NOTE.

JOHN CARTERET, EARL GRANVILLE, succeeded to the Carteret barony at the early age of five years.  He was the son of George, the first Baron Carteret, and was born in 1690.  He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, from which latter place, as Swift puts it, “he carried away more Greek, Latin, and philosophy than properly became a person of his rank.”  In the House of Lords Carteret was known as a strong adherent of the Protestant succession, and joined the Sunderland party on the split of the Whigs in 1717.  As ambassador extraordinary to the Court of Sweden he was eminently successful, being the instrument by which, in 1720, peace was established between Sweden, Prussia, and Hanover.  Later, he served in a similar capacity with Earl Stanhope and Sir Robert Sutton at the Congress of Cambray.

In 1721 he was appointed Secretary of State of the southern province, but although a member of the Walpole administration, he intrigued with the King against Walpole, and attempted to form a party in opposition to that minister.  He ingratiated himself in the King’s favour by means of his knowledge of the German language (for George knew no English), and obtained the support of Carleton, Roxburghe, Cadogan, and the Countess of Darlington.  Walpole, however, was too strong for him.  He managed to get Carteret to Ireland as Lord Lieutenant, and the Duke of Newcastle took up the office held by him in England.  The condition of Ireland at this time was such as to cause grave anxiety to the English government.  Carteret was sent ostensibly to a post of great importance, though, in reality, to be out of Walpole’s way.  For an account of Carteret’s government during the agitation against Wood’s halfpence, the reader is referred to the sixth volume of the present edition.

During the King’s absence from England in 1723, Carteret had been one of the lords justices of the country, and in 1725, when George was again away, he was again appointed to this office.  George, however, died on his way to Hanover; but, on the accession of George II., Carteret continued to hold high office.  He was re-appointed to the Irish Lord Lieutenancy in 1727, and it was during this second term that he was criticised for the conduct Swift vindicates in the following tract.

The Dean had a great admiration both for the scholarship and temper of Carteret.  The admiration was mutual, for Carteret often consulted with Swift on important matters, and, though he dared not appoint the Drapier to any position of importance, he took occasion to assist the Drapier’s friends.  At the time of the proclamation against the Drapier’s fourth letter, the Dean, writes Scott, “visited the Castle, and having waited for some time without seeing the Lord Lieutenant, wrote upon one of the windows of the chamber of audience these lines: 

       ’My very good lord, ’tis a very hard task,
       For a man to wait here, who has nothing to ask.’