embrace every opportunity to the last moment of my life to promote your Majesty's service, which is only promoting that of your people, as all who have had the honour to lay business before your Majesty ought in justice to acquaint the world. I think it therefore my duty, both to your Majesty and the public, to resign with the deepest sentiments of gratitude and humility the seals of the Secretary's Office, that they may be disposed of to one who, besides an inviolable zeal and attachment to your Majesty's interests, in which nobody shall ever go before me, I shall never be behind any one, has a suitable stock of health to go through the business of so great an employ.' DEAR SIR, ADDISON TO DEAN SWIFT. March 20th, 1717-18. Multiplicity of business, and a long dangerous fit of sickness, have prevented me from answering the obliging letter you honoured me with some time since; but, God be thanked, I cannot make use of either of these excuses at present, being entirely free both of my office 2 and my asthma. I dare not, however, venture myself abroad yet, but have sent the contents of your last to a friend3 of mine, (for he is very much so, though he is my successor,) who I hope will turn it to the advantage of the gentleman whom you mention. I know you have so much zeal and pleasure in doing kind offices to those you wish well to, that I hope you represent the hardship of the case in the strongest colours that it can possibly bear. However, as I always honoured you for your good nature, which is a very odd quality to celebrate in a man who has talents so much more shining in the eyes of the world, I should be In what language the original of this letter was written does not appear-probably French. 2 Secretary of State, which post Mr. Addison resigned, 14th of March, 1717-18, and had a pension granted him of £1500 a year. 3 James Craggs, Esq. Oldmixon says of him, "James Craggs, jun. Esq., was appointed one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, in the room of Joseph Addison, Esq., who was pleased to say of his successor to me, "That he was as fit a man for it as any in the kingdom; and that he never knew any man who had a greater genius for business, whether in parliament or out of parliament, than young Mr. Craggs, as will appear by his conduct." Hist. of England, p. 659. glad if I could any way concur with you in putting a stop to what you say is now in agitation. 1 I must here condole with you upon the loss of that excellent man, the bishop of Derry, who has scarcely left behind him his equal in humanity, agreeable conversation, and all kinds of learning. We have often talked of you with great pleasure; and upon this occasion I cannot but reflect upon myself, who, at the same time that I omit no opportunity of expressing my esteem for you to others, have been so negligent in doing it to yourself. I have several times taken up my pen to write to you, but have always been interrupted by some impertinence or other; and, to tell you unreservedly, I have been unwilling to answer so agreeable a letter, as that I received from you, with one written in form only; but I must still have continued silent, had I deferred writing till I could have made a suitable return. Shall we never again talk together in laconic? Whenever you see England, your company will be the most acceptable in the world at Holland House,2 where you are highly esteemed by Lady Warwick and the young Lord; though by none anywhere more than by, Sir, your most faithful, DEAR SIR, And most humble and obedient servant, ADDISON TO DEAN SWIFT. Bristol, Oct. 1st, 1718. I have received the honour of your letter at Bristol, where I have just finished a course of water-drinking, which I hope has pretty well recovered me from the leavings of my last winter's sickness. As for the subject of your letter, though you know an affair of that nature cannot well nor safely be trusted in writing, I desired a friend of mine to ac 'Dr. St. George Ashe. "It is to be regretted that we have not the letter from Swift, which appears to have renewed, after a long interval, the correspondence between these distinguished men. It would seem, from the readiness with which Addison embraces the proffered amity of the Dean, that he had entertained no prejudice against him from his quarrel with Steele: so that it may be fairly argued he had more reason in that unfortunate affair, than has been conceded in his favour by some of his biographers." Sir W. Scott. 2 The Dean had lodgings at Kensington in the summer of 1712; and Mr. Addison lived there at the same time, which was some years before his marriage with the Countess of Warwick. quaint Sir Ralph Gore, that I was under a pre-engagement, and not at my own choice to act in it; and have since troubled my Lady Ashe with a letter to the same effect, which I hope has not miscarried. However, upon my return to London, I will further inquire into that matter, and see if there is any room left for me to negotiate as you propose. I still live in hopes of seeing you in England; and if you would take my house at Bilton' in your way, (it lies upon the road within a mile of Rugby,) I would strive hard to meet you there, provided you would make me happy in your company for some days. The greatest pleasure I have met with for some months, is in the conversation of my old friend, Dr. Smalridge, who, since the death of the excellent man you mention,3 is to me the most candid and agreeable of all bishops; I would say, clergymen, were not deans comprehended under that title. We have often talked of you; and when I assure you he has an exquisite taste of writing, I need not tell you how he talks on such a subject. I look upon it as my good fortune, that I can express my esteem of you, even to those who are not of the bishop's party, without giving offence. When a man has so much compass in his character, he affords his friends topics enough to enlarge upon, that all sides admire. I am sure a zealous sincere and friendly behaviour distinguishes you as much as your many more shining talents; and as I have received particular instances of it, you must have a very bad opinion of me, if you do not think I heartily love and respect you; and that I am ever, dear sir, Your most obedient and Most humble servant, J. ADDISON. 1 A small village in Warwickshire, where Mr. Addison's only daughter long resided, and died in 1797, at a very advanced age. 2 Bishop of Bristol. Dr. St. George Ashe, Bp. of Derry. Addison, it must be remembered, was a witness appealed to by both parties, in the dispute between Swift and Steele, nor was he likely to have paid this very pointed compliment to our author on the steadiness of his friendships, had there been real ground for charging him with gross injustice towards a person with whom Addison himself was still more intimately connected both by private intercourse and party habits. Walter Scott. Sir Since the preceding pages were printed off, the following papers have been discovered. They relate to the subject mentioned at pages 506, 507, THE QUARREL BETWEEN THE KING AND THE PRINCE OF WALES (afterwards GEORGE II.). The French letter which follows on the next page is the enclosure referred to at page 506, and is, as we suspected, the original of that given in English at page 507. It would appear that Sunderland and Temple Stanyan, as well as Addison, were busy in forwarding Crown' statements of the affair to foreign envoys, as we see by the two next letters. Accounts of it will be found in Rapin, (i. e. Tindal,) vol. v. 550, Jesse's Court of England, vol. iii. p. 5-14, Walpole's Reminiscences and Mem. of GEO. II., Lamberty, Mem. du 18me Siècle; Pictorial England, iv. 343, and elsewhere. Strange to say, it is not even alluded to in Smollett's continuation of Hume. THE EARL OF SUNDERLAND TO MR. DAYROLLES. SIR, Whitehall, 3rd December, 1717. Having now four mails due from Holland, I should have nothing to write to you, but that I think it convenient you should know the true state of the unfortunate affair that has lately happened in the Royal Family, of which you will find a summary account in my Office Circular. This is a matter that one would wish it were possible to conceal; but, as the world will have the story, and probably not a little misrepresented, it is fit you should be informed of the truth, both for your own private use, and to set others right, as there may be occasion. I am, Sir, Your most humble servant, TEMPLE STANYAN (FOR ADDISON) TO MR. WORSLEY. SIR, Mr. Secretary Addison, being indisposed, has directed me to acquaint you, that he has received your favour of the 14th past, with the enclosed papers relating to Mr. La Roche, since which he has likewise received yours of the 30th past, concerning the British merchants being ordered by the viceroy to quit their residence in the Bahia in Brazil. Upon which subjects Mr. Consul Poyntz has also writ to him. My Lord Sunderland has laid your letters before the King; and Mr. Secretary hopes to receive his Majesty's commands upon them, as soon as his health will permit. As people will be very busy in talking of an unfortunate affair that has lately happened in the Royal Family, and which, in all likelihood, may be very much misrepresented, I VOL. V. 2 L herewith transmit to you, by Mr. Secretary's order, the enclosed paper, containing a distinct relation of that matter, which has likewise been communicated to all the Foreign Ministers. Mr. Secretary heartily wishes it were possible to conceal this disagreeable story; but, as it must be public, he thinks it fit you should know the truth of it, both for your own information, and that you may set others right, who shall happen to ask about it. Application having been made to Mr. Secretary in behalf of Mr. Samuel Freemantle, an English merchant in Lisbon, for the recovery of several debts due to him from some Portuguese noblemen and others, Mr. Secretary takes leave, at the request of a friend of his, to recommend the said Freemantle's case to your favour and assistance; and though his Majesty has not been applied to on his account, Mr. Secretary orders me to tell you, that he questions not but you will do the said Mr. Freemantle such good offices as may be consistent with the justice of his demands and the laws of the country, and he desires you will speak to Mr. Consul Poyntz to do the like. I am, sir, Mr. Worsley. Your most obedient and ADDISON'S FRENCH CIRCULAR ON THE ROYAL QUARREL. (Of which the translation is given at p. 507.) Londres, le 14 Decembre, 1717. Sa Majesté aiant été informée qu'on fait courir plusieurs bruits, la plus part mal fondez, de ce qui s'est passé dernierement dans la Famille Royale, m'a ordonné de vous en envoier la Relation ci-incluse. Aussitôt que le jeune Prince fut né, le Roi se fit informer de ce qu'on avoit accoutumé d'observer en pareil cas dans ce Royaume, par rapport à la ceremonie de Batême; et ayant vu par les Registres, que lorsque c'étoit un garçon, et que le Roi en étoit le Parrain, il avoit accoutumé de nommer pour second Parrain un des principaux Seigneurs de la Cour, et le plus souvent le Lord Chambellan, il nomma pour cette fonction le Duc de Newcastle, qui est revêtu de cette charge; nommant en même tems pour Marraine la Duchesse de St. Alban's, première dame d3 honneur de Madame la Princesse. |