Treasurer, and, with all the captioufnefs of a jealous lover, who who will not come to an explanation. The Treasurer was really exerting all his endeavours to ferve his friend, in the way which he knew would be most agreeable to him; though, according to his ufual referve, he did not care to inform him of the difficulties in his way. And Swift, who was too proud to enquire into this, fufpected him either of want of zeal, or indulging his usual procrastination, which is obvious, from all the expreffions relative to him in the above quotations. But the truth of the whole matter appears to be this. The Queen was willing enough that Swift should have a moderate provision made for him in IreJand, in order to fend him into banishment, in a decent, though not very honourable manner. And the Minister, on the other hand, wanted to keep him with him at all events. We find, with regard to the Windfor promotion, the Queen continued inflexible, not only against the folicitations of the Treasurer, but of Lady Mafham, who was her neareft favourite, after the Duchefs of Somerset. How zealous that Lady was in his cause, may be seen in a paffage of the above quotation, where, fpeaking of her, he fays, "She faid much to me of what she had talked to the Queen, and Lord Treasurer. The poor Lady fell a fhedding of tears openly. She could not bear to think of my baving St. Patrick's,” &c.

We find afterwards, when the Lord Treasurer faw that the Queen was obftinate with regard to this point, there was another bar thrown in the way of Swift's promotion in Ireland, probably contrived between him and the Duke of Ormond; which was, that the Duke fhould demur against Sterne's being made a Bishop; nor can this change in the Duke of Ormond, when he had before confented to Sterne's promotion, be rationally accounted for in any other way. This probably

was

was the Treasurer's laft effort, to oblige the Queen to do fomething for Swift in England; but when Swift himself continued refolute in the other point, probably on a fufpicion, that the Queen could not be wrought upon to prefer him in England, and urged the Duke of Ormond to the accomplishment of it, and upon his demurring, expreffed himself resentfully; the Duke, who loved Swift fincerely, could ftand it no longer, but as Swift mentions in the Journal, "with great kindness, he faid he would confent, but would do it for no man elfe but me," &¢.

But there is one circumftance in this tranfaction, that feems very unaccountable; which is, that Swift was not immediately made Bishop of Clogher, instead of Dean of St. Patrick's. We do not find, that Dr. Sterne had one friend in the world to recommend him, but Swift himself. On the contrary, we fee he was obnoxious to the Ministry, but particularly fo to the Duke of Ormond, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who was chiefly to be confulted in the difpofal of preferments there. When it comes to the push, the only objection the Duke offers to Swift's getting St. Patrick's, is his dislike of Sterne, and the reluctance he fhews at his being promoted to a Bishoprick. Now, was not this difficulty easily smoothed away, by making Swift at once Bishop of Clogher? And would not the Ministry have been all much better pleased to place him in that See, than a man who was at best indifferent to them, but. certainly obnoxious to fome, and thofe the principal among them? It may therefore be furmifed, that this was a point not attempted, because they were fure the Queen would never confent to make him a Bishop, while her displeasure continued fo high against him, though she was willing to fend him into exile, in fo moderate a ftation, as that of Dean, even at the expence

of promoting a man of no weight or confideration, to a higher ftation, to make room for him. And the Miniftry certainly fhewed the greatest readiness to gratify him in any thing which he fhould defire, when they confented to the promotion of a man, whom they dif liked, to make room for his preferment, in a way also which they did not approve of, merely because he made a point of it. So that, however small a recompenfe the Deanery itself might have been confidered for Swift's fervices, yet as there was a Bishoprick beftowed at the fame time, purely to make way for this, and to be char ged wholly to his account, the Miniftry certainly cannot be taxed with a want of a due fenfe of his merits, and a fuitable defire of rewarding them. And however out of humour he might be, where he fays, "This affair was carried with great difficulty, which vexes me." Yet he very justly adds, "But they fay here, it is much to my reputation, that I have made a Bishop in spite of all the world, and to get the best Deanery in Ireland." He afterwards fhews how entirely this was his work, against all oppofition, where he fays, "I fhall write next post to Bishop Sterne. Never man had fo many énemies of Ireland as he; I carried it with the strongest hand poffible. If he does not use me well, and gently, in what dealings I fhall have with him, he will be the moft ungrateful of mankind."

In his whole account of this tranfaction, which exhi bits a lively picture of his ftate of mind to the moment, he seems to have been much under the influence of humour. Though he was confcious that the Queen herfelf was the chief bar to his promotion, yet he speaks as peevishly of the Treasurer, as if the fole blame lay with him. At one time he feems earnest about obtaining St. Patrick's, and is angry with the Treafurer for putting any rub in the way, though in favour of ano

ther

ther measure, which would certainly have pleafed him more. When he mentions the Queen's having confented to Swift's arrangement of the Bishoprick and Deanery, he adds, much out of humour, but then out came Lord Treasurer, and faid he would not be fatisfied, but that I must be a Prebendary of Windfor. Thus he perplexes things. I expect neither; but I confefs as much as I love England, I am fo angry at this treatment, that, if I had my choice, I would rather. have St. Patrick's." And yet in his Journal of the 18th, the day but one after this, when he learns from the Treasurer, that the Queen was at laft refolved upon the arrangement propofed, he fays, "Neither can I feel joy at paffing my days in Ireland, and I confefs I thought the Miniftry would not let me go; but perhaps they can→ not help it." How contrary is this to his former declaration! But in the whole of this affair, Swift feems to have been deserted by his usual firmness of mind, and to have acted with the frowardness of a humourfome child, who either does not know his own mind, or will not tell it'; and yet expects that others fhould find it out, and do what he wants.

Another reason for his not defiring to procure the Bishoprick for himself, might perhaps arife from his fuppofing that this might be confidered as a full equivalent for his fervices, and the né plus ultra of his preferment, to the exclufion of all future profpects in England, where all his wishes centered. But I am perfuaded, that the chief motive to his extraordinary conduct on this occafion, and his fo pertinaciously adhering to that particular mode, and no other, of providing for him, in oppofition to the defire of his best friends, and particularly of the Duke of Ormond, was, that he had promifed to make Sterne a Bifhop the firft opportunity. As he was remarkably tenacious of his word, he was determined

determined to keep it on this occafion, though he feems, by fome expreffions, not to have looked upon Sterne as his friend, but rather to have refentment against him, on account of fome ill treatment received. at his hands *. In his Journal to Stella, October 28, 1712, he says, “I had a letter to-day from Dr. Coghill, defiring me to get Raphoe for Dean Sterne, and the Deanery for myself. I fhall indeed, I have fuch obligations to Sterne. But, however, if I am afked who will make a good Bishop, I fhall name him before any body."

In the February following, he fays, in the fame Journal, "I did not write to Dr. Coghill, that I would have nothing in Ireland, but that I was foliciting nothing any where, and this is true. I have named Dr. Sterne to Lord Treasurer, Lord Bolingbroke, and the Duke of Ormond, for a Bishoprick, and I did it heartily. I know not what will come of it; but I tell you, as a great fecret, that I have inade the Duke of Ormond promise me to recommend no body till he tells me, and this for fome reasons, too long to men tion."

The caufe of his refentment is thus fet forth, in a letter to Sterne, then Bishop of Clogher, dated July 1733. "When I first came ac quainted with you, we were both private Clergymen in a neighbourhood: you were afterwards Chancellor of St. Patrick's, then was cho÷ fen Dean; in which election, I was the most busy of all your folicitors. When the compromife was made between the government and you, to make you eafy, and Dr. Syuge Chancellor, you abfolutely and frequently promised to give me the + Curacy of St. Nicholas Without.i you thought fit, by concert with the Archbishop, to hold it yourself, and apply the revenue to build another Church. Upon the Queen's death, when I had done for ever with Courts, I returned to refide at my post, yet with some kind of hopes of getting fome credit with you, very unwifely; because, upon the affair of St. Nicholas, I had told you frankly," That I would always respect you, but never hope for the leaft friendship from you."

+ Though this be called a Curacy, yet it is in reality a living of confiderable value,