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 Addifon, who appears to have known the author either by conjecture or intelligence.

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 return

ing 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, Macky, the mafter of the Dover packetboat, 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 buf nefs. The importance of Prior appears from the mention made of him by St. John in his Letter to the Queen.

"My Lord Treasurer moved, and all << my Lords were of the fame opinion, "that Mr. Prior fhould be added to "those who are impowered to fign; the " reason for which is, because he, having.

perfonally treated with Monfieur de "Torcy, is the best witness we can pro❝ ́duce of the fenfe 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 "trufted in this secret, if you shall think "fit to employ him in the future treaty "of commerce, it will be of confe66 quence that he has been a party con"cerned in concluding that conven"tion, which must be the rule of this "treaty."

The

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 history of the peace, but the life of Prior. The conferences began at Utrecht on the first of January (1711-12), and the English plenipotentiaries arrived on the fifteenth. The minifters of the different potentates conferred and conferred; but the peace advanced fo flowly, that speedier meB 2 thods

thus: "Monfieur de Torcy has a con"fidence in you; make ufe of it, once "for all, upon this occafion, and con"vince him thoroughly, that we muft

give a different turn to our parliament

" and our people, according to their re"folution at this crifis."

Prior's publick dignity and fplendour commenced in Auguft 1713, and continued till the Auguft following; but I am afraid that, according to the ufual fate of greatnefs, it was attended with fome perplexities and mortifications. He had not all that is cuftomarily 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