Yet, furely, whoever furveys this wonderworking pamphlet with cool perufal, will confess that its efficacy was fupplied by the paffions of its readers; that it operates by the mere weight of facts, with very little affiftance from the hand that produced them.

This year (1712) he published his Reflections on the Barrier Treaty, which carries on the defign of his Conduct of the Allies, and fhews how little regard in that negotiation had been fhewn to the intereft of England, and how much of the conquered country had been demanded by the Dutch.

This was followed by Remarks on the Bifhop of Sarum's Introduction to his third Volume of the Hiftory of the Reformation; a pamphlet which Burnet published as an alarm, to warn the nation of the approach of Popery. Swift, who feems to have disliked the Bishop with fomething more than political averfion, treats him like one whom he is glad of an opportu nity to infult.

Swift, being now the declared favourite and fuppofed confidant of the Tory Ministry,

was

was treated by all that depended on the Court with the refpect which dependents know how

to pay. He foon began to feel part of the mifery of greatnefs; he that could fay he knew him, considered himself as having fortune in his power. Commiffions, folicitations, remonftrances, crowded about him. ; he was expected to do every man's business, to procure employment for one, and to retain it for another. In affifting those who addreffed him, he represents himself as sufficiently diligent; and defires to have others. believe, what he probably believed himself, that by his interpofition many Whigs of merit, and among them Addison and Congreve, were continued in their places. But every man of known influence has fo many petitions which he cannot grant, that he must neceffarily offend more than he gratifies, as the preference given to one affords all the reft a reason for complaint. When I give away a place, faid Lewis XIV. I make an hundred difcontented, and one ungrateful.

Much has been faid of the equality and independence which he preferved in his conversation with the Minifters, of the frankness Dd 2

of

of his remonftrances, and the familiarity of his friendship. In accounts of this kind a few single incidents are set against the general tenour of behaviour. No man, however, can pay a more fervile tribute to the Great, than by fuffering his liberty in their prefence to aggrandize him in his own efteem. Between different ranks of the community there is neceffarily fome diftance: he who is called by his fuperior to pass the interval, may very properly accept the invitation; but petulance and obtrufion are rarely produced by magnanimity; nor have often any nobler cause than the pride of importance, and the malice of inferiority. He who knows himself neceffary may fet, while that neceffity lafts, a high value upon himself; as, in a lower condition, a fervant eminently fkilful may be faucy; but he is faucy only because he is fervile. Swift appears to have preferved the kindness of thofe that wanted him no longer; and therefore it must be allowed, that the childish freedom, to which he seems enough inclined, was overpowered by his better qualities.

His difintereftedness has been likewife mentioned; a ftrain of heroifm, which would

have been in his condition romantick and fuperfluous. Ecclefiaftical benefices, when they become vacant, must be given away; and the friends of Power may, if there be no inherent difqualification, reasonably expect them. Swift accepted (1713) the deanery of St. Patrick, the best preferment that his friends could venture to give him. That Ministry was in a great degree supported by the Clergy, who were not yet reconciled to the author of the Tale of a Tub, and would not without much discontent and indignation have borne to see him inftalled in an English Cathedral,

He refused, indeed, fifty pounds from Lord Oxford; but he accepted afterwards a draught of a thousand upon the Exchequer, which was intercepted by the Queen's death, and which he refigned, as he says himself, multa gemens, with many a groan.

In the midst of his power and his politicks, he kept a journal of his vifits, his walks, his interviews with Minifters, and quarrels with his fervant, and tranfmitted it to Mrs. Johnfon and Mrs. Dingley, to whom he knew Dd 3

that

C

7

that whatever befel him was interefting, and to whom no accounts could be too minute. Whether these diurnal trifles were properly expofed to eyes which had never received any pleasure from the prefence of the Dean, may be reasonably doubted they have, however, fome odd attraction; the reader, finding frequent mention of names which he has been used to confider as important, goes on in hope of information; and, as there is nothing to fatigue attention, if he is disappointed he can hardly complain. It is eafy to perceive, from every page, that though ambition preffed Swift into a life of bustle, the wish was always returning for a life of eafe.

He went to take poffeffion of his deanery, as foon as he had obtained it; but he was not fuffered to stay in Ireland more than a fortnight before he was recalled to England, that he might reconcile Lord Oxford and Lord Bolingbroke, who began to look on one another with malevolence, which every day increased, and which Bolingbroke appeared to retain in his laft years.