A BOUT a month before the demise of queen Anne, the dean having laboured to reconcile the minifters to each other without fuccefs, retired to the house of a friend in Berkshire, and never saw them more. But during this retreat he wrote the following treatise, which he thought might be of fome ufe even in that juncture, and fent it up to London to be printed; but, upon some difference in opinion between the author and the late lord Belingbroke, the publication was delayed till the queen's death, and then he recalled his copy: it was afterwards placed in the hands of the late alderman Barber, from whom it was obtained to be printed. The ruin of the miniftry by this animofity among themselves was long forefeen and foretold by Swift, and it appears by lord Bolingbroke's letter to fir William Windham, that in his heart he renounced his friendship for Oxford long before the conclufion of the peace, though it did not appear till afterwards. "The peace, fays he, which had been "judged to be the only folid foundation whereupon we "could erect a tory fyftem, and yet when it was made "6 we found ourselves at a ftand; nay the very work, which "ought to have been the bafis of our ftrength, was in part demolished before our eyes, and we were ftoned "with the ruins of it." This event probably rendered the difunion of the miniftry vifible; fome principally endeavouring to fecure themselves, fome ftill labouring to establish at all events the party they had espoused, which faw nothing but "increase of mortification and nearer approaches to ruin," and it is not be wondered, that when this treatife was written, the dean's attempts to reconcile his friends were unfuccessful; for Bolingbroke declares, that he abhorred Oxford to fuch a degree, that he would rather have fuffered banishment or death, than have taken measures in concert with him to have avoided either. SOME SOME FREE THOUGHTS UPON THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS. W Written in the Year 1714. Hatever may be thought or practifed by profound politicians, they will hardly be able to convince the reasonable part of mankind, that the moft plain, fhort, eafy, fafe, and lawful way to any good end is not more eligible, than one directly contrary in fome or all of thefe qualities. I have been frequently affured by great minifters, that politicks were nothing but common fenfe; which as it was the only true thing they spoke, fo it was the only thing they could have wished I should not believe. God hath given the bulk of mankind a capacity to understand reason when it is fairly offered; and by reason they would eafily be governed, if it were left to their choice. Thofe princes in all ages, who were moft diftinguished for their myf terious skill in government, found by the event, that they had ill confulted their own quiet, or the eafe and happiness of their people; nor hath pofterity remembered them with honour: fuch as Lyfander and Philip among the Greeks, Tiberius in Rome, pope Alexander the fixth and his fon Cafar Borgia, queen Catha rine de Medicis, Philip the fecond of Spain, with many others. Nor are examples lefs frequent of ministers, famed for men of deep intrigue, whofe politicks have produced little more than murmurings, factions, and discontents, which ufually terminated in the difgrace and ruin of the authors. I can recollect but three occafions in a state, where the talents of fuch men may be thought neceffary; I mean in a state where the prince is obeyed and loved by his fubjects: first, in the negotiation of a peace : fecondly, in adjusting the interests of our own country with those of the nations round us, watching the feveral motions of our neighbours and allies, and preferving a due balance among them: lastly, in the management of parties and factions at home. In the first of these cafes I have often heard it obferved, that plain good fenfe and a firm adherence to the point have proved more effectual than all thofe arts, which I remember a great foreign minifter used in contempt to call the Spirit of negotiating. In the fecond cafe much wisdom and a thorough knowledge in affairs both foreign and domeftick are certainly required: after which I know no talents neceffary befides method and skill in the common forms of bufinefs. In the laft cafe, which is that of managing parties, there feems indeed to be more occafion for employing this gift of the lower politicks, whenever the tide runs high against the court and ministry, which feldom happens under any tolerable administration, while the true intereft of the nation is pursued. But, here in England (for I do not pretend to establish maxims of government in general) while the prince and miniftry, the clergy the majority of landed-men, and bulk of the people appear appear to have the fame views and the fame principles, it is not obvious to me, how thofe at the helm can have many opportunities of fhewing their skill in mystery and refinement, befides what themselves think fit to create. I have been affured by men long practifed in bu finefs, that the fecrets of court are much fewer than we generally fuppofe; and I hold it for the greatest fecret of court, that they are fo: because the first fprings of great events, like thofe of great rivers, are often fo mean and fo little, that in decency they ought to be hid: and therefore minifters are fo wife to leave their proceedings to be accounted for by reafoners at a diftance, who often mould. them into fyftems, that do not only go down very well in the coffee-house, but are fupplies for pamphlets in the prefent age, and may probably furnish materials for memoirs and hiftories in the next. It is true indeed, that even thofe who are very near the court, and are supposed to have a large share in the management of publick matters are apt to deduct wrong confequences by reasoning upon the causes and motives of those actions, wherein themselves are employed. A great minifter puts you a cafe, and asks your opinion, but conceals an effential circumstance, upon which the whole weight of the matter turns; then he defpifeth your understanding for counselling him no better, and concludes he ought to truft entirely to his own wisdom. Thus he grows to abound in secrets and referves even towards thofe, with whom he ought to act in the greatest confidence and concert; and thus the world is brought to judge, that whatever be the iffue and event, it was all forefeen, contrived, and |