“Now, if the said words, or words to the like effect, were intended against him the said Dean, and as a reflection on the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and commons, for their decreeing unanimously, and in full assembly, the freedom of this city to the said Dean, in an honourable manner, on account of an opinion they had conceived of some services done by him the said Dean to this city, and to the kingdom in general,—­the said Dean doth declare, That the said words, or words to the like effect, are insolent, false, scandalous, malicious, and, in a particular manner, perfidious; the said person, who is reported to have spoken the said or the like words, having, for some years past, and even within some few days, professed a great friendship for the said Dean; and, what is hardly credible, sending a common friend of the Dean and himself, not many hours after the said or the like words had been spoken, to renew his profession of friendship to the said Dean, but concealing the oratory; whereof the said Dean had no account till the following day, and then told it to all his friends.”

A

LETTER

ON

MR. M’CULLA’S PROJECT ABOUT HALFPENCE,

AND A NEW ONE PROPOSED.

WRITTEN IN 1729.

     NOTE.

The matter of this tract explains itself.  M’Culla’s project was to put in circulation notes stamped on copper to supply the deficiency in copper coins which Wood attempted.  Swift, apparently, took a mild tone towards M’Culla’s plan, but thought that M’Culla would make too much out of it for himself.  He made a counter proposal which is fully entered into here.  Nothing came either of M’Culla’s proposal or Swift’s counter-suggestion.

* * * * *

The present text is based on that given in the eighth volume of the edition of 1765, and compared with that of Faulkner’s edition of 1772.  Faulkner’s edition differs in many details from that given by Scott.  The first sheet only of the original autograph manuscript is in the Forster Collection at South Kensington.

     [T.  S.]

A LETTER ON MR. M’CULLA’S PROJECT ABOUT HALFPENCE, AND A NEW ONE PROPOSED.

 SIR,

You desire to know my opinion concerning Mr. M’Culla’s project, of circulating notes stamped on copper, that shall pass for the value of halfpence and pence.  I have some knowledge of the man; and about a month ago he brought me his book, with a couple of his halfpenny notes:  but I was then out of order, and he could not be admitted.  Since that time I called at his house; where I discoursed, the whole affair with him as thoroughly as I could.  I am altogether a stranger to his character.  He talked to me in the usual style, with a great profession of zeal