Will drink on, and do more service for the nation.
North, however, gives rather a different derivation. He says, that the loyalists, becoming anxious to retort some nickname in return for that of tories with which they had been branded, first called their "adversaries true blues; because such were not satisfied to be Protestants as the churchmen were, but must be true Protestants, implying the others to be false ones, just not Papists. Then they went on, and stiled the adversary Birmingham Protestants, alluding to the false groats struck at that place. This held a considerable time; but the word was not fluent enough for hasty repartee, and after divers changes, the lot fell on the word whig, which was very significative, as well as ready, being vernacular in Scotland, whence it was borrowed, for sour and corrupted whey. Immediately the train took, and, upon the first touch of the experiment, it ran like wild fire, and became general." Examen. p. 321.
By the phrase of Anti-Brominghams, used in the text, Dryden therefore means those who opposed the duke of Monmouth's pretensions, and were execrated for doing so by his fanatical followers.
[219] Reasons for Mr Bayes' changing his Religion, p. 14.
[220] A character in sir John Denham's Sophy.
[221] Charles II. See [note I.]
[222] Queen Catherine. See [note II.]
[223] First edit. this.
[224] Duke of Monmouth. See [note III.]
[225] First edit. with.