"other fubject, through all art or nature, could "have produced Tindal for a profound author, or "furnished him with readers? It is the wife choice "of the fubject that alone adorns and distinguishes the writer. For had an hundred fuch pens as "these been employed on the fide of religion, they "would have immediately funk into filence and . ❝ oblivion."

The reasonableness of a Teft is not hard to be proved; but perhaps it must be allowed that the proper teft has not been chofen.

The attention paid to the papers published under the name of "Bickerstaff," induced Steele, when he projected “The Tatler," to affume an appellation which had already gained poffeffion of the reader's notice.

In the year following he wrote a " Project for the "Advancement of Religion," addreffed to Lady Berkeley; by whofe kindness it is not unlikely that he was advanced to his benefices. To this project, which is formed with great purity of intention, and difplayed with fprightlinefs and elegance, it can only be objected, that, like many projects, it is, if not generally impracticable, yet evidently hopeless, as it fuppofes more zeal, concord, and perfeverance, than a view of mankind gives reafon for expecting.

He wrote likewife this year "A Vindication of "Bickerstaff;" and an explanation of " An Ancient Prophecy," part written after the facts, and the reft never completed, but well planned to excite

amazement.

Soon after began the bufy and important part of Swift's life. He was employed (1710) by the pri

mate

mate of Ireland to folicit the Queen for a remiffion of the First Fruits and Twentieth Parts to the Irish. Clergy. With this purpofe he had recourfe to Mr.. Harley, to whom he was mentioned as a man neglected and oppreffed by the last miniftry, because he had refused to co-operate with fome of their schemes. What he had refufed has never been told; what he bad fuffered was, I fuppofe, the exclufion from a bishoprick by the remonftrances of Sharpe, whom he describes as the harmless tool of others' hate," and whom he reprefents as afterwards "fuing for par

"don."

66

Harley's defigns and fituation were fuch as made him glad of an auxiliary fo well qualified for his fervice; he therefore foon admitted him to familiarity, whether ever to confidence fome have made a doubt; but it would have been difficult to excite his zeal without perfuading him that he was trufted, and not very eafy to delude him by false persuasions.

He was certainly admitted to those meetings in which the first hints and original plan of action are supposed to have been formed; and was one of the fixteen Ministers, or agents of the Miniftry, who met weekly at each other's houfes, and were united by the name of "Brother."

Being not immediately confidered as an obdurate Tory, he converfed indifcriminately with all the wits, and was yet the friend of Steele; who, in the "Tatler," which began in April 1709, confeffes the advantage of his converfation, and mentions fomething contributed by him to his paper. But he was now immerging into political controverfy; for the year 1710 produced "The Examiner," of which

Swift wrote thirty-three papers. In argument he may be allowed to have the advantage; for where a wide fyftem of conduct, and the whole of a public character, is laid open to enquiry, the accufer having the choice of facts, must be very unfkilful if he does not prevail; but, with regard to wit, I am afraid none of Swift's papers will be found equal to those by which Addison opposed him *.

He wrote in the year 1711 a "Letter to the Octo"ber Club," a number of Tory Gentlemen fent from the country to parliament, who formed themfelves into a club, to the number of about a hundred, and met to animate the zeal and raise the expectations of each other. They thought, with great reafon, that the Minifters were lofing opportunities; that fufficient ufe was not made of the ardour of the nation; they called loudly for more changes and ftronger efforts; and demanded the punishment of part, and the difmiffion of the reft, of those whom they confidered as publick robbers.

Their eagerness was not gratified by the Queen, or by Harley. The Queen was probably flow because fhe was afraid; and Harley was flow because he was doubtful: he was a Tory only by neceffity, or for convenience; and, when he had power in his hands, had no fettled purpose for which he fhould employ it; forced to gratify to a certain degree the Tories who fupported him, but unwilling to make his reconcilement to the Whigs utterly defperate, he correfponded at once with the two expectants of the

* Mr. Sheridan however fays, that Addison's last Whig Exa. · miner was published Oct. 12, 1711; and Swift's first Examiner, on the 10th of the following November. R.

Crown,

Crown, and kept, as has been obferved, the fucceffion undetermined. Not knowing what to do, he did nothing; and, with the fate of a double dealer, at laft he loft his power, but kept his enemies.

Swift seems to have concurred in opinion with the "October Club;" but it was not in his power to quicken the tardinefs of Harley, whom he ftimulated as much as he could, but with little effect. He that knows not whither to go, is in no hafte to move. Harley, who was perhaps not quick by nature, became yet more flow by irrefolution; and was content to hear that dilatorinefs lamented as natural, which he applauded in himself as politick.

Without the Tories, however, nothing could be done: and, as they were not to be gratified, they must be appeased; and the conduct of the Minifter, if it could not be vindicated, was to be plaufibly excused.

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Early in the next year he published a "Proposal "for correcting, improving, and afcertaining the English Tongue," in a Letter to the Earl of Oxford; written without much knowledge of the general nature of language, and without any accurate enquiry into the hiftory of other tongues. The certainty and stability which, contrary to all experience, he thinks attainable, he proposes to fecure by inftituting an academy; the decrees of which every man would have been willing, and many would have been proud, to disobey, and which, being renewed by fucceffive elections, would in a fhort time have differed from itself.

Swift now attained the zenith of his political importance he published (1712) the "Conduct of

"the

"the Allies," ten days before the Parliament affer→ bled. The purpose was to perfuade the nation to a peace; and never had any writer more fuccefs. The people, who had been amufed with bonfires and triumphal proceffions, and looked with idolatry on the General and his friends, who, as they thought, had made England the arbitrefs of nations, were confounded between fhame and rage, when they found that "mines had been exhaufted, and millions de"ftroyed," to fecure the Dutch or aggrandize the Emperor, without any advantage to ourselves; that we had been bribing our neighbours to fight their own quarrel; and that amongst our enemies we might number our allies.

That is now no longer doubted, of which the nation was then firft informed, that the war was unneceffarily protracted to fill the pockets of Marlborough; and that it would have been continued without end, if he could have continued his annual plunder. But Swift, I fuppofe, did not yet know what he has fince written, that a commiffion was drawn which would have appointed him General for life, had it not become ineffectual by the refolution of Lord Cowper, who refufed the feal.

"Whatever is received," fay the fchools, "is "received in proportion to the recipient." The power of a political treatise depends much upon the difpofition of the people; the nation was then com buftible, and a spark fet it on fire. It is boafted, that between November and January eleven thousand were fold; a great number at that time, when we were not yet a nation of readers. To its propagation certainly no agency of power or influence was

wanting,