in a letter to a malicious libeller. More particularly addressed to Mr. George Ridpath, newsmonger, near St. Martins-in-the-Fields.’ Here Ridpath is called ‘the head of the presbyterian party in Scotland.’ He replied in ‘The Scots Episcopal Innocence,’ 1694, and ‘The Queries and Protestation of the Scots episcopal clergy against the authority of the Presbyterian General Assemblies,’ 1694. In 1696 Ridpath was acting as a sort of spy on the bishop of Glasgow and on Dr. Monro (Hist. MSS. Comm. 12th Rep. viii. 50).
In 1695 Ridpath published, with a dedication to secretary Johnston, a translation of Sir Thomas Craig's ‘Scotland's Sovereignty asserted; being a dispute concerning Homage,’ and in 1698 he translated De Souligné's ‘Political Mischiefs of Popery.’ In ‘A Dialogue between Jack and Will, concerning the Lord Mayor's going to meeting-houses with the sword carried before him,’ 1697, he defended Sir Humphry Edwin, a presbyterian lord mayor; and this was followed in 1699 by ‘A Rowland for an Oliver, or a sharp rebuke to a saucy Levite. In answer to a sermon preached by Edward Oliver, M.A., before Sir Humphry Edwin. By a Lover of Unity.’ The name George Ridpath is among those who graduated at Edinburgh in 1699 (Catalogue of Edinburgh Graduates, 1858, p. 163). A book called ‘The Stage Condemned,’ in support of Jeremy Collier's ‘Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness of the English Stage,’ appeared in September 1698, and the author of a reply, ‘The Stage acquitted,’ says it was by ‘Mr. R[idpa]th, the formidable author of a scandalous newspaper, and the wretched retailer of mad Prynne's enthusiastic cant.’
Ridpath's ‘Scotland's Grievances relating to Darien, humbly offered to the consideration of the Parliament,’ 1700, contains many strong remarks about a foreign yoke. Next year came his ‘The Great Reasons and Interests considered anent the Spanish Monarchy,’ and in 1702 ‘A Discourse upon the Union of England and Scotland. By a lover of his country,’ in which Ridpath opposed a union. In 1703 he printed ‘The Case of Scotsmen residing in England and in the English Plantations,’ and ‘An Historical Account of the ancient Rights and Power of the Parliament of Scotland.’ These were followed by ‘An Account of the Proceedings of the Parliament of Scotland, 1703,’ 1704, and ‘The reducing of Scotland by Arms … considered,’ 1705. According to one of the replies to this last pamphlet, its author and publisher were bound over to appear at the queen's bench bar (Remarks upon a late Dangerous Pamphlet, &c., 1705). In 1706 Ridpath wrote ‘Considerations upon the Union of the two Kingdoms,’ and was answered in Sir John Clerk's ‘Letter to a Friend, giving an Account how the Treaty of Union has been received here. With Remarks upon what has been written by Mr. H[odges] and Mr. R[idpath],’ a piece which has been erroneously attributed to Defoe (Memoirs of Sir John Clerk, 1892, p. 244; Lee, Life of Defoe, 1867, p. 133).
In 1704–5 Ridpath assisted James Anderson (1662–1728) [q. v.], who was then preparing his ‘Historical Essay showing that the Crown and Kingdom of Scotland is Imperial and Independent;’ and in 1705 he commenced a correspondence with the Rev. Robert Wodrow, chiefly on the subject of the union and the dreaded episcopal church in Scotland. ‘The Scots' Representations to Her Majesty, against setting up the Common Prayer-Book in Scotland,’ 1711, was written, according to a note in the copy in the Advocates' Library, by Ridpath, William Carstares, and Defoe. Another piece attributed to Ridpath is ‘The Oath of Abjuration considered,’ Edinburgh, 1712. He was also employed in correcting Captain Woodes Rogers's ‘Voyage’ (Nichols, Lit. Anecd. viii. 301); assisted in writing the periodical ‘History of the Works of the Learned;’ invented the ‘Polygraphy,’ a writing-engine, moved by the foot, by which six or more copies could be written at once (Dunton, Life and Errors, 1818, pp. 179, 180); contributed to the ‘Medley’ in 1712 (Wilson, Life of Defoe, iii. 253, 283); and was in constant warfare with the tory ‘Post Boy,’ published by Abel Roper [q. v.] (Ashton, Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne, ii. 72–4). Dunton, a warm admirer, described his style as excellent; ‘his humility and his honesty have established his reputation. He scorns to receive a farthing of copy-money till he knows what numbers are sold off.’
For some years Ridpath had conducted the whig journal the ‘Flying Post or Postman,’ which, according to Dunton, was highly valued, and sold well. It was established in 1695. John Tutchin described it as ‘the honestest of all newspapers.’ On 4 Sept. 1712 William Hurt was arrested for printing in the paper scandalous and seditious reflections on her majesty and the government. On the 8th Ridpath was committed to Newgate for being the author of three libels in the ‘Observator,’ to which he became a contributor in succession to Tutchin in 1712, and in the ‘Flying Post;’ but he was released on bail. On 23 Oct. Ridpath and Hurt appeared in the court of queen's bench, and were continued on their recognisances. Swift objected to bail being allowed
