27 At the General election of 171O the contest at Westminster excited much interest.  The number of constituents was large, and the franchise low, all householders who paid scot and lot being voters.  There were, too, many houses of great Whig merchants, and a number of French Protestants.  But the High Church candidates, Cross and Medlicott, were returned by large majorities, though the Whigs had chosen popular candidates—­General Stanhope, fresh from his successes in Spain, and Sir Henry Dutton Colt, a Herefordshire gentleman.

28 Sir Andrew Fountaine (1676-1753), a distinguished antiquary, of an old Norfolk family, was knighted by William iii. in 1699, and inherited his father’s estate at Norfolk in 17O6.  He succeeded Sir Isaac Newton as Warden of the Mint in 1727, and was Vice-Chamberlain to Queen Caroline.  He became acquainted with Swift in Ireland in 1707, when he went over as Usher of the Black Rod in Lord Pembroke’s Court.

29 See Letter 2, note 17.  The Bishop was probably Dr. Moreton, Bishop of Meath (see Journal, July 1, 1712).

30 The game of ombre—­of Spanish origin—­is described in Pope’s Rape of the Lock.  See also the Compleat Gamester, 1721, and Notes and Queries, April 8, 1871.  The ace of spades, or Spadille, was always the first trump; the ace of clubs (Basto) always the third.  The second trump was the worst card of the trump suit in its natural order, i.e. the seven in red and the deuce in black suits, and was called Manille.  If either of the red suits was trumps, the ace of the suit was fourth trump (Punto).  Spadille, Manille, and Basto were “matadores,” or murderers, as they never gave suit.

31 See Letter 3, note 30,

32 In the Spectator, No. 337, there is a complaint from “one of the top China women about town,” of the trouble given by ladies who turn over all the goods in a shop without buying anything.  Sometimes they cheapened tea, at others examined screens or tea-dishes.

33 The Right Hon. John Grubham Howe, M.P. for Gloucestershire, an extreme Tory, had recently been appointed Paymaster of the Forces.  He is mentioned satirically as a patriot in sec. 9 of The Tale of a Tub.

34 George Henry Hay, Viscount Dupplin, eldest son of the sixth Earl of Kinnoull, was made a Teller of the Exchequer in August, and a peer of Great Britain in December 1711, with the title of Baron Hay.  He married, in 1709, Abigail, Harley’s younger daughter, and he succeeded his father in the earldom of Kinnoull in 1719.

35 Edward Harley, afterwards Lord Harley, who succeeded his father as Earl of Oxford in 1724.  He married Lady Henrietta Cavendish Holles, daughter of the Duke of Newcastle, but died without male issue in 1741.  His interest in literature caused him to form the collection known as the Harleian Miscellany.

36 William Penn (1644-1718), the celebrated founder of Pennsylvania.  Swift says that he “spoke very agreeably, and with much spirit.”