He

moft grossly and most dangerously deluded.' obferved, that the Treatment he had received from ⚫ the Pretender and his Adherents, would justify him to the World in doing this. That if he remained in Exile all his Life, that he might be affured ❝ that he would never have more to do with the Jacobite Caufe; and that if he were reftored, he would give it an effectual Blow, in making that Apology which the Pretender had put him under a Neceffity of making. That in doing this, he flattered himself that he fhould contribute fomething towards the Establishment of the King's Government, and to the Union of his Subjects.' He added, that if the Court thought him fincere in thofe Profeffions, a Treaty with him was unneceffary; and if they did not believe so, then a Treaty would be dangerous to him.' The Earl of Stair, who has, alfo confirmed this Account of Lord Bolingbroke's, in a Letter to Mr. Craggs, readily came into his Sentiments on this Head, and foon after the King approved it upon their Reprefentations: He accordingly received a Promife of Pardon from George I. who on the Second of July 1716, created his Father Baron of Batterfea, in the County of Surry, and Viscount St. John. This feemed preparatory to his own Restoration; and instead of profecuting any farther ambitious Schemes against the Government, he rather began to turn his Mind to Philofophy; and fince he could not gratify his Ambition to its full Extent, he endeavoured to learn the Arts of defpifing it. The Variety of diftressful Events that had hitherto attended all his Struggles, at laft had thrown him into a State of Reflection, and this produced, by way of Relief, a Confolatio Philofophica, which he wrote the fame, Year, under the Title of Reflections upon Exile. In this Piece, in which he profeffes to imitate the Manner of Seneca, he with fome Wit draws his own Picture, and represents

represents himself as fuffering Perfecution for having ferved his Country with Abilities and Integrity. A State of Exile thus incurred, he very juftly fhews to be rather Honourable than Distressful; and indeed, there are few Men that will deny, but that the Company of Strangers to Virtue is better than the Company of Enemies to it. Befides this Philofophical Tract, he alfo wrote this Year feveral Letters in Answer to the Charge laid upon him by the Pretender and his Adherents; and the following Year he drew up a Vindication of his whole Conduct with respect to the Tories, in the Form of a Letter, to Sir William Wyndham.

Nor was he fo entirely devoted to the Fatigues of Bufinefs, but that he gave Pleasure a Share in his Purfuits. He had never much agreed with the Lady he first married, and after a fhort Cohabitation, they separated and lived ever after afunder. She therefore remained in England, upon his going into Exile, and by proper Application to the Throne, was allowed a proper Maintenance to fupport her with becoming Dignity: However, the did not long furvive his first Difgrace, and upon his becoming a Widower, he began to think of trying his Fortune once more, in a State which was at first so unfavourable. For this Purpose, he caft his Eyes on the Widow of the Marquis of Villette, and Niece to the famous Madam Maintenon; a young Lady of great Merit and Understanding, poffeffed of a very large Fortune, but encumbered with a long and troublesome Law-fuit. In the Company of this very fenfible Woman he paffed his Time in France, fometimes in the Country, and fometimes at the Capital, till the Year 1723, in which, after the Breaking up of the Parliament, his Majefty was pleased to grant him a Pardon as to his perfonal Safety, but as yet neither reftoring him to his Fa

mily

mily. Inheritance, his Title, or a Seat in Parlia

ment.got

To obtain this Favour had been the governing Principle of his Politics for fome Years before; and upon the first Notice of his good Fortune, he prepared to return to his native Country, where, however, his dearest Connections were either dead, or declared themselves fufpicious of his former Con duct in fupport of their Party. It is obfervable, that Bithop Atterbury, who was banifhed at this Time for a fuppofed treasonable Correfpondence in Favour of the Tories, was fet on Shore at Calais, just when Lord Bolingbroke arrived there on his Re-. turn to England. So extraordinary a Reverse of Fortune could not fail of ftrongly affecting that good Prelate, who obferved with fome Emotion, that he perceived himself to be exchanged: He prefently left it to his Auditors to imagine, whether his Country were the Lofer or the Gainer by such an Exchange.

Lord Bolingbroke, upon his Return to his Native Country, began to make very vigorous Applications for further Favours from the Crown; his Pardon, without the Means of Support, was but an empty, or, perhaps, it might be called a diftrefsful Act of Kindness, as it brought him back among his former Friends, in a State of Inferiority his Pride could not endure. However, his Applications were foon after fuccesful, for in about two Years after his Return, he obtained an Act of Parliament to restore him to his family Inheritance, which amounted to near three thoufand Pounds a Year. He was alfo en: bled by the fame, to poffefs any Purchafe he fhould inake of any other Eftate in the Kingdom; and he accordingly pitched upon a Seat of Lord Tankerville's, at Dawley, near Ubridge in Middle,ex, where he fettled with his Lady,. and laid himself out to enjoy the rural Pieatures in Perfection, fince the more glorious ones

of

of Ambition were denied him. With this Refolution he began to improve his new Purchase in a very peculiar Style, giving it all the Air of a Country Farm, and adorning even his Hall with all the Implements of Husbandry. We have a Sketch of his Way of Living in this Retreat, in a Letter of Pope's to Swift, who omits no Opportunity of reprefenting his Lordthip in the most amiable Points of View. This Letter is dated from Dawley, the Country Farm abovementioned, and begins thus. I now hold the Pen for my Lord Bolingbroke, who is reading your Letter between two Hay-cocks; but his Attention is somewhat diverted, by cafting his Eyes on the Clouds, not in Admiration of what you fay, but for fear of a Shower. He is pleased with your placing him in the Triumvirate, between yourfelf and me: though he fays he doubts he fhall fare like Lepidus, while one of us runs away with all the Power, like Auguftus, and another with all the Pleasure, like Antony. It is upon a Forefight of this, that he has fitted up his Farm, and you will agree that this Scheme of Retreat is not founded upon weak Appearances. Upon his Return from Bath, he finds all peccant Humours are purged out of him; and his great Temperance and Economy are fo fignal, that the first is fit for my Conftitution, and the latter would enable you to lay up fo much Money as to buy a Bishopric in England. As to the Return of his Health and Vigour, were you here, you might enquire of his Hay-makers; but as to his Temperance, I can answer: that for one whole Day, we have had nothing for Dinner, but Mutton-Broth, Beans and Bacon, and a Barn-door Fowl. Now his Lordship is run after his Cart, I have a Moment left to myself to tell you, that I overheard him Yefterday agree with a Painter for two hundred Pounds, to paint his Country Hall with Rakes, Spades, Prongs, &c. and other Ornaments, merely to coun

4

tenance

tenance his calling this Place a Farm. What Pope here fays of his Engagements with a Painter, was fhortly after executed; the Hall was painted accordingly in Black Crayons only, fo that at first View it brought to mind the Figures often feen fcratched with Charcoal, or the Smoke of a Candle, upon the Kitchen Walls of Farm Houfes. The Whole how ever produced a moft ftriking Effect, and over the Door at the Entrance of it, was this Motto: Satis beatus ruris bonoribus. His Lordfhip feemed to be extremely happy in this Purfuit of moral Tranquility, and in the Exultation of his Heart, could not fail of communicating his Satisfactions to his Friend Swift. I am in my own Farm,' fays he, and here I fhoot ftrong and tenacious Roots: I have caught hold of the Earth, to use a Gardener's Phrafe, and neither my Enemies nor my Friends will find an easy Matter to transplant me again.'

There is not, perhaps, a ftronger Instance in the World than his Lordfhip, that an ambitious Mind can never be fairly fubdued, but will ftill feek for those Gratifications which Retirement can never fupply. All this Time he was miftaken in his Paflion for Solitude, and supposed that to be the Child of Philo→ fophy, which was only the Effects of Spleen: it was in vain that he attempted to take Root in the Shade of Obfcurity; he was originally bred in the Glare of Public Occupation, and he fecretly once more withed for Transplantation. He was only a titular Lord, he had not been thoroughly restored; and, as he was excluded from a Seat in the Houfe of Peers, he burned with Impatience to play a Part in that confpicuous Theatre. Impelled by this Defire, he could no longer be reftrained in Obfcurity, but once more entered into the Buftle of Public Bufinefs, and difavowing all Obligations to the Minister, he embarked in the Oppofition against him, in which he had feveFal powerful Coadjutors: but previously he had taken