friends began to hope that they might, by driving the Whigs from court and from power, gratify at once the queen and the people. There was now a call for writers, who might convey intelligence of paft abuses, and fhew the wafte of public money, the unreasonable Conduct of the Allies, the avarice of generals, the tyranny of minions, and the general danger of approaching ruin.

For this purpose a paper called the Examiner was periodically published, written, as it happened, by any wit of the party, and fometimes as is faid by Mrs. Manley. Some are owned by Swift; and one, in ridicule of Garth's verfes to Godolphin upon the lofs of his place, was written by Prior, and anfwered by Addison, who appears to have known the author either by conjecture or intelli, gence.

The Tories, who were now in power, were in hafte to end the war; and Prior, being recalled (1710) to his former employment of making treaties, was fent (July 1711) privately to Paris with propofitions of peace, He was remembered at the French court; and,

and, returning in about a month, brought with him M. Mefnager, a minifter from France, invested with full powers, and the Abbé Gaultier.

This tranfaction not being avowed, Mackay, the master of the Dover packet-boat, either zealously or officiously, feized Prior and his affociates at Canterbury. It is eafily fuppofed that they were foon released.

The negotiation was begun at Prior's house, where the Queen's minifters met Mefnager (September 20, 1711), and entered privately upon the great bufinefs. The importance of appears from the mention made of him by St. John in his Letter to the Queen.

Prior

"My Lord Treasurer moved, and all my "Lords were of the fame opinion, that Mr.

Prior fhould be added to thofe who are "impowered to fign; the reason for which "is, because he, having perfonally treated "with Monfieur de Torcy, is the best wit" nefs we can produce of the sense in which "the general preliminary engagements are "entered into: befides which, as he is the

" beft verfed in matters of trade of all your

Majefty's fervants who have been trusted "in this fecret, if you shall think fit to em→ "ploy him in the future treaty of commerce, "it will be of confequence that he has been a party concerned in concluding that con"vention, which must be the rule of this "treaty."

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The affembly of this important night was in fome degree clandeftine, the defign of treating not being yet openly declared, and, when the Whigs returned to power, was aggravated to a charge of high treafon; though, as Prior remarks in his imperfect answer to the Report of the Committee of Secrecy, no treaty ever was made without private interviews and preliminary difcuffions.

My business is not the hiftory of the peace, but the life of Prior. The conferences began at Utrecht on the firft of January (1711-12), and the English plenipotentiaries arrived on the fifteenth. The minifters of the dif ferent potentates conferred and conferred; but the peace advanced fo flowly, that speedier methods were found neceffary, and Boling

broke

broke was fent to Paris to adjust differences with lefs formality; Prior either accompanied him or followed him; and after his departure had the appointments and authority of an ambaffador, though no public character.

By some mistake of the Queen's orders, the court of France had been disgusted; and Bolingbroke fays in his Letter, "Dear Mat, hide the nakednefs of thy country, and give the beft turn thy fertile brain will fur"nifh thee with to the blunders of thy countrymen, who are not much better politi"cians than the French are poets."

Soon after the duke of Shrewsbury went on a formal embaffy to Paris. It is related by Boyer, that the intention was to have joined Prior in the fame commiffion, but that Shrewsbury refused to be affociated with a man fo meanly born. Prior therefore continued to act without a title till the duke returned next year to England, and then he affumed the style and dignity of embassador.

But, while he continued in appearance' a private man, he was treated with confidence

by Lewis, who sent him with a letter to the Queen, written in favour of the elector of Bavaria. "I fhall expect," fays he, " with "impatience, the return of Mr. Prior, whofe 22 And "conduct is very agreeable to me. while the Duke of Shrewsbury was still at Paris, Bolingbroke wrote to Prior thus: "Monfieur de Torcy has a confidence in make use of it, once for all, upon you; "this occafion, and convince him thoroughly, ." that we must give a different turn to our parliament and our people, according to "their refolution at this crifis."

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Prior's public dignity and splendour commenced in Auguft 1713, and continued till the Auguft following; but I am afraid that, according to the ufual fate of greatness, it was attended with fome perplexities and more tifications. He had not all that is customarily given to ambaffadors: he hints to the queen, in an imperfect poem, that he had no fervice of plate; and it appeared, by the debts which he contracted, that his remittances were not punctually made.

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