[Footnote 5:  In his letter to the Earl of Peterborough, dated February, 1710/1 (Scott, vol. xv., pp. 422-3), Swift speaks more favourably of this pamphlet.  His remarks to the Earl throw considerable light on Swift’s own position as a Tory:  “The piece is shrewdly written; and, in my opinion, not to be answered, otherwise than by disclaiming that sort of passive obedience which the Tories are charged with.  This dispute would soon be ended, if the dunces who write on each side would plainly tell us what the object of this passive obedience is in our country; for I dare swear nine in ten of the Whigs will allow it to be the legislature, and as many of the Tories deny it to the prince alone; and I hardly ever saw a Whig and a Tory together, whom I could not immediately reconcile on that article when I made them explain themselves.”

The pamphlet was written by a Mr. Benson in reply to Sir Jacob Banks, who, as member for Minehead, had, in 1709-10 presented an address from his constituents in which it was pretty broadly avowed that subjects must obey their monarch, since he was responsible to God alone.  The writer of the letter institutes a clever parallel between England and Sweden.  See note to No. 14, ante, and No. 34, post, pp. 75 and 216. [T.S.]]

[Footnote 6:  Julius Caesar was captured by pirates off the coast of Miletus (c. 75 B.C.) and held to ransom.  The threat of crucifixion he then held out to his captors he afterwards fulfilled. [T.S.]]

[Footnote 7:  The Rev. James Greenshields was imprisoned (September 15th, 1709) for conducting in Edinburgh the service according to the English Prayer Book.  He appealed to the House of Lords, and the judgment against him was reversed, March 1st. 1710/1 ("Journals of House of Lords,” xix). [T.S.]]

NUMB. 32.[1]

FROM THURSDAY MARCH 1, TO THURSDAY MARCH 8, 1710-11.

  _——­Garrit aniles
  Ex re fabellas_.[2]

I had last week sent me by an unknown hand, a passage out of Plato,[3] with some hints how to apply it.  That author puts a fable into the mouth of Aristophanes, with an account of the original of love.  That, mankind was at first created with four arms and legs, and all other parts double to what they are now; till Jupiter, as a punishment for his sins, cleft him in two with a thunderbolt, since which time we are always looking for our other half; and this is the cause of love.  But Jupiter threatened, that if they did not mend their manners, he would give them t’other slit, and leave them to hop about in the shape of figures in basso relievo.  The effect of this last threatening, my correspondent imagines, is now come to pass; and that as the first splitting was the original of love, by inclining us to search for our t’other half, so the second was the cause of hatred, by prompting us to fly from our other side, and dividing the same body into two, gave each slice the name of a party.