let not any thing, which I have said in my last, have any weight with you to alter that resolution. I am wholly taken up with the men of the law, and therefore have nothing to say to you at present upon any public matters. I shall only just trouble you with one word relating to a private affair. My brother is chaplain to Sir Charles Hotham's regiment, which is now ordered to Ireland. If you could find any young fellow, who would buy that commission, my brother thinks his patron (my Lord Carlisle) will easily prevail with my Lord Duke of Bolton for leave to dispose of it. I should be very glad you could find him a chapman.

FROM THE SAME.

London, July 2, 1717.

I HAVE the pleasure to inform you, that Lord Oxford's impeachment was discharged last night, by the unanimous consent of all the lords present; and, as nearly as I could count, their number was one hundred and six, the Duke of Marlborough, my Lord Cadogan, Lord Coningsby, and a few others of the most violent, having withdrawn themselves before the lords came into Westminster Hall. The acclamations were as great as upon any occasion; and our friend, who seems more formed for adversity than prosperity, has at present many more friends than ever he had before, in any part of his life. I believe he will not have the fewer, from a message he received this morning from the king, by my lordchamberlain, to forbid him the court. You know the prosecution was at first the resentment of a party;

but it became at last a ridiculous business, weakly carried on by the impotent rage of a woman (I mean of my Lady Marlborough), who is almost distracted that she could not obtain her revenge.

*Yet a story has been told, bearing the safety of Harley to have been extorted from the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough at the price of his concealing some secret of importance.

"After the accession of King George the First, when the Earl of Oxford was impeached and committed to the Tower, and preparations were made for his trial, it is well known that a stop was suddenly put to it, to the great disappointment of a large part of the nation. There is a traditional story relative to this event, in which the Duke of Marlborough is concerned. It is said, that at that time Mr Auditor Harley waited upon the Duchess of Marlborough, and shewed her a letter formerly written by the Duke, which proved his correspondence with the pretender. Mr Harley, after having read the letter, threatened that it should be produced at his brother the Earl of Oxford's trial, unless the proceedings against him were stopped. The duchess. watching her opportunity, seized the letter out of Mr Harley's hand, threw it instantly into the fire, and then defied his malice. Upon this he replied, Madam, I knew your grace too well to trust you. The letter you have burnt is only a copy: the original is safe in my possession.' A similar anecdote, the original for which we are able to assign, has been communicated to us by a worthy friend. * Before the Earl of Oxford's intended trial, he sent his son, Lord Harley, together with Serjeant Comyns, (afterwards chief-baron of the exchequer) to the Duke of Marlborough, requesting his grace's attendance at the trial. The duke, in some concern, inquired what the carl wanted with him. Mr Serjeant Comyns replied, it was only to ask his grace a question or two. The duke walked about the room for about a quarter of an hour without giving any answer, and seemed greatly disturbed; after which he asked for what purpose his attendance was required. Lord Harley said it was only as to his hand. What,' said his grace, ' has your father any letters of mine?" Yes,' replied Lord Harley, all the letters your grace ever wrote to him since the revolution.' Upon this the duke conti*Timothy Hollis, Esq. of Great Ormond Street.

I am now going out of town, with an intention to roll about from place to place, till about Michaelmas If you write to me, direct to me hither, as usual, and your letter will be conveyed to me, wherever I am.

ext.

Dr Arbuthnot, Mr Charleton, and Mr Currey, have dined with me to-day, and you have not been forgot. I was in hopes we should have seen you ere this. The doctor says, you wait for the act of grace. Is it so? I hope to see you by next winter.

SIR,

TO MR COPE. *

Dublin, July 9, 1717.

I RECEIVED the favour of your letter before I came to town: for I stayed three weeks at Trim. after I left you, out of perfect hatred to this place, where at length business dragged me against my will. The archdeacon, who delivers you this, will let you know I am but an ill solicitor for him.

nued to walk about the room in the greatest uneasiness, and even flung his wig off in his passion. Mr Serjeant Comyns interrogating him what answer they should return to the unfortunate lord, he said, I will certainly be there.' This was the true reason why the Earl of Oxford was never brought to a trial. The late James West, Esq. member for St Albans, and president of the Royal Society, gave the account of the fact to the late Coun. sellor Gregg, in whose hand-writing it is now preserved. Mr West assured Mr Gregg that he received it from Serjeant Comyns's own mouth."--Biogr. Brit. Lond. 1784, Vol. III. 562. *Robert Cope, Esq. a gentleman of learning, good family, and fortune, and a great admirer of Dr Swift.-F.

The thing is indeed a little difficult and perplexed, yet a willing mind would make it easy; but that is wanted, and I cannot work it up. However, it shall not be my fault, if something be not made of it one time or other; but some people give their best friends reason to complain. I have at a venture put you down among poor Mr Prior's benefactors and I wonder what exemption you pretend to as appears by your letter to Mr Stewart. It seems you took the thousand pounds a-year in a literal sense, and even at that rate I hope you would not be excused. I hope your sheep-shearing in the county of Louth hath established your health; and that Dr Tisdall, your brother of the spleen, comes sometimes and makes you laugh at a pun or a blunder. I made a good many advances to your friend Bolton * since I came to town, and talked of you; but all signified nothing; for he has taken every opportunity of opposing me, in the most unkind and unnecessary manner; and I have done with him. I could with great satisfaction pass a month or two among you, if things would permit. The archdeacon carries you all the news, and I need say nothing. We grow mightily sanguine, but my temper has not fire enough in it. They assure me that Lord Bolingbroke will be included in the act of grace; which, if it be true, is a mystery to me.

You must learn to winter in town, or you will turn a monk, and Mrs Cope a nun; I am extremely

her humble servant.

I have ventured to subscribe a guinea for Mr Brownlowe, because I would think it a shame not to have his name in the list. Pray tell him so.

* Dr Theophilus Bolton.-F.

I doubt whether Mrs Cope will be pleased with the taste of snuff I sent her.

Present my humble service to your mother and brother; and believe me to be, with great truth and esteem, Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant,
JON. SWIFT.

TO BISHOP ATTERBURY. *

MY LORD,

Dublin, July 18, 1717.

SOME persons of distinction, lately come from England, and not unknown to your lordship, have made me extremely pleased and proud, by telling me that your lordship was so generous as to defend me against an idle story that passed in relation to a letter of mine to the Archbishop of Dublin. I have corresponded for many years with his grace, though we generally differed in politics, and therefore our letters had often a good mixture of controversy. I confess likewise that I have been his grace's advocate, where he had not many others. About nine months ago I writ a letter to him in London (for in my little station it is convenient there should be some commerce between us); and in a short time. after I had notice from several friends, that a passage in my letter was shown to several persons,

* See the preceding letters between Archbishop King and our author, dated 13th and 22d November 1716, and also Mr Lewis's letter 12th January 1716-17, from which it appears, that Archbishop King made an ungenerous use of Swift's comma, nication respecting the non-conformists.