refentment on the other, have inflamed animofities to fuch a height, as to make all reconcilement impracticable. Suppofing this to be true, it may ferve for a great leffon of humiliation to mankind, to behold the habits and paffions of men, otherwife highly accomplished, triumphing over intereft, friendship, honour, and their own perfonal fafety, as well as that of their country; and probably of a moft gracious Princefs, who had entrufted it to them. A fhip's crew quarrelling in a storm, or while their enemies are within gunfhot, is but a faint idea of this fatal infatuation; of which, altho' it be hard to fay enough, fome people may think perhaps I have already faid too much."

From the above paffages, it is clear that Swift was determined not to fpare the incifion knife on this occafion. And from the whole drift of the pamphlet, it is highly probable, he had discovered that both Lord Oxford and Lord Bolingbroke, had long fince loft fight of the public intereft, which had at first cemented them, and had each no other object in view, but that of gratifying his ambition. It could not escape a man of his penetration, that they were in the condition of Pompey and Cæfar; whereof the one could not bear an equal, nor the other a fuperior. He refolved therefore to feparate himself from them both, and try what he could do apart for the public intereft. As he found private admonition ineffectual to perfuade, he determined to try whether public fhame, and the fear of the total defertion of their party, might not compel them to a difcharge of their duty. He pointed out the only means which could effectually put things once more on a proper footing; and as he well knew Lord Oxford's unwillingness to pursue thofe means, he was refolved to drive him to it, thro' the fear of his being deserted otherwife both by his party, and the Queen ; which is evidently

evidently the tendency of the laft paragraph in this piece. "To conclude: the only way of fecuring the Conftitution in Church and State, and confequently this very Proteftant Succeffion itself, will be the leffening the power of our domeftic adverfaries as much as can poffibly confift with the lenity of our Government; and if this be not speedily done, it will be eafy to point where the nation is to fix the blame: for, we are very well affured, that fince the account her Majefty received of the cabals, the triumphs, the infolent behaviour of the whole faction during her late illness at Windfor, fhe has been as willing to fee them deprived of all power to do mifchief as any of her most zealous and loyal subjects can defire."

There was no opportunity however of trying what effect this Piece would have had, as the death of the Queen, foon after it went to prefs, put a stop to the publication. This event alfo put an end to all Swift's noble defigns for the public benefit, and cut off at once all his own future profpects. This was a terrible blow to the whole party; but, tho' it was felt by no one more feverely than by Swift, he had too much fortitude to fink under it. There is an admirable picture given of him upon this occafion, by a few strokes of the masterly hand of an Arbuthnot *. "I have feen a letter from Dean Swift; he keeps up his noble fpirit, and tho' like a man knock'd down, you may behold him still with a ftern countenance, and aiming a blow at his adverfaries."

In a few weeks after this event, Swift returned to his Deanery in Ireland, where he continued many years without visiting England.

Before we accompany him into exile, for as fuch he always confidered it, let us take a review of his conduc

* Letter to Pope,

during the most distinguished æra of his life, when he had an opportunity of displaying all the great talents of his mind, and the excellent qualities of his heart, in a most confpicuous light. His engaging with the new Ministry was not either the effect of a fudden refolution, or of accident. He had long forefeen the change, and determined what part he should take, whenever it fhould be brought about; altho' he prudently concealed his thoughts, till the event happened. It was before mentioned, that Mr. Harley had very nearly fucceeded in fupplanting the Whig Miniftry in the year 1708, two years before he actually effected it. While this was in agitation, we find that Swift infinuates his own intentions to his friend the Archbishop of Dublin, in a letter dated November 9, 1708. "Altho' I care not to mingle public affairs with the intereft of fo private a person as myself, yet, upon fuch a revolution, not knowing how far my friends may endeavour to engage me in the fervice of a new Government, I would beg your Grace to have favourable thoughts of me on fuch an occafion; and to affure you, that no profpect of making my fortune, fhall ever prevail upon me to go against what becometh a man of confcience and truth, and an entire friend to the established Church."

However, as the defign failed at that time, Swift made no advances to the Tories, but kept himself at large, waiting for the event; which he forefaw would certainly be brought about in time. He had leifure mean while to lay down to himself the maxims by which his conduct should be regulated, whenever fuch a revo lution fhould take place.

As there was much obloquy thrown on the character of Swift, on account of his fuppofed defertion of the Whigs, and going over to the Tories, as foon as they got into power, it will be proper to examine what

founda

foundation the Whigs had for fuch a charge against

him.

Swift, in his Memoirs relative to the change in the Queen's Miniftry, gives the following account of hist first introduction to the Leaders of the Whig party. Speaking of his Pamphlet, entitled The Contests and Diffentions of the Nobles and Commons in Athens and Rome, &c. he fays: "This difcourfe I fent very privately to the prefs, with the strictest injunctions to conceal the author, and return'd immediately to my refidence in Ireland. The book was greedily bought and read; and charged, fometimes upon Lord Sommers, and fometimes upon the Bishop of Salisbury; the latter of whom told me afterwards, that he was forced to difown it in a very public manner, for fear of an impeachment, wherewith he was threatened.

"Returning next year for England, and hearing of the great approbation this piece had received, which was the first I ever printed, I must confefs the vanity of a young man prevailed with me, to let myself be known for the author: upon which my Lords Sommers and Hallifax, as well as the Bishop abovementioned, defired my acquaintance, with great marks of esteem, and profeffions of kindness: not to mention the Earl of Sunderland, who had been of my old acquaintance. They lamented that they were not able to serve me fince the death of the King, and were very liberal in promifing me the greateft preferments I could hope for, if ever it came in their power. I foon grew domestic with Lord Halifax, and was as often with Lord Sommers, as the formality of his nature (the only unconverfable fault he had) made it agreeable to me.

"It was then I began to trouble myfelf with the difference between the principles of Whig and Tory; having formerly employed myfelf in other, and I think,

much

much better fpeculations: I talked often with Lord Sommers upon this fubject; told him, that having been long converfant with the Greek and Roman Authors, and therefore a lover of liberty, I found myself much inclined to be what they called a Whig in politicks; and that befides, I thought it impoffible, upon any other principles, to defend the Revolution: but as to religion, I confefs myself to be a High Churchman, and that I did not conceive how any one, who wore the habit of a Clergyman, could be otherwife. That I had obferved very well with what infolence and haughtinefs fome Lords of the High-church party treated, not only their own Chaplains, but all other Clergymen whatsoever; and thought this fufficiently recompenfed, by their profeffions of zeal to the church. That I had. obferved the Whig Lords took a direct contrary mea-. fure; treated the perfons of particular Clergymen with great courtesy, but shewed much ill-will and contempt for the order in general. That I knew it was neceffary for their party to make their bottom as wide as they. could, by taking all denominations of Proteftants to be members of their body. That I would not enter into the mutual reproaches made by the violent men.on either fide; but that the connivance or encouragement given by the Whigs, to thofe writers of pamphlets who reflected on the whole body of the Clergy, without any exception, would unite the Church, as one man, to oppose them; and that I doubted his Lordship's friends did not confider the confequence of this. My Lord Sommers, in appearance, entered very warmly into the fame opinion, and faid very much of the endeavours he had often ufed, to redress the evil I complained of. This his Lordship, as well as my Lord Halifax, to whom I have talked in the fame manner, can very well remember, and I have indeed been told, by an ho

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nourable