called fooner at St Dunstan's; but I did not expect it would have come out till Thurfday, and therefore did not go there till yesterday. Pray let me know what you would have done. Barber was a blockhead to have fhewed it at all; but who can help that? Write an anfwer, either for yourfelf, or me; but I beg of you to make no condefcenfions *.

Yesterday put an end to the Seffion, and to your pain. We gained a glorious victory at the House of Lords, the day before: The attack was made immediately on Arthur Moore †, who appeared at the bar with the other Commiffioners of the Trade. The South-Sea Company had prepared the way for a cenfure, by voting him guilty of a breach of truft, and incapable of ferving them in any office for the future. This paffed without hearing what he had to fay in his defence, and had the ufual fate of fuch unreafonable reflections. Those who propofed the refolutions, were blamed for their violence; and the perfon accufed, appearing to be lefs guilty than they made him, was thought to be more innocent than I doubt he is. The Whigs propofed two queftions in the House of Lords against him, and lost both; one, by twelve; and the other, I think, by eighteen votes.

This probably relates to the Free Thoughts.

Court

† One of the Commiffioners of Trade and Plantations, who was accused of being bribed by the Court of Spain, to favour that kingdom in the treaty of commerce made between it and England.

Court affairs go on as they did. The cry is ftill on the Captain's fide *.. Is not he the perfon Barber means, by one of the best pens in England? It is only my own conjecture, but I can think of no body elfe. Have you the Queen's fpeech, the Lords addrefs, &c. or fhall I fend them to you? and do you want a comment? Have Pope and Parnell been to vifit you, as they intended?

I had a letter yefterday from Gay, who is at the Hague, and prefents his humble fervice to you. He has writ to Mr Lewis too; but his refpect makes him keep greater diftance with him; and I think mine is the pleafanter letter, which I am forry for.

We were alarmed by B. †, two days ago: He fent Tooke word, our friend was ill in the country; which we did not know how to interpret, till he explained it. It was Mrs M. ‡ he meant ; but she is in no danger. Pray, write immediately, that there may be no further delay to what we ought to have had a week ago.

LET

Lord Bolingbroke; alluding to his difference with Lord Oxford. See the next Letter.

Probably John Barber.

Probably Mrs Manley, the writer of the Atlantis, who lived.

with Barber at that time.

LETTER

CCV.

DR ARBUTHNOTT TO DR SWIFT.

DEAR BROTHER, Kenfington, July 10, 1714.

HAVE talked of your affairs to nobody but

I HA

my Lady Mafham. She tells me, that fhe has it very much at heart, and would gladly do it for her own fake, and that of her friends; but thinks it not a fit feafon to fpeak about it. We are indeed in fuch a strange condition as to politics, that nobody can tell now, who is for who. It were really worth your while to be here, for four-and-twenty hours only, to confider the oddnefs of the scene. I am fure it would make you relish your country life the better.

The dragon holds faft, with a dead grip, the little machine *. If he would have taken but half fo much pains to have done other things, as he has of late, to exert himfelf against the Efquire, he might have been a dragon, inftead of a dagon. I would no more have fuffered and done what he has, than I would have fold myself to the gallies. Hac inter nos. However, they have now got rid of the parliament, and may have time to think of a fcheme: Perhaps they may have one already. I know nothing; but it is fit to rally the broken forces under fome head or another. They really did very well the last day

* His Treasurer's staff.

but

but one in the Houfe of Lords; but yesterday they were in a flame about the Queen's answer, till the Queen came in, and put an end to it.

The dragon fhewed me your letter, and seemed mightily pleased with it. He has paid ten pounds for the manufcript, of which I believe there are feveral in town.

*

It is a hiftory of the laft invafion of Scotland, wrote just as plain, though not fo well, as another history, which you and I know, with characters

I

The

*This hiftory was published about ten days after; being conveyed to the prefs by fome of the tranfcribing clerks. author laments the mifcarriage of the Pretender's expedition to Scotland; and hates the Union, as a bar to the like defigns of France for the future. It is plain enough from the preface, what induced Dr Arbuthnott (who had only read the first two fheets of it in manuscript) to say to the Dean, "It was wrote as plain, though not fo well, as another hiftory, that you and I know." He means here, Dr Swift's hiftory of the peace of Utrecht, which he had then written, and had fhewn to most of his friends. The Scotch author gives this account of his own work in the preface: "That having used a little freedom with feveral perfons of rank and power, in the characters I have given of them, and in the relation of feveral matters of fact; common prudence requires thefe memoirs fhould lie dormant, till fuch be out of capacity to refent the fame, either on myself, or pofterity." From thefe words it is plain, Dr Arbuthnott did expect to find the characters of fome confiderable persons of that age drawn in that work, with the fame freedom, that he found fome others in the Dean's hiftory; though he well knew, that this obfcure writer was as far inferior to his friend in genius, as he was different in principles, the Dean having always been fo firmly attached to the Protestant fettlement, that he never did, either directly, or indirectly, write, or advise his friends to write, one word in favour of the Pretender.

characters of all the men now living, the very names, and invitation that was fent to the Pretender. This by a flaming Jacobite, that wonders all the world are not fo. Perhaps it may be a Whig, that perfonates a Jacobite. I faw two fheets of the beginning, which was treafon every line. If it goes on at the fame rate of plaindealing, it is a very extraordinary piece, and worth your while to come up to fee it only. Mr Lockhart, they fay, owns it. It is no more his, than it is mine. Do not be fo dogged; but, after the first shower, come up to town for a week or fo. It is worth your while. Your friends will be glad to fee you, and none more than myfelf. Adieu.

LETTER CCV.

LORD BOLINGBROKE TO DR SWIFT.

July 13, 1714.

NEVER laughed, my dear Dean, at your leaving the town: On the contrary, I thought the refolution of doing so, at the time when you took it, a very wife one. But, I confefs, I laughed, and very heartily too, when I heard, that you affected to find, within the village of Letcombe, all your heart defired. In a word, I judged of you, just as you tell me in your letter, that I fhould judge. If my grooms did not live VOL. XV.

H