veyed to me, wherever I am. Mr. Rochfort* seems to have a great many good qualities, and I am heartily glad he has met with success. Adieu. FROM THE SAME. LONDON, JUNE 18, 1717. HAVING acquainted you in my letter of last post, that it was the universal opinion the Commons would not proceed to the trial of my lord Oxford, I think myself obliged to tell you, that we begin now to be something doubtful; for the managers, who are twenty-seven in number, strenuously give out, that they shall be ready to proceed on Monday next. Therefore, if you have any thoughts of coming over, 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 publick 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. * Lord chief baron of the exchequer in queen Anne's reign, See in vol. XVI. "The Country Life," written by the Dean while he was spending part of a summer at the house of George Rochfort, esq. son of the lord chief baron. N. 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hundred and six, the duke of Marlborough, my lord Cadogan, lord Coningsby, and a few others of the most violent, having withdrawn themselves before the lords came into Westminster-hall.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. L believe he will not have the fewer, from a message he received this morning from the king, by my lord chamberlain, 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. I am now going out of town, with an intention to roll about from place to place, till about Michaelmas next. If you write to me, direct to me hither, as usual, and your letter will be conveyed to me, wherever I am. 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. 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 * Robert Cope, esq. a gentleman of learning, good family, and fortune, and a great admirer of Dr. Swift. F. ↑ Whose poems were then printing by subscription. See p. 69. N. Dr. Theophilus Bolton. F. G 2 taken 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. 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, SOME DUBLIN, JULY 18, 1717. 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 * ́a letter of mine to the archbishop of Dublin. I have corresponded for many years with his grace, though we generally differed in politicks, 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, and a consequence drawn from thence, that I was wholly gone over to other principles more in fashion, and wherein I might better find my account. I neglected this report, as thinking it might soon die; but found it gathered strength, and spread to Oxford and this kingdom; and some gentlemen, who lately arrived here, assured me they had met it a hundred times, with all the circumstances of disadvantage that are usually tacked to such stories. by the great candour of mankind. It should seem as if I were somebody of importance; and if so, I should think the wishes not only of my friends, but of my party, might dispose them rather to believe me innocent, than condemn me unheard. Upon the first intelligence I had of this affair, I made a shift to recollect the only passage in that letter which could be any way liable to misinterpretation. I told the archbishop-" we had an account of a set of people in London, who were erecting a new church, upon the maxim that every thing was void, * See in p. 69, Mr. Lewis's letter of Jan. 12, 1716-17. N. |