that it was thought proper to lodge at
the Primate's house, an extraordinary guard of soldiers." This,
probably, was after the open exchange of words between Boulter and
Swift. The Primate had accused Swift of inflaming the minds of the
people, and hinted broadly that he might incur the displeasure of
the government. "I inflame them!" retorted Swift, "had I but lifted
my finger, they would have torn you to pieces." The day of the
proclaiming of the order for the lowering of the gold was marked by
Swift with the display of a black flag from the steeple of St.
Patrick's, and the tolling of muffled bells, a piece of conduct
which Boulter called an insult to the government.

It is _a propos_ to record here the revenge Swift took on Boulter
for the accusation of inflaming the people. The incident was put by
him into the following verse:

"At Dublin's high feast sat primate and dean,
Both dressed like divines, with hand and face clean:
Quoth Hugh of Armagh, 'the mob is grown bold.'
'Ay, ay,' quoth the Dean, 'the cause is old gold.'
'No, no,' quoth the primate, 'if causes we sift,
The mischief arises from witty Dean Swift.'
The smart one replies, 'There's no wit in the case;
And nothing of that ever troubled your grace.
Though with your state sieve your own motions you s--t,
A Boulter by name is no bolter of wit.
It's matter of weight, and a mere money job;
But the lower the coin, the higher the mob.
Go to tell your friend Bob and the other great folk,
That sinking the coin is a dangerous joke.
The Irish dear joys have enough common sense,
To treat gold reduced like Wood's copper pence.
It's pity a prelate should die without law;
But if I say the word--take care of Armagh!"

With the lowering of the gold the Primate imported L2,000 worth of
copper money for Irish consumption. Swift was most indignant at
this, and his protest, printed by Faulkner, brought that publisher
before the Council, and gave Swift a fit of "nerves." (MS. Letter,
March 31st, 1737, to Lord Orrery, quoted by Craik in Swift's
"Life," vol. ii., p. 160.) Swift's objection against the copper was
due to the fact that it was not minted in Ireland. "I quarrel not
with the coin, but with the indignity of its not being coined
h