Rhine,
Endured their ten years' drudgery in Gaul,
Adjourned their fate, and saved the Capitol.
I grew by every guilty triumph less;
The crowd, when drunk with joy, their souls express,
Impatient of the war, yet fear success.
Brave actions dazzle with too bright a ray,
Like birds obscene they chatter at the day;
Giddy with rule, and valiant in debate,
They throw the die of war, to save the state;
And gods! to gild ingratitude with fame,
Assume the patriot's, we the rebel's name.
Farewell, my friends, your general forlorn,
To your bare pity, and the public scorn,
Must lay that honour and his laurel down,
To serve the vain caprices of the gown;
Exposed to all indignities, the brave
Deserve of those they gloried but to save,
To rods and axes!--No, the slaves can't dare
Play with my grief, and tempt my last despair.
This shall the honours which it won maintain,
Or do me justice, ere I hug my chain."

The reason for cancelling this article when these papers were
republished in octavo, is obvious; for, being printed by Steele, it
would naturally be applied to the circumstances in which the Duke of
Marlborough was at that time: "The Duke having his commission under the
Great Seal, the order of the Queen was not sufficient to dissolve his
power. His friends advised him to assemble, by his authority as general,
all the troops in London, in the different squares, and to take
possession of St. James's, and the person of the Queen. Oxford, apprised
of this design, suddenly called together the Cabinet Council. Though he
probably concealed his intelligence to prevent their fears, he told them
of the necessity of superseding Marlborough under the Great Seal. This
business was soon despatched. His dismission in form was sent to the
Duke. The Earl of Oxford, no stranger to the character of Marlborough,
knew that he would not act against law, by assembling the troops. The
natural diffidence of his disposition had made him unfit for enterprises
of danger, in a degree that furnished his enemies with insinuations
against his personal courage."--(Macpherson's "State Papers," quoted by
Nichols.)]

No. 38. [?STEELE.[377]

From _Tuesday, July 5_, to _Thursday, July 7, 1709._

* * * * *

From my own Apartment, July 6.

I find among my brother's papers the following letter verbatim, which I
wonder how he could su