writes little Flams (as Lord Leicefter call'd thofe fort of verses) on Mifs Carteret. A Dublin Blackfmith, a great Poet, hath imitated his manner in a poem to the fame Mifs. Philips is a complainer, and on this occafion I told Lord Carteret, that Complainers never fucceeded at Court, though Railers do. Are you altogether a country gentleman? that I muft address to you out of London, to the hazard of your lofing this precious letter, which I will now conclude altho' fo much paper is left. I have an ill Name, and therefore shall not subscribe it, but you will guefs it comes from one who efteems and loves you about half as much as you deserve, I mean as much as he can. I am in great concern, at what I am just told is in fome of the news-papers, that Lord Bolingbroke is much hurt by a fall in hunting. I am glad he has fo much Youth and vigour left (of which he hath not been thrifty) but I wonder he has no more Discretion. I LETTER XII. Oct. 15, 1725. am wonderfully pleas'd with the fuddenness of your kind answer. It makes me hope you are coming towards us, and that you incline more and more to your old friends, in proportion as you draw nearer to them; and are getting into our Vortex. Here is one, who was once a powerful planet, but has now (after long experience of all that comes of fhining) learned to be content, with returning to his firft point, without the thought or ambition of fhining at all. Here is Another, who thinks one of the greatest glories of his Father was to have diftin guished guifhed and loved you, and who loves you hereditarily. Here is Arbuthnot, recovered from the jaws of death, and more pleas'd with the hope of feeing you again, than of reviewing a world every part of which he has long defpis'd, but what is made up of a few men like yourself. He goes abroad again, and is more chearful than even health can make a man, for he has a good confcience into the bargain (which is the most Catholic of all remedies, tho' not the most Universal.) I knew it would be a pleasure to you to hear this, and in truth that made me write fo foon to you. I'm forry poor P. is not promoted in this age; for certainly if his reward be of the next, he is of all Poets the most miferable. I'm alfo forry for another reafon; if they don't promote him, they'll fpoil the conclufion of one of my Satires, where, having endeavoured to correct the Taste of the town in wit and criticism, I end thus, But what avails to lay down rules for fenfe? In's Reign thefe fruitiefs lines were writ, When Ambrofe Philips was preferr'd for Wit! Our friend Gay is used as the friends of Tories are by Whigs (and generally by Tories too.) Because he had humour, he was fuppofed to have dealt with Dr. Swift; in like manner as when any one had learning formerly, he was thought to have dealt with the Devil. He puts his whole truft at Court in that Lady whom I described to you, and whom you take to be an allegorical creature of fancy: I wifh fhe really were Riches for his fake; though as for your's, I queftion whether (if you knew her) you would change her for the other? Lord Bolingbroke had not the leaft harm by his fall, I wish he had receiv'd no more by his other fall; Lord Oxford had none by his. But Lord Bolingbroke is the most improved Mind fince you faw him, that ever was improved without shifting into a new discover his contempt of those who would be meri of importance out of their sphere. Befides, to fay the truth, although I have known many great Minifters ready enough to hear Opinions, yet I have hardly feen one that would ever defcend to take Advice; and this pedantry arifeth from a Maxim themselves do not believe at the same time they practise by it, that there is fomething profound in Politics, which men of plain honest sense cannot arrive to. I only wish my endeavours had fucceeded better in the great point I had at heart, which was that of reconciling the Minifters to each other. This might have been done, if others, who had more concern and more influence, would have acted their parts; and, if this had fucceeded, the public intereft both of Church and State would not have been the worse, nor the Proteftant Succeffion endangered. But, whatever opportunities a constant attendance of four years might have given me for endeavouring to do good offices to particular persons,. I deserve at least to find tolerable quarter from thofe of the other Party; for many of which I was a constant advocate with the Earl of Oxford, and for this I appeal to his Lordship: He knows how often I preffed him in favour of Mr. Addifon, Mr. Congreve, Mr. Row, and Mr. Steel; although I freely confefs that his Lordship's kindnefs to them was altogether owing to his generous notions, and the esteem he had for their wit and parts, of which I could only pretend to be a remembrancer. For I can never forget the answer he gave to the late Lord Hallifax, who upon the firft change of the Ministry interceded with him to fpare Mr. Congreve: It was by repeating these two lines of Virgil, Non obtufa adeo geftamus pectora Poni, Pur Pursuant to which, he always treated Mr. Congreve with the greateft perfonal civilities, affuring him of his conftant favour and protection, and adding that he would ftudy to do something better for him. I remember it was in thofe times a ufual fubject of raillery towards me among the Ministers, that I never came to them without a Whig in my sleeve; which I do not fay with any view towards making my Court: For, the new Principles * fixed to thofe of that denomination, I did then, and do now from my heart abhor, deteft, and abjure, as wholly degenerate from their predeceffors. I have converfed in fome freedom with more Minifters of State of all parties than ufually happens to men of my level, and, I confefs, in their capacity as Minifters, I look upon them as a race of people whofe acquaintance no man would court, otherwife than upon the score of Vanity or Ambition. The first quickly wears off (and is the Vice of low minds, for a man of spirit is too proud to be vain) and the other was not my cafe. Befides, having never received more than one fmall favour, I was under no neceffity of being a flave to men in power, but chofe my friends by their perfonal merit, without examining how far their notions agreed with the politics then in vogue. I frequently conversed with Mr. Addison, and the others I named (except Mr. Steel) during all my Lord Oxford's Miniftry, and Mr. Addison's friendship to me continued inviolable, with as much kindness as when we ufed to *He means particularly the principle at that time charged upon them, by their Enemies, of an intention to profcribe the Tories. VOL. IX. meet meet at my Lord Sommers * or Hallifax, who were leaders of the oppofite Party. I would infer from all this, that it is with great injuftice I have these many years been pelted by your Pamphleteers, merely upon account of fome regard which the Queen's laft Minifters were pleased to have for me and yet in my conscience I think I am a partaker in every ill defign they had against the Proteftant Succeffion, or the Liberties and Religion of their Country; and can fay with Cicero, "that I fhould be proud to be included with them in all their actions tanquam in equo Trojano." But if I have never difcovered by my words, writings, or actions, any Party virulence +, or dangerous defigns against the prefent powers; if my friendship and converfation were equally fhewn among those who liked or difapproved the proceedings then at Court, and that I was known to be a common Friend of all deferving persons of the latter fort, when they were in diftrefs; I cannot but think it hard, that I am not fuffered to run quietly among the common herd of people, whofe opinions unfortunately differ from thofe which lead to Favour and Preferment. I ought to let you know, that the Thing we called a Whig in England is a creature altogether different from thofe of the fame denomination here; at least it was fo during the reign of her late Majefty. Whether thofe on your fide have changed or not, it hath not been my business to enquire. I remember my excellent friend Mr. Addison, when he first came over hither Secretary to the Earl of * Lord Sommers had very warmly recommended Dr. Swift to the favour of Lord Wharton when he went the Queen's Lieutenant into Ireland, in the year 1709. + The Examiners, I fuppofe, were not then published amongst the Dean's works. He lays before, that they had changed. Wharton |