so great a discouragement to generous persons as the fear of being worried by acknowledgments. Besides, your ladyship is an unsufferable kind of giver, making every present fifty times the value, by the circumstances and manner. And I know people in the world, who would not oblige me so much, at the cost of a thousand pounds, as you have done at that of twenty pounds; which, I must needs tell you, is an unconscionable way of dealing, and whereof, I believe nobody alive is so guilty as yourself. In short, you deceive my eyes, and corrupt my judgment: nor am I now sure of any thing, but that of being, &c.

JON. SWIFT.

FROM THE COUNTESS OF ORKNEY.

Nov. 22, 1712.

You are extremely obliging to write how well you take my whim, in telling my true thoughts of your mind: for I was ashamed when I reflected, and hoped I should see you soon after expressing the value I have of you in an uncommon way. But this I writ with assurance that I am, very sincerely, Sir,

Your obliged humble servant,

E. ORKNEY.

FROM MR HARRISON.*

Utrecht, Dec. 16, 1712.

YOUR thanks of the 25th of November, Sir, come before their time; the condition of the obligation being, that you should receive twelve shirts, which number shall be completed by the first proper occasion. Your kind letter, however, is extremely seasonable; and (next to a note from the treasury) has proved the most vivifying cordial in the world. If you please to send me now and then as much of the same as will lie upon the top of your pen, I should be contented to take sheets for shirts to the end of the chapter.

Since you are so good as to enter into my affairs, I shall trouble you with a detail of them, as well as of my conduct since I left England; which, in my opinion, you have a right to inspect, and approve or condemn as you think fit. During my state of probation with the Earl of Strafford, it was my endeavour to recommend myself to his excellency rather by fidelity, silence, and an entire submission, than by an affectation to shine in his service: And whatever difficulties, whatever discouragements, fell in my way, I think it appears that they were sur

* William Harrison, who conducted for some time a conti nuation of the Tatler, under the auspices of Swift; and was, by his interest, sent out as secretary to Lord Raby, afterwards Earl of Strafford, while the peace of Utrecht was negociated. He re turned to London with the Barrier Treaty; and died there, 14th February 1712-13, much regretted by Swift. See Vol. III. p. 167, 168.

*

mounted in the end; and my advancement followed upon it sooner than I expected; another would say, much sooner than I deserved, which I should easily agree to, were it not, that I flatter myself there is some merit in the behaviour I kept, when the hopes and temptation of being preferred glittered in my eyes. All the world knows upon what foot Mr Watkins thought himself with my Lord Strafford; and though all the world does not know what I am going to tell you, yet Mr Watkins does on one hand, and my Lord Strafford on the other, that all the credit I had with either, was heartily, and without reserve, employed to make matters easy; and to cultivate in my humble station, that good understanding, which our court desired should be between them. I had my reasons for this, and such perhaps as flowed from an inclination to promote my own interest. I knew as well as any man living almost, how much Mr Watkins was valued by my Lord Bolingbroke and others. I foresaw the danger of standing in competition with him, if that case should happen: and, to tell you the truth, I did not think myself ripe in regard of interest at home, or of any service I could pretend to have done abroad to succeed Mr Watkins in so good an employment. Above all, I protest to you, Sir, that if I know my own heart, I am capable of suffering the utmost extremities rather than violate the infinite duty and gratitude I owe my Lord Bolingbroke, by doing an ill office to a person honoured with such particular marks of his lordship's esteem. might add to this, that I really loved Mr Watkins;

*Henry Watkins, Esq. late secretary.-H.

I

Thomas, Earl of Strafford, ambassador-extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the States General.-H.

and I beg you, Sir, to urge him to the proof, whether my whole behaviour was not such, as might justify the warmest professions I can make of that kind. After all this, how comes it, that he, either in raillery or good earnest, accuses me of having any resentment against him? By word of mouth when he left us, by letters so long as he allowed me to correspond with him, and by all the people that ever went from Utrecht to Flanders, have I importuned him for the continuance of his friendship; and, perhaps, even in his absence (if he pleases to reflect) given him a very essential proof of mine. If any body has thought it worth their while to sow division between us, I wish he thought it worth his to let me into the secret; and nothing, he may be sure, shall be wanting on my side to defeat a stratagem, which, for aught I know, may end in the starving of his humble servant.

Which leads me naturally to the second thing proposed to be spoken to in my text; namely, my circumstances: for between you and me, Sir, I apprehend the treasury will issue out no money on my account, till they know what is due on that of Mr Watkins. * And if he has any pretensions, I have none, that I know of, but what are as precarious to me, as a stiver I gave away but now to a beggar, was to him. Is it possible that Mr Watkins can demand the pay of a commission, which

* From various passages in Swift's Journal, it appears that the government suffered Harrison, though in a post of such confidence, to be reduced to great distress for want of regular payment of his appointments; a specimen of inhumanity and impolicy not peculiar to the reign of Queen Anne, for it long continued to embarrass the operations of our Corps Diplomatique.

is, by the queen herself, actually superseded, during his absence from his post? Or is it not as plainly said in mine, that I am her majesty's secretary during such his absence, as in his that he was so, while he resided here ? If I must be crushed, Sir, for God's sake let some reason be alleged for it; or else an ingenuous confession made, that stat pro ratione voluntas. If you can fix Mr Watkins to any final determination on this subject, you will do me a singular service, and I shall take my measures accordingly. Though I know your power, I cannot help distrusting it on this occasion. Before I conclude, give me leave to put you in mind of beating my thanks into my Lord Bolingbroke's ears, for his late generosity, to the end that his lordship may be wearied out of the evil habit he has got, of heaping more obligations and goodness on those he is pleased to favour, than their shoulders are able to bear. For my own part, I have so often thanked his lordship, that I have now no more ways left to turn my thoughts; and beg if you have any right good compliments neat and fine by you, that you will advance the necessary, and place them, with the other helps you have given me, to my account; which I question not but I shall be able to acknowledge at one and the same time, ad Græcas calendas.

In the meantime, I shall do my best to give you just such hints as you desire by the next post; though I cannot but think there are some letters in the office, which would serve your turn a good deal better than any thing I can tell you about the people at the Hague. Your access there abundantly prevents my attempting to write you any news from hence. And I assure you, Sir, you can write me none from England (however uneasy my circum