who was the daughter of Sir William's steward, and who was
afterward so distinguished and so much celebrated in Swift's works
under the name of Stella.

Soon after the death of his patron, Swift came to London, and took the
earliest opportunity of transmitting a memorial to King William, under
the claim of a promise made by his majesty to Sir William Temple,
"that Mr. Swift should have the first vacancy that happened among the
prebends of Westminster or Canterbury." The memorial had no effect;
and, indeed, Swift himself afterward declared that he believed the
king never received it. After a long and fruitless attendance at White
Hall, Mr. Swift reluctantly gave up all thoughts of a settlement in
England. In the year 1701 he took his doctor's degree; and toward the
latter end of that year King William died.

On the accession of Queen Anne, Dr. Swift came to England. It cannot
be denied that the chief ministers of the queen, whether distinguished
under the titles of Whigs or Tories, of high-church or of low-church,
were from the beginning to the end of her reign encouragers of
learning and patrons of learned men. The wits of that era were
numerous and eminent. Amid the crowd, yet superior to the rest,
appeared Dr. Swift. In a mixture of those two jarring parties called
Whig and Tory, consisted the first ministry of Queen Anne; but the
greater share of the administration was committed to the Whigs, who
soon engrossed the whole. The queen, whose heart was naturally
inclined toward the Tories, remained an unwilling prisoner several
years to the Whigs, till Mr. Harley at length took her majesty out of
their hands, and during the remainder of her life surrounded her with
a set of Tories, under the conduct of the Duke of Ormond and himself.

Dr. Swift was known to the great men of each denomination. It is
certain that he was bred up and educated with Whigs, at least with
such as may be found ranged under the title. His motives for quitting
Whigism for Toryism appear throughout his works. He had commenced as a
political author in 1701, when he published "A Discourse on the
Contests and Dissensions between the Nobles and Commons in Athens and
Rome, with the Consequences they had upon both States." This was
written in defence of King William and his ministers against the
violent proceedings in the House of Commons. But from this time to the
year 1708, Lord Orrery informs us, he did not write any political
pamphlet. From this y