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our ancestors to preferve the memory of times and perfons, than we find in this age of learning and politenets, as we are pleafed to call it. The rude Latin of the Monks is ftill very intelligible; whereas, had their records been delivered down only in the vulgar tongue, fo barren and fo barbarous, fo fubject to continual fucceeding changes, they could not now be understood, uniefs by antiquaries, who make it their study to expound them. And we muft at this day have been content with fuch poor abstracts of our English ftory, as laborious men of low genius would think fit to give us, and even thefe in the next age would be likewife fwallowed up in fucceeding collections. If things go on at this rate, all I can promife your Lordship, is, that, about two hundred years hence, fome painful compiler, who will be at the trouble of studying our language, may inform the world, that in the reign of Queen Anne, Robert Earl of Oxford, a very wife and excellent man, was made High Treasurer, and faved his country, which in those days was aluoft ruined by a Foreign War and a Domestic Faction. Thus much he may be able to pick out, and willing to transfer into his new hiftory; but the rest of your character, which I or any other writer may now value ourfelves by drawing, and the particular account of the great things done under your miniftry, for which you are already fo celebrated in moft parts of Europe, will probably be dropped, on account of the antiquated style and manner they are delivered in. How then fhall any man, who hath a genius for history equal to the beft of the ancients, be able to undertake fuch a work with fpirit and chearfulness, when he confiders that he will be read with pleasure but a very few years, and in an age or two fhall hardly be ur derftood without an interpreter? This is like employing an excellent ftatuary to work upon mouldering ftone. Thofe, who apply their ftudies to preferve the memory of others,

will always have fome concern for their own. And I believe it is for this reason, that fo few writers among us of any diftinction have turned their thoughts to fuch a difcouraging employment: for the best English hiftorian muft lie under this mortification, that, when his ftyle grows antiquated, he will be only confidered as a tedious relator of facts; and perhaps confulted in his turn among other neglected authors to furnish materials for fome future collector.

I doubt your lordship is but ill entertained with a few fecattered thoughts upon a subject, that deferves to be treated with ability and care: however, I must beg leave to add a few words more, perhaps not altogether foreign to the fame matter. I know not whether that which I am going to fay may palsfor caution, advice, or reproach, any of which will be justly thought very improper from one in my ftation to one in yours. However, I muft venture to affirm, that if genius and learning be not encouraged under your lordship's adminiftration, you are the most inexcufable perfon alive. All your other virtues, my Lord, will be defective: without this; your affability, candor, and good nature; that perpetual agreeablenefs of converfation, fo difengaged in the midst of such a weight of bufinefs and oppofition; even your juftice, prudence, and magnanimity, will fhine lefs bright without it. Your lordship is univerfally allowed to poffefs a very large portion in moft parts of literature; and to this you owe the cultivating those many virtues which otherwife would have been lefs adorned, or in lower perfection. Neither can you acquit yourself of thefe obligations, without letting the arts in their turn fhare your influence and protection befides, who knows but fome true genius: may happen to arife under your miniftry, exortus ut aetherius fol. Every age might perhaps produce one or two of these to adorn it, if they were not

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funk under the cenfure and obloquy of plodding fervile, imitating pedants; I do not mean by a true genius, any bold writer, who breaks through the rules of decency to distinguish himself by the fingularity of his opinions: but one, who upon a deferving fubject is able to open new fcenes, and difcover a vein of true and noble thinking, which never entered into any imagination before; every stroke of whose pen is worth all the paper blotted by hundreds of others in the compass of their lives. I know, my Lord, your friends all offer in your defence, that, in your private capacity, you never refused your purfe and credit to the fervice and fupport of learned or ingenious men; and that ever fince you have been in public employment, you have conftantly beftowed your favours on the most deferving perfons. But I defire your lordship not to be deceived: we never will admit of these excufes, nor will allow your private liberality, as great as it is, to attone for your exceffive public thrift. But here again I am afraid most good fubjects will interpofe in your defence, by alledging the defperate condition you found the nation in, and the neceffity there was for fo able and faithful a fteward to retrieve it, if poffible, by the utmost frugality. We grant all this, my Lord; but then it ought likewise to be confidered, that you have already faved several millions to the public, and that what we afk is too inconfiderable to break into any rules of the strictest good husbandry. The French King bestows about half a dozen penfions to learned men in feveral parts of Europe, and perhaps a dozen in his own kingdom; which in the whole do probably not amount to half the income of many a private commoner in England; yet have more contributed to the glory of that prince, than any million he hath otherwife employed. For learning, like all true merit, is eafily fatisfied; whilft the falfe and counterfeit is perpetually craving, and never thinks

it hath enough. The smallest favour given by a great prince, as a mark of esteem, to reward the endowments of the mind, never fails to be returned with praise and gratitude, and loudly celebrated to the world. I have known fome years ago feveral pensions given to particular perfons (how defervedly I fhall not enquire), any one of which, if divided into fmaller parcels, and distributed by the crown, to those who might upon occafion diftinguish themselves by fome extraordinary production of wit or learning, would be amply fufficient to anfwer the end. Or if any fuch perfons were above money (as every great genius certainly is, with very moderate conveniencies of life), a medal, or fome mark of diftinction, would do full as well.

But I forget my province, and find myfelf turning projector before I am aware; although it be one of the laft characters under which I should defire to appear before your Lordship, especially when I have the ambition of afpiring to that of being, with the greatest respect and truth,

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Some FREE THOUGHTS upon the PRESENT STATE of AFFAIRS.

Written in the year 1714.

WHATEVE

7HATEVER may be thought or practifed by profound politicians, they will hardly be able to convince the reafonable part of mankind, that the most plain, short, easy, and lawful way to any good end is not more eligible, than one direct

About a month before the demife of Queen Anne, the Dean having laboured to reconcile the minifters to each other without fuc cefs, retired to the houfe of a friend in Berkshire, and never faw them more. But, during this retreat, he wrote the following treatife, which he thought might be of fome use even in that juncture, and fent it up to London to be printed: but, upon fome difference in opinion between the author and the late Lord Bolingbroke, the publication was delayed till the Queen's death: and then he recalled his copy. It was afterwards placed in the hands of the late Alderman Barber, from whom it was obtained to be printed. The ruin of the miniftry by this animofity among themfelves, was long forefeen and foretold by Swift; and it appears by Lord Bolingbroke's letter to Sir William Wyndham, that in his heart he renounced his friendship for Oxford long hefore the conclusion of the peace, though it did not appear till afterwards. "The peace", fays he, "which "had been judged to be the only folid foundation whereupon we "could erect a Tory fyftem, and yet when it was made we found "ourselves at a ftand; nay, the very work, which ought to have "been the bafis of our strength, was in part demolished before our "" eyes, and we were ftoned with the ruins of it." This event pro

bably rendered the difunion of the miniftry vifible; fome principally endeavouring to fecure themselves, fome ftill labouring to effablish at all events the party they had efpoufed, which faw nothing but "in"crease of mortification and nearer approaches to ruin". And it is not to be wondered at, that when this treatise was written, the Dean's attempts to reconcile his friends were uniuccefeful; for Bolingbroke declares, that he abhorted Oxford to fuch a degree, that he would rather have fuffered banishment or death, than have taken measures in concert with him to have avoided either.

When you have read this pamphlet, digito compesce labellum. OrTery.

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