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THE

MONTHLY REVIEW,

For JULY, 1965

The Works of Dr. Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin. Vol. VIII. Collected and Revised by Deane Swift, Efq; of Goodrich, in Herefordshire. 4to. 12s. few'd.

The Same, in Two Vols. being the XV. and XVI. of the Large Octavo Edition. Pr. 10s. And in Three Vols. being the 15th, 16th and 17th of the small Octavo. Pr. 7s. 6d. Johnston.

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'N our Review for October 1762, we gave an account of two additional volumes (being the 7th of the quarto, and the 13th and 14th of the octavo editions) of the writings of our immortal Swift, We have now more taft words of this celebrated Writer; and, very fhortly, it feems, we are to have more ftill: for we learn that two other volumes, of the Dean's pieces, which have never yet feen the light, are now in the prefs, under the infpection of a gentleman of very confiderable eminence in the literary world. Hence, it is to be apprehended, that, from being folely regarded as the wittieft writer of his age, the Dean will henceforth be looked upon alfo as one of the most voluminous: a circumftance which he would himself have contemplated with very little fatisfaction. But it was his own fault. He should have been careful to deftroy, in time, every production of his pen, which he did not think worthy of being transmitted to pofterity:-He, who was, fo early in life, aware of the indifcreet officioufnefs of Friends, and the indefatigable induftry of Bookfellers !-Vid. Pref. to the 1ft Edit. of Swift's and Pope's Mifcellanies.

But, whatever fate may befal the Author's reputation, from the multiplicity and various merit of his writings, thofe who are warm admirers of the Dean's genius and literary talents, (and who is not an admirer of them?) will be pleafed with every new acquifition, every additional mite thrown by the hand of that great mafter, into the public treafury of wit and humour. VOL. XXXIII,

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To fuch, then, the main object of attention will be, the authenticity of the publications. This is a point that every reader and purchaser will confider as previously neceffary to be settled.

With regard to the genuineness of the prefent volumes, befides the internal evidence which is vifibly ftamped on the pieces they contain, it chiefly reft on the credit of Mr. Deane Swift, their Editor: a gentleman whofe name and character are too well established. with the public, to admit of the leaft fufpicion, in this refpect. Such of our Readers as have not feen his Efay on the Life. Writings, and Character of Dr. Jonathan Swift, may turn to the account of that performance, in the Twelfth Volume of our Review. Mr. Swift is a near relation of the celebrated Dean: his nephew, if we mistake not.

But that the authenticity of thefe remains may not appear to reft folely on the reputation of our Editor, he informs us, in his preliminary address to the Reader, that all the original manuscripts, not to mention two or three poems taken from the public prints, are in the Doctor's own hand; or, transcribed by his emanuenfis, have the fanction of his endorsement; fome few copies, for which indeed we have the honour to be obliged to our friends, only excepted.'-Thefe manufcripts, he adds, • we fhall depofite in the British Museum, provided the governors will please to receive them into their collection.'

The papers contained in this collection, are,-Political Tracts Letters to various Perfons-and Poems on feveral Occafions. Among the first clafs we have, 1. Memoirs relating to that Change which happened in the Queen's Miniftry, in the Year 1710. In this tract, the Dean, fondly dwelling on the idea of his own importance, and confequence with the Tory miniftry, gives fome account of his unfuccefsful endeavours to obtain, from perfons in power, the proper materials for writing the hiftory of her majefty's reign. That this intended work might the more naturally come from his pen, he tells us, that he was then ready to accept, and did actually folicit, the hiftoriogra pher's place, although of inconfiderable value, and of which he muft expect to have been deprived at the queen's death. The Dean, however, obtained neither the place nor the materials: a fhrewd token that he was, as hath been often fuppofed, rather the dupe than the confidante of that miniftry to which he appears to have been so zealously attached: Whether or not the world hath a great lofs, in being deprived of the history which Swift intended, of Queen Anne's reign, it is impoffible to determine; but if we may be allowed to guefs, the public detriment, on this account, could not be very confiderable for it would, moft probably, have been a partial and party bufinefs, conceived rather in the heat and ferment of faction, than in the genuine temper and spirit of Hiftory. Nor is this an unchari

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table furmife; for he hath afforded fufficient grounds for it, by a paffage in this very paper. I have often, fays he, preffed the Earl of Oxford, then lord treasurer, and my Lady Masham, who were the fole perfons which brought about that great change, to give me a particular account of every circumstance and paffage during that whole tranfaction: nor did this request proceed from curiofity or the ambition of knowing and publishing important fecrets; but from à fincere honeft defign of JUSTI FYING the queen, in the meafures fhe then took, and after pursued, against a load of fcandal which would certainly be thrown on her memory, with fame appearance of truth.' Here we have a plain confeffion that our volunteer hiftoriographer intended to take a part, and an open declaration what part, in the political contefts of thofe times. At all events the tory-queen was to be juftified; that queen too, of whom and of whofe government, he gives in this identical memoir, but a very indiffe rent character, and is here reprefented as an artful, diffembling, capricious woman; narrow and contracted in friendship, and fo infenfible of heart, that he could hardly be faid to love or to hate any body.' So that whatever virtues fhe poffeffed as a fovereign, the was, according to this reprefentation, not highly to be admired for her private virtues. Harley, too, Harley the nation's great fupport,' makes a lefs refpectable figure here, than in the Dean's other writings. Speaking of his difappointment in his scheme for writing the hiftory of the queen's reign, he fays, That incurable difeafe, either of negligence or procraftination, which influenced every action both of the queen and the Earl of Oxford, did in fome fort infect every one who had credit or bufinefs in court: for, after foliciting near four years, to obtain a point of fo great importance to the queen and her fervants, from whence I could propofe nothing but trouble, malice, and envy to myfelf, it was perpetually put off.'

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What a glorious administration of public affairs muft that have been, where the adminiftrators languifhed under fo fatal a political diftemper as negligence, or procraflination! Yet this negli gent or procraftinating government was to be juflified, at all events!-But was there not an hidden caufe for their procraftination, with regard to the Dean's defign,-a fecret into which he did not penetrate? Is it not poffible they were too confcious. that it might not be altogether advifable to entrust him with, or to expofe to the public eye, thofe circumftances and paffages' which he wanted to know? They, poffibly, were too well

aware,

We find a like furmife thrown out by the noble Remarker on the life and writings of Swift: He (the Dean) was employed, not trufted;

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aware, that a thorough juftification of all their measures, was a tafk beyond even the abilities of Swift to accomplish*.

2. The fecond paper in this publication, is entitled, Preface to the Hiftory of the Four laft Years of Queen Anne's Reign. Of › this Hiftory, an edition was published, from uncertain authority, in 1758; and an account was given of it in the 18th Vol. of our Review. In this fhort preface, there is nothing that deferves great notice, unless it be the Dean's high pretenfions to impartiality and integrity of heart, with regard to his views in writing the hiftory of that glorious period. I am perfuaded in my own mind, fays he, that I am doing my duty to God and man, by endeavouring to fet future ages right in their judgment. of that HAPPY REIGN, [rifum teneatis!] and as a faithful hiftorian, I cannot fuffer falfhoods to run on any longer, not only against all appearance of truth, as well as probability, but even against thofe happy events which owe their fuccefs to the very measures then fixed in the general peace.It is unneceffary to make any comment on this paffage. It may be fufficient barely to remind the English Reader that the peace which this Tory Hiftoriographer is eternally extolling, was the tory peace of Utrecht!

3. We have An Enquiry into the Behaviour of the late Queen's Ministry, with relation to their Quarrels among themfelves, and the Defign charged upon them, of altering the Succeffion of the Crown.In this piece, the Dean takes great pains to fhew the falfhood, the improbability, and even the impoffibility and abfurdity of the defign faid to have been formed by Anne and her laft miniftry, to alter the fucceffion, by fetting afide the Hanover family, and bringing in the pretender. This is, in truth, a very fenfible tract; in which the admirable Author feems to have talked his abilities, to prove his point: notwithstanding which, it will, if we mistake not, ftill be difficult, even at this day, (whercin the mifts of party are in a great measure difpelled, and the retrofpective view of thofe times is fo much cleared up) to convince a majority of the public, that no fuch scheme was ever formed, and would not really have been attempted, had it not been rendered abortive by the queen's

and at the fame time that he imagined himself a fubtile diver, who dexterously fhot into the profoundelt regions of politics, he was fuffered only to found the fhallows nearest the fhore, and was fcarce admitted to defcend below the froth at the top. Perhaps the deeper bottoms were too muddy for his inffection.' ORRERY.

How far, after all, Swift actually did accomplish part of his defigu, the public have feen, in his Hiftory of the Four laft Years of Queen Anne; of which work we have already delivered our fentiments: fee Rev. Vol XVIII. p. 258, 381.

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death. But whatever credit be given to the Dean's representation of the conduct of his tory friends, this tract must be allowed its merit, as a piece of compofition. The Author's fketches of fome favourite characters, though perhaps partially touched, bear, undoubtedly, ftrong refemblance to the originals, and are especially worth notice; for example:

ORMOND.

Of this nobleman's attainder, the Dean speaks with a tone of aftonishment, as an event which no one perfon in the three kingdoms did ever pretend to forefee;' and now it is done,' adds he, it looks like a dream to those who will confider the nobleness of his birth, the great merits of his ancestors, and his own; his long unfpotted loyalty, his affability, generofity, and sweetness of nature. I knew him long and well,' continues the Dean, and, excepting the frailties of his youth, which had been for fome years over, and that eafinefs of temper, which did fometimes lead him to follow the judgment of those who had, by many degrees, lefs understanding than himself; I have not converfed with a more faultlefs perfon; of great justice and charity, a true sense of religion, without oftentation; of undoubted valour, thoroughly skilled in his trade of a foldier; a quick and ready apprehenfion, with a good share of understanding, and a general knowlege in men and hiftory, although under fome difadvantage by an invincible modefty, which however could not but render him yet more amiable to thofe who had the honour and happiness of being thoroughly acquainted with him.'To this fhort and profeffedly imperfect character of the Duke of Ormond, Swift adds his own private conjecture, (and a very allowable one it will appear, to every candid reader) that when, by the direct and repeated commands of the queen, his mistress, the duke committed thofe faults for which he hath now forfeited his country, his titles, and his fortune; he no more conceived himself to be acting high treafon, than he did when he was wounded and a prifoner at Landent, for his fovereign king Wil liam, or when he took and burned the enemy's fleet at Vigo.'

BOLINGBROKE,

It happens to very few men, in any age or country, to come into the world with so many advantages of nature and fortune, as the late fecretary Bolingbroke: defcended from the beft families in England, heir to a great patrimonial estate, of a found conftitution, and a moft graceful, amiable person; but all thefe, had they been of equal value, were infinitely below, in degree, to the accomplishments of his mind, which was

+ It is printed London in the book, both in the 4to and 8vo editions. The language of this fentence is fomewhat inaccurate; but we have tranfcribed it literally,

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