Politician. How many kind of audiences are there?

Student. Two, which are called a public audience, and a private audience.

Politician. What fhould a foreign minister's behavicur be when he has firft audience?

Student. He fhould bow profoundly, speak deliberately, and wear both fides of his long perriwig before.

By thefe few questions and anfwers you may be able to make fome judgment of the usefulnefs of this politic treatise. Wicquefort, it is true, can never be fufficiently admired for his elaborate treatife of the conduct of an embaffador in all his negociations; but I defign this only as a compendium, or the embaffador's manuel, or vade mecum.

I have wrote fo far of this letter, and do not know who to fend it to; but I have now determined to fend it, either to Dr. Arbuthnot, of the dean of St. Patrick's, or to both. My. lord Clarendon is very much approved of at court; and I believe is not diffatisfied with his reception. We have not much variety of. diverfions: what we did yesterday and to-day, we fhall do to-morrow; which is to go to court, and walk in the gardens at Herenhaufen. If I write any more, my letter will be just like my diverfions, the fame thing over and over again.

Sa

So, Sirs, your most obliged, humble ferJ. GAY.

vant,

I would have writ this letter over again, but I had not time. Correct all erratas.

LETTER CLX.

Dr. AR BUTH NOT to Dr. SWIFT. Oct. 19, 1714.

DEAR BROTHER,

Ev VEN in affliction your letter made me melancholy, and communicated fome of the spleen, which you had, when you wrote it, and made me forfeit some of my reputation of chearfulnefs and temper under affliction. However, I have so many subjects amongst my friends and fellow-fervants to be grieved for, that I can' eafily turn it off myself with credit. The queen's poor fervants are like fo many poor orphans expofed in the very ftreets. And thofe, whofe past obligations of gratitude and honour ought to have engaged them to have represented their cafe, pass by them, like fo many abandoned creatures, without the poffibility of ever being able to make the leaft return for a favour, which has added to my theory of human virtue.

I wish I did not only haunt you in the obliging and affectionate fenfe you are pleased to exprefs it, but were perfonally prefent with you; and I think it were hardly in the power of fortune not to make some minutes pleasant.

I dine with my lord and lady Masham to-day, where we will as ufually, remember you.

You have read ere this time the history of the White Staff*, which is either contrived by an enemy, or by himself, to bring down vengeance; and I have told fome of his nearest friends fo. All the dragon can say will not give him one fingle friend amongst the whole party; and therefore I even wonder at him, which you will fay is a ftrange thing. The very great perfon of all + can hardly speak of him with patience. The Conde acts like a man of fpirit, makes up to the k

and talks to him, and would have acted with more fense than any of them, could he have had any body to have acted along with him: nos numerus fumus, &c. The man you speak of is just as you describe, fo I beg pardon. Shadwell fays, he will have my place at Chelsea. Garth told me, his merit was giving intelligence about his mistress's health. I defired he would da me the favour to fay, that I valued myself

* A pamphlet written by Mr. Daniel de Foe, and published in 1714, in 8vo, in two parts, under the title of The Secret biftory of the White Staff; being an account of affairs under the conduct of fome late minifters, and of what might probably have happened, if her majesty bad not died. Soon after the publication of it cameout in 8vo, A detection of the fophiftry and falfities of the pamphlet, entitled, The fecret hiftory of the White Sto, containing an enquiry into the Staff's conduct in the Late management, particularly with respect to the proteffant fucceffion.

+ Probably king George I.'

прои

upon quite the contrary; and I hoped to live to fee the day, when his majesty would value me the more for it too. I have not feen any thing as yet to make me recant a certain inconvenient opinion I have, that one cannot pay too dear for peace of mind.

Poor philofopher Berkeley has now the idea* of health, which was very hard to produce in. him; for he had an idea of a ftrange feven upon him fo ftrong, that it was hard to deftroy it by introducing a contrary one. Poor Gay is much where he was, only out of the † duchess's family and fervice. He has fome confidence in the princess and countess of Picbourgh; I wifh it may be fignificant to him. I advised him to make a poem upon the princefs before the came over, defcribing her to the English ladies; for it seems the princess does not diflike that. She is really a perfon, that I believe will give great content to every body. But Gay was in fuch a groveling condition, as to the affairs of the world, that his mufe would not ftoop to vifit him. I can fay no more of news, than that you will find the proceedings hitherto have been comparatively gentle. Adieu.

This alludes to his book, in which he attempts to prove, that all things fuppofed to depend upon a material world fubfift only in idea.

The duchefs of Monmouth.

Vol. II.

L

LET.

Dr. ARBUTH NOT to Dr. SWIFT. ¶ Thank you kindly for yours, with the inclofed from our friend. I would have obeyed your commands as to the history of the White Staff; but that there really is no answer to it, more than a thing, that rises juft out of what is faid in the hiftory. None wrote on purpose by any one, that knows matters of fact, or can contradict what he fays; or indeed wrote by concert of the perfons, that are attacked. And I reckon any other is not worth your while to read. The dragon denies it; but as I told the governor, it is neceffary for him to do that in a very folemn and ftrong manner; elfe there will be a ripping anfwer, as you fay. All things go on at the ufual rate. I am at an uncertainty ftill as to my little office. I leave them to do juft as they pleafe. George Fielding and brigadier Brittain are grooms of the bedchamber, which does not feem altogether the doing of a certain great man. The groom of the tole is ftill uncertain, lying betwixt two, that you know. I am told, that the great perfon of all has spoke more contemptibly of the dragon than of any body, and in very hard terms. Has not he managed finely at laft? The princefs gives great content to every body. I will add no more, being to write

* Written on the fame paper with the raft.