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from some friends in London: and the sooner I go the better, to prevent accidents; for I would not willingly want a favour at present. I think to set out in a few days, but not before your lordship's commands and instructions may reach me. I cannot conclude without offering my humblest thanks and acknowledgments, for your lordship's kind intentions toward me (if this accident had not happened) of which I received some general hints.— I pray God direct your lordship: and I desire you will believe me to be what I am, with the utmost truth and respect,

Your lordship's most obedient, &c.

JON. SWIFT.

TO ARCHDEACON WALLS.

Letcombe, Aug. 8, 1714.

IF I had but fixed a week sooner for my journey to Ireland, I should have avoided twenty inconveniencies that have since happened to me, and been with you the time I am now writing. Upon the Earl of Oxford's removal, he desired I would go with him into Herefordshire, which I consented to, and wrote you word of it desiring you would renew my license of absence at the end of this month, for I think it then expires. Two days after, I had earnest invitation from those in power, to go up to town and assist them in their new ministry; which I resolved to excuse; but, before I could write, news came of the queen's death, and all our schemes broke to shatters. I am told I must take the oaths in Ireland in three months; and I think it is better

travelling now than later; and although I am earnestly pressed by our broken leaders to come up to town, I shall not do it; but hope to set out on the sixteenth instant toward Ireland, and if it please God, be with you in nine or ten days after this comes to your hands. However, let my license be renewed before it expires. I think I answered yours in my last. I leave all things entirely to you and Mr Forbes. My service to gossip Doll, goody Stoyte and Martha, and Mr Manley and lady. Mr Manley is, I believe, now secure in his post; and it will be my turn to solicit favours from him. I have taken up Mr Fetherston's money, to pay some debts in London. I desire I desire you will pay him fifty pounds, with the usual exchange, at twenty days sight; or later, if it be inconvenient.

FROM ERASMUS LEWIS, ESQ.

Whitehall, Aug. 10, 1714.

NEVER differed from you in opinion in any point so much, as in your proposal to accommodate matters between the dragon and his quondam friends: I will venture to go so far with you, as to say he contributed to his own disgrace, by his petitesses, more than they did, or ever had it in their power to do. But since they would admit of no terms of accommodation, when he offered to serve them in their own way, I had rather see his dead carcase, than that he should now tamely submit to those, who have loaded him with all the obloquy malice could suggest, and tongues utter. Have not Char

tres,* Brinsden, † and all the runners, been employed to call him dog, villain, sot, and worthless? And shall he, after this, join them? To what end? I have great tenderness for Lady , and think her best way is to retire, and enjoy the comforts of a domestic life. But sure the earth has not produced such monsters as Mercurialis, § and his companion, and the prelate. ¶ The last openly avows he never had obligation to the dragon, and loads him with ten thousand crimes; though his greatest, in reality, was preferring him. But to come out of this rant; What should they be friends for? Cui bono? Are we in a dream? Is the queen alive again? Can the lady** hereafter make any figure, but a persona muta in a drama? If the dragon declares against the man of mercury, he may strike in with the tertium quid, that will probably arise; but with him he can never be otherwise than spurned and hated. The natural result of this is, that however I may, for my private satisfaction, desire to see you here, I cannot but think you should go to Ireland to qualify yourself, and then return hither, when the chaos will be jumbled into some kind of order. If the king keeps some tories in employment, the notion of whig and tory will be lost; but

*The famous Colonel Chartres.---H.

He is said, by Mr Boyer, in Political State, Vol. III. for Jan. 1711-12, p. 52, to have been an oculist, and a private agent of Lord Bolingbroke; and to have been employed by the government, in Jan. 1711-12, to attend on Prince Eugene, when his highness arrived in England, in the beginning of that month....B. t Masham....H.

§ Lord Bolingbroke.---H.

Probably the Lord Chancellor Harcourt.---B.
The Bishop of Rochester.---H.

**Lady Masham.---H.

that of court and country will arise.* The regency has declared in favour of the whigs in Ireland. I believe Mr Thomas will stand his ground. We shall be dissolved as soon as we have settled the civil list. We have no appearance that any attempt will be formed by the pretender.

FROM LORD BOLINGBROKE.

Aug. 11, 1714.

I SWEAR I did not imagine, that you could have held out through two pages, even of small paper, in so grave a style. Your state of late passages is right enough. I reflect upon them with indignation, and shall never forgive myself for having trusted so long to so much real pride, and awkward humility; to an air of such familiar friendship, and a heart so void of all tenderness; to such a temper of engrossing business and power, and so perfect an incapacity to manage one, with such a tyrannical disposition to abuse the other, &c.†

But enough of this, I cannot load him as a knave, without fixing fool on myself."

For you I have a most sincere and warm affection, and in every part of my life will shew it. Go into Ireland, since it must be so, to swear,

and come

* This is a remarkable prediction, which we have seen fulfilled.---H.

+ He means Lord Oxford.---H.

That is, to take the oaths to the government on King George's accession to the throne. See p. 216.---B.

back into Britain to bless: to bless me, and those few friends who will enjoy you.

Johannes Tonsor* brings you this. From him you will hear what is doing. Adieu, love me, and love me the better, because after a greater blow than most men ever felt, I keep up my spirit; am neither dejected at what has passed, nor apprehensive at what is to come. Med virtute me involvo.

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FROM CHARLES FORD, ESQ.

London, Aug. 12, 1714.

OUR justices sit several hours every day, without affording us the least news. I do not hear any thing they have done worth mentioning, except some orders they have given about the dispute in the city of Dublin. You may be sure they are not such as will please our friends; but I think you and I agreed in condemning those proceedings in our own people. My Lord Derby is made lord-lieutenant of Lancashire. That and Hampshire are the only vacant employments they have filled up; I suppose, under pretence of their being maritime counties. If the whigs had directed the list of regents, Marlborough, Sunderland, and Wharton had not been left out. There are five tories too, that would not have been in. Though they were a little whimsical for three or four days about the succession, they seemed to recant, and own themselves in an error by the later votes.

* John Barber.---II.

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