Works : with copious notes and additions and a memoir of the author

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Contents

VOLUME THIRD.

JOURNAL TO STELLA Pago 7

MEMOIRS RELATING TO THAT CHANGE WHICH HAPPENED IN QUEEN ANNE'S MINISTRY IN THE YEAR 1710 896

LETTER THE FIRST.* Chester, SepL 2, 1710

Joe' will give you an account of me till I got into the boat, after wluch the rogues made a new bargain, and forced me to give them two crowns, and talked as if we should not be able to overtake any ship ; but in half an hour we got to the yacht; for the ships lay by to wait for my lord-lieutenant's steward. We made our voyage in fifteen hours just. Last night I came to this town, and shall leave it, I believe, on Monday : the first man I met in Chester was Dr. Raymond.' He and Mrs. Raymond were here about levying a fine, in order to have power to sell their estate. I got a fall off my horse, riding here from Parkgate, but no hurt ; the horse understanding falls very well, and lying quietly till I got up. My duty to the bishop of Clogher.* I saw him returning from Dunlary ; but he saw not me. I take it ill he was not at convocation, and that I have not his name to my powers. I beg you will hold your resolution of going to Trim, and riding there as much as you can. Let the bishop of Clogher remind the bishop of Killala to send me a letter, with one enclosed to the bishop of Litchfield.* Let all who write to me

* These letters to Stella, ot Mrs. Johnson, were all written in a series from the time of Dr. Swift's landing at Chester, in September, 1710, until his return to Ireland in June, 1713, upon being made dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin. The letters were all very carefully preserved by Stella; and at her death, if not before, taken back by Dr. Swift ; for what end we know not, unless it were to compare the current news of the times with that history of the queen which he writ at Windsor in the year 1713 : they were sometimes addressed to Mrs. Johnson, and sometimes to Mrs. Dingley, who was a relation of the Temple family, and friend to Mrs. Johnson. Both these ladies went over to Ireland upon Swift's invitation in the year 1701, and lodged constantly together. — D. S.

• Mr. Joseph Beaumont, merchant, of Trim, had the honor to be among Swift's friends. He invented a set of tables for the improvement of the linen trade, and received from government a reward, a circumstance frequently alluded to in the course of these letters. Intense application to investigate the longitude at length deranged his faculties, and he committed suicide in a fit of lunacy.

• Vicar of Trim, Swift's particular friend.

* Dr. St. George Ashe, afterwards bishop of Derry. Dig'tiPed'bf v^^??^*^ r. John Hough enclose to Richard Steele, esq., at his office at the Cockpit, near Whitehall.^ My lord Mountjoy is now in the humor that we should begin our journey this afternoon, so that I have stolen here again to .finish this, letter, which must be short or long accordingly. I write tlis.^ost jto.MrsLWestey,' and will tell her that I have taken care , she may iave . her bill 'of. one hundred and fifty pounds whenever 'slvB: pleased IQ i$nJ.1fot i^ ; and in that case I desire you will send it to her enclosed and sealed. God Almighty bless you ; and for God's sake be merry, and get your health. I am perfectly resolved to return as soon as I have done my commission, whether it succeeds ' or not. I never went to England with so little desire in my life. If Mrs. Curry makes any difficulty about the lodgings I will quit them, and pay her from July 9 ; and Mrs. Brent must write to Parvisol with orders accordingly. The post is just come from London, and just going out, so I have only time to pray to God to bless poor little MD, MD, MD, MD, MD, MD, MD, MD.

LETTER THE SECOND. London, Saturday, Sept. 9, 1710

I GOT here last Thursday, after five days' travelling, weary the first, almost dead the second, tolerable the third, and well enough the rest; and am now glad of the fatigue, which has served for exercise; and I am at present well enough. The Whigs were ravished to see me, and would lay hold on me as a twig while they are drowning, and the great men making me their clumsy apologies, &c.' But my lord treasurer* received me with a great deal of coldness, which has enraged me so, I am almost vowing revenge. I have not yet gone half my circle ; but I find all my acquaintance just as I left them. I hear my lady Giffard is much at court, and lady Wharton was ridiculing it the other day, so I have lost a friend there. I have not yet seen her, nor intend it ; but I will contrive to see Stella's mother* some other way. I writ to the bishop of Clogher from Chester; and I now write to the archbishop of Dublin.

' At this time gazetteer, and commissioner of the stamp-office.

" Lady of Garret Wesley, esq., a daughter of sir Dudley CoUey.

" For having disappointed his preferment, through the remonstrance of Sharpe, archbishop of York.

* The earl of Godolphin.

■ Lady Oiffard, the beloved sister of sir William Temple, is said to have had a large portion of his genius. ^ t

Everything is turning upside down ; every Whig in great office will, to a man, be infalHbly put out ; and we shall have such a winter as has not been seen in England. Everybody asks me how I came to be so long in Ireland, as naturally as if here were my being ; but no soul offers to make it so ; and I protest I shall return to Dublin, aud the canal at Laracor, with more satisfaction than I ever did in my life. The Tatler expects every day to be turned out of his employment ; and the duke of Ormondj they say, will be lieutenant of Ireland. I hope you are now peaceably in Presto's^ lodgings; but I resolve to turn you out by Christmas, in which time I shall either do my business, or find it not to be done. Pray be at Trim by the time this letter comes to you, and ride little Johnson, wha must needs be now in good case. I have begun this letter unusually on the post night, and have already written to the archbishop, and cannot lengthen this. Henceforth I will write something every day to MD, and make it a sort of journal ; and when it is full I will send it whether MD writes or not; and so that will be pretty ; and I shall always be in conversation with MD, and MD with Presto. Pray make Parvisol^ pay you the ten pounds immediately; so lT)rdered him. They tell me I am growing fatter, and look better ; and, on Monday, Jervis is to retouch my picture. I thought I saw Jack Temple' and his wife pass by me to-day in their coach, but I took no notice of them. I am glad I have wholly shaken off that family.* Tell the provost I have obeyed his commands to the duke of Ormond; or let it alone, if you please. I saw Jemmy Leigh ^ just now at the coffee-house, who asked after you with great kindn<ess; he talks of going in a fortnight to Ireland. My service to the dean," and Mrs. Walls, and her archdeacon. Will Frankland's wife is near bringing to bed, and I have promised to christen the child. I fancy you had my Chester letter the Tuesday after I writ. I presented Dr. Raymond to Lord Wharton at Chester. Pray let me know when

• In these letters, Pdfr stands for Dr. Swift; Ppt for Stella; D for Dingley ; DD generally for Dingley, but sometimes for both Stella and Dingley; and MD generally stands for both these ladies ; yet sometimes only for Stella. But, to avoid perplexing the reader, it was thought more advisable to use the word Presto for Swift, which is borrowed from the Duchess of Shrewsbury, who whimsically called him Dr. Presto, which is the Italian for Swift.

• The doctor's agent at Laracor, a Frenchman. ' Nephew to sir William.

• This coldness between the Temple family and Dr. Swift has been variously accounted for, but never satisfactorily cleared up.

• An Irish gentleman of fortune.

• Dr. Sterne, dean of St Patrick's, Dublin.

Joe gets his money .^ It is near ten, and I hate to send by the bellman. MD shall have a longer letter in a week, but I send this only to tell I am safe in London ; and so farewell, &c.

LETTER THE THIRD. London, Sept 9, 1710

After seeing the duke of Onnond, dining with Dr. Cockbum, passing some part of the afternoon with sir Matthew Dudley and Will Frankland, the rest at James's coffee-house, I came home and writ to the archbishop of Dublin and MD, and am going to bed. I forgot to tell you that I begged Will Frankland to stand Mauley's' friend with his father in this shaking season for places. He told me his father' was in danger to be out; that several were now soliciting for Mauley's place ; that he was accused of opening letters ; that sir Thomas Frankland would sacrifice everything to save himself, and in that I fear Manley is undone, &c.

10. To-day I dined with lord Mountjoy at Kensington; saw my mistress, Ophy Butler's wife, who is grown a little charmless. I sat till ten in the evening with Addison and Steele : Steele will certainly lose his gazetteer's place, all the world detesting his engaging in parties. At ten I went to the coffee-house, hoping to find lord Radnor, whom I had not seen. He was there ; for an hour and a half we talked treason heartily against the Whigs, their baseness and ingratitude. And I am come home rolling resentments in my mind, and framing schemes of revenge: full of which (having written down some hints) I go to bed. I am afraid MD dined at home, because it is Sunday ; and there was the little half-pint of wine; for Grod's sake be good girls, and all will be well. Ben Tooke * was with me this morning.

11. Seven morning. I am rising to go to Jervis, to finish my picture, and it is shaving day, so good morrow, MD ; but do not keep me now, for I cannot stay ; and pray dine with the dean, but do iiqt Josp your money. I long to hear from you, &c. — Ten at night. I sat four hours this morning to Jervis, who has given my picture quite another turn, and now approves it entirely : but we

' Thp governmeDt premium for his mathematical sleaing tables.

* Isaap Manley, esq., postmaster-general for Ireland.

■ Sir Thomas Frankland, postmaster-general for England.

? Yfho printed the Tai,e op a Tub and other works for the doctor.

must have the approbation of the town. If I were rich enongh I would get a copy of it, and bring it over. Mr. Addison and I dined together at his lodgings, and. I sat with him part of this evening ; and I am now come home to write an hour. Patrick observes that the rabble here are much more inquisitive in politics than in Ireland. Every day we expect changes, and the parliament to be dissolved. Lord Wharton^ expects every day to be out: he is working like a horse for elections ; and, in short, I never saw so great a ferment among all sorts of people. I had a miserable letter from Joe last Saturday, telling me Mr. Pratt* refuses payment of his money. I have told it Mr. Addison, and will to lord Wharton ; but I fear with no success. However, I will do all I can.

12. To-day I presented Mr. Ford to the duke of Ormond; and paid my first visit to lord-president;' with whom I had much discourse ', but put him always off when he began of lord Wharton in relation to me, till he urged it : then I said he knew I never expected anything from lord Wharton, and that lord Wharton knew that I understopd it so. He said that he had written twice to lord Wharton about me, who both times said nothing at all to that part of his letter. I am advised not to meddle in the affair of the first-fruits till this hurry is a little over, which still depends, and we are all in the dark. Lord-president told me he expects every day to be out, and has done so these two months. I protest, upon my life, I am heartily weary of this town, and wish I had never gtirred.

13. I went this morning to the city to see Mr. Stratford, the Hamburgh merchant, my old schoolfellow ; but calling at Bull's on Ludgate-hill, he forced me to his house at Hampstead to dinner, among a great deal of ill company ; among the rest Mr. Hoadly,* the Whig clergyman, so famous for acting the contrary part to Sacheverell : but to-morrow I design again to see Stratford. I was glad however to be at Hampstead, where I saw lady Lucy and Moll Stanhope. I hear very unfortunate news of Mrs. Long ; she and hei^ comrade have broke up house, and she is broke for good and all, and is gone to the country ; I should be extremely sorry if this be true.

14. To-day I saw Patty Rolt, who heard I was m town ; and I dined with Stratford at a merchant's in the city, where I drank the first tokay wine I ever saw ; and it is admirable, yet not to a degree

* Afterwards marquis, lord- lieutenant of Ireland.

* Vice- treasurer of Ireland. ' The celebrated lord Soiners.

* Benjamin Hoadly, afterwards bishop of Winchester.

I expected. Stratford is worth a plumb^ and is now lending the government forty thousand pounds } yet we were educated together at the same school and university. We hear the chancellor is to be suddenly out, and sir Simon Harcourt to succeed him. I am come early home, not caring for the coffee-house.

15. To-day Mr. Addison, Colonel Ereind, and I, went to see the million lottery drawn at Guildhall. The jackanapes of blue-coat boys gave themselves such airs in pulling out the tickets, and showed white hands open to the company, to let us see there was no cheat. We dined at a country-house near Chelsea, where Mr. Addison often retires; and to-night at the coffee-house; we hear sir Simon Harcourt is made lord keeper ; so that now we expect every moment the parliament will be dissolved ; but I forgot that this letter will not go in three or four days, and that my news will be stale, which I should therefore put in the last paragraph. Shall I send this letter before I hear from MD, or shall I keep it to lengthen ? I have not yet seen Stella's mother, because I will not see lady Griffard ; but I will contrive to get there when lady Giffard is abroad. I forgot to mark my two former letters ; but I remember this is number 3, and I have not yet had number 1 from MD; but I shall by Monday, which I reckon will be just a fortnight after you had my first. I am resolved to bring over a great deal of china. I loved it mightily to-day. What shall I bring ?

16. Morning. — Sir John Holland, comptroller of the household, has sent to desire my acquaintance ; I have a mind to re^se him, because he is a Whig, and will, I suppose, be out among the rest ; but he is a man of worth and learning. Tell me, do you like this journal way of writing ? Is it not tedious and dull ?

Night. I dined to-day with a cousin, a printer, where Patty Rolt lodges, and then came home, after a visit or two ; and it has been a very insipid day. Mrs. Long's^ misfortune is confirmed to me; bailiffs were in her house ; she retired to private lodgings ; thence to the country, nobody knows where : her friends leave letters* at some inn, and they are carried to her ; and she writes answers, without dating them from any place. I swear it grieves me to the soul.

17. To-day I dined six miles out of town, with Will Pate, the learned woollen-draper.' Mr. Stratford went with me : six miles

^ A celebrated beanty and toast of the Kit-cat Club, who retired in her misfortune to Lynn, Norfolk, under an assumed name.

^ Will Palo was a tradesman of such a turn for letters as to be called the learned woollen -draper.

C / ■ •• • JOURNAL TO STELLA. 13

here is nothing : we left Pate after sunset, and were here before it was dark. This letter shall go on Thursday, whether I hear from MD or no. My health continues pretty well ; pray God Stella may give me a good account of hers : and I hope you are now at Trim, or soon designing it. I was disappointed to-night ; the fellow gave me a letter, and I hoped to see little MD's hand ; and it was only to invite me to a venison pasty to-day : so I lost my pasty into the bargain. Pox on these declining courtiers. Here is Mr. Brydges, the paymaster-general, desiring my acquaintance; but I hear the queen sent lord Shrewsbury to assure him he may keep his place ; and he promises me great assistance in the affair of the first-fruits. Well, I must turn over this leaf to-night, though the side would hold another line ; but pray consider this is a whole sheet : it holds a plaguy deal, and you must be content to be weary ; but I will do so no more. Sir Simon Harcourt is made attorney-general, and not lord-keeper.

18. To-day I dined with Mr. Stratford at Mr. Addison's retirement near Chelsea ) then came to town ; got home early, and began a letter to the Tatler, about the corruptions of style and writing, &c. ; and having not heard from you, am resolved this letter shall go to-night. Lord Wharton was sent for to town in mighty haste by the duke of Devonshire ; they have some project in hand ; but it will not do, for every hour we expect a thorough revolution, and that the parliament will be dissolved. When you see Joe, tell him lord Wharton is too busy to mind any of his affairs ; but I will get what good offices I can from Mr. Addison, and will write to-day to Mr. Pratt; and bid Joe not to be discouraged, for I am confident he will get the money under any government ; but he must have patience.

19. I have been scribbling this morning, and I believe shall hardly fill this side to-day, but send it as it is ; and it is good enough for naughty girls that will not write to a body, and to a good boy like Presto. I thought to have sent this to-night, but was kept by company, and could not ; and, to say the truth, I had a little mind to expect one post more for a letter from MD. Yesterday at noon died the earl of Anglesea, the great support of the Tories ; so that employment of vice-treasurer of Ireland is again vacant. We were to have been great friends, and I could hardly have a loss that could grieve me more. The bishop of St. David's (Dr. George Bull) died the same day. The duke of Ormond's daughter was to visit me to-day at a third place by way of advance, and I am to return it to-morrow. I have had a letter from lady Berkeley, begging me for charity to come to Berkeley Castle, for company to my lord, who has been ill of a- dropsy ; but I cannot go, and must send my excuse to-morrow. I am told that in a few hours there will be more removals.

20. To-day I returned my visits to the duke's daughters; the insolent drabs came up to my very mouth to salute me ; then I heard the report confirmed of removals ; my lord president Somers ; the duke of Devonshire, lord steward ; and Mr. Boyle, secretary of state, are ail turned out to-day. I never remember such bpld steps taken by a court : I am almost shocked at it, though I did not care if they were all hanged. We are astonished why the parliament is not yet dissolved, and why they keep a matter of that importance to the last. We shall have a strange winter here between the struggles of a cunning provoked discarded party, and the triumphs of one in power ; of both which I shall be an indifferent spectator, and return very peaceably to Ireland, when I have done my part in the affair I am entrusted with, whether it succeeds or not. To-morrow I change my lodgings in Pall-mall for one in Bury-street, where I suppose I shall continue while I stay in London. If anything happens to-morrow, I will add it.

Rohin*s CoffeehoiLse, — We have great news just now from Spain ; Madrid taken and Pampeluna. I am here ever interrupted.

21. I have just received your letter, which I will not answer now ; God be thanked all things are so well. I find you have not yet had my second : I had a letter from Parvisol, who tells me he gave Mrs. Walls a bill of twenty pounds for me, to be given to you; but you have not sent it. This night the parliament is dissolved : great news from Spain ; king Charles and Stanhope are at Madrid, and count Staremberg has taken Pampeluna. Farewell. This is from St. James's Coffeehouse. I will begin my answer to your letter to-night, but not send it this week. Pray, tell me whether you like this journal way of writing. I do not like your reasons for not going to Trim. Parvisol tells me he can sell your horse. Sell it with a pox ? Pray let him know that he shall sell his soul as soon. What ? sell anything that Stella loves, and may sometimes ride ? It is hers, and let her do as she pleases : pray let him know this by the first that you know goes to Trim. Let him sell my gray and be hanged.

LETTER THE FOURTH. London, Sept. 21, 1710

Here must I begin another letter, on a whole sheet, for fear saucy little MD should be angry, and think much that the paper is too little. I had your letter this night, as I told you just and no more in my last ; for this must be taken up in answering yours, saace-box. I believe I told you where I dined to-day ; and to-morrow I go out of town for two days to dine with the same company on Sunday; Molesworth the Florence envoy,^ Stratford,* and some others. I heard to-day that a gentlewoman from lady Giffard's house had been xit the coflPeehouse to inquire for me. It was Stella's mother, I suppose. I shall send her a penny-post letter to-morrow, and contrive to see her without hazarding seeing lady Giffard, which I will not do until she begs my pardon.

22. I dined to-day at Hampstead with lady Lucy, &c., and when I got home found a letter from Joe, with one enclosed to lord ' Wharton, which I will send to his excellency, and second it as well as I can ; but to talk of getting the queen's orders is a jest. Things are in such a combustion here, that I am advised not to meddle yet in the affair I am upon, which concerns the clergy of a whole kingdom [the first fruits] ; and does he think anybody will trouble the queen about Joe ? We shall, I hope, get a recommendation from the lord-lieutenant to the trustees for the linen business, and I hope that will do ; and so I will write to him in a few days, and he must have patience. This is an answer to part of your letter as well as his. I lied, it is to-morrow I go to the country ; and I will not answer a bit more of your letter yet.

23. Here is such a stir and bustle with this little MD of ours ; I must be writing every night ; I cannot go to bed without a word to them ; I cannot put out my candle till I have bid them good night ;

0 Lord, 0 Lord ! Well, I dined the first time to-day with Will Frankland and his fortune ; she is not very handsome. Did I not say I would go out of town to-day ? I hate lying abroad and clutter;

1 go to-morrow in Frankland's chariot, and come back at night. Lady Berkeley has invited me to Berkeley Castle, and lady Betty Germain to Drayton in Northamptonshire, and I will go to neither. Let me alone, I must finish my pamphlet. I have sent a long letter

* John Molesworth, envoy extraordinary to the king of Sardinia, and afterwards to the states of Venice and Switzerland.

* A merchant in the city often mentioned.

to Bickerstaff": let the bishop of Clogher smoke it if he can. Well, I will write to the bishop of Killala : but you might have told him how sudden and unexpected my journey was though. Deuce take

lady S ; and if I know D— — ^y, he is a rawboned faced fellow,

not handsome, nor visibly so young as you say : she sacrifices two thousand pounds a year, and keeps only six hundred. Well, yon have had all my land journey in my second letter, and so much for that. So you have got into Presto's lodgings; very fine, truly! We have had a fortnight of the most glorious weather on earth, and still continues : I hope you have made the best of it. Ballygall will be a pure good place for air, if Mrs. Ashe makes good her promise. Stella writes like an emperor ; I am aj&aid it hurts your eyes 5 take care of that, pray, pray, Mrs. Stella. Cannot you do what you will with your own horse ? Pray do not let that puppy Parvisol sell him. Patrick is drunk about three times a week, and I bear it, and he has got the better of me ; but one of these days I will positively turn him off" to the wide world, when none of you are by to intercede for him. — Stuff — ^how can I get her husband into the Charter-house ? — Get a into the Charter-house.^ — Write constantly !

Why, sirrah, do not I write every day, and sometimes twice a day, to MD ? Now I have answered all your letter, and the rest must be as it can be; send me my bill. Tell Mrs. Brent* what I say of the Charter-house. I think this enough for one night ; and so farewell till this time to-morrow.

24. To-day I dined six miles out of town, at Will Pate's, with Stratford, Erankland, and the Molesworths, and came home at night, and was weary and lazy. I can say no more now, but good nighfr.

25. I was so lazy to-day that I dined at next door,' and have sat at home since six, writing to the bishop of Clogher, dean Sterne, and Mr. Manley: the last, because I am in fear for him about his place, and have sent him my opinion, what I and his other friends here think he ought to do. I hope he will take it well. My advice was, to keep as much in favor as possible with sir Thomas Frankland, his master here.

26. Smoke how I widen the margin by lying in bed when I write. My bed lies on the wrong side for me, so that I am forced often to write when I am up. Manley, you must know, has had people putting in for his place already ; and has been complained of for opening letters. Remember that last Sunday, September 24, 1710,