troduced. For, besides many infipid papers which the malice of fome hath entitled me to, there are many, persons appearing to wifh me well, and pre tending to be judges of my fstyle and manner, who have yet afcribed fome writings to me, of which any man of common fenfe and literature would be heartily afhamed. I cannot forbear inftancing a Treatise called a Dedication upon Dedications, which many would have to be mine, although it be as empty, dry, and servile a compofition, as I remember at any time to have read. But above all, there is one Circumstance which makes it impoffible for me to have been author of a Treatise, wherein there are several pages containing a Panegyric on King George, of whose character and perfon I am utterly ignorant, nor ever had once the curiofity to enquire into either, living at so great a distance as I do, and having long done with whatever can relate to public matters.

Indeed I have formerly delivered my thoughts very freely, whether I were afked or no; but never affected to be a Councellor, to which I had no manner of call. I was humbled enough to fee myself fo far out-done by the Earl of Oxford in my own trade as a Scholar, and too good a Courtier not to discover his contempt of those who would be men of impor tance out of their sphere. Befides, to say the truth, although I have known many great Minifters ready reasonable, a focial, and a civil being. And these are all included under Ethics; whether you call the fcience Morality or Law. And with regard to the Law of England. we must be much prejudiced against it not to allow that what Tully affirms concerning the Law of the twelve tables. may with more justice, be applied to ours. "Fremant

omnes licet dicam quod fentio: bibliothecas mehercule " omnium Philofophorum unum mihi videtur Pande&tarum "volumen et authoritatis pondere et utilitatis ubertate" fuperare." But the best proof of its moral efficacy is the manners of its profeffors: and thefe, in every age, have been fuch as were the firft improved, or the last corrupted.

enough to hear Opinions, yet I have hardly feen one that would ever defcend to take advice; and this -pedantry ariseth from a Maxim themselves do not believe at the same time they practife by it, that there is fomething profound in Politics, which men of plain honeft fenfe cannot arrive to.

I only wish my endeavours had fucceeded better in the great point I had at heart, which was that of reconciling the Ministers to each other. This might have been done, if others, who had more concern and more influence, would have acted their parts; and, if this had fucceeded, the public interest both of Church and State would not have been the worse, nor the Proteftant Succeffion endangered.

But, whatever opportunities a constant attendance of four years might have given me for endeavouring to do good offices to particular persons, I deserve at least to find tolerable quarter from those of the other Party; for many of which I was a conftant advocate with the Earl of Oxford, and for this I appeal to his Lordship: He knows how often I preffed him in favour of Mr. Addison, Mr. Congreve, Mr. Row, and Mr. Steel; although I freely confefs that his Lordfhip's kindness to them was altogether owing to his generous notions, and the esteem he had for their wit and parts, of which I could only pretend to be a remembrancer. For I can never forget the answer he gave to the late Lord Hallifax, who upon the first change of the Ministry interceded with him to spare Mr. Congreve: It was by repeating these two lines of Virgil,

Non obtufa adeo geftamus pectora Pœni,

Nec tam averfus equos Tyria Sol jungit ab urbe.

Pursuant to which, he always treated Mr. Congreve with the greatest personal civilities, affuring him of

his conftant favour and protection, and adding that he would study to do fomething better for him.

I remember it was in thofe times a ufual fubject of raillery towards me among the Minifters, that I never came to them without a Whig in my fleeve; which I do not fay with any view towards making my Court: For, the new Principles 8) fixed to those of that denomination, I did then, and do now from my heart abhor, deteft, and abjure, as wholly degenerate from their predeceffors. I have converfed in fome freedom with more minifters of State of all parties than usually happens to men of my level, and, I confess, in their capacity as Ministers, I look upon them as a race of people whofe acquaintance no man would court, otherwise than upon the fcore of Vanity or Ambition. The first quickly wears off (and is the Vice of low minds, for a man of spirit is too proud to be vain) and the other was not my case. Befides, having never received more than one fmall favour, I was under no necessity of being a slave to men in power, but chofe my friends by their perfonal merit, without examining how far their notions agreed with the politics then in vogue. I frequently converfed with Mr. Addison, and the others I named (except Mr. Steel) during all my Lord Oxford's Miniftry, and Mr. Addifon's friendship to me continued inviolable, with as much kindness as when we ufed to meet at my Lord Sommers 9) or Hallifax, who were leaders of the opposite Party.

I would infer from all this, that it is with great injustice I have these many years been pelted by your

8) He means particularly the principle at that time charged upon them, by their Enemies, of an intention to profcribe the Tories.

9) Lord Sommers had very warmly recommended Dr. Swift to the favour of Lord Wharton when he went the Queen's Lieutenant into Ireland, in the year 1709,

Pamphleteers, merely upon account of fome regard which the Queen's laft Minifters were pleased to have for me and yet in my conscience I think I am a partaker in every ill defign they had against the Protestant Succeffion, or the Liberties and Religion of their Country; and can fay with Cicero, "that I "fhould be proud to be included with them in all "their actions tanquam in equo Trojano.' But if I have never discovered by my words, writings, or actions, any Party virulence 1), or dangerous de figns against the prefent powers; if my friendship and converfation were equally fhewn among those who liked or disapproved the proceedings then at Court, and that I was known to be a Common Friend of all deferving perfons of the latter fort, when they were in diftrefs; I cannot but think it hard, that I am not fuffered to run quietly among the common herd of people, whose opinions unfortunately differ from thofe which lead to Favour and Preferment.

I ought to let you know, that the Thing we called a Whig in England is a creature altogether different from thofe of the fame denomination here; at least it was so during the reign of her late Majesty. Whe ther those on your side have changed or no, it hath not been my business to enquire. I remember my excellent friend Mr. Addifon, when he first came over hither Secretary to the Earl of Wharton then Lord Lieutenant, was extremely offended at the conduct and difcourfe of the Chief Managers here: He told me they were a fort of people who seemed to think, that the principles of a Whig consisted in nothing else but damning the Church, reviling the Clergy, abetting the Diffenters, and speaking contemptibly of revealed Religion.

1) The Examiners, I fuppafe, were not then published amongst the Dean's works.

I was difcourfing fome years ago with a certain Minifter about that whiggish or fanatical Genius, fo prevalent among the English of this kingdom: his Lordship accounted for it by that number of Cromwell's Soldiers, adventurers established here, who were all of the foureft leven, and the meanest birth, and whofe pofterity are now in poffeffion of their lands and their principles. However, it must be confeffed, that of late fome people in this country fare grown weary of quarreling, because interest, the great motive of quarrelling, is at an end; for, it is hardly worth contending who shall be an Exciseman, a CountryVicar, a Cryer in the Courts, or an Under-Clerk.

You will perhaps be inclined to think, that a perfon fo ill treated as I have been, muft at fome time or other have discovered very dangerous opinions in government; in answer to which, I will tell you what my Political principles were in the time of her late glorious Majesty, which I never contradicted by any. action, writing, or difcourfe..

First, I always declared myself against a Popifl Succeffor to the Crown, whatever Title he might have by the proximity of blood: Neither did I ever regard the right line, except upon two accounts a firft, as it was established by law; and fecondly, as it hath much weight in the opinions of the people. For neceffity may abolish any Law, but cannot alter the fentiments of the vulgar; Right of inheritance being perhaps the most popular of all topics: and therefore in great Changes when that is broke, there will remain much heart burning and discontent among the meaner people; which (under a weak Prince and corrupt Administration) may have the worst consequences upon the peace of any state.

As to what is called a Revolution - principle, my opinion was this; That whenever thofe evils, which