31. James Brydges, son of Lord Chandos of Sudeley,
was appointed Paymaster-General of Forces Abroad
in 17O7. He succeeded his father as Baron Chandos
in 1714, and was created Duke of Chandos in 1729.
The “princely Chandos” and his house
at Canons suggested to Pope the Timon’s villa
of the “Epistle to Lord Burlington.”
The Duke died in 1744.
32. Charles Talbot, created Duke of Shrewsbury
in 1694, was held in great esteem by William iii.,
and was Lord Chamberlain under Anne. In 1713
he became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and held various
offices under George I., until his death in 1718.
“Before he was o. age,” says Macaulay,
“he was allowed to be one of the finest gentlemen
and finest scholars of his time.”
33. See No. 23O.
34. William Cavendish, second Duke of Devonshire
(1673-1729), who was Lord Steward from 17O7 to 1710
and from 1714 to 1716. Afterwards he was Lord
President of the Council. Swift’s comment
on Macky’s character of this Whig nobleman was,
“A very poor understanding.”
35. John Annesley, fourth Earl of Anglesea, a
young nobleman of great promise, had only recently
been appointed joint Vice-Treasurer, Receiver-General,
and Paymaster of the Forces in Ireland, and sworn
of the Privy Council.
36. Nichols, followed by subsequent editors,
suggested that “Durham” was a mistake
for “St. David’s,” because Dr. George
Bull, Bishop of St. David’s, died in 1710.
But Dr. Bull died on Feb. 17, 171O, though his successor,
Dr. Philip Bisse, was not appointed until November;
and Swift was merely repeating a false report of the
death of Lord Crewe, Bishop of Durham, which was current
on the day on which he wrote. Luttrell says,
on Sept. 19, “The Lord Crewe. . . died lately”;
but on the 23rd he adds, “The Bishop of Durham
is not dead as reported” (Brief Relation, vi.
63O, 633.
37. Lady Elizabeth ("Betty”) Butler, who
died unmarried in 175O.
38. Swift wrote in 1734, “Once every year
I issued out an edict, commanding that all ladies
of wit, sense, merit, and quality, who had an ambition
to be acquainted with me, should make the first advances
at their peril: which edict, you may believe,
was universally obeyed.”
39. Charles, second Earl of Berkeley (1649-171O),
married Elizabeth, daughter of Baptist Noel, Viscount
Campden. The Earl died on Sept. 24, 171O, and
his widow in 1719. Swift, it will be remembered,
had been chaplain to Lord Berkeley in Ireland in 1699.
40. Lady Betty and Lady Mary Butler. (see Letter
7, notes 2 and 3.)
41. Henry Boyle, Chancellor of the Exchequer
from 17O2 to 17O8, was Secretary of State from 17O8
to 171O, when he was succeeded by St. John. In
1714 he was created Baron Carleton, and he was Lord
President from 1721 until his death in 1725.
42. On Sept. 29 Swift wrote that his rooms consisted
of the first floor, a dining-room and bed-chamber,
at eight shillings a week. On his last visit
to England, in 1726, he lodged “next door to
the Royal Chair” in Bury Street. Steele
lived in the same street from 17O7 to 1712; and Mrs.
Vanhomrigh was Swift’s next-door neighbour.
