On the first of August 1714, ensued the downfall of the Tories and the degradation of Prior. He was recalled; but was not able to return, being detained by the debts which he had found it neceffary to contract, and which were not discharged before March, though his old friend Montague was now at the head of the treasury.

He returned then as foon as he could, and was welcomed on the 25th of March by a warrant, but was, however, fuffered to live in his own house, under the custody of the meffenger, till he was examined before à committee of the Privy Council, of which Mr. Walpole was chairman, and lord Coningfby, Mr. Stanhope, and Mr. Lechmere, were the principal interrogators; who, in this examination, of which there is printed an account not unentertaining, behaved with the boisteroufness of men elated by recent authority. They are reprefented as asking questions fometimes vague, fometimes infidious, and writing anfwers different from thofe which they received. Prior, however, feems to have been overpowered by their turbu lence; for he confeffes that he figned what, VOL. III.

C

if

if he had ever come before a legal judicature, he fhould have contradicted or explained away. The oath was adminiftered by Bofcawen, a Middlefex juftice, who at last was going to write his atteftation on the wrong fide of the paper.

They were very induftrious to find fome charge against Oxford, and afked Prior, with great earneftness, who was prefent when the preliminary articles were talked of or figned at his houfe. He told them, that either the earl of Oxford or the duke of Shrewsbury was abfent, but he could not remember which; an answer which perplexed them, because it supplied no accufation against "Could any thing be more abfurd," or more inhuman, than to propofe to me a queftion, by the answering of " which I might, according to them, prove myself a traitor? And notwithstand

either. fays he,

ing their folemn promife, that nothing "which I could fay fhould hurt myself, I "had no reafon to truft them: for they vio"lated that promise about five hours after. "However, I owned I was there present.

"Whether

"Whether this was wifely done or no, I friends to determine."

"leave to my

When he had figned the paper, he was told by Walpole, that the committee were not fatisfied with his behaviour, nor could give fuch an account of it to the Commons as might merit favour; and that they now thought a ftricter confinement neceffary than to his own house. "Here," fays he, "Boscawen played the moralift, and Coningsby the christian, but both very auk

wardly." The meffenger, in whofe cuftody he was to be placed, was then called, and very decently afked by Coningsby, if his boufe was fecured by bars and bolts? The meffenger answered, No, with aftonishment; at which Coningsby very angrily faid, Sir, you muft fecure this prifoner; it is for the fafety of the nation: if he escape, you fall anfwer for it.

They had already printed their report; and in this examination were endeavouring to find proofs.

He continued thus confined for fome time; and Mr. Walpole (June 10, 1715) moved for G 2/

na

an impeachment against him. What made him fo acrimonious does not appear: he was by nature no thirfter for blood. Prior was a week after committed to clofe cuftody, with orders that no perfon should be admitted to fee him without leave from the Speaker.

When, two years after, an Act of Grace was paffed, he was excepted, and continued ftill in cuftody, which he had made less tedious by writing his Alma. He was, however, foon after discharged..

He had now his liberty, but he had nothing else. Whatever the profit of his employments might have been, he had always fpent it; and at the age of fifty-three was, with all his abilities, in danger of penury, having yet no folid revenue but from the fellowship of his college, which, when in his exaltation he was cenfured for retaining it, he faid, he could live upon at last.

Being however generally known and efteemed, he was encouraged to add other poems to those which he had printed, and publifhed them by fubfcription. The expedient fucceeded

fucceeded by the induftry of many friends, who circulated the propofals*, and the care of fome, who, it is faid, withheld the money from him, left he should fquander it. The price of the volume was two guineas; the whole collection was four thoufand; to which lord Harley, the fon of the earl of Oxford, to whom he had invariably adhered, added an equal fum for the purchase of Down-hall, which Prior was to enjoy during life, and Harley after his decease.

He had now, what wits and philofophers have often wished, the power of paffing the day in contemplative tranquillity. But it feems that busy men feldom live long in a ftate of quiet. It is not unlikely that his health declined. He complains of deafnefs; for, fays he, I took little care of my ears while I was not fure if my head was my own,

Of any occurrences in his remaining life I have found no account. In a letter to Swift, "I have," fays he, " treated lady Har"riot at Cambridge. A Fellow of a College "treat! and fpoke verfes to her in a gown "and cap! What, the plenipotentiary, so far

* Swift obtained many fubfcriptions for him in Ireland.