she is susceptible of true friendship, and has many social and domestic virtues. The great attorney, who made you the sham offer of the Yorkshire living, had a long conference with the dragon on Thursday, kissed him at parting, and cursed him at night. He went to the country yesterday; from whence some conjecture nothing considerable will be done soon. Lord Harley and Lady Harriot went this morning to Oxford. He has finished all matters with Lord Pelham, § as far as can be done without an act of parliament. The composition was signed by the auditor, and Naylor, brother-in-law to Pelham. This day se'ennight Lord Harley is to have the whole Cavendish estate, which is valued at ten thousand per annum, and has upon it forty thousand pounds worth of timber. But three out of this ten throusand a-year he had by the will. He remits to. Lord Pelham the twenty thousand pounds charged for Lady Harriot's fortune on the Holles estate; and gives him some patches of land, that lie convenient to him, to the value of about twenty thousand pounds more. According to my computation, Lord Harley gets by the agreement (if the timber is worth forty thousand pounds) a hundred and forty thousand pounds; and when the jointures fall in to him, will have sixteen thousand pounds a-year. But the cant is, twenty-six thousand. Lord Pelham will really have twenty-six thousand pounds a-year from the Newcastle family, which, with his paternal estate, will be twice as much as Lord Harley's. The

*Perhaps Lord Chancellor Harcourt.-H.

+ Edward, son to the Lord-Treasurer Oxford.—B, Wife of Lord Harley.-B.

§ Afterwards Duke of Newcastle.-B.

estate of the latter is judged to be in the best condition; and some vain-glorious friends of ours say, it is worth more than the others; but let that pass, Adieu.

FROM LORD HARLEY.

July 17, 1714.

BROTHER SWIFT *,

YOUR sister has at last got rid of her lawyers. We are just setting out for Oxford, where we hope I am your affectionate bother,

to see you.

HARLEY.

FROM DR ARBUTHNOT,

DEAR BROTHER,

London, July 17, 1714.

I THOUGHT it necessary to speak to Lady Masham about that affair, because I believe it will be necessary to give her majesty the same notion of it, which the memorial does, and not that you are asking a little scandalous salary for a sinecure. Lewis despairs of it, and thinks it quite over since a certain

As one of the Club of Brothers, so often mentioned. + Lady Henrietta Harley, wife of Lord Harley...-H.

Swift's memorial to the queen, humbly desiring her majesty to appoint him historiographer.

affair. I will not think so. I gave your letter, with the enclosed memorial, cavalièrement, to Lord Bolingbroke. He read it, and seemed concerned at some part of it, expressing himself thus: "That it would be among the eternal scandals of the government to suffer a man of your character, that had so well deserved of them, to have the least uneasy thought about those matters." As to the fifty pounds, he was ready to pay it; and if he had had it about him, would have given it me. The dragon was all the while walking with the Duke of Shrewsbury. So my Lord Bolingbroke told me," I would immediately stir in this matter, but I know not how I stand with some folks," for the Duke of Shrewsbury has taken himself to the dragon in appearance. "I know how I stand with that man (pointing to the dragon), but as to the other I cannot tell; however, I will claim his promise:" and so he took the memorial.

Do not think I make you a bare compliment in what I am going to say; for I can assure you I am in earnest. I am in hopes to have two hundred pounds before I go out of town, and you may command all or any part of it you please, as long as you have occasion for it. I know what you will say; "To see a scoundrel pretend to offer to lend me money. Our situation at present is in short thus: they have rompu en visière with the dragon, and yet do not know how to do without him. My Lady Masham has in a manner bid him defiance, without any scheme, or likeness of it in any form or shape, as far as I can see. Notwithstanding he visits,

*Hopes had been entertained that the Duke of Shrewsbury might mediate between the contending ministers.

cringes, flatters, &c. which is beyond my comprehension.

66

I have a very comical account of Letcombe, and the Dean of St Patrick's, from Pope, with an episode of the burning-glass. I was going to make an epigram upon the imagination of your burning your own history with the burning-glass. I wish Pope or Parnell would put it into rhyme. The thought is this : Apollo speaks; “ that since he had inspired you to reveal those things which were hid, even from his own light, such as the feeble springs of some great events; and perceiving that a faction who could not bear their deeds to be brought to light, had condemned it to an ignominious flame; that it might not perish so, he was resolved to consume it with his own-a celestial one." ." And then you must conclude with some simile. Thus, &c. There are two or three that will fit it.

Whiston has at last published his project of the longitude; the most ridiculous thing that ever was thought on. But a pox on him! he has spoiled one of my papers of Scriblerus, which was a proposal for the longitude, not very unlike his, to this purpose: that since there was no pole for East and West, that all the princes of Europe should join and build two prodigious poles, upon high mountains, with a vast light-house to serve for a pole-star. I was thinking of a calculation of the time, charges, and dimensions. Now you must understand, his project is by light-houses, and explosion of bombs at a certain hour.

Lewis invited me to dinner to-day, and has disappointed me. I thought to have said something more about you. I have nothing more to add, but, my dear friend, adieu.

DR SWIFT'S MEMORIAL

TO

THE QUEEN.

APRIL 15, 1714.

THE change of ministry about four years ago, the fall of the Duke of Marlborough, and the proceedings since in relation to the peace and treaties, are all capable of being very maliciously represented to posterity, if they should fall under the pen of some writer of the opposite party, as they probably may.

Upon these reasons, it is necessary, for the honour of the queen, and in justice to her servants, that some able hand should be immediately employed to write the history of her majesty's reign; that the truth of things may be transmitted to future ages, and bear down the falsehood of malicious pens.

The Dean of St Patrick's is ready to undertake this work; humbly desiring her majesty will please to appoint him her historiographer, not from any view of the profit, (which is so inconsiderable that it will hardly serve to pay the expence of searching offices), but from an earnest desire to serve his queen and country; for which that employment will qualify him, by an opportunity of access to those places where papers and records are kept, which will be necessary to any who undertake such an history.