nocent as it is poffible for a human creature to be. And, whether you believe me or not, I think, with fubmiffion, you ought to act as if you believed me, till you you have demonftration to the contrary. I have all the miniftry to be my witneffes, that there is hardly a man of wit of the adverfe party, whom I have not been fo bold as to recommend often and with earnestness to them. For, I think, principles at present are quite out of the cafe, and that we difpute wholly about perfons. In these last you and I differ; but in the other, I think, we agree: For I have in print profeffed myself in politics to be what we formerly called a Whig.

*

As to the great man whofe defence you undertake; though I do not think fo well of him as you do, yet I have been the cause of preventing five hundred hard things to be faid against him.

I am fenfible I have talked too much when myself is the subject; therefore I conclude with fincere wishes for your health and prosperity, and am,

SIR,

Your, &c.

Duke of Marlborough.

You

You cannot but remember, that, in the only thing I ever published with my name, I took care to celebrate you as much as I could, and in as handsome a manner, though it was in a letter to the present Lord Treasurer.

LETTER XIX.

To Lord Treasurer OXFORD.

On the Death of his Daughter, the Marchioness of Caermarthen.

MY LORD,

You

November 21, 1713..

OUR Lordship is the perfon in the world to whom every body ought to be filent upon fuch an occafion as this, which is only to be fupported by the greateft wisdom and ftrength of mind; wherein, God knows, the wifeft and beft of us, who would prefume to offer their thoughts, are far your inferiors. It is true, indeed, that a great misfortune is apt to weaken the mind, and disturb the understanding. This, indeed, might be fome pretence to us to adminifter our confolations, if we had been wholly ftrangers to the person gone. But,

my Lord, whoever had the honour to know her, wants a comforter as much as your Lordship; becaufe, though their lofs is not fo great, yet they have not the fame firmness and prudence, to fupport the want of a friend, a patronefs, a benefactor, as you have to support that of a daughter. My Lord, both religion and reason forbid me to have the least concern for that Lady's death, upon her own account; and he must be an ill Christian, or a perfect stranger to her virtues, who would not wish himself, with all fubmiffion to God Almighty's will, in her condition. But your Lordship, who hath loft fuch a daughter, and we, who have loft fuch a friend, and the world, which hath loft fuch an example; have, in our several degrees, greater cause to lament, than, perhaps, was ever given by any private perfon before. For, my Lord, I have fate down to think of every amiable quality that could enter into the compofition of a lady, and could not fingle out one, which she did not poffefs in as high a perfection as human nature is capable of. But, as to your Lordship's own particular, as it is an unconceiveable misfortune to have loft fuch a daughter, fo it is a poffeffion which few can boast of, to

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have had fuch a daughter. I have often faid to your Lordship, that I never knew any one, by many degrees, so happy in their domeftic as you; and I affirm you are fo ftill, though not by fo many degrees: From whence it is very obvious, that your

Lordship fhould reflect upon what you have

left, and not upon what you have loft.

To fay the truth, my Lord, you began to be too happy for a mortal; much more happy than is usual with the difpenfations of Providence long to continue. You had been the great inftrument of preserving your country from foreign and domestic ruin: You have had the felicity of eftablishing your family in the greatest luftre, without any obligation to the bounty of your Prince, or any induftry of your own: You have triumphed over the violence and treachery of your enemies, by your courage and abilities; and, by the fleadiness of your temper, over the inconstancy and caprice of your friends. Perhaps your Lordship has felt too much complacency within yourself, upon this univerfal fuccefs: And God Almighty, who would not disappoint your endeavours for the public, thought fit to punish you with a domeftic lofs, where he knew your heart was most expofed;

expofed; and, at the fame time, has fulfilled his own wife purposes, by rewarding, in a better life, that excellent creature he has taken from you.

I know not, my Lord, why I write this to you, nor hardly what I am writing. I am fure it is not from any compliance with form; it is not from thinking that I can give your Lordship any ease. I think it was an impulse upon me that I fhould fay fomething: And whether I shall send you what I have written, I am yet in doubt, &c.

LETTER XX.

To the ARCHBISHOP of DUBLIN. *

MY LORD,

You

London, December 31, 1713. OUR Grace's letter, which I received but laft poft, is of an earlier date than what have fince arrived. We have received the Address for removing the Chancellor, and the Counter-addreffes from the Lords and Convocation; and you will know, before this reaches you, our fentiments of them here. I am at a lofs what to fay in this whole affair. When I writ to you before, I dropt a word on purpose * Doctor William King.

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