Your father faid, all would do well. I told him, that I would go to Oxford on Monday, fince I found it impoffible to be of any ufe. I took coach to Oxford on Monday: went to a friend in Berkfhire; there ftaid till the Queen's death, and then to my station here; where I ftaid twelve years, and never faw my Lord your father afterwards. They could not agree about printing the hiftory of the four laft years; and therefore I have kept it to this time, when I determine to publifh it in London, to the confufion of all thofe ****who have accufed the Queen and that miniftry of making a bad peace; to which that party entirely owes the Proteftant fucceffion. I was then in the greatest trust and confidence with your father the Lord Treafurer, as well as with my Lord Bolingbroke, and all others who had part in the administration. I had all the letters from the Secretary's office during the treaty of peace. Out of thofe, and what I learned from the miniftry, I formed that history which I am now going to publish, for the information of pofterity, and to control the most impudent falfehoods which have been publifhed fince. I wanted no kind of materials. I knew your father better than you could at that time; and I do impartially think him the moft virtuous minifter, and the most able, that ever I remember to have read of. If your Lordship hath any particular circumftances that may fortify what I have faid in the history, fuch as letters or other memorials, I am content they should be printed at the end, by way of appendix. I loved my Lord your father better than any other man in the world, although I had no obligation to him on the score of preferment; having been driven to this wretched kingdom, to which I was almoft a ftranger, by his want of pow

This was a very common expreffion of my Lord Treasurer, who was the least apt to dispond of any minifter in the world. Swift.

cr

er to keep me in what I ought to call my own country; though I happened to be dropped here, and was a year old before I left it, and, to my forrow, did not die before I came back to it again. I am extremely glad of the felicity you have in your alliances, and defire to prefent my moft humble refpects to my Lady Oxford, and your daughter the Duchefs. As to the hiftory, it is only of affairs which I know very well, and had all the advantages poffible to know, when you were in fome fort but a lad. One great defign of it is, to do juftice to the ministry of that time, and to refute all the objections against them, as if they had a design of bringing in Popery and the Pretender; and further to demonftrate, that the prefent fettlement of the crown. was chiefly owing to my Lord your father. I can never expect to fee England; I am now too old and fickly, added to almoft a perpetual deafnefs and giddinefs. I live a moft domestic life; I want nothing that is neceffary; but I am in a curfed, factious, oppreffed, miferable country, not made fo by nature, but by the flavifh, hellish principles of an execrable prevailing faction in it. Farewell, my Lord, I have tired you and myself. I defire again to present my mott humble refpects to my Lady Oxford, and the Duchefs your daughter. Pray God preferve you long and happy. I fhall diligently inquire into your conduct, from those who will tell me. You have hitherto continued right: let me hear that you perfevere fo. Your tafk will not be long; for I am not in a condition of health or time to trouble this world, and I am heartily tired of it already; and fo fhould be in England, which I hear is full as corrupt as this poor inflaved country. I am, with the trueft love and refpect, my Lord, &c.

LET

LETTER XCXIV *.

The Earl of PETERBOROW to Mr. POPE.

1732.

IAM under the greatest impatience to fee Dr. Swift at Bevis Mount, and muft fignify my mind to him by another hand; it not being permitted me to hold correfpondence with the faid Dean, for no letter of mine can come to his hands.

And whereas it is apparent, in this Proteftant land, most especially under the care of divine providence, that nothing can fucceed, or come to a happy iffue, but by bribery; therefore let me know what he expects to comply with my defires, and it fhall be remitted unto him.

For though I would not corrupt any man for the whole world, yet a benevolence may be given without any offence to confcience. Every one muft confefs, that gratification and corruption are two diftinct terms; nay, at worst, many good men hold, that, for a good end, fome very naughty measures may be made ufe of.

But, Sir, I must give you fome good news in relation to myself, because I know you with me well. I am cured of fome difeafes in my old age, which tormented me very much in my youth.

I was poffeffed with violent and uneafy paffions, fuch as a peevish concern for truth †, and a faucy love for my country.

*This and the following letter are taken from the 2d volume of Pope's letters.

As may be feen from his tranfactions with Fenwick in the year 1696-7. Warb.

When a Christian priest preached against the fpirit of the gospel, when an English judge determined against Magna Charta, when the minifter acted against common fenfe, I used to fret.

Now, Sir, let what will happen, I keep myself in temper. As I have no flattering hopes, so I banish all useless fears. But as to the things of this world, I find myself in a condition beyond expectation; it being evident, from a late parliamentary inquiry, that I have as much ready money, as much in the funds, and as great a perfonal eftate as Sir Robert S-tt-n.

If the tranflator of Homer find fault with this unheroic difpofition; or, what I more fear, if the draper of Ireland accuse the Englishman of want of fpirit; I filence you both with one line out of your own Horace: Quid te exempta juvat spinis e pluribus una? For I take the whole to be fo corrupted, that a cure in any part would be of little avail. Your's, &c.

LETTER XCV.

Dr. SWIFT to the Earl of PETERBOROW.

My LORD,

Never knew or heard of any perfon fo volatile, and fo fixed as your Lordfhip. You, while your imagination is carrying you through every cor ner of the world, where you have or have not been, can at the fame time remember to do offices of favour and kindness to the meaneft of your friends; and, in all the fcenes you have paffed, have not been able to attain that one quality peculiar to a great man, of forgetting every thing but injuries. VOL. X.

N

Of

Of this I am a living witness against you. For being the most infignificant of all your humble old fervants, you were fo cruel as never to give me time to ask a favour, but prevented me in doing whatever you thought I defired, or could be for my credit or advantage.

I have often admired at the capriciousness of Fortune in regard to your Lordship. She hath forced courts to act against their oldest and most conftant maxims; to make you a general, because you had courage and conduct; an ambaffador, because you had wisdom, and knowledge in the interefts of Europe; and an admiral, on account of your skill in maritime affairs. Whereas, according to the ufual method of court-proceedings, I should have been at the head of the army, and you of the church, or rather a curate under the Dean of St. Patrick's.

The Archbishop of Dublin laments, that he did not fee your Lordship till he was just upon the point of leaving the Bath. I pray God you may have found fuccefs in that journey, elfe I fhall continue to think there is a fatality in all your Lordship's undertakings, which only terminate in your own honour, and the good of the public, without the leaft advantage to your health or fortune.

I remember Lord Oxford's ministry used to tell me, that not knowing where to write to you, they were forced to write at you. It is fo with me; for you are in one thing an evangelical man, that you know not where to lay your head, and, I think, you have no houfe. Pay, my Lord, write to me, that I may have the pleasure, in this fcoundrel country, of going about, and fhewing my depending parfons a letter from the Earl of Peterborow.

I am, &c.

LET.