of reformation is in the power of the Queen, without interpofition of the Legislature; and which her Majesty is, without queftion, obliged in confcience to endeavour by her authority, as much as fhe does by her prac tice."

And in another place he ftill more forcibly urges arguments of the fame nature: "The prefent Queen is a Prince of as many and great virtues, as ever filled a throne: how would it brighten her character to the prefent, and after ages, if he would exert her utmost authority to inftil fome fhare of thofe virtues into her people, which they are too degenerate to learn, only from her example. And, be it fpoke with all the veneration poffible for fo excellent a Sovereign; her beft endeavours in this weighty affair, are a moft important part of her duty, as well as of her intereft, and her -honour."

Nothing could have been better contrived to work upon the Queen's difpofition, than the whole of this Tract. In which the author firft fhews that all the corruptions and wickednefs of the times, arofe from irreligion he fhews that it is in her Majefty's power alone, without other aid, to reftore religion to its true luftre and force, and to make it have a general influence on the manners and conduct of her people: and then he -urges the strongest motives, of honour, of interest, and of duty, to induce her to enter upon the immediate exercise of that power. And to render what he offered upon that head more forcible, it was apparently written by fome difinterested hand, from no other principle but a due regard to religion and morality. For the author artfully fuppreffed all mention of party; and yet, upon a closer examination, it would appear, that nothing could be more directly, though covertly, aimed at the deftruction of the power of the Whigs. For the first

step proposed to render the design effectual, was, that the Queen fhould employ none in her Ministry, or in any offices about her perfon, but fuch as had the cause of religion at heart; now this was in effect to fay, that fhe must begin with turning out the Whigs, or LowChurch-Party, who in general profeffed either an indifference to, or contempt of religion; and choose her Officers from among the Tories, or High-Church-party, with whom the support of the interefts of religion, was the first, and moft generally avowed principle.

After the publication of this piece, Swift went to Ireland, where he remained till the revolution in the Miniftry took place, which happened in the following year; when Mr. Harley, and Mr. St. John, the heads of the Tory-party in the Houfe of Commons, were appointed to fill the chief offices; the former, that of Chancellor of the Exchequer, the latter, that of principal Secretary of State. During this interval, Swift paffed much of his time with Mr. Addifon, who had gone over to Ireland as First Secretary to the Earl of Wharton, then Lord Lieutenant of that kingdom. By this means he had an opportunity of being an eye-witnefs of the corrupt adminiftration of affairs in that kingdom, under that Lord's government, which he afterwards expofed to the world in fuch ftrong and odious colours. Had Swift been intent only on his own promotion, it is probable that he might eafily have obtained preferment in Ireland at that juncture, on account of his great intimacy with the Secretary; but he would have fcorned to pay court to a Viceroy of such a character, or even to have accepted any favour at his hands. Upon the change of affairs at Court, when a new Miniftry was appointed, Swift was requested by the Bishops of Ireland to take upon him the charge of folliciting a remiffion of the first-fruits, and twentieth

parts

parts to the clergy, of that kingdom. It was not without great reluctance, that he accepted of this office, for reafons hereafter to be affigned: but his regard to the interefts of the Church, outweighed all other confiderations, and he accordingly fet out for England, as foon as his credentials were ready.

SECTION III.

From the INTRODUCTION to Mr. HARLEY, to the DEATH of the QUEEN.

ON his arrival in London in the month of September, 1710, he found that open war was declared between the two parties, and raged with the utmost violence. There was no room for moderating fchemes, and according to his own maxim, that a good citizen could not remain neutral in fuch a fituation of affairs, Swift was to choose his party, and to declare himself accordingly. His arrival at that crifis, filled the Whigs with joy, as in general they looked upon him to be of their party; but the leaders among them were not without their apprehenfions, being confcious of the ill treatment he had met with at their hands. Of this, take the following account from Swift himfelf *. "All

* At this time, and during his connection with the Ministry afterwards, Swift kept a regular journal of all the most remarkable events, as well as little anecdotes, which he tranfmitted every fortnight to Stella, for her private perufal, and that of Mrs. Dingley, but upon condition that it should be communicated to no other perfon whatsoever. This journal was luckily preferved, and fometime fince given to the world. As nothing could better fhew Swift's own fentiments with regard to affairs at that time, and the motives which induced him to take the part he did in them, than fuch a journal, written as it were to the hour, and transmitted to that person in the world to whom his heart was most open; the account of his conduct, during that busy time, will, wherever there is an opportunity, be corroborated by extracts from it.

the Whigs were ravifhed to fee me, and would have laid hold on me as a twig, to fave them from finking; and the great men were all making me their clumfy apologies. It is good to fee what a lamentable confeffion the Whigs all make of my ill-ufage." On the other hand, the Tories were exceedingly alarmed at his arrival, as they had always confidered him in the light of a Whig, and as the leaders of their party had not even the leaft perfonal knowledge of him; how ftrong their apprehenfions must have been, we may judge from a paffage in Swift's Journal of the following year, dated June 30, 1711, where he fays, that, "Mr. Harley and Mr. Secretary St. John, frequently protefted, after he had become their intimate, that he was the only man in England they were afraid of." In fuch a difpofition, therefore, it is to be fuppofed, that a vifit from Dr. Swift to Mr. Harley, was by no means an unacceptable thing. The occafion of this vifit is fet forth at large, in the letters which paffed between Dr. King, Archbishop of Dublin, and Dr. Swift, published in his Works. Upon his leaving Ireland, Swift had undertaken to follicit the affair of the first-fruits, and twentieth parts, for the benefit of the Clergy in Ireland, which had been long depending, and in vain attempted by two Bishops fent over for that purpose by the whole body. In his first letter to the Archbishop on that subject, he fays, "As foon as I received the pacquets from your Grace, I went to wait upon Mr. Harley. I had prepared him before, by another hand, where he was very intimate; and got myself reprefented (which I might justly do) as one extremely ill ufed by the last Miniftry, after fome obligations, because I refused to go certain lengths they would have me." He afterwards gives fuch an account of the whole tranfaction as might be proper to be fhewn. But in his Journal

to Stella, he is more particular.-October 4, 1710."Mr. Harley received me with the greateft refpect and kindness imaginable, and appointed me an hour, two or three days after, to open my business to him.”

October 7.

"I HAD no fooner told him my business, but he entered into it with all kindness; asked me for my powers, and read them; and read likewife the memorial I had drawn up, and put it into his pocket to fhew the Queen: told me the measures he would take; and, in fhort, faid every thing I could wish. Told me he must bring Mr. St. John and me acquainted; and fpoke fo many things of perfonal kindness and esteem, that I am inclined to believe what fome friends had told me, that he would do every thing to bring me over. He defired me to dine with him on Tuesday; and, after four hours being with him, fet me down at St. James's Coffee house in a hackney coach.

"I must tell you a great piece of refinement in Harley. He charged me to come and fee him often: I told him I was loth to trouble him, in so much bufinefs as he had, and defired I might have leave to come at his levee; which he immediately refused, and faid, "That was no place for friends."

October 10, 1710.

"HARLEY tells me he has fhewn my memorial to the Queen, and feconded it very heartily; because, faid he, the Queen defigns to fignify it to the Bishops of Ireland in form, and take notice that it was done upon a memorial from you; which he said he did to make it look more respectful to me: I believe never any thing was compaffed fo foon, and purely done by my personal credit with Mr. Harley; who is fo exceffively obliging,

that