P. 723. Thomas Burnet. The bishop was
a kind and bountiful master to his servants, whom
he never changed, but with regret and through necessity:
Friendly and obliging to all in employment under him,
and peculiarly happy in the choice of them; especially
in that of the steward to the bishopric and his courts,
William Wastefield, Esq. (a gentleman of a plentiful
fortune, at the time of his accepting this post) and
in that of his domestic steward, Mr. Mackney.—Swift.
A Scot, his own countryman.
***** ***** *****
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NOTE
“THE FREE HOLDER” was a political periodical
written in the form of essays. It continued for
fifty five numbers from Friday, December 23rd, 1715,
to Friday, June 29th, 1716. Its purpose was to
reconcile the English nation to the Hanoverian succession.
“These papers,” notes Scott, “while
they exhibit the exquisite humour and solid sense peculiar
to the author, show also, even amid the strength of
party, that philanthropy and gentleness of nature,
which were equally his distinguishing attributes.
None of these qualities would have conciliated his
great opponent, Swift, had the field of combat yet
remained open to him. But as he withdrew from
it in sullen indignation, he seems to have thrown
out the following flashes of satire, as brief examples
of what he would have done had the hour of answer been
yet current.”
Scott obtained these “notes” from a transcription
of the original in Swift’s own hand, in a copy
of “The Free holder” which belonged to
Dr. Bernard, Bishop of Limerick. The present
text is a reprint of Scott’s, but the text of
“The Free holder” has been read with the
octavo and duodecimo editions of that periodical issued
by Midwinter in 1716. The titles to the essays
were not given in the original issue, except that
to No. 9. They were added as a “Contents”
to the re-issue in volume form.
[T.S.]
No. 2. Dec. 26, 1715.—Of His
Majesty’s Character.
Addison.
[Footnote 1: “The Free-holder,” conducted
by Addison, was published on Mondays and Fridays from
December 23rd, 1715, till June 29th, 1716; fifty-five
numbers were issued altogether. [T.S.]]
It was by this [this firmness of mind] that he surmounted
those many difficulties which lay in the way to his
succession.—Swift. What difficulties
were those, or what methods did he take to surmount
them?
Addison. It is observed by Sir William
Temple, that the English are particularly fond of
a king who is valiant: Upon which account His
Majesty has a title to all the esteem that can be paid
the most warlike prince; though at the same time,
for the good of his subjects, he studies to decline
all occasions of military glory.—Swift.
This seems to be a discovery.
