But with whatever view, or from whatever caufe the deanery of St. Patrick's was given him, he received it with lefs pleasure than he would have done a fettlement with much lefs power and profit in England.

D.S. 340. Letter, Swift to Oxford.

He immediately croffed the channel to take poffeffion of his new dignity, but did not stay in Ireland more than a fortnight, being urged by an hundred letters to haften back and reconcile lord Oxford and lord Bolingbroke, the confequences of whofe misunderstanding were juftly dreaded by their friends.

When he returned he found their quarrels and coldness increased, and having predicted their ruin from this very caufe, he laboured to bring about a reconciliation, as that upon which the whole interest of their party depended.

With this view he contrived to bring them to lord Mafham's at St. James's, and lord and lady Mafbam being acquainted with his purpose, left him alone with them, he then expoftulated with them both, but to little effect, being able only to engage them to go to Windfor the next day, ftill hoping, that, if he could keep them together, they would come to fome agreement, well knowing, that in abfence the mind perpetually revolves the recent offences of a friend, and heightens them by every poffible aggravation, but that, when the offended and offender meet, the dying sparks of esteem or kindness often brighten into a fame, the remembrance of past pleasure and confidence returns, and mutually inclines them to fecure, by an accommodation, that which they feel they cannot lose without regret.

Swift foon after followed them, but was told by lord Bolingbroke that his scheme had come to nothing; and he had the mortification to obferve that they grew more cold to each other every day. In the mean time lord Oxford's credit grew lefs and less, and the queen's health visibly declined.

Swift, however, contrived yet once more to meet them at lord Mafham's, and was again left alone with them; which was the last time they ever met, and he fpoke to them both with great freedom, but at length defpairing of his purpofe, he told them he would retire, for that all was gone; Bolingbroke whifpered him that he was right, but Oxford faid all would do well.

Swift ftill adhered to his opinion, and therefore went in a day or two to Oxford by the coach, and thence to the house of a friend in Berkshire, where he continued till the queen's death, which happened in about ten weeks.

While he was at this place, his mind was ftill bufy for his friends, and he wrote a difcourfe called Free Thoughts on the prefent State of Affairs, which he thought might be ufeful at that juncture, and fent it up to London, but, fome difference of opinion happening between him and lord Bolingbroke

Lett to Pope, 10 Jan. 1721.

concerning it, the publication was delayed till the queen's death, and then he recal led his copy, which was afterwards depo fited with the late alderman Barber, and having been fince publifhed, will be found. in Vol. III. p. 351.

A few weeks after the death of the queen, he went back to his ftation in Ireland, all his connexions with the court being broken, and all his expecta→ tions disappointed...

But it would be an injury to Swift not to stop à moment here, and, before we defcend with him into the vale of private life, look back, as from an eminence, upon the country we have paffed.

Few of thofe who have been permitted to affociate with perfons greatly fuperior in rank and fortune, who have climbed in the retinue of power, and been distinguished by reflected greatnefs, have been able to fuftain the native dignity of their own

character,

character, without ftooping as they afcended the hill, or being blinded by the light that made them confpicuous to others.

Let it therefore be recorded to the honour of Dr. Swift, and to animate others by his example and reward, that during his connexion with those who were in the higheit rank, and who in every rank would have been great, he would never fuffer himself to be treated but as an equal, and repulfed every attempt to hold him in dependance, or keep him at a distance, with the utmost refentment and indignation.

D. S.
324-5,

It happened upon fome occafion, that Harley fent him a bank bill of fifty pounds by his private secretary, Mr. Lewis, which Swift inftantly returned, with a letter of expoftulation and complaint; Harley invited him to dine, but he refused; he wrote to Mr. Lewis to mediate between them, defiring to be reconciled, but Swift fent word that he expected farther fatiffaction. Harley replied, if he would but come and fee him, he would make him easy; but Swift infifted that he fhould apologize by meffage, and declared, that, otherwife, he would caft bim off.

Letter to

s.

S.

It is poffible that this favour might have been rejected as not worth his acceptance; but it is certain, that, if it had been of greater value, it would not have attoned for any indecorum in the offer, or have induced Swift to fuffer an obligation from those whom he did not esteem, for he refused the place of hiftoriographer with difdain, because it was in the difpofal of a person whom he regarded with disgust and contempt.

He would not fuffer even negative incivilities from

If Swift refufed this place, he could not, as lord Orrery fupposes, be mistaken in believing it intended for him; and that he did refuse it, we have his own exprefs declaration in his letter to Pope, dated 10 Jan. 1721.

thofe

those who, if by their station they had not been his fuperiors, would have been his equals by learning and parts. It happened, that having one day dined with Mr. St. John, who was then fecretary of ftate, and remarked that he appeared to be much out of temper, he took the first opportunity to fee him alone, and warned him never to behave to him with filent reserve, for that he would not be treated like a fchool-boy. I expect, fays he, that if you hear or fee any thing to my difadvantage, you would let me know it in plain words, and not put D. S. 327. me in pain to guefs by the change or coldStella. ness of your countenance or behaviour, for it is what I would hardly bear from at crowned head, and I think no fubject's favour is worth it.

Letter to

The fecretary received the reproof like a friend, as it was given, and apologized for his behaviour by faying, that bufinefs 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 easily paffing over the firft, as because he was engaged with another friend.

If in this representation of his behaviour, as it is in many particulars taken from his letters to Stella, he should be fufpected of having fomewhat exaggerated to gratify his vanity, he may be abundantly juftified by a letter ftill extant which he wrote to lord Oxford after the connexion 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 to make any difference between men. I loved you just so much the worse for your station-in your publick capacity you have often angered me to the heart, but as a private man never. I was too proud to be vain of the honour

you

you did me.-I was never afraid of offending you, nor am I now in any pain for the manner I write to you in.

Neither was this conduct the effect of pride and felf-fufficiency, 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 doctor Parnel to his acquaintance, he refused upon this principle, that a man of genius was a character fuperior to that of a lord in a high ftation: He therefore obliged his lordship to walk with his treasurer's ftaff from room to room through his own levy, enquiring which was doctor 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 a benefactor, or gratifying his pride by making her feel her dependance, he always pretended that he acted only as her agent, and that the money he paid her, was the produce of a certain fum which fhe 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.

As to his political principles, if his own account of them is to be believed, he abhorred whiggism 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 up. on any other account, than as it was established by

law,