ce, 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.'

Under which Carteret wrote the following happy reply:

'My very good Dean, there are few who come here,
But have something to ask, or something to fear.'"

To Carteret's politic government of Ireland was mainly due the
peaceful condition which prevailed amidst all the agitation roused
by bad management and wretchedness. In a letter to Swift, written
many years later (March, 1737), Carteret writes: "The people ask me
how I governed Ireland, I say that I pleased Dr. Swift." And Swift
confessed (in a letter to Gay, November 19th, 1730) that Carteret
"had a genteeler manner of binding the chains of the kingdom than
most of his predecessors." It was to Carteret that Swift made his
well-known remark, on an occasion of a visit, "What, in God's name,
do you do here? Get back to your own country, and send us our
boobies again."

Swift was well aware that Carteret had not the power to make the
changes in Ireland necessary for its well-being. Such changes could
come only from the government in England, and as this was
implacable, Carteret was but an instrument in its hands. Swift was
therefore compelled to rest content with obtaining what favours he
could for those friends of his who he knew deserved advancement,
and he allowed no occasion to slip by without soliciting in their
behalf.

Richard Tighe (who had managed to injure Sheridan in his
chaplaincy), with a number of the more violent members of the Whigs
in Ireland, took up Carteret's conduct, attempted, by means of
their interpretation of the Lord Lieutenant's promotions, to injure
him with the government, and accused him of advancing individuals
who were enemies of the government. Swift took up the charge in his
usual ironical manner, and wrote the Vindication which follows.

Carteret, it may be added here, was dismissed from his office in
1730, and joined Pulteney in a bitter st