or Envious should reproach your Pamphlet with Nonsense, and meer Railing; And say it is no Answer at all to any matter in the Book, Rejoyn with them again, and tell them likewise boldly they Lie, which will be so great a Vindication of your inge­nuity, that you shall not need to use any other Arguments to Confute them; and at the worst, [if the World will not allow your due praise, put your Answer into your Pocket, and tell them the Story of the unskilful Painter, who bringing home (to a Person that bespoke it,) a Picture very ill drawn; and the Gentleman refusing to give him his Price for it because it lookt so ill favouredly, and was nothing like him: the Painter reply'd, he would carry it back again, and add something to it, and doubted not but to sell it at a good price for a Baboon.

But if this will not satisfie those unreasonable Criticks, but that they should tell you they have heard most things in the Book affirm'd to be true, by Persons of great Integrity; and that much more than is there incerted, is already deposed upon Oath, and that I have the Depositions, and daily pray that my Witnesses may be heard, upon the hazard of my Life, if I do not prove more than I have incerted, by many Witnesses of unspotted Reputation. And if Capt. Richardson (our old Landlord) say the Articles you gave me, were Lies of your writing; tell him the Father of Lies once told Truth; And also, that I do not give so much credit to You, as to depend upon the Articles, having more then enough to do his business without them: Tell him I am well inform'd of his Affairs, and know who it was he last car­ryed out at Midnight, and sold for a Slave to Virginia; Tell him also I know a Person of Generous Extraction, and unspotted Reputation, whom he loaded with a pair of Shears about a yard long, and 40 l. in weight, and kept him confin'd, and in Irons several Months, tho the Warrant of his Commitment gave him no authority to do so Tell him withall, that in MALICE DEFEATED, and else-where, I have both Writt and Spoke more good of him than he hath prov'd true, but not the tenth part of the Evil that will certainly be prov'd at his Tryal. And tell him I am not affraid of the Statute of Scandalum Mag­natum; But if any Person be offended at what I have Written, or hereafter shall write, I am ready to go to Tryal with them, and to justifie the truth thereof. And now Noble Captain, as you inherit the Title and Virtues of your Famous Predecessor, may you also in­herit his Fortune, and the Wealthy Dowager he has left behind, and make as quiet and Honourable an Exit, as He did, (with both your Hands on,) before you be Tryed for striking in Court.