Pietas in patriam the life of His Excellency Sir William Phips, Knt. late Captain…

It was mentioned long since, as a notorious Fault in Old Egypt, That it was Loquax & Ingeniosa in Contumeliam Praefectorum Provincia; si quis fortè vitaverit Culpam, Contumeliam non effugit: And New-England has been at the best, always too faulty, in that ⟨p. 100⟩very Character, A Province very Talkative, and Ingenious for the vilifying of it's Public Servants.

It was mention'd long since, as a notorious Fault in Old Egypt, That it was Loquax & Ingeniosa in Contumeliam Praefectorum Provincia; si quis fortè vitaverit Culpam, Contumeliam non effugit: And New-England has been at the best, always too faulty, in that ⟨p. 100⟩very Character, A Province very Talkative, and Irgenious for the vilifying of it's Publick Servants.

But Sir William Phips who might in a Calm of the Common-Wealth have administered all things, with as General an Acceptance, as any that have gone before him, had the Disadvantage of being set at Helm in a Time as full of Storm as ever that Province had seen; and the People having their Spirits put into a Tumult by the discomposing and distempering Variety of Disasters, which had long been rendering the Time Calamitous, it was natural for them, as 'tis for all Men then, to be complaining; and you may be sure, the Rulers must in such Cases, be always complained of, and the chief Complaints must be heaped upon those that are Commanders in Chief. Nor has a certain Proverb in Asia been improper in America, He deserves no Man's good Word, of whom every Man shall speak well.

But Sir William Phips who might in a Calm of the Common-Wealth have administred all things, with as General an Acceptance, as any that have gone before him, had the Disadvantage of being set at Helm in a Time as full of Storm as ever that Province had seen; and the People having their Spirits put into a Tumult by the discomposing and distempering Variety of Disasters, which had long been rendring the Time Calamitous, it was natural for them, as 'tis for all Men then, to be complaining; and you may be sure, the Rulers must in such Cases, be always complained of, and the chief Complaints must be heaped upon those that are Commanders in Chief. Nor has a certain Proverb in Asia been improper in America, He deserves no Man's good Word, of whom every Man shall speak well.