17 What.
18 Devil"s.
19 "To" (MS.).
20 See Letter 35, note 25.
21 See Letter 41, note 34.
22 See Letter 12, Jan. 1, 1710-11.
23 Peregrine Hyde Osborne, Earl of Danby, afterwards Marquis of Caermarthen and third Duke of Leeds (see Letter 56, note 6). His sister Mary was married to the Duke of Beaufort (see Letter 39, note 7).
24 See Letter 9, note 17.
25 Several undecipherable words. Forster reads, "Pidy Pdfr, deelest Sollahs."
26 "K" (MS.). It should, of course, be "Queen"s."
27 See Letter 22, note 18.
LETTER 43.
1 Addressed "To Mrs. Johnson, at her lodgings over against St. Mary"s Church, near Capel Street, Dublin, Ireland." Endorsed "Mar. 30."
2 See Letter 9, note 1.
3 The Mohocks succeeded the Scowrers of William III."s reign. Gay (Trivia, iii. 325) says "Who has not heard the Scowrers" midnight fame?
Who has not trembled at the Mohocks" name?"
Lady Wentworth (Wentworth Papers, 277) says: "They put an old woman into a hogshead, and rolled her down a hill; they cut off some noses, others"
hands, and several barbarous tricks, without any provocation. They are said to be young gentlemen; they never take any money from any." See also the Spectator, Nos. 324, 332, and 347 (where Budgell alludes to "the late panic fear"), and Defoe"s Review for March 15, 1712. Swift was in considerable alarm about the Mohocks throughout March, and said that they were all Whigs. The reports that numbers of persons, including men of figure, had joined together to commit a.s.saults in the streets, made many fear to leave their houses at night. A proclamation was issued for the suppressing of riots and the discovery of those guilty of the late outrages; but it seems probable that the disorders were not more frequent than might be expected from time to time in a great city.
4 Henry Davenant, son of Charles Davenant (see Letter 8, note 14), was Resident at Frankfort. Macky described him as "very giddy-headed, with some wit," to which Swift added, "He is not worth mentioning."
5 Thomas Burnet, youngest son of Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury, was at this time a young man about town of no good reputation.
Afterwards he turned his attention to the law, and was appointed a judge of the Court of Common Pleas in 1741. He was knighted in 1745, and died in 1753.
6 By Arbuthnot, written to recommend the peace proposals of the Government. The full t.i.tle was, Law is a Bottomless Pit. Exemplified in the case of the Lord Strutt, John Bull, Nicholas Frog, and Lewis Baboon; who spent all they had in a Law Suit.
7 See Letter 25, note 6 and Letter 41, note 35.
8 Our little language.
9 Forster reads, "two deelest nauty nown MD."
10 See Letter 6, note 12.
11 William Diaper, son of Joseph Diaper of Bridgewater, was sent to Balliol College, Oxford, in 1699, at the age of fourteen. He entered the Church, and was curate at Brent, Somerset; but he died in 1717, aged twenty-nine.
12 The Examiner (vol. ii. No. 15) complained of general bribery and oppression on the part of officials and underlings in the public service, especially in matters connected with the army; but the writer said that the head (Lord Lansdowne) was just and liberal in his nature, and easy in his fortune, and a man of honour and virtue.
13 Sealed doc.u.ments given to show that a merchant"s goods are entered.
14 Thomas Lawrence, First Physician to Queen Anne, and Physician-General to the Army, died in 1714 (Gentleman"s Magazine, 1815, ii. 17). His daughter Elizabeth was second wife to Lord Mohun.
15 See Letter 17, note 11.
16 See Letter 26, note 2.
17 No officer named Newcomb appears in Dalton"s Army Lists; but the allusion to General Ross, further on in Letter 43, adds to the probability that Swift was referring to one of the sons of Sir Thomas Newcomen, Bart., who was killed at the siege of Enniskillen.
Beverley Newcomen (Dalton, iii. 52, iv. 60), who was probably Swift"s acquaintance, was described in a pet.i.tion of 1706 as a Lieutenant who had served at Killiecrankie, and had been in Major-General Ross"s regiment ever since 1695.
18 Atterbury.
19 Evidently a familiar quotation at the time. Forster reads, incorrectly, "But the more I lite MD."
20 See Letter 41, note 5.
21 See Letter 12, note 1.
22 In 1681, Elizabeth, only daughter and heiress of John Ayres, of the City of London, then aged about twenty, became the fourth and last wife of Heneage Finch, Earl of Winchelsea, who died in 1689. She lived until 1745.
23 See Letter 23, note 17.
24 Enoch Sterne (see Letter 4, note 17).
25 Lieut.-Col. Robert Sterne was in Col. Frederick Hamilton"s Regiment in 1695.
26 Letter.
27 See Letter 13, note 10.
28 The t.i.tle was, John Bull in his Senses: being the Second Part of Law is a Bottomless Pit.
29 See Letter 36, note 6.
30 Cf. note 9 above. Forster reads "nautyas," when the words would mean "as naughty as nine," apparently.
31 See note 19 above.
32 In 1549, James, second Earl of Arran, was made Duke of Chatelherault by Henry II. of France. His eldest son died without issue; the second, John, became first Marquis of Hamilton, and was great-grandfather of Lady Anne Hamilton (d.u.c.h.ess of Hamilton), mother of the Duke of Swift"s Journal. The Earl of Abercorn, on the other hand, was descended from Claud, third son of the Earl of Arran, but in the male line; and his claim was therefore the stronger, according to the French law of inheritance.
33 Madams.
34 This word is doubtful. Forster reads "cobbled."