low the froth at the top. Perhaps the deeper bottoms were too muddy for his inspection."* I dare say his lordship, when he had finished this paragraph, looked it over with great self-complacency, and admired it as a beautiful and well turned period. But unfortunately there was not one syllable of truth in it, of which there have been already sufficient proofs given. Yet as this opinion, even upon so weak an authority, has, from the general spirit of envy, been adopted by numbers; and as some of the noblest points of Swift's character, depend upon the consideration of the high rank which he then held in the political state, I shall here adduce farther proofs of his great importance, and show, that though he was without office or rank, he was the man the most trusted, and the most employed in all political and state affairs, of any of that time.

We have already seen with what rapidity and eagerness, contrary to his usual procrastinating and reserved disposition, Harley rushed into his acquaintance, and besought his friendship. That soon after their first conversing together, he told St. John he could keep nothing from him, Swift had so much the way of getting into him. That after a closer intimacy, though the most reserved man alive, and the least apt to despond, he confessed, that uttering his mind to Swift, gave him ease. And that he continued ever after to repose this trust in him, may be seen in a letter from Lewis in the year 1713, supposed by the world to be the most confidential man with Lord Oxford, where he says, "His mind has been communicated more freely to you than to any other." In two months after their first acquaintance, he was admitted of the Saturday's private party,

* Lord Orrery's Remarks on the Life and Writings of Swift. S. See Journal, Nov. 11, 1710. S.

Journal, March 4, 1710-11. S.

or minister's cabinet council, consisting of the Lord Keeper Harcourt, the Earl Rivers, the Earl of Peterborow, and Mr. Secretary St. John; where, after dinner, they used to discourse, and settle matters of great importance, and Swift was always one of the number.* It has been shown that he stood in an equal degree of confidence with Lord Bolingbroke: and no man living, no not of the ministry, stood so high in the opinion of Lady Masham, the second greatest favourite of the queen, and latterly the first; of which the most unequivocal proofs have been produced, in her shedding tears openly, upon the talk of sending him to Ireland, and her last earnest letter to him before the queen's death. All the great officers of state, connected with the ministry, followed their example in paying him homage. Lord Keeper Harcourt told a placeman of inferior rank, who had treated Swift with some incivility," to take care of what he did, for the doctor was not only the favourite of all the ministry, but their governor also." We have seen that Lord Rivers told the printers, for whom Swift had demanded several places in his department, of considerable value, "that the doctor commanded, and he must obey." We find too, that when any of the ministry themselves had a favour to ask of Lord Oxford, it was through him they made their application. It was the same too with regard to the foreign ministers. In what

*Memoirs relating to the Change, &c. and Journal passim. S. † Journal, Jan. 8, 1712-13. "I tell you a good thing; there is not one of the ministry, but what will employ me as gravely to speak for them to lord treasurer, as if I were their brother, or his, and I do it as gravely, though I know they do it only because they will not make themselves uneasy, or had rather I should be denied than they." S.

March 5, 1712-13. "I was at court to day, and the foreign ministers have got a trick of employing me to speak for them to lord treasurer, and Lord Bolingbroke, which I do when the case is reasonable." S.

light he stood with the Spanish ambassador, may be seen from the following extract from his Journal, Dec. 21, 1712: "This day se'nnight, after I had been talking at court with Sir William Wyndham, the Spanish ambassador came to him, and said he heard that was Doctor Swift, and desired him to tell me, that his master, and the king of France, and the queen, were obliged to me more than to any man in Europe. So we bowed, and shook hands, &c. I took it very well of him."

All state writings, the queen's speeches, addresses upon them, &c. were either entirely drawn up by him, or submitted to his correction. He had a considerable share in the famous representation of the speaker's, Sir Thomas Hanmer, which made such a noise at that time, and was considered as the finest that ever was penned. In short, there was not a move made of any kind with relation either to public affairs, or party matters, in which he was not consulted, and the greatest share of labour in the executive part was thrown upon his shoulders. In all this plenitude of power, he was so far from being elated with the appearance of enjoying ministerial confidence, that he used his best endeavours to conceal it from the world in general, though it could not be a secret to those of his own party. With this view he absented himself from lord treasurer's levees, having never appeared there but twice during their whole acquaintance. And at court he always avoided him whenever he made toward him, nor would ever be seen speaking to him there.* But it was impossible long to conceal that superior degree of

He

* Jan. 15, 1712-13. "I was at court to day, and as lord treasurer came toward me I avoided him, and he hunted me thrice about the room. I affect never to take notice of him at church or court. knows it, for I have told him so, and to night at Lord Masham's he gave an account of it to the company; but my reasons are, that people seeing me speak to him, causes a great deal of teasing." S.

favour in which he stood with the minister.

His writings, in the cause he espoused, had rendered him too conspicuous, and the adverse party were too much galled by them not to make them watchful of all his motions. He was accordingly considered by the leaders of the opposite party, as the first mover in all the ministerial measures; and many virulent speeches were made against him by name, both in the house of lords and commons, as one who was in the secret of all affairs, and without whose advice or privity nothing was done, or employment disposed of* O Lord Orrery! how little did you know of the true state of affairs at that time, when you wrote that false envious paragraph! and how utterly unacquainted must you have been with the real character of the man, whose memoirs you undertook to write, when you could suppose him so mean spirited as to be the mere tool of a ministry; and so blinded by vanity (a fault of which he had not one particle in his composition, for, as he himself has often observed, he was too proud to be vain) as not to discover whether he was only employed, not trusted!

Nor was his influence confined to England only; he was the chief person consulted in the affairs of Ireland, particularly during the Duke of Ormond's administration, and few preferments passed, especially in the church, without his approbation. Of this there are many proofs to be found in his correspondence with the Archbishop of Dublin, Primate Lindsay, Lord Chancellor Phipps, and his own Journal.t

*See Swift's M emoirs relating to the Change, &c. S.

See his letter to the archbishop, September 31, 1713. His journal, Feb. 1, 1712-13.

Lord Primate Lindsay writes thus to him, in his letter of Jan. 5, 1713-14. "There is a gentleman, whom I believe you must have heard of, Dr. Andrew Hamilton, archdeacon of Raphoe, a man of good learning and abilities, and one of great interest in that country, whom I could wish you would move for to succeed me in Raphoe, as

Having now, past all controversy, established the high degree of power and influence which he then enjoyed, beyond any that perhaps ever fell to the lot of a private person, must not the disinterested spirit of Swift strike us with astonishment, when we reflect that he made no other use of these great advantages, but to promote the public cause in which he was engaged, or to make ample provision for persons of merit, while he was utterly negligent with regard to his own fortune? It must be obvious to every one, who considers the light in which he stood, that had he been a man of intrigue, or could he have made his principles bend to the reigning policy of the court; had he not incurred the queen's displeasure, by endeavouring to counteract her adopted system of government, and treating her bosom favourite with a severity never to be forgiven; nay, had he only followed the lead of the minister, by acquiescing in measures which he found it vain to oppose; it must be allowed, I say, considering the immensity of his talents, the close connexion he stood in with all the leading men, the great importance he was of to their cause, and the almost sisterly affection shown him by Lady Masham, that he might have aspired to the highest dignities in the church, or even, if his bent lay that way, in the state. those days the gown was not considered as a disqualification to ministerial offices, as we find the bishop of Bristol was made lord privy seal, and ambassador plenipotentiary. But as it was a maxim with Swift, that while the queen pursued her trimming plan, the interests of the

For in

one that is most likely to do good in that part of the country, of any man I know.

"And now be pleased to accept my thanks for the great services you have done me, and as you have contributed much to my advancement, so I must desire you, upon occasion, to give me your farther assistance for the service of the church." S.