for the place you allow me in your friendship and familiarity. I will not acknowledge to you that I have often had you in my thoughts, when I have endeavoured to draw, in fome parts of thefe difcourfes, the character of a good-natured, honeft, and accomplished gentleman. But fuch representations give my reader an idea of a perfon blamelefs only, or only laudable for fuch perfections as extend no farther than to his own private advantage and reputation.

But when I fpeak of you, I celebrate one who has had the happiness of poffeffing also those qualities which make a man useful to fociety, and of having had opportunities of exerting them in the moft confpicuous manner.

The great part you had, as British ambaffador, in procuring and cultivating the advantageous commerce between the courts of England and Portugal, has purchased you the lafting efteem of all who understand the intereft of either nation.

Those perfonal excellencies which are overrated by the ordinary world, and too much neglected by wife men, you have applied with the jufteft fkill and judgement. The most graceful address in horfemanship, in the use of the sword, and in dancing, has been employed by you as lower arts; and as they have occafionally ferved to cover, or introduce the talents of a skilful Minifter.

But

But your abilities have not appeared only in one nation. When it was your province to act as her Majefty's minifter at the court of Savoy, at that time incamped, you accompanied that gallant Prince through all the viciffitudes of his fortune, and shared by his fide the dangers of that glorious day in which he recovered his capital. As far as it regards perfonal qualities, you attained, in that one hour, the highest military reputation. The behaviour of our Minifter in the action, and the good offices done the vanquished in the name of the Queen of England, gave both the conqueror and the captive the most lively examples of the courage and generofity of the nation he reprefented.

Your friends and companions in your abfence frequently talk these things of you; and you cannot hide from us (by the most discreet filence in any thing which regards yourself) that the frank entertainment we have at your table, your eafy condefcenfion in little incidents of mirth and diverfion, and general complacency of manners, are far from being the greatest obligations we have to you. I do affure you, there is not one of your friends has a greater sense of your merit in general, and of the favours you every day do us, than, Sir, your most obedient, and most humble fervant, RICHARD STEELE.

LETTER CCCCXXV *.

To the Worshipful Mr. JOHN SNOW, Bailiff of Stockbridge +.

SIR,

A

[September, or October, 1713.] CCORDING to my promise when I took my leave of you, I fend you all the pamphlets and papers which have been printed fince the diffolution of the laft parliament; among these you will find your humble fervant no small man, but spoken of more than once in print: you will find I take up whole pages in the Examiner, and that there is a little pamphlet written wholly upon me, and directed to me‡. As you are the magiftrate of the town wherein, of all places in the world, it concerns me moft to appear a different man from the person whom these writers reprefent me, I addrefs my vindication to you, and, at the same time, to the whole Borough §.

What

*This Letter is extracted from "The Importance of Dunkirk ❝ confidered; in Defence of the Guardian of August the 7th, 1713, "in a Letter to the Bailiff of Stockbridge." For the political part, which is here omitted, the reader is referred to Steele's Political Writings, p. 23, et seq.

+ In a "Journey to Exeter, 1716," Gay fays,

"Of all our race of mayors fhall Snow alone

“Be by Sir Richard's dedication known?”

"The Honour and Prerogative of the Queen's Majefty vin. "dicated and defended against the unexampled Infolence of the "Author of the Guardian: In a Letter from a Country Whig to "Mr. Steele."

§ This Epiftle was followed, Nov. 2, 1713, by one of the fe

What was urged concerning Dunkirk, in the Letter to the Guardian, was apparently and profeffedly laid before the ministry, that they might not be unmindful of what the British nation expect from them. I say again and again, if once men are fo intimidated as not to dare to offer their thoughts upon public affairs, without incurring the imputation of offending against the prerogative of their Prince; that Prince, whatever advantage his minifters might make of his prerogative, would himself foon have no prerogative but that of being deceived. As for my part, I have that fincere and faithful duty to her Majefty, that I will never fear to attempt any thing that I am able for her service, however her favour may be intercepted from me. The Examiner accuses me of ingratitude, as being actually under salary, when I writ the letter to the Guardian; but he is mistaken in that particular, for I had refigned, not only my office in the ftamp duties*, but also my penfion as fervant

to

vereft productions of Swift, intituled, "The Importance of the "Guardian confidered, in a fecond Letter to the Bailiff of Stock"bridge, by a Friend of Mr. Steele;" in which "poor Dick" is unmercifully belaboured by the Coloffus of the oppofite party.

66

*This he had done, June 4, 1713; fee p. 371. The "Guardian" complained of, under the fignature of " English Tory," was not published till Auguft 7.-Swift on this occafion invidioufly fays, I. A new commiffion was every day expected for the "stampt-paper, and he knew his name would be left out; and "therefore his refignation would be an appearance of virtue "cheaply bought. 2. He dreaded the violence of creditors, "against which his employments were no manner of fecurity. "3. Being

to his late Royal Highnefs, which her Majefty hath been graciously pleased to continue to the whole family of that excellent Prince: I divested myself of all that I was fo happy to enjoy by her Majefty's goodness and favour, before I would prefume to write any thing, which was fo apparently an advertisement to those employed in her fervice.

I have thrown away all expectations of preferment for the happiness of ferving in parliament, and for the hopes of having a vote in the legiflature in the present great crifis of affairs: as long as I enjoy this ftation (from which the Examiner takes the liberty to fuggeft I fhall be expelled) I fhall follow no leader or leaders, but act, that is to fay, vote, according to the dictates of my confcience, in the public fervice.

Mr. Bailiff, as there have been very unjust reprefentations given of me in your town, as that a man of so small fortune as I am must have secret views or fupports, which could move him to leave his employments, and lofe a crowd of wellwifhers, to fubject himself, as he must know he has, not only to the difefteem, but also the fcorn and hatred of very many, who, before he intermeddled with the publick, had a partiality towards him: I answer, that I indeed have particular views; and, though I may be ridiculous

66

3. Being a perfon of great fagacity, he hath fome forefight of a change, from the ufual age of a ministry, which is now almost "expired; from the little mifunderstandings that have been re"ported fometimes to happen among the men in power; from the "Bill of Commerce being rejected," &c. &c.

for