24 See Letter 9, note 20.
25 Mrs. Walls" baby (see Feb 5, 1711).
26 The phrase had its origin in the sharp practices in the horse and cattle markets. Writing to Arbuthnot in 1727, Swift said that Gay "had made a pretty good bargain (that is a Smithfield) for a little place in the Custom House."
27 "There."
LETTER 18.
1 See Swift"s paper in the Examiner, No. 32, and Mrs. Manley"s pamphlet, already mentioned.
2 Presumably Mrs. Johnson"s palsy-water (see Letter 5, note 17).
3 Thomas Wentworth, Baron Raby (1672-1739), was created Viscount Wentworth and Earl of Strafford in June 1711. Lord Raby was Envoy and Amba.s.sador at Berlin for some years, and was appointed Amba.s.sador at the Hague in March 1711. In November he was nominated as joint Plenipotentiary with the Bishop of Bristol to negotiate the terms of peace. He objected to Prior as a colleague; Swift says he was "as proud as h.e.l.l." In 1715 it was proposed to impeach Strafford, but the proceedings were dropped. In his later years he was, according to Lord Hervey, a loquacious and illiterate, but constant, speaker in the House of Lords.
4 A beauty, to whom Swift addressed verses in 1708. During the frost of January 1709 Swift wrote: "Mrs. Floyd looked out with both her eyes, and we had one day"s thaw; but she drew in her head, and it now freezes as hard as ever." She was a great friend of Lady Betty Germaine"s.
5 Swift never had the smallpox.
6 See Letter 12, note 22.
7 Heart.
8 The first number of the Spectator appeared on March 1, 1711.
9 In one of his poems Swift speaks of Stella "sossing in an easy-chair."
10 See Letter 4, note 20.
11 "It is reasonable to suppose that Swift"s acquaintance with Arbuthnot commenced just about this time; for in the original letter Swift misspells his name, and writes it Arthbuthnet, in a clear large hand, that MD might not mistake any of the letters" (Deane Swift). Dr. John Arbuthnot had been made Physician in Ordinary to the Queen; he was one of Swift"s dearest friends.
12 Clobery Bromley, M.P. for Coventry, son of William Bromley, M.P. (see Letter 10, note 1), died on March 20, 1711, and Boyer (Political State, i. 255) says that the House, "out of respect to the father, and to give him time, both to perform the funeral rites and to indulge his just affliction," adjourned until the 26th.
13 See Letter 5, note 4.
14 See Letter 17, note 11.
15 Sir John Perceval, Bart. (died 1748), was created Baron Perceval 1715, Viscount Perceval 1722, and Earl of Egmont 1733, all in the Irish peerage. He married, in 1710, Catherine, eldest daughter of Sir Philip Parker A"Morley, Bart., of Erwarton, Suffolk; and his son (born Feb. 27, 1710-11) was made Baron Perceval and Holland, in the English peerage, in 1762.
16 This report was false. The Old Pretender did not marry until 1718, when he was united to the Princess Clementina Maria, daughter of Prince James Sobieski.
Letter 19.
1 John Hartstonge, D.D. (died 1717), was Bishop of Ossory from 1693 to 1714, when he was translated to Derry.
2 See Letter 15, note 16.
3 Thomas Proby was Chirurgeon-General in Ireland from 1699 until his death in 1761. In his Short Character of Thomas, Earl of Wharton, Swift speaks of him as "a person universally esteemed," who had been badly treated by Lord Wharton. In 1724 Proby"s son, a captain in the army, was accused of popery, and Swift wrote to Lord Carteret that the charge was generally believed to be false: "The father is the most universally beloved of any man I ever knew in his station.... You cannot do any personal thing more acceptable to the people of Ireland than in inclining towards lenity to Mr. Proby and his family." Proby was probably a near relative of Sir Thomas Proby, Bart., M.P., of Elton, Hunts, at whose death in 1689 the baronetcy expired. Mrs. Proby seems to have been a Miss Spencer.
4 Meliora, daughter of Thomas Coningsby, Baron of Clanbra.s.sil and Earl of Coningsby, and wife of Sir Thomas Southwell, afterwards Baron Southwell, one of the Commissioners of Revenue in Ireland, and a member of the Irish Privy Council. Lady Southwell died in 1736.
5 Lady Betty Rochfort was the daughter of Henry Moore, third Earl of Drogheda. Her husband, George Rochfort, M.P. for Westmeath, was son of Robert Rochfort, an Irish judge, and brother of Robert Rochford, M.P., to whose wife Swift addressed his Advice to a very Young Lady on her Marriage. Lady Betty"s son Robert was created Earl of Belvedere in 1757.
6 See Letter 17, note 23. Mr. Bussiere, of Suffolk Street, had been called in directly after the outrage, but Radcliffe would not consult him.
7 The letter from Dr. King dated March 17, 1711, commenting on Guiscard"s attack upon Harley.
8 See Feb. 10, 1710-11.
9 The word "trangram" or "tangram" ordinarily means a toy or gimcrack, or trumpery article. Cf. Wycherley (Plain Dealer, iii. 1), "But go, thou trangram, and carry back those trangrams which thou hast stolen or purloined." Apparently "trangum" here means a tally.
10 See Letter 12, note 2.
11 Swift means G.o.dolphin, the late Lord Treasurer.
12 Sir John Holland (see Letter 3, note 28).
13 "It caused a violent daub on the paper, which still continues much discoloured in the original" (Deane Swift).
14 "He forgot here to say, "At night." See what goes before" (Deane Swift).
15 See Letter 17, note 1.
16 Irishman. "Teague" was a term of contempt for an Irishman.
17 To "Mr. Harley, wounded by Guiscard." In this piece Prior said, "Britain with tears shall bathe thy glorious wound," a wound which could not have been inflicted by any but a stranger to our land.
18 Sir Thomas Mansel married Martha, daughter and heiress of Francis Millington, a London merchant.
19 Slatterning, consuming carelessly.
20 "The candle grease mentioned before, which soaked through, deformed this part of the paper on the second page" (Deane Swift).
21 Harcourt.
22 William Rollinson, formerly a wine merchant, settled afterwards in Oxfordshire, where he died at a great age. He was a friend of Pope, Bolingbroke, and Gay.
23 In relation to the banknote (see Letter 17, note 14).
24 "Swift was, at this time, their great support and champion" (Deane Swift).
25 See Letter 14, note 15.
26 See Letter 17, note 25.