ATLAS; OR, THE MINISTER OF STATE.

TO THE LORD TREASURER OXFOrd.

1710.

[In these free, and yet complimentary verses, Swift cautions Oxford against his greatest political error, that affectation of mystery, and wish of ingrossing the whole management of public affairs, which first disgusted, and then alienated Harcourt and Bolingbroke. On this point our author has spoken very fully in the Free Thoughts upon the present State of Affairs. Vol. v. p. 389.]

ATLAS, we read in ancient song,
Was so exceeding tall and strong,
He bore the skies upon his back,
Just as the pedlar does his pack;
But, as a pedlar overpress'd
Unloads upon a stall to rest,
Or, when he can no longer stand,
Desires a friend to lend a hand;
So Atlas, lest the ponderous spheres
Should sink, and fall about his ears,
Got Hercules to bear the pile,
That he might sit and rest awhile.

Yet Hercules was not so strong,
Nor could have borne it half so long.

1

Great statesmen are in this condition;
And Atlas is a politician,

A primer minister of state;
Alcides one of second rate.

Suppose then Atlas ne'er so wise;
Yet, when the weight of kingdoms lies
Too long upon his single shoulders,
Sink down he must, or find upholders.

LINES

WRITTEN EXTEMPORE ON MR HARLEY'S BEING STABBED, AND ADDRESSED TO HIS PHYSICIAN, 1710-11.

ON Britain Europe's safety lies,
Britain is left if Harley dies:

Harley depends upon your skill:

Think what you save, or what you kill. *

* "I told lord-treasurer of four lines I writ extempore, with a pencil, on a bit of paper, in his house, while he lay wounded. Some of the servants, I suppose, made waste paper of them; and he never heard of them."Journal to Stella, Feb. 19, 1711-12.

AN EXCELLENT NEW SONG,

BEING THE INTENDED SPEECH OF

A FAMOUS ORATOR AGAINST PEACE.

1711.

AN orator dismal of Nottinghamshire,

Who has forty years let out his conscience to hire,
Out of zeal for his country, and want of a place,
Is come up, vi et armis, to break the queen's peace.
He has vamp'd an old speech, and the court, to
their sorrow,

Shall hear him harangue against Prior to-morrow.
When once he begins, he never will flinch,
But repeats the same note a whole day like a Finch.*
I have heard all the speech repeated by Hoppy,†
And, "mistakes to prevent, I've obtained a copy.'

THE SPEECH.

WHEREAS, notwithstanding I am in great pain, To hear we are making a peace without Spain; But, most noble senators, 'tis a great shame, There should be a peace, while I'm Not-in-game.

* Lord Nottingham's family name.

+ Hoppy is supposed by Dr Barrett to be a person, elsewhere called old Hooper, in another part of the "Whimsical Medley."

The duke show'd me all his fine house; and the duchess

From her closet brought out a full purse in her clutches:

I talk'd of a peace, and they both gave a start, His grace swore by G-d, and her grace let a f-t:

My long old-fashion'd pocket was presently cramm'd;

And sooner than vote for a peace I'll be damn’d. But some will cry turn-coat, and rip up old stories,

How I always pretended to be for the tories :
I answer; the tories were in my good graces,
Till all my relations were put into places.
But still I'm in principle ever the same,

And will quit my best friends, while I'm Not-ingame.

When I and some others subscribed our names To a plot for expelling my master king James, I withdrew my subscription by help of a blot, And so might discover or gain by the plot : I had my advantage, and stood at defiance, For Daniel was got from the den of the lions: I came in without danger, and was I to blame? For, rather than hang, I would be Not-in-game.

*

I swore to the queen, that the prince of Ha

nover

During her sacred life would never come over:
I made use of a trope; that "an heir to invite,
Was like keeping her monument always in sight."
But, when I thought proper, I alter'd my note;
And in her own hearing I boldly did vote,

* This was the earl's christian name.

That her majesty stood in great need of a tutor,
And must have an old or a young coadjutor:
For why; I would fain have put all in a flame,
Because, for some reasons, I was Not-in-game.
Now my new benefactors have brought me
about,

And I'll vote against peace, with Spain or with

out:

Though the court gives my nephews, and brothers, and cousins,

And all my whole family, places by dozens;
Yet, since I know where a full purse may be
found,

And hardly pay eighteen-pence tax in the pound :
Since the tories have thus disappointed my hopes,
And will neither regard my figures nor tropes,
I'll speech against peace while Dismal's my name,
And be a true whig, while I'm Not-in-game. *

THE WINDSOR PROPHECY.†

"About three months ago, at Windsor, a poor knight's widow was buried in the cloisters. In

"There was printed a Grub-street speech of lord Nottingham; and he was such an owl to complain of it in the house of lords, who have taken up the printer for it. I heard at court, that Walpole (a great whig member) said, that I and my whimsical club writ it at one of our meetings, and that I should pay for it. He will find he lies; and I shall let him know by a third hand my thoughts of him."-Journal to Stella, Dec. 18, 1711.

"I have written a prophecy, which I design to print. I did