this first meeting, Swift's antipathy to Godolphin would seem to date. Looking at the two men, we can hardly wonder at it. The dull and pompous dignity, the pervading mediocrity of Godolphin were as vinegar to Swift. From the first he saw through those empty platitudes; the impression of which is carried down to our own day by the insipid features that look out at us from Godolphin's portraits. The antipathy would be as strong on Godolphin's side. In the ordinary courtly phrases that cloak unwillingness to act, he expressed himself to Swift as wanting power, as only passive in the matter: the real power, he urged, lay with the Lord Lieutenant, to whom, if Swift pleased, he would repeat what Swift had said. This was doubly offensive to Swift: it meant nothing, and was a palpable pushing aside of his request: But it also hinted more that Swift was come from Ireland unbefriended and unauthorised, with no means of access to that Lord Lieutenant, whose intimate boon companion he had been. Swift answered that he was well known to his Excellency, and that his present object was only to secure the Lord Treasurer's good will: that, indeed, any mention of the matter to Lord Pembroke, might place him in the awkward position of appearing to slight that lord. Driven thus into a corner, Godolphin was compelled to speak to the question. He did it with what was, for him, more than usual plainness. He might advise, so he told Swift, the granting of the First Fruits, if only he were sure that proper acknowledgment was to be made. What that acknowledgment was, Swift could very well understand, but Godolphin would not more fully explain. It clearly meant the giving up of the Test, and the swallowing of all Whig principles entire by the clergy of Ireland. Such an acknowledgment Swift neither could nor would give and thus the interview ended. Swift's disgust at the delay, the pompousness, the enigmatic utterances of the Lord Treasurer, was not lessened when he found himself deceived either by Godolphin or by Pembroke. The deceits of Ministers may sometimes serve useful purposes of their own: they always give food for laughter to those whom they believe their dupes. Pembroke told Swift that he, and he only, was in charge of the matter under the Queen: Godolphin now told him that he had the papers and that the matter had long been before him. Between the two, Swift could only wait and indulge his contempt, in suspense and do what he could to save his Church from the odium of a suspected Toryism, without allowing her to drift into adopting all the maxims of the Whiggish creed. At times the point seemed to be gained. Swift was made to believe that the First Fruits and Twentieth parts were actually granted, and he informed the Archbishop of the fact. When the hottest months came on and London emptied, all the world waiting for the result of the siege of Lille, that was to decide the future of the war, Swift went with the world into the country. For six weeks he was absent in Kent,* and then returned for a few days to town before going to the fashionable resort of Epsom, where the Court went to drink the waters. On the evening he came to town from Kent, the news of Prince George's death on the 28th of October (1708) greeted him. The changes that followed, contributed largely to the new attitude which Swift soon assumed, and to the new energy with which he now applied himself, after these years of doubt and hesitation, to defend the views he held. He writes on the 20th of October, to Ambrose Philips, whose feeble verse and facile time-serving had not yet disgusted Swift, to say how pleased he is to hear of Philips' arrival, and how he hopes soon to join him in town. The letter was first printed by Nichols in his Illustrations of Literature (iv. 730). CHAPTER VI. SWIFT'S VIEWS ON CHURCH AND STATE MATURED. October, 1708-June, 1709. ÆTAT. 41. Swift waiting for the issue of the struggle-Results of the death of Prince George-Changes in the Ministry-Wharton as Lord Lieutenant-A scandal refuted-Swift drawing further from the Whigs-The question of the Test in Ireland-The Letter on the Sacramental Test-The change in Swift's views-"In suspense "-Failure of his mission-Leaves London in disgust-Last visit to his mother-Back in Ireland-Other Literary work of the year-Argument against Abolishing Christianity-Its scope and meaning-Project for the Advancement of Religion-Its biographical importance-The Sentiments of a Church of England-Man-The principles it upholds-Swift on Despotism and Anarchy-His conception of LibertyThe humorous work of the year-The Predictions for 1708—The jokes on Partridge and their sequels-Bickerstaff on his defence-Bickerstaff in the Tatler-The Apology for the Tale of a Tub-Social incidents of his English visit-The circle of his friends-His picture by Jervas, in his prime. In the last chapter we saw Swift watching the shifting phases of the political struggle, and, as he watched, standing purposely aloof from all active interference. Meanwhile he cultivates the literary friendships that he had already formed, fills his leisure with the careless exercise of his lighter humour, or, passing to Laracor, busies himself with the quiet occupations that his garden and his canal afforded. Already Swift felt himself to be out of joint with the Whig party. Soon he ceased to wait for the issue of the party struggle. The period of suspense was ending: that of active interference was near at hand. The death of Prince George of Denmark, which Swift learned on returning from his visit to the country, in October, 1708, was an epoch in the party struggle. It left the poor Queen, the only pathos in whose life is her utter loneliness, without the one tie which had at least apparent sincerity in it. Brainless, dull, and incompetent as he was, the Prince had at least more motive to be true to her interest than the crowd of hungry cormorants whose effusive adulation only thinly cloaked the speculations in which they discounted the results of her death. But sad as the loss was for her, it was a gain to the ministers. It checked complaints about the naval administration. It gave places for new Whig adherents. Lord Pembroke was brought to the Admiralty, leaving room for Lord Somers as Lord President, and for Lord Wharton, as Governor of Ireland. No appointments could have marked more conclusively the Whig alliance of the ministers. Pembroke, says Swift, had need of all his philosophy to console him for these changes: "he takes all things mighty well," says Swift, "and we pun together as usual; and he either makes the best use, or the best appearance with his philosophy of any man I ever knew."* To Swift, already disliking Wharton, and, as it seems, distrusting Somers, the changes really involved a new, and distasteful, ministry.† 1708. Swift to Dean Sterne, Nov. 30, + Swift had not yet conceived the bitter intensity of hatred for Wharton of which he has left the proof in words that burn still but that he had suspicions, is perfectly clear, (see especially his letter to Archbishop King of Nov. 30th, 1708.) That letter has been strangely misinterpreted. From beginning to end it is clearly written in a spirit of strong antagonism to the Presbyterians, and of equally strong suspicion of the inclinations of the ministers to help the Presbyterians. In a previous letter, the Archbishop had advised Swift to come over with Wharton. Swift here speaks of the chaplaincy, and the manner in which it has been filled up: adding "Your friend (ie. Swift himself) made no application, for reasons left you to guess." He then speaks of "an affair at Drogheda, which is made a handle." Scott in a note explains this as referring to "some disputes in corporation affairs." In reality it referred to a complaint of some trifling hardship suffered by a Presbyterian minister (see Scott, VIII. 353). "I hope you are prepared," Swift goes on, "to take off the sacramental test, because that will be a means to have it taken off here;" a sarcastic reference to what he deemed an ill tendency, likely to spread. Further on he speaks with evident irony of the "moderation," which Swift held to be wanton carelessness, of Wharton's secretary, who would go to church or meeting-house, indifferently. Scott quotes a note, in which Luson But a story has been told of his relations to Wharton, which involves a charge of baseness and ingratitude against Swift. That he detested Wharton most cordially is clear: but could it be asserted with truth that Swift poured out all the bitterness of his satire only because Wharton refused to him a post for which he supplicated, we should have to shape Swift's character anew. Yet Dr. Salter of Charter-house long after published in the Gentleman's Magazine, a story, supported by letters which he asserted himself to have seen, to the effect that Swift had turned upon Wharton, because Wharton refused to make him chaplain at Lord Somers's intercession. He had seen, he says, Lord Somers's letters: he had seen Swift's original application and his letter of thanks for Somers's intercession: and finally he could vouch for Wharton's reply to the intercession, in the words: "My Lord, we must not prefer these fellows: we have not character enough ourselves." It might be enough to say that Salter himself appears to have been a man from whom common accuracy was not to be expected." But fortunately, in this instance his falsity is proved. To begin with, Swift's first prejudice against Wharton was conceived at his earliest interview, shortly before the Earl went to Ireland—an interview that had been sought, only in order that Swift might lay before the Viceroy his application on behalf of the Irish Church. Next, Swift distinctly denies, in a private letter, (written without the least thought of meeting this scandal, which was not started till after his own death,) that he made any application at all for the chaplaincy.+ had expressed his surprise that Swift very shallow coxcomb:" "a poor prattler," one whose character was sufficiently known to command little respect. + See Memoirs relating to the Change in the Queen's Ministry in 1710 Scott, iii. 189. See also Swift to Archbishop King, 26 March, 1709. Swift to Archbishop King, 30 Nov. 1708. |