In the next Place, I am to reprimand you, Sir, for your
disrespectful Behaviour to _Us_, whom you had chosen for your Judges.
_We_ take Notice, that you have ranked yourself under the
Denomination of the BETTER SORT of People, which is an Expression
always made use of in Contradistinction to the _meaner Sort_, _i.e._
the Mob, or the Rabble. Tho' _We_ are not displeased with such
Appellations when bestowed on _Us_ by our Friends, yet _We_ have ever
regarded them as Terms of outrageous Reproach, when applied to _Us_
by our Enemies; for in this (and so it is in many other Cases) the
Words are to receive their Construction from the _known_ Mind of the
Speaker: Your _Demosthenes'_ and _Ciceroes_, your _Sidneys_ and
_Trenchards_ never approached _Us_ but with Reverence: _The High and
Mighty Mob_, _The Majesty of the Rabble_, _The Honour and Dignity of
the Populace_, _Or_ such _like_ Terms of Respect, were frequent in
their Orations; and what a high Opinion they entertained of the
Accuracy of _Our_ Judgment, appears from those elaborate Compositions
they addressed to _Us_.
They never took upon them to make a Difference of Persons, but
as they were distinguished by their Virtues or their Vices. But now
our present Scriblers expect our Applause for reviling us to our
Faces. They consider us as a stupid Herd, in whom the Light of
Reason is extinguished. Hence every impertinent Babler thinks
himself qualified to harangue us, without Style, Argument or Justness
of Sentiment.
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