because he might have been Secretary of State at fifty; and
here is a young fellow hardly thirty in that employment."--_Ibid._

"The Secretary is as easy with me as Mr. Addison was. I have often
thought what a splutter Sir William Temple makes about being
Secretary of State."--_Ibid._

"Lord Treasurer has had an ugly fit of the rheumatism, but is now
quite well. I was playing at _one-and-thirty_ with him and his
family the other night. He gave us all twelvepence a piece to begin
with; it put me in mind of Sir William Temple."--_Ibid._

"I thought I saw Jack Temple [_nephew to Sir William_] and his wife
pass by me to-day in their coach; but I took no notice of them. I am
glad I have wholly shaken off that family."--_S. to S. Sept., 1710._

41 "Swift must be allowed," says Dr. Johnson, "for a time, to have
dictated the political opinions of the English nation."

A conversation on the Dean's pamphlets excited one of the Doctor's
liveliest sallies. "One, in particular, praised his _Conduct of the
Allies_.--Johnson: 'Sir, his _Conduct of the Allies_ is a performance
of very little ability.... Why, sir, Tom Davies might have written
the _Conduct of the Allies_!' "--BOSWELL'S _Life of Johnson_.

42 "Whenever he fell into the company of any person for the first time,
it was his custom to try their tempers and disposition by some
abrupt question that bore the appearance of rudeness. If this were
well taken, and answered with good humour, he afterwards made amends
by his civilities. But if he saw any marks of resentment, from
alarmed pride, vanity, or conceit, he dropped all further
intercourse with the party. This will be illustrated by an anecdote
of that sort related by Mrs. Pilkington. After supper, the Dean
having decanted a bottle of wine, poured what remained into a glass,
and seeing it was muddy, presented it to Mr. Pilkington to drink it.
'For,' said he, 'I always keep some poor parson to drink the foul
wine for me.' Mr. Pilkington, entering into his humour, thanked him,
and told him 'he did not know the difference, but was glad to get a
glass at any rate.' 'Why then,' said the Dean, 'you shan't, for I'll
drink it myself. Why, ---- take you, you are wiser than a paltry
curate whom I asked to dine with me a few days ago; for