fome very bad effects, which are likely to ftick long enough by us.

I had likewife in thofe days a mortal antipathy againft-Standing Armies in times of Peace: Because I always took Standing Armies to be only fervants hired by the Master of the family for keeping his own children in slavery; and because I conceived, that a Prince who could not think himself fecure without Mercenary Troops, muft needs have a feparate intereft from that of his Subjects. Although I am not ignorant of those artificial Necessities which a corrupted Ministry can create, for keeping up Forces to fupport a Faction against the public Interest.

As to Parliaments, I adored the wisdom of that Gothic inftitution, which made them annual: and I was confident our Liberty could never be placed upon a firm foundation until that ancient law were restored among us. For, who fees not, that, while fuch Affemblies are permitted to have a longer duration, there grows up a commerce of corruption between the Miniftry and the Deputies, wherein they both find their accounts, to the manifest danger of Liberty? which Traffic would neither answer the design nor expence, if Parliaments met once a year.

I ever abominated the fcheme of Politics, (now about thirty years old) of fetting up a monied Interest in oppofition to the landed. For I conceived, there could not be a truer maxim in our Government than this, that the Poffeffors of the foil are the best Judges of what is for the advantage of the kingdom. If

others had thought the fame way, Funds of Credit and South-fea Projects would neither have been felt nor heard of.

I could never discover the neceffity of suspending any Law upon which the Liberty of the most innocent Perfons depended; neither do I think this Practice hath made the taste of Arbitary Power fo agreeable, as that we should defire to fee it repeated. Every Rebellion fubdued and Plot difcovered, contribute to the firmer establishment of the Prince: In the latter cafe, the knot of Confpirators is entirely broke, and they are to begin their work anew under a thousand disadvantages; so that those diligent inquiries into remote and problematical guilt, with a new power of enforcing them by chains and dungeons to every perfon whole face a Minifter thinks fit to dislike, are not only opFoûte to that Maxim, which declareth it better that ten guilty men should escape, than one innocent fuffer; but likewise leave a gate wide open to the whole Tribe of Informers, the most accurfed, and prostitute, and abandoned race, that God ever permitted to plague mankind.

It is true, the Romans had a custom of chufing & Dictator, during whofe adminiftration the Power of other Magistrates was fufpended; but this was done upon the greatest emergencies; a War near their doors, or fome civil Diffention: For Armies niuft be governed by arbitrary power. But when the Virtue

of that Commonwealth gave place to luxury and ambition, this very office of Dictator became perpetual in in the perfons of the Cæfars and their Succeffors, the moft infamous Tyrants that have any where appeared in ftory.

These are some of the fentiments I had, relating to public affairs, while I was in the world: what they are at prefent, is of little importance either to that or myfelf; neither can I truly say I have any at all, or, if I had, I dare not venture to publish them: For however orthodox they may be while I am now writing, they may become criminal enough to bring me into trouble before Midsummer. And indeed I have often wifhed for fome time past, that a political Catechifin might be published by authority four times a year, in order to inftruct us how we are to fpeak, write, and act during the current quarter. I have by experience felt the want of fuch an instructor: For, intending to make my court to fome people on the prevailing fide, by advancing certain old whiggish principles, which, it seems, had been exploded about a month before, I have paffed for a difaffected perfon. I am not igno. rant how idle a thing it is, for a man in obfcurity to attempt defending his reputation as a Writer, while the spirit of Faction hath fo univerfally poffeffed the minds of men, that they are not at leisure to attend They will just give themselves time to libel and accufe me, but cannot fpare a minute to So in a plot-discovering age, I

to any thing else.

hear my defence.

have often known an innocent man feized and impri

foned, and forced to lie feveral months in chains, while the Ministers were not at leisure to hear his petition, until they had profecuted and hanged the number they propofed.

All I can reasonably hope for by this letter, is to convince my friends, and others who are pleased to wish me well, that I have neither been fo ill a Subject nor fo ftupid an Author, as I have been reprefented by the virulence of Libellers, whofe malice hath taken the fame train in both, by fathering dangerous Principles in government upon me, which I never maintained, and infipid Productions which I am not capable of writing. For however I may have been foured by perfonal ill treatment, or by melancholy prospects for the public, I am too much a politician to expofe my own fafety by offenfive words. And, if my genius and fpi rit be funk by encreasing years, I have at least enough discretion left, not to mistake the measure of my own abilities, by attempting subjects where thofe Talents are neceffary, which perhaps I may have loft with my youth.

LETTER VI.

Dr SWIFT to Mr GAY.

Dublin, Jan. 8. 1722-3.

Oming home after a fhort Christmas-ramble, I found a letter upon my table, and little expect ed when I opened it to read your name at the bottom. The best and greatest part of my life, until these laft eight years, I spent in England: there I made my

friendships, and there I left 1 my defires. I am condemned for ever to another country; What is in prudence to be done? I think to be oblitufque meorum, oblivifcendus & illis. What can be the design of your letter but malice, to wake me out of a fcurvy fleep, which however is better than none? I am towards nine years older fince I left you, yet that is the least of my alterations; my bufinefs, my diverfions, my converfations, are all entirely changed for the worse, and fo are my studies and my amufements in writing; yet, after all, this humdrum way of life might be paffable enough, if you would let me alone. I fhall not be able to relish my wine, my parfons, my horfes, nor my garden for three months, until the fpirit you have raifed shall be difpoffeffed. I have sometimes wondered that I have not vifited you; but I have been stopt by too many reafons, befides years and laziness, and yet thefe are very good ones. Upon my return after half a year amongst you, there would be to me Defiderio nec pudor nec modus. I was three years reconciling myself to the scene, and the bufinefs, to which fortune hath condemned me, and ftupidity was what I had recourse to. Befides, what a figure fhould I make in London, `while my friends are in poverty, exile, distress, or imprifonment, and my enemies with rods of iron? Yet I often threaten myfelf with the journey, and am every fummer practising to get health to bear it: The only inconvenience is, that I grow old in the experiment. Although I care not to talk to you as a Divine, yet I hope you have not been author of your colic: do you