True ACCOUNT of the Invitation and Entertainment of the D. of Y. at Merchant-Taylors-Hall, by the ARTILLERY-MEN, on Tuesday October 21th 1679.. In a Letter, &c.  
SIR,  
IN my last, I sent you a printed Paper, entitled Londons Choice of Citizens, &c. which I could testify to the truth of in almost all the particulars: And therefore I forbore to give it you in writing. But there having passed in public since that, somewhat which may seem to impeach the Certainty of that Relation in point of the Cities affection to the D. of Y's. Interest, 〈◇〉 thought good to give you such an account of that Affair, as my Occasions and Opportunities ●… ll give me leave to be acquainted with.  
You may wonder indeed that,( after the Citizens by their Addresses to the Lord Maior, for in●… asing the City-Guards, in respect of the greater danger by the D's presence at Court; and their 〈…〉 public and unanimous owning of their former Choice of Par-liament-men, and in them the ●… l of Exclusion of the D. passed by the Commons of England in Parliament,) you may wonder 〈◇〉 say) that the Artillery-Company, which contains about 700 Citizens and others, should invite ●… e D. to such a public Entertainment, which bears the face of great Respect and Honour: But ●hen you are acquainted with the Reason and Manner of it, you will see no Inconsistency in these ●… ings, nor Mutability in the minds of the Citizens.  
You may please to know, that some years ago the D. of Y. was chosen to be Chief Leader or ●… ptain of this Company, and with him many Lords and Courtiers were admitted members of it: 〈◇〉 that if we may judge by the choice of Stewards, both the last Year, and for the Year ensuing, ●… e may perceive as many great Courtiers as Citizens to have place in it. For the last year the ●… ewards are name to us to have been, the Earl of Ossory, the Earl of Feversham, Coll. leg, and 〈◇〉 Robert Holmes, of the Court; of the City, Sir John Chapman, Sir Rich. How, Maj. Horn, ●… pt. Hudson. Now the Stewards bearing all the Extraordinary Charge, it is at ther liberty to ●… rite whom they please: How then could it be imagined that these, who are half of them Cour●… rs, and the other half Courtly Citizens, should omit any such thing as might tend to the Re●… tation of the D's. Interest, as they hoped this would prove: And for the same cause the D. ●… uld not but accept of the Invitation. Nay, it is commonly said, he gave 200 l. towards the ●… ast. He was attended with his Troop of Guards, and passed coming and going through the most ●… blick Streets to and from Merchant-Taylors-Hall, where they Dined; whither his R. H. came ●s we are  told in the Gazette) about an hour before the Artillery-men. For it is usual on these ●ccasions to have Prayers and a Sermon, which was performed at Bowe-Church in Cheap-side; to which place they marched from their Rendezvous at Guild-Hall about Eighty or Ninety men. Their Preacher was a person whose Anti-English Principles are well enough known by his printed ●ermons; in one of which Preached in January last, he falls foul upon a great man for declaring, that the King is King by Law; and concerning the dismal Fires which were before that time ●… early discovered to be effected by Papists, this Preacher assigns them( as Langhorn once) to the ●… dgements of God upon us; and so he may the Sufferings of the Martyrs in Smithfield.  
The Sermon ended, they marched from Church to Dinner; first the Stewards, then the Lord Maior, and Nine or Ten Aldermen, not the Court of Aldermen, as the Gazetteer is pleased to ●ell us; for they require Thirteen to make a Quorum, and their Number is Twenty four: Then ●… e rest in their order, which in all, Captains and other Commission Officers, with Serjeants, Corporals, Marshals, and other common men being reckoned, amounted( as I am informed) to One hundred twenty eight. Not but that some hundreds of other Citizens of this Company had paid the usual Ticket-money( which is 2 s. 6 d.) and taken Tickets for admittance; but not being willing to give the countenance of their presence to that Entertainment, when they under●tood the D. was there; some made no use of their Tickets, some tore them to pieces, some gave them to their Porters, or other mean men, that they apparelled in their Holiday clothes might be admitted to feast with the D. But others sold them for 12 d. or 6 d. apiece, as they could meet with persons whose curiosity lead them to behold the manner of that Assembly, and take part of their Cheer; with such Guests as these they furnished their Tables. Thus indeed the Entertainment might be great, because the Company was little: And it might be splendid too in the Eyes of such as never were at the like before. But it is not to be doubted but the Noble Stewards( especially if assisted with the D's. Purse) would make the Entertainment suitable to the design they had in the Invitation.  
After Dinner, we are  told, his R. H. return'd to White-Hall, leaving the Company extremely pleased with the Honour he had done them. Honor est in honorant, is usually said but if I durst presume to give my Judgement in this case, I should determine that his R. H. rather was extremely pleased with the Honour they had done him: For certainly he cannot b●… resent it kindly, that some Citizens should be made to seem to treat him with Honour in th●… City, whom the late Commons in Parliament thought worthy to be treated much otherwise. This Entertainment was( I doubt not) designed to retrieve a little in the Eye of the Nation, th●… Reputation the York-Interest lost in the late Choice of Parliament-men; and it may perhap●… with those that look no further than the Gazzette for Intelligence; but whether it will do so 〈◇〉 no with those that acquaint themselves with the true Circumstances of things, I leave you to judge.  
I need not take notice of what the domestic Intelligence tells you, that among other Health●… they drank one to the happy Succession in the Right Line; for it's reported they drank so many Healths, that one of the Grave City Sirs lost his Beaver-Hat and Golden Hat-band, and le●… the greater Company to sport with the Foot-boyes; nor of the D's. Promise to defend the Religion established by Law in the Church of England, if indeed he made any such Promise; for no man can think, but that he who is obliged by the Principles and Articles of his Church, under the Penalties of Excommunication, and consequently Damnation in the world to come; and of Deposition from and Deprivation of his Crowns and Dignities, with the danger of his Life by Stab, pistol, poison, war or otherwise, in this World; to extirpate and destroy all heretics; I say it cannot be imagined but a Jesuited Papist will prove an excellent Defender of the Religion of the Church of England established by Law; since all the Members of our Church are every year solemnly condemned for heretics by the Pope. And why should we doubt, since he has given his word for it to the Artillery-men, but he will Govern according to Law, and secure to us all the Immunities, Rights and Defences that our Laws give us, when he comes to be Supreme; since he is not now capable of bearing of any Office or Trust in the Government whatsoever, being excluded therefrom for the necessary Preservation of the Government and Religion.  
But I must not omit to tell you what happened in the D's. return thorough the poultry. For there in passing through the many Hundreds of Beholders, a Cry arose, No Pope, no Pope; No Papist, no Papist; this attended him up into Cheapside; as in the Morning at his coming within temple-bar, the People began to Hiss, and utter their distaste.  
You may see by this, how little they gained by their project of a public Entertainment, which indeed was no more an Act of the City, than if the Stewards of one of the Forty eight Companies had invited the D. and of that Company a sixth or seventh part only had appeared: which is another happy demonstration of the constant Affection of the Citizens to their Religion and Government, and Aversation to Popery.  
This, Sir, is a very faithful Account of this Transaction, so far as it is come within my knowledge. I doubt not of your taking it in good part, and for an Evidence that I am,  
SIR, Your, &c.