or to make his first intentions, at least, strictly agreeable to the good of his country, and that of all his fellow-citizens; and therefore, the account of it may be a prefent not unworthy a gentleman of your free and difinterested character; and I flatter myself it will have the influ. ence of your Lordship in the prosecution of it. I need not fay how great that influence muft needs be, where you act for them in the greateft capacities your fellow-citizens have to bestow.

I congratulate both them and you, that a person of fuch known equanimity is vested with the double capacity of afferting and protecting their privileges; whose candour and benignity naturally tend to abate animofity, encourage industry, promote peace, prevent disorder, fecure wealth, and relieve poverty: in all which noble ends and cares I wish you a profperous and memorable mayoralty; and again humbly defiring, that if the design shall in the least degree appear ferviceable in any of these generous refpects, it may have your protection. I remain, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient, and most humble fervant, RICHARD STEELE.

LETTER

I

To the Earl of OXFORD *.

MY LORD,

AM

[1719.]

I very glad of the occafion wherein I have the good fortune to think the fame way

with

Robert Harley, efq. eldeft fon of Sir Edward Harley, born Dec. 5, 1661. At the Revolution, Sir Edward and his fon Robert raised a troop of horse at their own expence. On the acceffion of King William, Mr. Harley was elected member for Tregony and afterward for Radnor, which he represented till called to the Upper House. Feb. 11, 1701-2, he was chosen Speaker; as he was again, 31 Dec. following; and a third time, in the first parliament of Queen Anne. April 17,1704, he was fworn of the Privy Council; and, May 18 following, appointed Secretary of State, being ftill Speaker of the House of Commons. His office of Secretary he refigned, Feb. 12, 1707-8.. He was made a Commiffioner of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer, Aug. 10, 17to; and three days after fworn again of the Privy Council; where, March 8, 1711, his life was attacked by Guifcard: the address of both houses of parliament will best shew the fenfe of the nation at that alarming attempt. Her Majefty, in reward for his many fervices, was graciously pleased to advance him to the peerage, by the title of Baron Harley, Earl of Oxford, and Earl Mortimer, May 11, 1711: on the 29th, he was appointed Lord Treasurer; August 15, chofen Governor of the South Sea Company, of which he had been the founder; and, Oct. 26, 1712, was honoured with the Garter. July 27, 1714, he refigned the Treafurer's staff. June 10, 1715, his Lordship was impeached by the Houfe of Commons; and though it is not strictly true that he was difmiffed without a trial, it actually was fo in effect, the Commons having declined appearing to make good their charge. His Lordship's fituation was fomewhat fingular. The articles of impeachment against him were carried up July 9, 1715, when he was committed to The Tower. On August 2, additional articles were fent up; on the 3d of September his Lordship's anfwer was delivered; and on the 19th the House of Commons joined

Hh

with your Lordship, because I have very long fuffered a great deal of pain in reflecting upon a certain virulence with which my zeal has heretofore transported me to treat your Lordship's person and character. I do protest to you, excepting in the firft fmart of my difgrace and expulfion out of the House of Commons, I never -writ any thing that ought to displease you but

1

joined iffue by replication. After feveral adjournments, the Parliament re-affembled Jan. 9, 1715, and continued fitting until June 26, 1716, when an end was put to the session by a prorogation. Feb. 20, 1717, a new feffion was opened. May 22, the Earl, being still in confinement, petitioned the House of Peers to take the circumftances of his cafe into confideration, "being affured it was not their Lordships' intention that his "confinement should be indefinite." - The petition having been referred to a Committee, who made their report May 25, it was agreed by the House, that the " impeachment was not determined "by the prorogation." The day for trial was accordingly fixed, first for June 13, and, at the defire of the Commons, deferred till the 24th, on which day it actually commenced. The charge was opened by Mr. Hampden, and Sir Jofeph Jekyll began to proceed to make good the first article of the impeachment; but the Upper House having resolved, "that the Commons should "not be admitted to proceed, in order to make good their articles "for high crimes and misdemeanors, till judgment were firft given on the articles for high treason," the managers for the Commons proceeded no further that day. Several conferences having been held on the fubject, without effect, the Upper House proceeded on the trial July ; and, after proclamation for all perfons concerned to take notice that the Earl of Oxford stood on his trial, that they might come forth to make good their charge, and the Commons not appearing, his Lordship was brought to the bar, “acquitted of the articles, and all things "therein contained;" the impeachment was dismissed; and the following day his Lordship re-affumed his feat in Parliament. His Lordship died, in the 64th year of his age, May 21, 1724, after having been twice married.

with a reluctant heart, and in oppofition to much good-will and efteem for your many great and uncommon talents. And I take the liberty to fay thus publicly to yourself what I have often faid to others on the subject of my behaviour to you; I never had any other reason to leffen my Lord of Oxford than that which Brutus had to ftab Cæfar the love of my country. Your Lordship will, I hope, believe, there cannot be a more voluntary, unrestrained reparation made to a man than that I make to you, in begging your pardon thus publicly for every thing I have spoken or written to your disadvantage, foreign to the argument and cause which I was then labouring to fupport. You will please to believe, that I could not be fo infenfible as not to be touched with the generofity

of part of your conduct towards me, or have

omitted to acknowledge it accordingly, if I had not thought that your very virtue was dangerous, and that it was (as the world then stood) abfolutely neceffary to depreciate so adventurous a genius, furrounded with fo much power as your Lordship then had. I tranfgreffed, my Lord, against you, when you could make twelve peers in a day; I ask your pardon, when you are a private nobleman; and, as I told you when I refigned the Stamp-office*, I wished you all profperity confiftent with the public good,

* See his former Letter, p. 371. Letter CCCCXXIII.

fo now I congratulate you upon the pleasure you must needs have in looking back upon the true fortitude with which you have paffed through the dangers arifing from the rage of the people, and the envy of the rest of the world. If to have rightly judged of men's paffions and prejudices, vices and virtues, interefts and inclinations, and to have waited with skill and courage for proper seasons and incidents to make ufe of them for a man's fafety and honour, can administer pleasure to a man of sense and spirit, your Lordship has abundant caufe of fatisfaction. In confidence that you will accept of my forrow and repentance for the unprovoked liberties I have taken in my former writings, I make you my patron in this present discourse* on the greatest occafion that has perhaps ever happened in England. Your Lordship will fee I write in hafte; and the neceffity of preffing forward to be time enough to be of any use, will excufe the failures in ftyle and expreffion. 1 fhall therefore immediately fall into the matter of the bill, which, I fear, may change this free ftate into the worst of all tyrannies, that of an ariftocracy. I fhall fupport my reafons for that terror by running through the feveral parts of it, and making it appear, that this is more likely than any other confequence that can be

*His oppofition to the Peerage Bill. It was during this oppofition to the Court that his licence for acting plays was revoked, and his patent rendered ineffectual, at the inftance of the Lord Chamberlain. See the next Letter,

fuppofed