what the d ailed him on Sunday; told him he obferved he was much out of temper; that he did not expect he would tell him the caufe, but would be glad to fee he was in better; and warned him never to behave to him with filent reserve, for that he would not be treated like schoolboy; and that he had felt too much of that in his life already. "I told him," fays he, "that I expected, that every great minifter who ho"noured me with his acquaintance, if he heard or faw any thing to my difadvantage, would let me know "it in plain words, and not put me in pain to guess "by the change or coldnefs of his countenance or be"haviour; for it was what I would hardly bear from a "crowned head, and I thought no fubject's favour was "worth it. I told him, that I defigned to let my "Lord Keeper and Mr Harley know the fame thing, "that they may ufe me accordingly."

THE Secretary received the reproof like a friend, as it was given, and apologized for his behaviour, by faying, that business had kept him up feveral whole nights, and drinking one more; and to make up matters he preffed the Doctor to stay to dinner; which, however, he declined, as well because he would not encourage a fecond offence by too eafily paffing over the firft, as becaufe he was engaged with another friend + [D. S. p. 326, 7. let. to S. April 3. 1711.]

IF

At the hours that Swift was not engaged in political affairs, he laughed, he played, he amufed himself, with every whim and vagary that floated on the furface of his imagination.

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"Secreta

ry St John" (faith he) "would needs have me dine with him to-day; and there I found three perfons I never faw; two I had "no acquaintance with, and one I did not care for fo I left "them early, and came home; it being no day to walk, but scur"vy rain and wind. The Secretary tells me he has put a cheat upon me; for Lord Peterborow fent him twelve dozen flasks of Burgundy, on condition that I fhould have my fhare; but he ne"ver was quiet till they were all gone: fo I reckon he owes me 361." [Let to S. Feb. 18. 1710.]. -But, in a few days after, Swift, in a pleafant manner, took ample fatisfaction of the Secretary. For "I dined to day" (faith he) "with Mr Secretary "St John, on condition I might chufe my company; which were, "Lord Rivers, Lord Carteret, Sir Thomas Manfell, and Mr

"Lewis.

IF in this representation of his behaviour, as it is in many particulars taken from his letters to Stella, he fhould be fufpected of having fomewhat exaggerated to gratify his vanity, he may be abundantly justified by a letter ftill extant, which he wrote to Lord Oxford after the connection between them was broken. "When "I was with you," fays he, " I have faid more than "once, that I would never allow quality or ftation "made any difference between men.-I loved you juft "fo much the worse for your station. In your public capacity you have often angered me to the heart, but as a private man never once.-I was too proud to be "vain of the honour you did me.-I was never afraid "of offending you, nor am now in any pain for the "manner I write to you in." [vol. 4. p. 199, 200, 1.]

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NEITHER was this conduct the effect of pride and selffufficiency, but of true dignity of mind; for he exacted nothing which, in his turn, he did not pay, nor asked more for himself than for others whofe pretenfions or circumftances were the fame.

WHEN he was defired by Lord Oxford to introduce Dr Parnel to his acquaintance, he refufed, upon this principle, that a man of genius was a character fuperior to that of a Lord in a high station. He therefore obliged his Lordship to walk with his treasurer's staff from room to room through his own levee, inquiring which was Dr Parnel, in order to introduce himself, and beg the honour of his acquaintance.

It was known by an accident, after his memory failed, that he allowed an annuity of fifty guineas to Mrs Dingley; but instead of doing this with the parade of

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"Lewis. I invited Masham, Hill, Sir John Stanley, and George "Granville; but they were engaged: and I did it in revenge of "his having fuch bad company when I dined with him before. "So we laughed," &c. [Feb. 25. 1710. This puts me in mind of an accident which happened at Windfor. "The court here" (faith the Doctor) "have got by the end a good thing I faid to the Secretary fome weeks ago. He fhewed me his bill of fare, to tempt me to dine with him. Poh, faid I, I value not your "bill of fare; give me your bill of company. Lord Treafurer "was mightily pleased, and told it every body as a notable thing." [Sept. 2. 1711.] D. S. p. 372, 3.

a benefactor, or gratifying his pride, by making her feel her dependence, he always pretended, that he acted only as her agent, and that the money he paid her, was the produce of a certain sum which she had in the funds : and the better to fave appearances, he always took her receipt; and fometimes would pretend, with great feeming vexation, that the drew upon him before he had received her money from London. [D. S. p. 346.].

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As to his political principles, if his own account of them is to be believed, he abhorred Whiggifm only in those who made it confift in damning the church, reviling the clergy, abetting the diffenters, and fpeaking contemptibly of revealed religion. He always declared himself against a Popish fucceffor to the crown, whatever title he might have by proximity of blood; nor did he regard the right line, upon any other account, than as it was established by law, and had much weight in the opinions of the people. He was of opinion, that when the grievances fuffered under a prefent government became greater than thofe which might probably be pected from changing it by violence, a revolution was juftifiable; and this he believed, to have been the cafe in that which was brought about by the Prince of Orange. He had a mortal antipathy against standing armies in times of peace; and was of opinion, that our liberty could never be placed upon a firm foundation, till the antient law should be revived, by which our parliaments were made annual. He abominated the political scheme of fetting up a moneyed intereft in oppofition to the landed; and was an enemy to temporary fufpenfions of the Habeas corpus act. If fome afperities that cannot be juftified have escaped his pen, in papers which were haftily written in the firft ardour of his zeal, and often after great provocation from thofe who wrote against him, furely they may, without the exertion of angelic benevolence, be forgiven. [vol. 4. p. 29. 30, 31.]

THAT he was not at any time a bigot to party, and that he did not indifcriminately transfer his refentments from principles to perfons, was fo evident by his conduct, that it was a ufual fubject of raillery towards him among the minifters, that he never came to them without a Whig in his fleeve. And though he does not appear to

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have asked any thing for himfelf, yet he often prefled Lord Oxford in favour of Mr Addifon, Mr Congreve, Mr Rowe, and Mr Steele; with whom, except Mr Steele, he frequently converfed during all Lord Oxford's miniftry; chufing his friends by their perfonal merit, without examining how far their notions agreed with the politics then in vogue; and, in particular, his friendship with Mr Addifon continued inviolable, and with as much kindness as when they used to meet at Lord Halifax's or Lord Sommers's, who were leaders of the oppofite party. [vol. 4. p. 26, 27.]

AMONG other perfons with whom he was intimately acquainted during this gay part of his life, was Mrs Vanhomrigh. She was a Lady of a good family, the daughter of Mr Stone the commiffioner, and niece to the accomptant general of Ireland. She was alfo a Lady of politeness and good breeding. [D. S. p, 258.]

SHE was the widow of Mr Bartholomew Vanhomrigh, first a merchant of Amsterdam, and afterwards of Dublin, who was appointed commiffary of the ftores by King William, upon his expedition into Ireland; a place which, during the war, was computed to be worth 6000 1. per annum. After the affairs of Ireland were fettled, he was appointed muftermafter-general, and a commiffioner of the revenue, and laid out about 12,000 1. in the purchase of forfeited eftates: but though he received the produce of this eftate, and enjoyed his appointments thirteen years; yet when he died, in 1703, his expences had been fo nearly equal to his revenue, that his whole fortune, the value of his estate included, amounted only to 16,000 1. This fum he directed by his will, to be divided equally between his wife and four children, of which two were fons and two were daughters. The fons died foon after their father, and their fhare of his fortune fell to the daughters. [D. S. p. 260, &c. O. let. 9.]

IN 1709, the widow and the two young Ladies came to England, where they were vifited by perfons of the firft quality; and Swift, lodging within a few doors of their house in Bury-ftreet, St James's, ufed to be much there, coming and going without ceremony, as if he had been one of the family. [D. S. p. 259] During

this familiarity, he became infenfibly a kind of preceptor to the young Ladies, particularly the eldeft, who was then about twenty years old, was much addicted to -reading, and a great admirer of poetry. In a person of this difpofition, it was natural for fuch a character as that of Swift to excite admiration, a paffion which by frequent converfe was foftened into complacency, and 'complacency was at length improved into love. Love itfelf perhaps was in this cafe complicated with vanity, which would have been highly gratified by an alliance with the firft wit of the age; and thus what neither could have effected alone, was done by the joint effort of both, and the ventured to make the Doctor a propofal of marriage. It is probable, that his connections with Mrs Johnfon at this time were fuch, that he could not with honour accept this propofal, whatever pleasure or advantage it might promife: however, it is certain, he declined it, though without affigning any other engagement as the reafon.

He appears first to have affected to believe her in jeft, then to have rallied her on fo whimfical a choice, and at laft to have put her off without an abfolute refufal; perhaps, partly, becaufe he was unwilling to give her pain, and partly, because he could not refufe her with a good grace, otherwife than by difcovering fome particulars which he was willing to conceal. While he was in this fituation, he wrote the poem called Cadenus and Vanela, vol. 6. p. 10.] the principal view of which feems to have been at once to compliment and to rally her; to apologize for his conduct, and foften a tacit denial, by leaving the event undetermined..

THIS poem appears to have been written about the year 1713. a fhort time before he left Vaneffa and the reft of his friends in England, and returned to the place of his exile, which he always mentioned with regret.

IN the year 1714 Mrs Vanhomrigh died; and, having lived at an expence much greater than her fortune would bear, the left fome debts unpaid.

HER two daughters, whofe fortunes the had alfo feffened, fhe appointed joint executrixes of her will; an office which, however troublefome, the fituation of their affairs obliged them to accept. It appears too, that they

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had