peasants in France, or the vassals in Germany and Poland." After accusing these same landlords of attacking the bishops, he continues: "I know not how it comes to pass (and yet perhaps I know well enough) that slaves have a natural disposition to be tyrants, and that when my betters give me a kick, I am apt to revenge it with six upon my footman; although perhaps he may be an honest and diligent fellow." The government, not being able to reach the author for want of proof, prosecuted the printer. "The jury," wrote Swift, "brought him in not guilty, although they had been culled with the utmost industry. The Chief Justice sent them back nine times and kept them eleven hours. During the trial, among other singularities, he laid his hand on his breast, and protested solemnly that the author's design was to bring in the Pretender, although there was not a single syllable of party in the whole treatise." Swift retaliated with satire. Among the bitter verses he wrote on this unjust judge the following are perhaps the bitterest :

"In church your grandsire cut his throat;

To do the job too long he tarried;

He should have had my hearty vote

To cut his throat before he married.”

The Dean in his lines On the death of Dr. Swift described the Chief Justice as :

"A wicked monster on the bench,

Whose fury blood could never quench;

As vile and profligate a villain

As modern Scroggs, or old Tresilian;
Who long all justice has discarded

Nor fear'd he God, nor man regarded."

The Earl of Chesterfield, when he was LordLieutenant, favoured Irish manufactures. Mrs.

Delany wrote from Dublin on Dec. 21, 1745:

66

Every-body is to appear at the Castle on the Prince of Wales's birthday in Irish stuffs, as they did on the Princess's.'

The concern that Swift sometimes felt for persons, because they were his friends, he thus expressed in a letter to Pope: "I have ever hated all nations, professions and communities; and all my love is towards individuals; for instance, I hate the tribe of lawyers, but I love Counsellor Such-aone and Judge Such-a-one. It is so with physicians (I will not speak of my own trade), soldiers, English, Scotch, French and the rest. But principally I hate and detest that animal called man; although I heartily love John, Peter, Thomas, and so forth." Of the letters that passed between him and Pope, Johnson said :-" They show the age involved in darkness, and shade the picture with sullen emulation."

XXVII.

S-I was yesterday with A. B [Archbishop], who tells me that it was not thought fit to hinder

the Law from proceeding in the common form, but that particular Instructions were given that you should be treated with all possible Favor; and I have some very good Reasons to believe those Instructions will be observed: neither in this do I speak by Chance: which is all I can say I am y's &c.

Feb 25th 1722-3.
Monday Morn.

NOTE ON XXVII.

Archbishop King would know what was intended about the prosecution, as he was one of the Lords Justices. Evelyn, eighteen years earlier, had described him as “a sharp ready man in politics, as well as very learned."

XXVIII.

[To Knightley Chetwode Esq at his Lodgings in William Street:]

S-I sent a Messenger on Friday to M' Forbes's Lodging, who had orders if he were not at home, to say that I should be glad to see him--but I did not hear of him, though I stayd at home on Saturday till past two a Clock. I think all y' Comfort lyes in your Innocence, your Steddyness, and the Advice

of y' Lawyers. I am forced to leave the Town sooner than I expected.

I heartily wish you good Success, and am in hopes the Consequence will not be so formidable as you are apt to fear. You will find that Brutes are not to be too much provoked; they that most deserve Contempt are most angry at being contemned; I know it by Experience. It is worse to need Friends, than not to have them. Especially in Times when it is so hard, even for cautious men to keep out of harms way.

I hope when this Affair is over you will make y self more happy in y' Domestick: that you may pass the rest of y' Life in emproving the Scene and y' Fortune, and exchanging y' Enemyes for Friends. I am &c.

June 2nd 1723.

Past twelve at night.

NOTE ON XXVIII.

Swift's use of the term "domestick" can be paralleled by the following quotation from the writings of his master, Sir William Temple :--“ I was resolved to pass the rest of my Life in my own Domestick, without troubling myself further about any publick Affairs."

XXIX.

[Indorsed, "Swift without date abt my Prosecution and his sentiments on severall particulars abt it. K. C."]

SR-I was just going out when I received y' note; these proceedings make my head turn round; I take it that the Governments leave for you to , move the King's Bench must signify something, or else instead of a Dilemma it is an Absurdity. I thought you had put in a Memoriall, which I also thought would have an Answer in form. I apprehend they have a mind to evade a Request which they cannot well refuse; will not y' lawyer advise you to move the King's Bench? and will he not say that it was the Direction of the Government you should do so? and will the Government own an advice or order that is evasive? I talk out of my Sphere. Surely the Attorney cannot reconcile this. I imagined y' request should [have] been offered to the Justices in a Body not to one and then to t'other, which was doing nothing. I am wholly at a Loss what to say further.

XXX.

S-I sd [said] all I possibly could to D' C and it is your Part to cultivate it, and desire that he