“I often told a great minister, whom you well know, that I valued him for being the same man through all the progress of power and place.  I expected the like in your lordship; and still hope that I shall be the only person who will ever find it otherwise.

“I pray God to direct your excellency in all your good undertakings, and especially in your government of this kingdom.

“I shall trouble you no more; but remain, with great respect, my Lord,

“Your excellency’s most obedient,

“and most humble servant,

“JON.  SWIFT.”

This letter brought an immediate reply from Carteret, who confessed himself in the wrong for his silence, and trusted he had not forfeited Swift’s friendship by it.  With regard to Mr. Wood’s patent, he said that the matter was under examination, “and till that is over I am not informed sufficiently to make any other judgment of the matter, than that which I am naturally led to make, by the general aversion which appears to it in the whole nation.”  Swift replied in a charming vein, and elegantly put his scolding down to the testiness of old age.  His excellency had humbled him.  “Therefore, I fortel that you, who could so easily conquer so captious a person, and of so little consequence, will quickly subdue this whole kingdom to love and reverence you” (Scott’s ed. 1824, vol. xvi., pp. 430-435). [T.S.]]

It is true indeed, that within the memory of man, there have been governors of so much dexterity, as to carry points of terrible consequence to this kingdom, by their power with those who were in office, and by their arts in managing or deluding others with oaths, affability, and even with dinners.  If Wood’s brass had in those times been upon the anvil, it is obvious enough to conceive what methods would have been taken.  Depending persons would have been told in plain terms, that it was a “service expected from them, under pain of the public business being put into more complying hands.”  Others would be allured by promises.  To the country gentleman, besides good words, burgundy and closeting.  It would perhaps have been hinted how “kindly it would be taken to comply with a royal patent, though it were not compulsory,” that if any inconveniences ensued, it might be made up with other “graces or favours hereafter.”  That “gentlemen ought to consider whether it were prudent or safe to disgust England:”  They would be desired to “think of some good bills for encouraging of trade, and setting the poor to work, some further acts against Popery and for uniting Protestants.”  There would be solemn engagements that we should “never be troubled with above forty thousand pounds in his coin, and all of the best and weightiest sort, for which we should only give our manufactures in exchange, and keep our gold and silver at home.”  Perhaps a “seasonable report of some invasion would have been spread in the most proper juncture,” which is a great smoother of rubs in public proceedings; and we should have been told that “this was no time to create differences when the kingdom was in danger.”