And therefore (with a figh, to be fure) penfioner there, thanks to the Tory genhe fays, Dulcis inexpertis cultura potentis amici, But we have a better cause than Horace, or his friend Lollius, whom he writes to, and therefore fhould ftrive to do more. They had only themselves to serve, but we our country and mankind : and there was a great difference between those minifters whom they courted, and the minister our friend; for their ministry was the enslaving of their country, and the world; this miniftry is the very delivering of both, and the foundation of a nobler ftructure of liberty (by a juft balance of power at home and abroad) than ever was yet laid by mankind. They are in fo good a way, they can fcarce mifcarry. Nor can they fail of reward in the juft efteem and gratitude of the public, if they are not moft unhappily wanting to themfelves in their private friendships. But if, trufting to their public merit, or to their intereft in their prince, they either make no friends, or fuch as have not courage and wisdom, their enemies will find advantages againft them in any ftate of affairs. As our prefent affairs ftand, I am fure a minifter has need to be fortified with good friends and honeft advifers. He ought to know how he ftands with the public, how every action and step is conftrued, and what the people think of matters, before the proof comes in a parliament. It is my opinion, that a peace is not fo near as it may feem. I know the hard circumftances the Dutch lie under will make them prefs for the firft terms that feem any way advantageous. But matters are not at prefent to be tranfacted by a whifper between two gentlemen of the blade; and others must have the fecret communicated to them, befides a Monfieur Bouflers or Milor Portland † : fo great a change has happened fince that last peace, both in the government of England, as well as Holland! and a chancellor here apprehends another fort of duty, as well as a Hor. Lib. 1. Epift. 18. ver. 86. + Thefe made the famous partition-treaty, which was fo ill relished in England, and rejected by the parliament. For a while it was kept very fecret, which circumftance alone is a just prefumption that a treaty is not for the advantage or honour of the nation, tlemen, for this their notable furtherance he could not refuse to do it at his Prince's over leaf. I have been fhamefully tedious about public affairs, but will be fhorter aboutprivate; after only asking, how comes it you are not in parliament? For your own fake perhaps I am not fo much concerned; for I know too well what hardfhips lie upon one who will not be a slave to a party, and fuch men fhould be rather referved for the most hazardous and calamitous times, when public neceffity and common danger make their merits and opinion better regarded. But for a Lord Somers. Lord Portland was alfo impeached; as were at the fame time the Lords Orford and Hallifax. He does not mean that their care should be in profecuting, which often proves a worse remedy than the difeafe; but by confidering the contents of them, and thereby judging of the fentiments of the people, or at least of fome party among them. Ee 3 good I am forry you are va may ferve him ... more fatisfaction another station, yet ch a body as the Aho are friends to t free to act for those This I know may be cales: and if it be fo, ce invincible, I congraLace, but condole with anoe want of a more truly reCan I fee is understood at afair, it hangs juft as it more I learn from all hands, ce, and hear, and obferve, ncline, but hope lefs: for if ot tears that I am wholly dif... on the fide of another fex, I refolving to take your judgment on it, I wait your advices, and remain, dear Sir, your moft obliged and ever faithful friend and humble fervant. If you direct to me to Sir John's here at Beachworth in Surrey, by Darkingbag, the poft will bring your letter quick; but if any thing of great importance, a fervant of mine fhall come away at any time from Chelfea, to bring what you have to communicate: or perhaps Mr. Micklethwayt, who is often coming hither (generally once a week) may be the conveyor; at least he will fend it to Chelfea, or fee it fafe conveyed, if you direct him. LETTER LXXXVI. ndent I could go further in pre- Lord Shaftesbury to Robert Molefworth, Ejq, and thould have better interest own than any other. I have this , that befides a declaration in my our, with a liking of my character, v, circumstances, with the profefof a fincere friendship which has n of long standing, and all other commendations and profeffions that I could nodeftly wifh or defire; befides all this i fay), I have a merit that nobody elfe will rival me in, for I would be glad of ebtaining upon any terms: and that which is fo hard to be parted with, is what I feek not either now or in revernon. And let this be a token to you, that I am not cool or indifferent as you fuspect and reproach me in one of your letters. I would with all my foul engage myfelf this moment to the perfon (were I but liked), with a renunciation of every thing of intereft or fortune, either prefent or to come; and if I lofe the perfon, even thus, I fhall efteem it a lofs: and whenever I thall think of engaging elsewhere (if this be loft to me), I fhall show that money is not fo mighty a thing in my efteem, that it fhould feem incredible for me to purfue in fuch a difinterested manner. But furely you will not think this fo ftrange in me, that I fhould value virtue fo much and wealth fo little. And now that I have spent a whole page upon myfelf (contrary to my promife), committing myfelf and my affair wholly to you, and Lord Treafurer. Dear Sir, Beachworth, Jan. 12, 1709-9 HAT you might not be in pain on my T account, I took the refolution, as foon as I had read yours, to fend an an fwer away with the fooneft, without wait ing the return of the poft. So this, which is writ late to-night, will I hope come to you to-morrow evening by the pennypoft, fince it is to be in town before noon. And glad one is of any opportunity of a meffenger, fuch as go by neceffity on their own bufinefs and on foot: for our fervants and horfes cannot ftir out of this bottom, where we are blocked up by the deep fnows; and what is worse, the melted inow now turned again by the froft into a crufted ice. I was already on my journey to the Weft, with my face (in the Jewith phrafe) towards St. Giles's; but now I am a fojourner here of neceffity. I can neither go backward nor forward; nor could I, though I were a robust man: but as a tender one, I know not what will become of me or my affairs; for no body's affairs ever required their prefence more than mine do at this time, and have done this good while in the country. But now, as to what you write to me of your being in concern for, on my account, you need fear no refentment or reproach from me on that fcore. I have that entire dependance on my friend, that I can always commit my affairs and fecrets to him as plenipotentiary; and where I have once given by heart heart (allow a lover to speak in lover's language), I can easily entrust my intereft. You have long had my heart, even before I knew you perfonally. For the holy and truly pious man who revealed the greatest of myfteries, he who, with a truly generous love to mankind and his country, pointed out the ftate of Denmark to other ftates, and prophefied of the things highlieft important to the growing age; he, I fay, had already gained me as his fworn friend, before he was fo kind as to make friendship reciprocal, by his acquaintance and expreffed efteem. So that you may believe it no extraordinary tranfition in me, from making you in truth my oracle in public affairs, to make you a thorough confident in my private. All, therefore, that I am concerned for in this bold attempt of yours, is for your own fake; left your partiality to me thould have made you too forward in thowing what was not fo worthy of being feen as you imagine, and people are apt to think fuch things are from defign. For my own part, I could not but wonder with myself a great while (for I could with difficulty recollect) what kind of a letter I had writ you: and it is really a folemn law, which I impofe on myself in refpect of my near friends, never to write but with the freedom, haftiness, and incorrectness of common talk; that they may have all as it comes uppermoft. And for this I can appeal to my late letters, and all that I have writ you on my love fubject; for I am confident I never fo much as read over one that I wrote to you on that head. But be it as it will, if what happened was but natural (and of that you are beft judge), I am fatisfied; and hope it may prove for the beft, as you feem fo pofitively to affure. And for the other part, my love affair, ufing the fame good judgment you have in this as well as in the other, do as you judge beft. I leave all to you; only should be forry that you ran the leaft hazard, in going too far out of doors this weather. And therefore beg that your zeal for me would not push you to what would be a real trouble for me to hear. Take your time, ufe your own way, act for me with full power, and report your judgment. If I have that intereft you intimate in a great man *, I can affure you, as well Lord Treafurer. for the public's fake as for my own (in real love and obligation to him), I will not indulge myself in any respect; but be a courtier to my utmost, and see him often at St. James's, Kenfington, Windfor, or wherever he is. Only my health will not bear with any kind of attendance in winter-time, when I am forced to attend upon myfelf; and by that care, and sparing of myfelf, have recovered (when by nothing else I could) out of the most languifhing condition for three or four years: for which I have endured (and muft endure, it seems, because of the fingularity of my distemper) the judgment of the world, as one fantaftical and fplenetic. But my near friends, those of all hours, and that fee me in all circumftances, can beft witness for me as to that; though perhaps, now they are for advancing me in matrimony, they may magnify my bodily estate, at the hazard of that of my mind, which is lefs (they think) a fair lady's concern. But I like not the ftratagem, and defire to appear in truth what I am; only if I am more careful of my health against the time of fuch an engagement, I may be the more excufed: and indeed it is but after all what is neceffary to preferve me, if I am worth preferving for any good I can do the public or my friends. Never any one could more juftly ask that leave, which you yourself afk of me, my acquaintance with you was only upon public affairs, I never found you a halfpatriot. We were then fellow-fufferers, for being fo wholly what we pretended: and the world, I believe, has made us but little amends fince. It is pleasant to imagine, that if we have met with better fortune, it has been by means of one another. Would I could make it indeed thoroughly reciprocal! for, on my fide, I may truly fay, that the first turning of the ftream, which had run again me, was by your hand; and in this moft defperate cafe (which was the injury I received in an injured friend) you inftantly fet all right; and what I had with pain, and trouble, and all manner of ill ufage, been foliciting for many years, you accomplished for me in a few weeks, and gave me my first friend at court. After this miracle, I have had faith enough to think you might do any thing. Indeed I did not think you could have conquered fnows and frofts, and have braved the hardest winter weather. Yet it was in this feafon that you made fuch a fucceffful fally for me, and gave me fo good an account of my affairs, which I was almost come to think wholly defperate. But your fhort and long letter (which have both come fafe to me), as well as the account received from my friends the poft before, give me new hopes. I wish I could anfwer as well in the matter of my health as I can in all other refpects, where you have kindly been undertaker and guarantee for me. If I am more careful of my health now than before, it is becaufe I have this occafion; and that the more than ordinary care I have had of it of late, has fucceeded fo well with me. This I am fure of, that I am fo far from being averfe to live in the world, and to have a fhare in the converfe and affairs of it, that had I a wife that was difcrect and good, and capable of advice, I fhould more than any one be defirous of her being much in the world, and fupplying that part for me. My bookishness has to little reafon to fright any one, that if I had ever been of a temper to love books better than the converfation of my friends and relations, I am now really neceffitated to lay them by, for nobody wants little amufements more than I do. And though on account of my mind I could boat, perhaps, that in the greatest folitude I could vie with any one for eafe and cheerfulness, yet fince the change that happened in my health I am not able to apply as formerly, nor even study above an hour at a time, or hardly as much more in a whole day. And I, who had gone through the diver fions and entertainment of fome courts, and foreign countries, and in the company of ladies, without ever once playing at cards, or knowing any fuch thing as play; I am of late become a card-player with the women, and am better qualified for chat with them, than for fpeeches in a parliament or works in a study. Thus most things have their convenience and inconvenience. It is certain, that in many refpects I may be faid to make a better hufband now that my hands are tied, than I fhould have done if I had been left to act to the utmost of my ftrength in politics. There is a felfifnnefs in the love that is paid a wife, and in the attend. arce on a family, and all the little af fairs of it, which, had I my full scope of action in the public, I thould hardly have fubmitted to. An honest man muft cer tainly be the greatest happiness of an honeft woman. But then there is bitter too with the fweet; for an honeft man will love the public, and act honeftly in the public: and if he does fo, it is two to one but he is hard fet, and perhaps ground between the parties; at least he will have but a folicitous life of it. He cannet fo well vacare uxori as the knave; but then the knave will be a knave to her, and vacare to other women inftead of her. And thus, upon a medium, I look upon myfelf as in reality better qualified than ever for a good husband, if it be to a truly good woman, whofe chief fatisfaction would be a converfible and cheerful way of living, with a man who loved and valued her; and whofe chief thoughts and time would be bestowed on her and her children, and to make her life as agrecable as could be to herself, and her part in the world as confiderable. But to come to practice after my doctrine, you may depend upon it I will not be long ere I return again to you and though after a long abfence, and the death of an old fervant who had all my affairs here in his hands, I have found things in great diforder, I fhould value no lofs of this kind. The weather feems now to break; and if the roads (as in a fortnight or three weeks they may be) become become paffable, and the weather tolerable, I will foon come and make my fecond attempt, with all the ftrength of friends that I can make on my fide. And if I can but have the leaft kind help from within the place, we may be able to carry it. It is a fad cafe for fuch a one as I am to hang in fufpenfe in an affair of this kind, where I am fo paffionately engaged. I find it worse perhaps than another, because I am so used to have my head free for public affairs and thoughts of a larger kind. But I proteft, though I have twenty things to fay to you about the public, I cannot come out with one. Forgive me, I beg you, and place it to the account of that zeal I have in an affair you have thus forwarded, and is in your hands, as is entirely your obliged friend, LETTER LXXXVIII, Lord Shaftesbury to Robert Molefworth, Efq. and would use it if there were occafion. not |