wanting. It furnished arguments for converfation, fpeeches for debate, and materials for parliamentary refolutions.

Yet, furely, whoever furveys this wonder-working pamphlet with cool perufal, will confefs that its efficacy was fupplied by the paffions of its readers; that it operates by the mere weight of facts, with very little affiftance from the hand that produced them.

This year (1712) he publifhed his "Reflections

on the Barrier Treaty," which carries on the defign of his "Conduct of the Allies," and fhews how little regard in that negotiation had been fhewn to the intereft of England, and how much of the conquered country had been demanded by the Dutch.

This was followed by "Remarks on the Bishop of "Sarum's Introduction to his third Volume of the Hiftory of the Reformation;" a pamphlet which Burnet published as an alarm, to warn the nation of the approach of Popery. Swift, who feems to have difliked the Bishop with fomething more than political averfion, treats him like one whom he is glad of an opportunity to infult.

Swift, being now the declared favourite and fuppofed confident of the Tory Miniftry, was treated by all that depended on the Court with the refpect which dependents know how to pay. He foon began to feel part of the mifery of greatnefs; he that could say that he knew him, confidered himself as having fortune in his power. Commiffions, folicitations, remonftrances, crowded about him; he was expected to do every man's bufinefs, to procure employment for one, and to retain it for another. In affifting

those

those who addreffed him, he reprefents himself as fufficiently diligent; and defires to have others believe, what he probably believed himself, that by his interpofition many Whigs of merit, and among them Addison and Congreve, were continued in their places. But every man of known influence has fo many petitions which he cannot grant, that he must neceffarily offend more than he gratifies, as the preference given to one affords all the reft reafon for complaint. "When I give away a place," said Lewis XIV. "I make an hundred difcontented, and "one ungrateful."

Much has been faid of the equality and independence which he preferved in his converfation with the Minifters, of the franknefs of his remonftrances, and the familiarity of his friendship. In accounts of this kind a few fingle incidents are fet against the general tenour of behaviour. No man, however, can pay a more fervile tribute to the Great, than by fuffering his liberty in their prefence to aggrandize him in his own efteem. Between different ranks of the community there is neceffarily fome diftance; he who is called by his fuperior to pass the interval, may properly accept the invitation; but petulance and obtrufion are rarely produced by magnanimity; nor have often any nobler caufe than the pride of importance, and the malice of inferiority. He who knows himself neceffary may fet, while that neceffity lafts, a high value upon himfelf; as, in a lower condition, a fervant eminently fkilful may be faucy; but he is faucy only because he is fervile. Swift appears to have preserved the kindness of the great when they wanted him no longer; and therefore it

muft

muft be allowed, that the childish freedom, to which he seems enough inclined, was overpowered by his better qualities.

His difintereftedness has been likewife mentioned; a ftrain of heroifm, which would have been in his condition romantick and fuperfluous. Ecclefiaftical benefices, when they become vacant, must be given away; and the friends of power may, if there be no inherent difqualification, reasonably expect them. Swift accepted (1713) the deanery of St. Patrick, the beft preferment that his friends could venture * to give him. That Miniftry was in a great degree fupported by the Clergy, who were not yet reconciled to the author of the "Tale of a Tub," and would not without much discontent and indignation have borne to see him inftalled in an English Cathedral.

He refused, indeed, fifty pounds from Lord Oxford; but he accepted afterwards a draught of a thoufand upon the Exchequer, which was intercepted by the Queen's death, and which he refigned, as he says himself, “multa gemens, with many a groan.”

In the midft of his power and his politicks, he kept a journal of his vifits, his walks, his interviews with Minifters, and quarrels with his fervant, and tranfmitted it to Mrs. Johnfon and Mrs. Dingley, to whom he knew that whatever befel him was interefting, and no accounts could be too minute. Whether thefe diurnal trifles were properly expofed to eyes which had never received any pleafure from the prefence of the Dean, may be reafonably doubted: they have, however, fome odd attraction; the reader, finding

*This emphatic word has not efcaped the watchful eye of Dr. Warton, who has placed a nota bene at it. C.

VOL. III.

frequent mention of names which he has been used to confider as important, goes on in hope of information; and, as there is nothing to fatigue attention, if he is disappointed he can hardly complain. It is eafy to perceive, from every page, that though ambition preffed Swift into a life of buftle, the wifh for a life of eafe was always returning.

He went to take poffeffion of his deanery as foon as he had obtained it; but he was not fuffered to stay in Ireland more than a fortnight before he was recalled to England, that he might reconcile Lord Oxford and Lord Bolingbroke, who began to look on one another with malevolence, which every day increased, and which Bolingbroke appeared to retain in his last years.

Swift contrived an interview, from which they both departed difcontented; he procured a second, which only convinced him that the feud was irreconcileable: he told them his opinion, that all was loft. This denunciation was contradicted by Oxford; but Bolingbroke whispered that he was right.

Before this violent diffenfion had shattered the Miniftry, Swift had publifhed, in the beginning of the year (1714), "The publick Spirit of the Whigs," in answer to "The Crifis," a pamphlet for which Steele was expelled from the Houfe of Commons. Swift was now fo far alienated from Steele, as to think him no longer entitled to decency, and therefore treats him fometimes with contempt, and fometimes with abhorrence.

In this pamphlet the Scotch were mentioned in terms fo provoking to that irritable nation, that, refolving "not to be offended with impunity," the

Scotch

Scotch Lords in a body demanded an audience of the Queen, and folicited reparation. A proclamation was iffued, in which three hundred pounds were offered for the difcovery of the author. From this ftorm he was, as he relates, "fecured by a fleight;" of what kind, or by whofe prudence, is not known; and fuch was the increase of his reputation, that the Scottish Nation applied again that he would be "their friend."

He was become fo formidable to the Whigs, that his familiarity with the Minifters was clamoured at in Parliament, particularly by two men, afterwards of great note, Aislabie and Walpole.

But, by the difunion of his great friends, his importance and designs were now at an end; and feeing his fervices at last useless, he retired about June (1714) into Berkshire, where, in the house of a friend, he wrote what was then fuppreffed, but has fince appeared under the title of "Free Thoughts on the pre"fent State of Affairs."

While he was waiting in this retirement for events which time or chance might bring to pafs, the death of the Queen broke down at once the whole fyftem of Tory Politicks; and nothing remained but to withdraw from the implacability of triumphant Whiggifm, and fhelter himself in unenvied obfcurity.

The accounts of his reception in Ireland, given by Lord Orrery and Dr. Delany, are fo different, that the credit of the writers, both undoubtedly veracious, cannot be faved, but by fuppofing, what I think is true, that they fpeak of different times. When Delany fays, that he was received with respect, he means for the firft fortnight, when he came to take legal poffeffion;

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