Sir _John_. I say nothing of the Aptness of your Exception among the Fair; but really, Mr. _Overall_, you have hit it off in regard to the other Sex. The late M—r was a Prodigy in his Way. I won’t say that I ever knew a less virtuous Minister, but I will, that I never knew one made less Pretensions to Virtue. _Broad_. He courted Virtue as he did Applause. Sir _John_. And was he not the Honester, for not pretending to that he resolved not to practise, and for not courting that which he knew he did not deserve? But what better Pretensions have they, who, as my Friend Mr. _Overall_ terms it, thrust him from the _Barn Door_, to either Virtue or Applause? Did they not give a Sanction to all his Measures? Were not they Partners of his Guilt? And more, were they not the Partners of his Predecessor’s Guilt? Had the late Minister shewn less Contempt for them; had he wore more the Appearance of Modesty, or had more Deference for their Opinions; had he seem’d to draw with them; had he not ingross’d solely to himself the _Distribution_ of the Court _Manna_: Had he, in short, shared with his Fellow Ministers the vast Emoluments arising from the Distribution of the _Secret-Service_ Money, I fancy we should never have heard of the present unnatural _Ingraftment_. _Broad_. Since you will have it an _Ingraftment_ rather than a _Coalition_, it shall be so; but why should it be an unnatural _Ingraftment_? _Over_. Why indeed? Don’t we see _Non-pareilles_ and _Golden Pippins_ daily grafted on _Crabs_, and yet thrive? Ha, ha! Sir _John_. Yes, Mr. _Overall_; because they are all nourished by their common Parent, the Earth; and the _Crab-Tree_ is a Channel only for the Nurture to pass thro’. In this Case, the Earth, from whence both Species receive Nourishment, remains pure and uninfected; the _Crab_ has no more Influence than the _Pippin_. But can we suppose the Parity will hold in the other Case? The old _Standards_ in the Administration ingross the _Soil_: The _ingrafted Shoots_ shall have no more Communication with it, than their elder Brethren shall be pleased to permit. _Rose_. I am sorry to see all Sir _John_’s Observations tinctured with Uncharitableness. Why should the old _Standards_, as you call those that remain of the late Ministry, infect the Soil, by which I suppose the —— is meant, any more than the _ingrafted Shoots_ or new Comers? Sir _John_. The _new Comers_, for aught I know, wou’d be as arrant Courtiers, as supple Fawners in time, as the old _Standards_ themselves, had they equal Opportunity. But my Life for’t, the _Ingrafted_ will be kept at Arms Length from the Royal Ear. _Broad_. I hope not, Sir _John_; those we join are Men of Honour; and they assure us of going Hand in Hand with us—— _Blunt_. To raise the _Supplies_. _Over_. And screen Delinquents.