IT might have reasonably been believed , That the Author of a late Pamphlet , relating to Mismanagements in the Navy , would have left off Scribling , since the Answer to his last Year's Politicks on that Subject , left him so little Reputation : But finding him an Annual Stumbling-Block , it is necessary to describe him , lest those who converse with him in the Dark fall into Errors , for want of proper helps to shun them .

I Thank you for sending me the Observations upon the first part of my Remarks on the Navy , because it came while I was writing something upon the Discipline of the Navy ; so that at the same time I have an opportunity to correct the Insolence of that insignificant Scribler . I can assure you , Sir , I am as well acquainted with the Gentleman he scandalizes , as the Author himself is with the Secretary of the Admiralty ; and tho I much prefer Argument before Reviling , I must spare a few Paragraphs in vindication of one that bears a better Character in the world than this trifling Observator can pretend to . This Author says , that what he has sent into the World , is the Effect of Ale and Brandy : Now I know that Gentleman never drinks one of those Liquors , and very seldom of the other ; so that beginning his Book with a Lye , you have little reason to believe him afterwards . There was , Sir , in our Time , one Captain Fudge Commander of a Merchant-man , who upon his Return from a Voyage , how ill fraught soever his Ship was , always brought home his Owners a good Cargo of Lies , insomuch that now aboard Ship the Sailors , when they hear a great Lye told , cry out , you fudge it . Now , Sir , I must give you to understand that this memorable Captain Fudge got diverse and sundry Sons , some for the Admiralty , some for the Navy , and some for Merchants Service ; and this Author's Talent of Lying coming up to the Standard of the Sire , we can believe him to be no other than young Fudge of the Admiralty , and by his Multiplication of Lyes , may be admitted to Seniority , and take place as elder Brother .

Young Fudge tells you , page 4. that the Party he scandalizes turned his back upon an Office wherein he was employ'd ; but if he were restored to the Bread and Cheese he is fallen from , he dares answer for it that his Mouth would be stopt , and never open'd again on the like Subject : and this place , he says , pag . 6. was Clerk of the Cutting-house at 40 l. per Ann. Do but mark the reason of the empty Creature ; A Place of 40 l. per Ann. did not stop his Mouth , and therefore the same place of 40 l. per Ann. will stop his Mouth . Such consequences as these , are the natural Product of the Brains employ'd in the Navy , where a wonderful Stupidity , join'd with a good stock of Impudence , never fails of Preferment . But I can assure him that Gentleman is so far from desiring such an Employ , or scandalizing himself by serving the Navy under such an Administration , that he would not tell those men his name for such an Office .

He tells us in the same Page , that he has a deserved Poverty . Now it is no Crime nor Sin to be poor . But it is very hard for a man to be cheated of his Right , and then reflected upon for his Poverty . His Poverty indeed is deserved on the account of his Services to this Government and his Country : Young Fudge is in the right on 't here ; for great care has been taken to keep those down , that rose most early in the Service of their Country . These Reflections are but so many Arrows shot at themselves ; for there was never a man in that Office to which this Gentleman belong'd besides himself , that ever ventur'd a hair of his Head in the Service of his Country ; yet at the same time , a parcel of poor insignificant Mortals , as foolish as fortunate , enjoy'd places of 400 l. per Ann. in that Office . Now the reason why this Gentleman took this mean Employ in that Office , was upon the account of an Uncle of his , then a Commissioner there , who brought him into that , in prospect of another much better , likely then to be vacant ; for which he had the promise of a certain Person , who deals so much in Religion , that he cannot afford us any of his Morals , or so much as once be true to his word .

This Observator fudges on , and tells you p. 5. That this Gentleman some years ago could not prove his Allegations before a Committee of the House of Commons . How he came to have more sense than the whole House of Commons , I can't tell : for upon the report of that Affair to the House , they were not of such an Opinion . He tells you in the same Page , that he is Poet Laureat to the Calves-head Club : but if young Fudge were to be hang'd , or make good this Assertion , he would be in a fine Condition . In p. 6. he magnifies his Knowledg , by acquainting the world he has served two Apprenticeships in the Naval School of England . I have known one that served two Apprenticeships in a University , and yet as great a Fool as if he had never been there . He tells you abundance of Stories of his good Services , of his Honesty , &c. p. 7. which we may believe to be e'en as true as what went before ; for if it be true , he is a Nonsuch . He would make us believe , that he has not enrich'd himself by his Employment , and that he gets not one 4th part of what his Predecessors got before him . One Reason of this may be an Order put up in their Office , that no Officers thereunto belonging should take any Bribes or Rewards ; and I could wish another Article had been tack'd to that Order , viz. That the Commissioners should receive no Presents of Prize Wines from the Commanders .

Page 7th he says that he holds his Accuser in the greatest Contempt . Not so fast good Fudge : the Accuser you pretend , is a Gentleman born and bred ; but you have skip'd to a high pitch of Insolence , since you were Pip's Footboy , and your good Lady Mother kept an Apple-stall in Westminster , with a little Net over it , lest some unlucky Boy should rob her of a Pennyworth of Apples and a halfpenny worth of Gingerbread , and so break her at once . Tho you are skip'd up to Preferment , you must not undervalue men of Birth and Education , especially one that has forgot more Learning than ever you were capable of remembring .

Page 8. he tells you that this Person did sometime since by Letter acquaint the Lords of the Admiralty with several Abuses in the Navy , but especially in the managing of the Victualling : their Lordships did thereupon signifie their desire to speak with him ; but when he attended them , he excused himself by saying , That he had formerly laid those Matters before other Persons without Success , and had little hopes of faring better from them . Now here is young Fudg again . For the Gentleman tells me that he never writ a Line to the Lords , before their Lordships sent a Letter to him , requiring him to attend them . He came to the Office according to their Lordships Order , and enquiring of the Doorkeeper whether their Lordships were fitting , the Door-keeper gave him a surly answer , and slap'd to the Door ; however he knock'd again , when Mr. Door-keeper looking out , saluted him with a what does the Fellow want ? At which the Gentleman gave him some hard Language , and told him their Lordships had sent for him ; but if they had nothing to say to him , he had nothing to say to them . Soon after this he was admitted to their Lordships , who indeed received him with a Civility answerable to their Characters , and gave him all the Reason in the World to imagine they were real in their Intentions to redress those Grievances they were willing to be acquainted with . But the Secretary acquainted their Lordships , that this Gentleman had printed a scandalous Libel , reflecting upon the late Commissioners , which was confirmed to their Lordships by another Scribe there , tho , I believe , neither of them saw that Gentleman's face before that time ; which , together with some other scurvy Reflections , without any Reprimand from the Board , was discouragement enough for him not to lay any thing before them .

He says , pag . 11. That this Gentleman , when the Board called before them the Commissioners for Victualling , upon a Complaint of Mr. Kelly , did not so far shew his Zeal to the Publick , as to appear face to face with those Gentlemen . Truly 't is no wonder he did not appear , when he knew nothing of the Business : Did their Lordships give him any notice ? or did they order him to attend at that time ? He prints a Letter from Mr. Burchett , pag . 10. to the Author of the Remarks , which he says may sufficiently testify he had an Opportunity offered him to bring to light what he knew upon Mr. Kelly's hearing . Well said young Fudge . The Letter to the Author is dated September 11. and Mr. Kelly's hearing was the 6th of the same Month , five days before . This is Admiralty Reason all over . He says , at that time the Management of the Victualling was solemnly examined into , when Mr. Kelly summoned about 50 Witnesses , and but about a fifth part of them were called in and examined ; this was a solemn Hearing indeed . 't is true , he was no stranger to Mr. Kelly's Complaint , but encourag'd him to lay it before that Board , in order to judg by their Management of a piece , what they would do with the whole .

Upon this Hearing Captain Boult , the Purveyor for Corn , a Gentleman that knows more of the business of the Victualling than all the rest concerned therein , was discharg'd from his Employment by their Lordships . I know not the Merits of Captain Boult's Discharge , but am fully assured that Mismanagement lay at the door of another Person . However this Gentleman hearing it buzz'd about the Victualling Office , that Capt . Boult was discharged for accusing one of the Commissioners , and knowing it to be the constant practice of the Victuallers to discharge all such as made Complaints , thought it would be in vain to bring any more Persons before their Lordships to testify any thing against the Commissioners , they being assur'd of a discharge by one Board or the other . But this Gentleman being unwilling to believe a thing upon a bare Report or Surmise , went up to the Lords to know of them whether Captain Boult was discharged upon the said Account or no : But there being not a full Board , their Lordships declined giving him any answer to his Question . And this is the true Account of the matter , however Fudg with his Billingsgate Rhetorick has been pleas'd to misrepresent it .

Our empty-brain'd Author in the same Page , reflects on my Folly , in being concerned that the Lords of the Admiralty , upon receiving a Letter signed A. B. offering to make Discoveries , do cause to be inserted in the Gazet the subject Matter of A. B's Letter ; and would be gladly informed , if two Letters should come at the same time , signed A. B. to the very same purpose , and with the same Date , how he could satisfy either the one or the other A. B. their respective Letters were received , without hinting something of the Contents of them . Certainly this cannot puzzle the boasted Wisdom of the Admiralty . If both Letters are signed A. B. and both of them contain the same matter ; if one of the A. B's appear , it may be sufficient . And if after one A. B. has appear'd , if they are desirous to hear what the other A. B. can say , 't is but Gazetting again , and they 'l be acquainted with both : or otherwise , suppose their Lordships in one Advertisement should require both the A. B's to appear , mayn't this be done without telling the subject matter of their Letters , which are both to the same purport ?

It is observable this Admiralty Officer , always in his Scribble , loads Complainers with the infamous name of Informers . Is this Character the mighty Encouragement they give to Complainers ? 't is well they han't all their Throats cut , as one lately had at Portsmouth upon such an Account ; for those who have serv'd their Country after this manner , have for the generality met with such Treatment , or the recompense of starving or losing their Employments . It 's a hard Case that such as complain of Grievances , should undergo the scandal of Informers , when such as informed against Conventicles in the late Reigns , meet with such Encouragement in this , as a Journeyman Apothecary , a common Informer and Persecutor , was made Commissioner of the Victualling . I could mention many more such that have got good Employments , when such as complain of Grievances get only the abusive title of Informers from our Admiralty folk .

Young Fudge says , page 12. of his Railery , That I am angry that the Fleet was not sent from the Downs before the 15th of July last , in order to prevent a supposed Invasion . And indeed , says he , I cannot wonder at his having so deep a sense of an Invasion , since ( if I am not very much misinform'd ) his shewing an early good will to an Attempt of that kind in the late Reign , procured him such Treatment as will always stick in his Stomach ; and perhaps his meaning is , That then he ventur'd his Life for the preservation of his Country : and that you may know what Invasion he means , he tells you in the Margin 't was the Duke of Monmouths . I could tell you a pretty Story , were it convenient , concerning the Methods of destroying that unfortunate Duke ; but as for the Invasion I know nothing of it : when a People are robb'd of their Liberty , and are brought into perfect Slavery , they may come to the recovery of their Rights either by Land or by Water . And it is justifiable in any Person , tho never so obscure , to head an armed Company in defence of their Rights , much more a Person of that Duke's Quality , however unfortunate . That our Rights were then Invaded is beyond dispute , when at that very time the late King was collecting the Customs and Excise without Act of Parliament . I make no question but this Admiralty Tool , who in this Reign calls the Duke of Monmouth's Disembarkment an Invasion , will in the next say as much of the Prince of Orange's Descent ; for I dare engage , like the Vicar of Bray , he 'l hold in under all Governments , if fawning , sneaking , and lying will effect it . But prithee Fudg , according to the Doctrines of Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance , the avowed Principles of thy Party ; how can'st thou hold an Office under a Government built upon the Ruins of those Doctrines ? but thy Conscience is a State Weather-cock , turned about by the wind of any Revolution . The treatment I met with in the late Reigns was indeed severe enough , and none but an ill-bred Skipkennel would reflect upon a Man for his Misfortunes , which he has undergone with so much Reputation and Credit ; nor are my Hardships under this Government much less , only with this difference , that I was as early to bring this King in as I was to drive the other out : nor am I alone in these Misfortunes , there are many beside my self that are discouraged by this Government , when many are enabled to buy themselves into Offices with the Money they got for Pardons of the D. of Monmouth's followers : and if the Recovery of our Rights be not justifiable , I shall with this Author conclude , that I did not then venture my Life for the preservation of my Country .