The Prose Works of Jonathan Swift, D.D., Vol. X. | Page 3

to Oxford on Monday, went to a friend in
Berkshire, there stayed until the Queen's death, and then to my station
here, where I stayed twelve years, and never saw my lord your father
afterward. They could not agree about printing the History of the Four
last Years and therefore I have kept it to this time, when I determine to
publish it in London, to the confusion of all those rascals who have
accused the queen and that ministry of making a bad peace, to which
that party entirely owes the Protestant succession. I was then in the
greatest trust and confidence with your father the lord-treasurer, as well
as with my Lord Bolingbroke, and all others who had part in the
administration I had all the letters from the secretary's office, during the
treaty of peace out of those, and what I learned from the ministry, I
formed that History, which I am now going to publish for the
information of posterity, and to control the most impudent falsehoods
which have been published since. I wanted no kind of materials. I knew
your father better than you could at that time, and I do impartially think
him the most virtuous minister, and the most able, that ever I remember
to have read of. If your lordship has any particular circumstances that
may fortify what I have said in the History, such as letters or materials,
I am content they should be printed at the end, by way of appendix. I
loved my lord your father better than any other man in the world,
although I had no obligation to him on the score of preferment, having
been driven to this wretched kingdom, to which I was almost a stranger,
by his want of power to keep me in what I ought to call my own

country, although I happened to be dropped here, and was a year old
before I left it, and to my sorrow did not die before I came back to it
again. As to the History, it is only of affairs which I know very well
and had all the advantages possible to know, when you were in some
sort but a lad. One great design of it is, to do justice to the ministry at
that time, and to refute all the objections against them, as if they had a
design of bringing in Popery and the Pretender: and farther to
demonstrate, that the present settlement of the crown was chiefly owing
to my lord your father...."
The Earl of Oxford had failed to extract the manuscript from Swift for
the purpose he had expressed in his letter. But his friend and Swift's old
friend, Erasmus Lewis, who had been Under-Secretary of State during
Lord Oxford's administration, came to the Earl's assistance. He had not
written to Swift for many years, but on June 30th, 1737, he took
occasion to renew the correspondence and referred to the proposal for
publishing the History in a manner which leaves no doubt as to who
suggested to him to write:
" ... Now I name him, I mean Lord Oxford, let me ask you if it be true,
that you are going to print a History of the Four Last Years of the
Queen? if it is, will not you let me see it before you send it to the press?
Is it not possible that I may suggest some things that you may have
omitted, and give you reasons for leaving out others? The scene is
changed since that period of time: the conditions of the peace of
Utrecht have been applauded by most part of mankind, even in the two
Houses of Parliament: should not matters rest here, at least for some
time? I presume your great end is to do justice to truth; the second point
may perhaps be to make a compliment to the Oxford family: permit me
to say as to the first, that though you know perhaps more than any one
man, I may possibly contribute a mite; and, with the alteration of one
word, viz. by inserting parva instead of _magna_, apply to myself that
passage of Virgil, et quorum pars parva fui. As to the second point, I
do not conceive your compliment to Lord Oxford to be so perfect as it
might be, unless you lay the manuscript before him, that it may be
considered here."
On the 4th of July, 1737, Oxford replied to Swift's letter of the 4th of
June (referring to it as of the 14th of June), and emphasizes his earnest
wish to see the manuscript. He also asks that it may be permitted him to

show it to some friends:
"GOOD MR. DEAN,
"Your letter of June 14th, in answer to mine of the