Prior to the Earl of Halifax.

Paris, the 9th Aug. N. S. 1698.

Rt. Hon'ble S'r, and my dear Master,

I congratulate your being made one of our Lords Regents, with all the respect and duty of a good subject. I remember I wrote six Verses to you 10 years since, which had a spirit of prophecy in them; they had a litteral sence then, and are verified to have had a typical meaning likewise.

Theseus still lov'd, and follow'd still his friend,
Whilst great Alcides upon earth remain'd:
But when the Hero was to Heaven receiv'd,'
Most the Youth wanted him, yet least he griev'd,
Pleas'd that the friend was in the God improv'd,
He learn'd to worship what before he lov'd.

Really, Master, I am mightily satisfied to see you in the place where you are; as I should have been too, to have bawled out a Montagu in Tuttle-feilds, and to have kept my Aunt tight to your interests, who, I think, does not heartily forgive you, or Worseley's Manes, the breaking her windows in former days.

They say, you are to be made a Scotch Earl,-an English Duke, with all my soul!

All this time, I am fluttering about Paris in a gilt chariott, with 3 footmen in gay coats; so far it goes well: but the galloonman, the taylour, the harness-maker, the coach-man, begin to grow very troublesome, &c. for I could write a quire upon this subject. Confess however, my dear Master, that greatness is very barren, and the glories of this world very empty, if Mr. Montagu in all his honours cannot help his friend Matt to 500 pounds on this occasion.

I have written to Lord Portland and Mr. Secretary Vernon long politic letters, of the preparations these people make, in case the King of Spain should dye; and in all probability that sickly monarch will not linger out much more than this autumn. I wish the business of Schonenberg were made up, and that we had any body that might speak to them at Madrid. The Imperial minister there asks all, and can gett nothing effected; whilst the French ambassad'r is seemingly modest in his demands, and engaging the counsell underhand into his interests.

Every thing here is in a profound tranquillity: the King's going from Marli to Meudon, and from Meudon to Versailles, is all one hears of--the Grand Prieur affronted the Prince of Conti, and was putt into the Bastile for so doing; he is at liberty again,

and all is well.

We are to have a Hounslow heath campayne the beginning of next month: Lord Jersey will not be here, or at least will not have had his audience, so I must gett a cock-horse.-N. B. à

new expense.

This place is far from affording any pleasure: every body goes four times a week to the opera, to see Bellerophon kill the Chimera. Sum paulo infirmior, I confess; and cannot love musick to that degree, as to hear the same thing 50 times, and especially in the dogg-days. mulig obrtis gith or engin d

There is some tolerable satisfaction in the company of some of their men of learning; but those who expect most preferment from court, are a little shy of being much with me. ni bancala The women here are all practiced jades-unam cognoras, omnes noras: they are all painted, and instructed, so that they look and talk like one another. They have nothing of nature, nor passion ; and the men neglect them, and make love to each other, *** 1 I do not doubt but that I shall stay here with my Lord Jersey a good while; so that, if I had my four pound a day settled, and could but gett some thing of my arrears pay'd, or some money advanced, I should be out of the hands of harpies, who make me pay so very deep for ready money, and in a way of being before hand with my business, so as to get two thousand pounds before hand. I have written you a rare rapsody of a letter; pardon it, my dear Master, and write one word to me, 3 lines only, believing me to be with the greatest truth and respect, bo

My Lord,

Joule 011

gdab zuit pul val je u aut Paris, the 23-12 Oct. 1714. 10. 11 1'}, bur

The answering my last letter is a point, referable only to your own goodness. Friendship can no more be forced, than love; and those persons sometimes are the objects, of both our indulgences in this kind,, who may least have deserved our favour, have, however, the satisfaction to believe, that you think me an honest man, and an English man. For my having acted as the queen's orders given me by her ministers enjoyned, my dispatches sent to the court of England, the copies of my letters here, (I may add) the testimony of the D. of Shrewsb'ry, and all I have had to do with, and my own mens conscia, recti, will abundantly justify me. For the pride of my mind, pass; there may be some defects and faults in it on that side: but for the

integrity of it, and as to any underhand doings, before God, angels, and man, I shall stand cleared: and you, my Lord, may pass your word and honour upon that account. I will only add, that few men alive have more merit in this regard then myself; and as long as the 4th article, either of Ryswick or of Utrecht, remain legible, I may as well be thought a Mahumetan, as a Jacobite. But as these are little reflexións raised by the underlings, who had a mind to justify some of their masters' being angry with me, so they will all fall half an hour after you are pleased to be my friend. Pray let that be within half an hour after you received this letter. And now, at the same time that I congratulate your being again first Commiss'r of the treasury, I must implore the immediate succour of your justice and humanity: I will complain as little as I can, and just as much as is absolutely necessary to let your Lords'p see the present state of my affairs; and, I believe, in this the D. of Shrewsbury's goodness has prevented me. Since my first being sent to this country, I neither have had advance money, extraord'ry allowance, or payment stated by privy seal, but upon a verbal power I always drew, as my occasions in the service required, upon the Ld. Treas'r, who accordingly answer'd Cantillon's bills drawn upon Arthur. In this state, a bill, bearing date the 15th July, for 2000pd. was accepted by my Ld. and the payment thereof was ordered; and upon what my Ld. of Oxford said upon that affair, Cantillon, as well as myself, thought it entirely satisfied; some body or other (for, by God, I know not who) wrests the staff from my Ld. of Oxford's hand, as it seems, to reign in his stead: how much any of these persons were my friends, will appear from the very first act of their power, in that they prevailed with the Queen to defer the giving out or satisfying those orders; till, a little while after, the Queen's death putt this summ, w'h I expected was paid, amongst her maj'ties debts and I have since that time run on upon the same foot, expecting every day the D. of Shrewsburyes assistance, and presuming to hear that this sum was paid, and that I might send an other bill, wh has been contracting since June last, and whin its course might have the like acceptance and discharge; and w'ch I must send, finding Cantillon very scrupulous since the retardnient w'ch this bill already sent has mett with, tho' the does not as yet refuse to supply me, w'ch you may find by my being still alive; but (as I have said) I hope the D of Shrewsb'ry has found remedy to this evil, as you will do by receiving this other bill, w'ch I must send you, and by put ting me upon such a foot as you may judge proper, as long as His Majesties commands enjoyn my stay here. Give me leave in the mean time, my Lord, to represent to you, that having been 6 weeks at Fountainebleau, the most expensive place upon earth except

:

Paris it self, I returned hither, 2 days since, with eleven horses, thirteen servants, &c. in a pomp of woe that putt me in mind of Patroclus' funeral, my self melancholy enough, tho' the horses did not weep; but may be, they did not reflect that their provender was not payd for. In short, this whole affair is left to the D: of Shrewsbury and your Lords'p; and, after all, my Lord, pray do your part to lett me see that I can have no better friends than you two; and that you both judged it reasonable, however the treasury was changed, that the Plenipotentiary of Engl'd, should not be left for debt in the Chatelet at Paris.

I have two other things to desire, both w'ch, I believe, you will think just first, that our old fellow Collegiat, and my Fidus Achates, Mr. Richard Shelton, whom my Lord of Oxford, after 4 years importunity on my part, made a Com'r of the Stamp Office some months since, may, by your favour, be retained still in his employ't: second, that Mr. Drift, who has been with me these 15 year, and is now my Secretary here, with leave from his then superiors (and my Lord of Oxford in particular) for his so being, may be safe in his place of first Clerk, or under-Secretary, in the plantation-office, where he has served for 14 years past, and received from my self, as well whilst I was in, as when I had the misfortune to be putt out of that commission, all the instruction I have been able to give him in the understanding and discharge of his business: your command to Mr. Popple, upon this acc't, will be sufficient; and I will stand bound, as well for him as for 'Squire Shelton, that their acknowledgments and gratitude to your Lords'p shall be faithfull and lasting. I have troubled you with a book, rather then a letter ; but you must remember, I have the silence of a great many years to attone for: and a good many things, as you see, to ask

I am, with great respect,
My Lord,

Your Lords'ps most ob't

To the Earl of Hallifax.

And most humble Servant,

66

THE TEMPLE.

MR. EDITOR, WALKING down Chancery-lane, a few days ago, I could not help thinking, as I approached Fleet-street, how easily an enthusiastic mind might convert the porters, who stand at the entrance of the Inner Temple, into a guard of the Redcross knights, keeping watch at the gates of their Preceptory. The white aprons, too, of the porters would assist the deception, for the Templars received from Pope Honorius a white mantle, without a cross, for their regular habit. It is true, that the stockings and shirts of twisted mail would be wanting; but the red cap of the Templars might, perhaps, re-appear in a scarlet night-cap. St. Bernard describes the Templars as very grave in countenance and deportment; and, I think, the same qualities may be observed in the present guardians of the Preceptory. Alas! that there should only be these men to remind us of the "PREP TO TEATλe" the "Milites Christi et Templi Solomonis." Small, indeed, and few are the relics of those valiant and ambitious spirits, who "freed the holy sepulchre from thrall," and, after vanquishing the Pagan, found their destruction in the terror of Christian kings. Few, indeed," are their relics: a monument defaced, a mouldering breast-plate, and a name sacred to valorous enthusiasm and misfortune. Their spirit and their lofty hardihood dwell not in modern hearts. There is a glory round those ages when chivalry was an honour and a boast, and when the ardour of the young, and the wisdom of the old, were devoted to the holy cause with "passionate prodigality"-there is a glory round them, which one delights to remember, now that wars have ceased to be fields of chivalry, and individual prowess is worthless and unknown. One delights to recal the memory of those "impenetrable spirits," who conquered dangers,

"Ei monti, e i mari, e 'l verno, e le tempeste," and whose power, at last, "o'er-shot itself, and fell o' the other side."

Alas! what a change! The ringing of armour has ceasedthere is no buckling for the battle; no religious solemnities; no mustering to arms; no tilts; no tournaments; no lofty festivals, within the boundaries of the Temple." Cedant arma toga"Sword and lance have yielded to the gown. There are no combats, but with the pen; ink is spilt, not blood. All is peace and legal tranquillity--no hurrying step, save when in Term-time some harassed attorney casts an anxious glance on the clock of the Inner Temple Hall, as he glides along the terrace, running a race with time to the Seal-office. We hear no armed heel pacing the quiet courts; we see no lofty forms; the most dignified object, which meets the eye, is, perchance, some hungry stu