up many a long
winter night to keep the wolf from his door. And Mr. St. John, who had
liberty always on his tongue, had just sent a dozen of the Opposition
writers into prison, and one actually into the pillory, for what he called
libels, but libels not half so violent as those writ on our side. With
regard to this very piece of tyranny, Esmond had remonstrated strongly
with the secretary, who laughed and said, the rascals were served quite
right; and told Esmond a joke of Swift's regarding the matter. Nay, more,
this Irishman, when St. John was about to pardon a poor wretch condemned
to death for rape, absolutely prevented the secretary from exercising this
act of good nature, and boasted that he had had the man hanged; and great
as the doctor's genius might be, and splendid his ability, Esmond for one
would affect no love for him, and never desired to make his acquaintance.
The doctor was at Court every Sunday assiduously enough, a place the
colonel frequented but rarely, though he had a great inducement to go
there in the person of a fair maid of honour of her Majesty's; and the
airs and patronage Mr. Swift gave himself, forgetting gentlemen of his
country whom he knew perfectly, his loud talk at once insolent and
servile, nay, perhaps his very intimacy with lord treasurer and the
secretary, who indulged all his freaks and called him Jonathan, you may be
sure, were remarked by many a person of whom the proud priest himself took
no note, during that time of his vanity and triumph.

'Twas but three days after the 15th of November, 1712 (Esmond minds him
well of the date), that he went by invitation to dine with his general,
the foot of whose table he used to take on these festive occasions, as he
had done at many a board, hard and plentiful, during the campaign. This
was a great feast, and of the latter sort; the honest old gentleman loved
to treat his friends splendidly: his grace of Ormonde, before he joined
his army as generalissimo, my Lord Viscount Bolingbroke, one of her
Majesty's secretaries of state, my Lord Orkney, that had served with us
abroad, being of the party. His grace of Hamilton, master of the ordnance,
and in whose honour the feast had been given, upon his approaching
departure as ambassador to Paris, had sent an excuse to General Webb at
two o'clock, but an hour before the dinner: nothing but the most immediate
business, his grace said, should have prevented him having the pleasure of
drinking a par