“And while I am thus fighting with Death and Hell, it looks a little like foul play for Flesh and Blood to interpose themselves against me. But if any one hath spite enough to give me a polt, thinking to falsify my faith by taking away my life, I only desire them first to qualify themselves for my executioners, by taking this short test in their own consciences: whoever thinks that any thing herein contained is not fair dealing with God and Man, let him—or her—burn this book, and cast a stone at him that wrote it.” CHAPTER CLXXIII. MORE CONCERNING ASGILL. HIS DEFENCE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, HIS EXPULSION, FARTHER SPECULATIONS AND DEATH. Let not that ugly Skeleton appear! Sure Destiny mistakes; this Death's not mine! DRYDEN. The substance of Asgill's argument has been given in his own words, but by thus abstracting and condensing it his peculiar manner is lost. This though it consisted more perhaps in appearance than in reality, is characteristic of the author, and may be well exemplified in the concluding passage of one of his political pamphlets: “But I shall raise more choler by this way of writing, For writing and reading are in themselves commendable things, But 'tis the way of writing at which offence is taken, And this is the misfortune of an Author, That unless some are angry with him, none are pleased. Which puts him under this dilemma, That he must either ruin himself or his Printer. “But to prevent either, as far as I can, I would rather turn Trimmer and compound too. And to end all quarrels with my readers (if they please to accept the proposal, And to shew withal that I am no dogmatical Author,) I now say to them all, in print, what I once did to one of them, by word of mouth. Whoever meets with any thing in what I publish, which they don't like, _Let 'em strike it out._ But to take off part of the Odium from me, They say others write like me, In short paragraphs: (An easy part of a mimick,) But with all my heart! I don't care who writes like me, So I do'nt write like them.”