when oblig'd to give account of fome Treaties to the House of Lords, or to defend himself in the House of Commons; by which last he once brought himself off with great dexterity. The other reason of it I fancy to have come from the Duke of BUCKINGHAM, who being his rival in Court after the fall of CLARENDON, and having an extraordinary talent of turning any thing into ridicule, exercised it fufficiently on this Lord, both with the King and every body elfe: which had its effect at laft even to his being left out of his Master's business, 'but not his favour; which in fome measure continued still, and long after this his fupplanter was totally discarded.

HAVING been educated in order to be a Divine, he was a better scholar than commonly Courtiers are; and fo well versed in the Claffick Poets, that I never knew any man apply them so properly on any subject whatsoever, and without any pedantic affectation. Yet he could never shake off a little air of formality, that an Embassy into Spain had infected him with; but it only hung about his mien, without the least tincture of it either in his words or behaviour.

He

He once had the honour to procure a Triple League of great advantage to the defence of Europe against France: But he being one of those who for feveral years afterwards affifted in carrying on a quite contrary intereft, it too plainly fhews that, tho' none in this whole Reign knew foreign affairs fo well, yet after all he was rather a fubtle Courtier, than an able Statesman; too much regarding every inclination of his Master, and too little confidering his true interest and that of the nation. To end handsomely with him, he was of a generous temper ; not only living splendidly, but obliging his friends willingly and warmly On which occafion I remember that, vifiting him one day, when newly a friend of his had turn'd ungratefully against him, he ask'd me what effect I thought it would have upon him? I thinking he meant as to his fortune, was about to answer gravely; when he smilingly protested it should neither cool him in his prefent friendships, nor hinder his affifting the next deferving perfon who came in his way; because that was the greatest fatisfaction of his life, and he would not part with it upon any difcouragement whatsoever. G 4

The

The truth of this he told me I fhould always find, and indeed I did fo to the very end of his life; which therefore required this fmall piece of gratitude.

A

LETTER

то

Doctor Tillotson,

Then DEAN, afterwards

ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury.

Written and Printed just after the Revolution.

SIR,

N°

OTHING in this world is, or ought to be fo dear to any man of honour, as his reputation; and confequently the defence of it is the greatest obligation that one man can lay on another. There are also fome circumftances that render this obligation yet more acceptable and valuable; as when 'tis confer'd generously, without any felf-intereft, or the leaft defire or invitation from the person so defended. All this happens to be my cafe

at

at this time; and therefore I hope you will not be furpriz'd to find I am not the most ungrateful and infenfible man living; which certainly I fhould be, if I did not acknowledge all your industrious concern for me about the bufinefs of the Ecclefiaftical Commission, which now makes fo much noife. in the world. You have (as I am told) fo cordially pleaded my cause, that 'tis almost become your own; and therefore (as unwilling as I am to speak of my self, especially in a business which I cannot wholly excufe) yet I think my self now a little oblig'd to fhew, that my part in this matter, though imprudent enough, yet is not altogether unworthy of fo juft and confiderable an advocate.

THE less a man fays for himself, the better; and 'tis so well understood already with what great care I was fometimes excluded from knowing the most important designs of the Court, that I need not justify my felf, or trouble you as to thofe matters: Only I appeal to the unqueftionable teftimony of the Spanish Ambaffador, if I did not zealously and constantly take all occafions to oppofe the French intereft; because I knew it directly oppofite both to the King and