to his verses, the only fault of which seems to be a monotony, and want of different pauses, occasioned by translating a poem in rhyme, which he avoided in his Milton. It is one mark of a poem intrinsically good that it is capable of being well translated. The political conduct of Prior was blamed on account of the part he took in the famous partition treaty; but in some valuable memoirs of his life, written by the honourable Mr. Montagu, his friend, which were also in the possession of the Dutchess Dowager of Portland, this conduct is clearly accounted for, and amply defended. In those memoirs are many curious and interesting particulars of the history of that time.

In a curious and original letter which I have read, by the favour of the late Dutchess Dowager of Portland, Prior speaks thus slightingly of the veracity of the celebrated Earl of Peterborough to Lord Oxford, Feb. 10, 1714.-"Lord Peterborough," says he, "is gone from Genoa in an open boat-that's one; 300 miles by sea-that's two; that he was forced ashore twenty times by tempests and majorkeens, to lie among the rocks—that's—how many, my lord treasurer ?"

* * *

III. From Bolingbroke's Correspondence. 4 vols. 8vo. Sept. 1712. What I trouble you with is, you see, a parcel of letters, which have been brought hither, and were left during my writing from Fontainbleau. They are, I believe, of no great worth, and might have staid on this side for ever. Indeed, they had like to have done so, for your friend Matt has for fifty hours past had a trousse-galante dans toutes les formes, and I was of opinion that I was

going ad Palamedem, ad Ulyssem, et Heroas. I have changed this opinion these twelve hours past, and I hope to live with Lord Treasurer and Lord Bolingbroke, who are e'en as good company; why do I not hear from you all?

Jan. 1713-Matt to Henry.-I have heard no more from the Congress at Utrecht, than if it were the council of Jerusalem. What last I had from you thence, I faithfully transferred to you, expecting your orders thereupon. If you agree with the proposal of Newfoundland, which is the same you and I (N. B. this is Matt and Harry) laid down and if we can take 1664 for our plan, in order to reduce the traffic to that era, the peace is made. Otherwise I see no shore. Not but that I am ready to swim as long as you please in alto mari or super altum mare, for that you will remember was a point of grammar long discussed: as are some other points, arrogat, or assumpsit, and-parlons d'autres choses.

I

have made your compliments to my Lady Dutchess, and thank you for the hint as to the morbré in truffles.' 'Non sunt contemnenda quasi parva, sine quibus magna constare non possunt.'

TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF SHREWSBURY.

(With Montaign's Essays inclosed in the above Letter.)

DICTATE, oh, mighty judge, what thou hast seen
Of cities and of courts, of books and men,
And deign to let thy servant hold thy pen.

This passage alludes to some trifles which he had sent to Q. Anne.

Through ages thus I might presume to live,
And from the transcript of thy prose receive
What my own short-liv'd verse can never give.

Thus should fair Britain, with a gracious smile,
Receive the work; the venerable isle,

For more than treaties made, should bless my toil.

Nor longer hence the Gallic style preferr'd,
Wisdom in English idiom should be heard,

While Shrewsbury told the world when Montagne err'd.

-Are they good? What think you of an oak, which is Britain; a trophy of arms at the bottom of it, a wreath of palm hung on the tree; over the trophy, innumeris potior.

*

1713, May 10. Brother Sim is here, very well and hearty. He tells me, you have rescued Cato from Whigism. I have spoke to Lord Chamberlain concerning Booth, and I believe we may procure any encouragement for him that is reasonable. Note, Cato means Addison, who, though by party a Whig, associated with the principal men on the Tory side. The day on which the account of the peace arrived, he dined with Bolingbroke.

1713, Sept.-Poor Dick Skelton dines sometimes, I think, in York Buildings. He has done so these three years, but colic, spleen, and disappointment, sour people's digestion. Pray persist in your good opinion of him, my Lord, for he really deserves it from you. I have likewise engaged the Duke of Shrewsbury to put in a kind word in his behalf; for what, in God's name, do we translate our odes, and write our little stuff, but to be able to do our friends some good? and why is a man, who may be useful to the public, and whose heart is with us, to lie fallow till either we have

not the power to do him service, or till he wants health to enjoy our friendly offices? I wish I had a word from Lord Treasurer; but wishes are vain, and sighs cannot obtain, as Sir Car Scroop most elegantly expresses

1713. * * Adieu, my dear Lord; if at my return I may help you any way in your drudgery, the youngest clerk you have is not more at your command: and if at the old hour of midnight after your drudgery, a cold blade-bone of mutton in Duke Street will go down sicut olim, it, with all that belongs to the master of the house (except Nanny) is entirely yours. Adieu. May God bless you, men respect you, and women love you.

1714, Jan. 18.—The very apprehensions I felt from what you said of the Queen's being ill, though you added the news of her being recovered, gave my carcase a very ugly shock: so much do my own fears naturally outweigh my joys, or plainer, so much am I rather a coward than a hero. Good God! what a thousand things have I thought, since I received your letter, if that should happen, which one hates even to think of, what is to become of us? What sort or set

of men are to be our taskmasters? and what sluices are we provided with, to save Great Britain from being overflowed? after what would become of us all? the thought, I grant you, is very mean, what would become of me? but humanity is frail and querulous. If the prospect, therefore, of this evil, though, I hope, far removed, be dreadful to the masters of Mortimer Castle, Hinton St. George, Stanton Harcourt, or Bucklebury, what must it be to friend Matt, qui oppressus inimicis et invidia, ærumnis et paupertate, morbis et annis, or, as it is upon the tombstone, sine goods, sine lands, sine riches? Why wont Lord Treasurer think of

this one half hour, since we may do it at any half hour, since he intends to do it, I believe: and possibly, half an hour too late, will be as sorry as myself that it was not done? But if the Queen is well, hang all the rest. Gaultier had alarmed this court; upon your letter I was glad to convince them that there was no ground for their apprehensions, your Lordship's letter giving so good an account of her majesty's indisposition being so happily past. And accordingly I continued the appointment and invitation I had made to some of our friends to dine with me yesterday. Monsieur could not, as he promised, come, the king having appointed him to wait on his majesty at Monti. But I had women, Croissy, Torcy, Bouzolles, and (as Madame Croissy had invited her, Lady Jersey) men, Card. Polignac, Abbé Pompone, Count Croissy, and that gang. Albergetti to sing accompagnement de musique, and every thing à l'honneur de l'Angleterre. But under this mask of mirth—premit alto corde dolorem —till I hear from England more particularly, that the Queen's health is confirmed, &c.

1714, April.—By what I have sent you inclosed, I hope, my dear Lord Bolingbroke, I shall hear no more of sluices "till Shiloh comes." What are ye all doing in England, and (as these people ask me) who are the government? For my own part, I hear nothing from that merry island, but that you, I, and all our friends are called rogues and rascals all the day long, and in every coffee-house. Quousque tandem? &c.

MY DEAR LORD AND FRIEND,

May 1, 1714. MATTHEW had never so great an occasion to write a word to Henry as now; it is noised here that I am soon to return. The question that I wish I could answer to the many that ask, and to our friend Colbert