While the matter was in agitation, he thus writes to Stella, on the 7th of the March following. "I write by this poft to the Dean, but it is not above two lines, and one inclosed to you is not above three lines; and in that, one inclosed to the Dean, which he must not have, but on condition of burning it immediately after reading, and that before your eyes; for there are fome things in it I would not have liable to accidents. You shall only know in general, that it is an account of what I have done to ferve him, in his pretenfions on thefe vacancies, &c. but he must not know, that you know fo much."

It is evident, from fome of the above quotations, that Swift was far from having any cordial regard for Sterne, and that he had thought himself, on fome occafions, to have been ill treated by him. Nothing therefore can, in my opinion, account for his obftinate perfeverance in making him a Bishop, in spite of all the world, as he himself expreffes it, but the facrednefs of an engagement.

Whatever ill opinion Swift had formed of Sterne before, was thoroughly confirmed by his very ungrateful behaviour to him, immediately after he had made him a Bishop. In his Journal of May 16, he writes thus, "Your new Bishop acts very ungratefully. I cannot say so bad of him as he deserves. I begged, by the fame poft his warrant and mine went over, that he would leave thofe livings to my difpofal. I fhall write this post to him, to let him know how ill I take it *.

*Swift had afterwards caufe to complain farther of his ingratitude, where he fays to him in a letter, dated 1733- "But trying to forget all former treatments, I came, like others, to your hcafe, and fince you were a Bishop, have once or twice recommended persons to you, who were no relations or friends of mine, but merely for their genezal good character; which availed fo little, that those very persons had the greatest share of your neglect."

SECTION

SECTION IV.

AS the brightest and most important part of Swift's life paffed during the four laft years of Queen Anne, when his faculties were all in full vigour, and occa fions for difplaying them arofe adequate to their greatnefs; I fhall omit no circumftance which may ferve to delineate the features and limbs of his mind, (if I may be allowed the expreffion) before difeafe and age had· impaired the bloom of the one, and the ftrength and agility of the other. To have a perfect portrait and juft likeness of a friend, had we our choice of time,. we should certainly prefer that period of his life, when he was in his prime, to that of his decay. There have› been already given many inftances of fuch a noblenefs: of mind, fuch a difinterested spirit in Swift, as are rarely to be found in the annals of hiftory. Yet the part which he acted by his friend Oxford, about the time of the Queen's death, exhibits thofe qualities in a higher point of view than ever they had appeared in before. It has been already mentioned, that, finding all his endeavours to reconcile his great friends ufelefs, he had retired to Letcomb, in order to make one ef-' fort more to compel them to unite for their common intereft, by the publication of his "Free Thoughts," &c. Lord Bolingbroke, to whom this Piece wast fhewn by Barber, contrived to have the printing of it deferred, as he was then just upon the point of accomplifhing his long concerted plan, of turning out Lord Oxford, and stepping into his place. This was effected just four days before the Queen's death, on the 27th. of July, 1714. One of Lord Bolingbroke's first ob+ jects, upon getting into power, was to fecure Swift to

his intereft. He got Lady Masham to write to him, in the most preffing terms, on the 29th, to return immediately to town. And on the 30th, he meant to difpatch Barber to him, with letters from himself and Lady Masham for the fame purpose. Which is thus related by Barber, in his letter of July 31, past fix at night. "I am heartily forry I should be the meffenger of fo ill news, as to tell you the Queen is dead or dying: if alive, 'tis faid fhe can't live till morning. You may eafily imagine the confufion we are all in on this fad. occafion. I had fet out yesterday to wait on you, but. for this fad accident; and fhould have brought letters from Lord Bolingbroke, and Lady Masham, to have prevented your going. He faid twenty things in your favour, and commanded me to bring you up, whatever was the confequence." It was chiefly through the influence of Lady Mafham, who was then at the height of favour with the Queen, and had openly quarrelled with the Treasurer, that he was turned out of his employment, and Bolingbroke appointed Minifter in his room. Nothing can fhew, in a stronger light, the great confequence of Swift in all ftate-affairs at that time, than Lady Masham's letter to him on this occafion. Which, on that account, I fhall here prefent entire to the reader.

Lady MASHAM to Dr. SWIFT.

My good friend,

July 29, 1714.

"I OWN it looks unkind in me, not to thank you all this time, for your fincere kind letter; but I was refolved to stay 'till I could tell you, the Queen had so far got the better of the * Dragon, as to take her power out of his hands. He has been the most un

A nick-name for Lord Oxford.
L

grateful

grateful man to her, and to all his best friends, that ever was born. I cannot have fo much time now to write all my mind, because my dear Mistress is not well; and I think I may lay her illness to the charge of the Treasurer, who, for three weeks together, was teafing and vexing her without intermiffion, and fhe could not get rid of him till Tuesday laft. I muft put you in mind of one paffage in your letter to me, which is, I pray God to fend you wife and faithful friends to advise you at this time, when there are fo great difficulties to Atruggle with. That is very plain and true; therefore will you, who have gone through fo much, and taken more pains than any body, and given wife advice (if that wretched man had had fenfe enough, and honesty to have taken it) I fay, will you leave us, and go into Ireland? No, it is impoffible; your goodness is still the fame, your charity and compaffion for this poor *Lady, who has been barbarously used, won't let you do it. I know you take delight to help the diftreffed; and there cannot be a greater object than this good Lady, who deferves pity. Pray, dear friend, ftay here, and don't believe us all alike, to throw away good advice, and defpife every body's understanding but their own. I could fay a great deal upon the fubject, but I must go to her, for fhe is not well. This comes to you by a fafe hand, fo that neither of us need be in any pain about it.

"My Lord and brother are in the country. My fifter and girls are at your service."

.

So warm and preffing a letter, from one who made, and unmade Minifters, (for it was to her Lord Oxford owed his advancement, as well as his difgrace) intreating, nay, in a manner imploring him to come and be their chief Counsellor and Director, in their new plan of Admini

ftration; might have opened the most inviting profpects to Swift, of gratifying his utmost ambition with regard to his own interefts; and at the fame time, of accomplishing the plan which he had invariably purfued, with respect to those of the public. But to a man of his delicate fenfe of honour, there was an infuperable bar in the way to prevent his embracing fo flattering an offer. He had two days before received the following letter from Lord Oxford, upon his lofing the Staff.

The Earl of OXFORD to Dr. SWIFT.

"IF I tell my dear friend the value I put upon his undeferved friendship, it will look like fufpecting you or myself. Though I have had no power fince the twenty-fifth of July 1713, I believe now, as a private man, I may prevail to renew your licence of abfence, conditionally you will be prefent with me; for to-morrow morning I fhall be a private perfon. When I have fettled my domestic affairs here, I go to Wimple; thence, alone, to Herefordshire. If I have not tired you tête a tête, Aling away so much time upon one, who loves you. And I believe, in the mafs of fouls, ours were placed near each other. I fend you an imitation of Dryden, as I went to Kenfington.

To serve with love,

And shed your blood,
Approv'd is above:

But here below,

Th' examples fhew,

'Tis fatal to be good.

In these two letters, there were two roads opened to Swift. One, leading to preferment, power, and all that