The refult of one of their conferences, fo early as the year 1710, was to this effect, That the kingdom was as certainly ruined as a bankrupt merchant; that a peace, whether bad or good, was abfolutely neceffary; that the confederacy muft foon break, and factions increafe; and that the ministry was upon a narrow bottom, and stood like an ifthmus, between the Whigs on one fide, and the violent Tories on the other; a fituation in which they could not fubfift t. Thefe violent F 2 Tories

friendship, which appear to be as strong, if not stronger indications of our love and esteem for particular perfons, that what is called' advancing them in the grande monde, whether to honours or preferment. Of this nature, I take fome presents to have been, which the Earl made to the Doctor, particularly his own picture enamelled with Zinck, the feal of Julius Cæfar, and especially the feal of the young Hercules, which were both given to the Earl by his royal miftrefs, and afterwards by the Earl prefented to the Doctor; alluding, perhaps, in the prefent of the young Hercules, to the character of Alcides, in the poem called Atlas, the Earl being confcious to himself, how much the Doctor had supported the constitution, the Queen, and the miniftry. But what, I think, fhewed more kindness and affection than any of the former, was the prefent of that pen-knife, wherewith the Earl himfelf had been ftabbed by Guifcard. It was a common ordinary pen-knife, with a tortoife-fhell handle; and when it was fhut, was just about the length of a man's little finger. But as the blade was broken within half an inch of the handle, by the violence of the blow against one of the Earl's ribs, the Doctor had a hole drilled through that part of the blade, which was broken off, and another hole through that piece which remained in the handle; and by that contrivance, they were both held together by a little filver chain. D. S. p. 162, 3.

+ Dr Swift's own account of this, is as follows: "This king"dom is certainly ruined as much as was ever any bankrupt "merchant.

Tories were formed into a fociety called the October club, of whom Swift fays, "They are "about an hundred parliament-men of the

country, who drink October beer at home, " and meet every evening at a tavern near the "parliament-houfe, to drive things on to ex"tremes against the Whigs, to call the old mini"" stry to account, and get off five or fix heads *." [Let. to S. Feb. 18. 1710. D. S. p. 319. 320.]

But

"merchant. We must have peace, let it be a bad or a good one; though nobody dares talk of it. The nearer I look upon things, the worfe I like them. I believe the confederacy will foon break to pieces; and our factions at home in"creafe. The ministry is upon a very narrow bottom; and "ftand like an ifthmus, between the Whigs on one fide, and "violent Tories on the other. They are able seamen; but "the tempeft is too great, the ship too is rotten, and the crew "all against them. Lord Sommers has been twice in the

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Queen's closet, once very lately; and the Duchess of S▬▬t, "who now has the key, is a moft infinuating woman; and, I "believe, they will endeavour to play the fame game that has "been played against them. I have told them all this, which "they know already; but they cannot help it; they have cau"tioned the Queen fo much against being governed, that she "obferves it too much. I could talk till to-morrow upon "these things; but they make me melancholly. I could not "but obferve, that lately, after much converfation with Mr "Harley, though he is the moft fearless man alive, and the "leaft apt to defpond, he confeffed to me, that uttering his "mind to me gave him ease." [Let. to Stella, March 4. 1710.] D. S. p. 318.

*

The miniftry feemed not to regard them; yet one of them in confidence told me, that there must be fomething thought on to fettle things better. I'll tell you one great state fecret. The Queen, fenfible how much he was governed by

the

But if Swift thought this party too precipitant, it is certain he thought Lord Oxford too flow; and he once told him fo, in a manner that shews both his integrity, and the freedom of his converfation with those who have a prefcriptive right to fervility and adulation. He had received (from Col. Hill, a gentleman of worth, who had commanded with great bravery in the battle of Almanza, foon after his promotion to a regiment) a prefent of a fine tortoise-fhell fnuff-box, richly lined with gold, with the profpect of the rialto of Venice, several gondalos plying on the canals, and other figures to the number of 150, repre fenting the pleasures of a carnival, painted on the infide of the lid. This prefent he fhewed one day to Harley; who, having admired the painting and the workmanship, at laft fpied a figure ftudded on the outfide of the bottom, which he thought refembled a goofe; upon which, turning to the Doctor, "Jonathan,"

the late ministry, runs as little into the other extreme, and is jealous in that point, even of those who got her out of the other's hands. The miniftry is for gentler measures, and the other Tories for more violent. Lord Rivers, talking to me the other day, curfed the paper called the Examiner, for fpeaking. civilly of the Duke of Marlborough. This I happened to talk of to the Secretary; who blamed the warmth of that Lord and fome others, and fwore, that if their advice were followed, they would be blown up in twenty-four hours. And I have reason. to think, that they will endeavour to prevail on the Queen, to put her affairs more in the hands of a ministry than she does at prefent; and there are, I believe, two men thought on, &c.. [Let. to S.] D. S. p. 320..

fays he, "I think the Colonel has made a goofe "of you." "Yes, my Lord," fays the Doctor; "but, if your Lordship will look a little farther,

66

you will fee that I am driving a fnail before "me;" which indeed happened to be the device. To this the Earl coolly replied, "That is "fevere enough, Jonathan; but I deserve it.” [D. S. p. 163, 4.].

It is equally true, and equally evident, that Swift had no expectations of advantage from his connection with thefe perfons; that he knew they could not long preferve their power; that he did not honour it while it lafted, and that he disdained pecuniary obligations *.”

"The

Swift, confcious of his great abilities, and that he was not obliged to the ministry, for any the leaft favour, how much soever they had been obliged to him for his care and protection, treated every one of them round, just in what style and manner he thought convenient. The ministry, who were themselves men of wit and penetration, bore with his temper, and foothed him in his greatest irregularities. Had they ventured to have acted otherwife, they knew in their fouls, that he would have taken horse the next morning, and, careless of their fate, expofed them to the fury of their enemies. But this fpirit of dominion, which more or lefs gave a tincture to all his converfation and behaviour throughout his whole life, was fuffered freely to pafs under the foft and gentle appellation of wit and humour. "I dined to-day" (faith he)" with Mr Secretary St John: 1 "went to the court of request at noon, and sent Mr Harley into the house to call the Secretary, to let him know I would "dine with him if he dined late." [Let. to S. Feb. 12. 1710] Where do you find in the Roman, the Grecian, the Perfic, the Affyrian, the Agyptian, or the Punic ftory, any champion, or protector of a miniftry, alive and fpirited to fuch an exalted

degree,

"The ministry," (faith he)" are good ho"neft hearty fellows. I ufe them like dogs, be"caufe I expect they will ufe me fo. They call "me Jonathan; and I faid I believed they would "leave me Jonathan as they found me; and "that I never knew a miniftry do any thing for "thofe whom they make companions of their "pleasures; but I care not." [Let. to S. Feb. 17. 1710. D. S. p. 322.]

In the Summer of 1711, he forefaw the ruin of the ministry, by thofe misunderstandings among themselves which at last effected it; and it was not only his opinion, but their own, that if they could not carry a peace, they would not be able to keep themselves out of the Tower, even though they fhould agree. [D. S. p. 331. Let. to Stella.] In order therefore to facilitate this great event, Swift wrote The conduct of the allies; a piece which he confeffes coft him much pains, and which fucceeded even beyond his expectation. [D. S. p. 332. Let. to S.] It was published, Nov. 27. 1711, juft ten days before the parliament met; and, before the 28th of January, above eleven thousand were fold, seven editions

having

degree, as to command the first minifter of ftate to call out the Secretary from the important business of his King and country, upon fo bootless an affair? But a spirit of liberty, or, in other words, a juft and true notion of inherent wifdom and fortitude, will bear up the poffeffor, like the hand of an angel, and encourage him to things which are wild, ftrange, and amazing to flaves and flatterers, and all the inferior claffes of wretched human kind. D. S. p. 320, I, 2.