it under you, at the fame time that it heightened her Majefty's favour to all who had the happiness of having it conveyed through your hands. A Secretary of State, in the intereft of mankind, joined with that of his fellow-fubjects, accomplished with a great facility and elegance in all the modern as well as antient languages, was a happy and proper member of a Ministry, by whofe fervices your Sovereign is in fo high and flourishing a condition, as makes all other Princes and Potentates powerful or inconfiderable in Europe, as they are friends or enemies to Great-Britain. The importance of those great events which happened during that Administration, in which your Lordship bore fo important a charge, will be acknowledged as long as time fhall endure. I fhall not, therefore, attempt to rehearse those illuftrious paffages; but give this application a more private and particular turn, in deliring your Lordship would continue your favour and patronage to me, as you are a gentleman of the moft polite literature, and perfectly accomplished in the knowledge of books and men, which makes it neceffary to befeech your indulgence to the following leaves, and the Author of them: who is, with the greatest truth and refpect, my Lord, your Lordship's obliged, obedient, and humble fervant, THE SPECTATOR.

*His Lordship was the founder of the fplendid and truly valuable library at Althorp.

A a 4

LETTER

LETTER CCCCXVIII.

Dr. SWIFT to Mr. ADDISON.

SIR,

I

May 13, 1713. WAS told yesterday, by feveral perfons, that Mr. Steele had reflected upon me in his Guardian; which I could hardly believe, until, fending for the paper of the day, I found he had, in feveral parts of it, infinuated with the utmost malice, that I was Author of the ExAMINER; and abufed me in the groffeft manner he could poffibly invent, and fet his name to. what he had written. Now, Sir, if I am not Author of the Examiner, how will Mr. Steele be able to defend himself from the imputation of the highest degree of bafenefs, ingratitude, and injuftice? is he fo ignorant of my temper, and of my style? has he never heard that the Author of the Examiner (to whom I am altoge

In the Guardian, No LIII. Mr. Steele fays, “Though "fometimes I have been told by familiar friends, that they faw "me fuch a time talking to the Examiner; others, who have "raillied me for the fins of my youth, tell ine, it is credibly re"ported that I have formerly lain with the Examiner —I have "carried my point, and it is nothing to me whether the Exa❝ miner writes in the character of an estranged friend, or an ex"afperated mistress."-By the firft of thefe appellations, Dr. Swift is to be underflood; by the latter, Mrs. Manley, authorefs of the Atalantis, who likewife, in conjunction with Oldisworth, wrote in the Examiner, often under the direction, and with the affiftance, of Swift, but oftener without leading-ftrings.

ther

ther a ftranger *) did, a month or two ago, vindicate me from having any concern in it? fhould not Mr. Steele have firft expoftulated with me as a friend? have I deserved this ufage from Mr. Steele, who knows very well that my Lord Treasurer has kept him in his employment upon my intreaty and interceffion? My Lord

* The reader will please to recollect the received opinion, that Dr. Swift never wrote any Examiners after June 7, 1711. The curious may fee an accurate and fatisfactory account of the Examiner, and of this circumstance particularly, in the new edition of the TATLER with notes, vol. V. N° 210, p. 307, note.

+ Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford.

"I fat till ten in the evening with Addison and Steele : "Steele will certainly lofe his Gazetteer's place, all the world "detefting his engaging in parties." Swift, Journal to Stella,

Sept. 10, 1710.

"I was this morning with Mr. Lewis, the under-fecretary "to Lord Dartmouth, two hours, talking politics, and contriving to keep Steele in his office of ftampt paper: he has loft "his place of Gazetteer, three hundred pounds a year, for writ❝ing a Tatler, fome months ago, againf Mr. Harley, who

66

gave it him at first, and raised the falary from fixty to three "hundred pounds. This was devilish ungrateful; and Lewis "was telling me the particulars: but I had a hint given me, "that I might fave him in the other employment; and leave was given me to clear matters with Steele. Well, I dined "with Sir Matthew Dudley, and in the evening went to fit with "Mr. Addison, and offer the matter at distance to him as the

66

difcreeter perfon; but found party had fo poffessed him, that ❝he talked as if he suspected me, and would not fall in with "any thing I said. So I stopt fhort in my overture, and we "parted very dryly; and I fhall fay nothing to Steele, and let "them do as they will; but if things stand as they are, he will "certainly lofe it, unlefs I fave him; and therefore I will not "speak to him, that I may not report to his disadvantage. Is

not this vexatious and is there fo much in the proverb of

"proffered

Lord Chancellor and Lord Bolingbroke will be witneffes how I was reproached by my Lord Treasurer, upon the ill returns Mr. Steele made to his Lordship's indulgence, &c. JON. SWIFT.

SIR,

May 19, 1713.

MR

R. ADDISON fhewed me your letter, wherein you mention me. They laugh at you, if they make you believe your interpo

66

"proffered fervice? When fhall I grow wife? I endeavour to "act in the most exact points of honour and confcience, and 66 my nearest friends will not understand it fo. What must a 66 man expect from his enemies? This would vex me, but it "fhall not; and fo I bid you good night, &c." Ibid. Oct. 22.

"Lewis told me a pure thing. I had been hankering with "Mr. Harley to fave Steele his other employment, and have a "little mercy on him, and I had been saying the fame thing to "Lewis, who is Mr. Harley's chief favourite. Lewis tells Mr. "Harley, how kindly I should take it, if he would be reconciled 66 to Steele, &c. Mr. Harley, on my account, falls in with it, "and appoints Steele a time to let him attend him; which Steele 66 accepts with great fubmiffion, but never comes, nor fends any "excufe. Whether it was blundering, fullennefs, infolence, or

66

rancour of party, I cannot tell; but I fhall trouble myself no 06 more about him. I believe Addifon hindered him out of

meer fpite, being grated to the foul to think he should ever 66 want my help to fave his friend; yet now he is foliciting "me to make another of his friends Queen's Secretary at Ge66 neva; and I will do it if I can; it is poor Paftoral Philips." Ibid. Dec. 16.

One story is good till another is heard. See a very different account of the whole tranfaction pointed out in a note on the new edition of the TATLER, ut fupra, vol. VI. No 228, p. 95, et feq.

* Lord Harcourt.

fition has kept me thus long in my office. If you have spoken in my behalf at any time, I am glad I have always treated you with respect; though I believe you an accomplice of the Examiner. In the letter you are angry at, you fee I have no reason for being fo merciful to him, but out of regard to the imputation you lie under. You do not in direct terms fay you are not concerned with him: but make it an argument of your innocence, that the Examiner has declared you have nothing to do with him. I believe I could prevail upon the Guardian to say there was a mistake in putting my name in his paper but the English would laugh at us, should we argue in fo Irish a manner. I am heartily glad of your being made Dean of St. Patrick's. I am, Sir, your most obedient humble fervant, RICHARD STEELE.

LETTER CCCCXX.

From Dr. SWIFT.

SIR,

*I may probably know better, when they are

"It has unluckily happened that two or three lines have been torn by accident from the beginning of this letter; and, by the fame accident, two or three lines are miffing towards the latter part, which were written on the back part of the paper which was torn off. But what remains of this letter will, I prefume, be very fatisfactory to the intelligent reader, upon many accounts." For this note, and for the letter itfelf, we are indebted to the late Deane Swift, efq.

difpofed