136 THE WENTWORTH PAPERS.
in* has been very cautious how he discovers his opinion con- cerning a P but more then once he has told me that the
change of the Ministry must be attended with the consequence
of a new P and as much he has writ to you. The Tories
have already spent so much mony upon the assurance of it, that I can't believe they'll be served so basely to be disappointed in that perticular tho' I believe they will in other points of all coming in for Places. My Lord Rotchester is certainly highly disgusted against Mr. Harley, and there goes a saying cur- rant about for his, as that before the winter was over he did not question but he shou'd see the Duke of Shrewsbury go sick into the country, and Harley glad to get over into France in a cock boat ; he, Buckingham and Notingham being left out in this new Scheme of Harley's makes me believe he was author of a book wch was said to be Toland's, and I have read it over again since I have been here in your Pleasant Study.
Having no news to writ you, I hope you'l pardon me if I endeavour to entertain you with some of my own thoughts being absent from the bussy part of the world. The Title of the Book is the art of Governing by parties, 'twas writ in the year the King of Spain died, dedicated to William the 3d King
of E , S , F , and Ireland, Statholder of G
H Z U and Overysel Supreme Majistrat of the
two most potent and florishing commonwealths in the Universe. I confess this extraordinary didication looks more like Toland's impudence of calling this Kingdome a commonwealth, but when I read in the book how he by the by wou'd have it understood for what reason he terms it a Common Wealth I think it Harley again, wch is England being a mickt Monarchy. King, Lords, and Commons, each a check upon the other wch is to be calculated for the good of the whole that it may more properly be called a Common Wealth then a Monarchy. If it shou'd prove that Toland is realy the Author I cou'd almost swere 'twas revised by him, and that
- Erasmus Lewis, one of Harley's favourites, was at this time in Lord
Dartmouth's office at the Treasury. Swift was very intimate with him, and makes frequent reference to him in his Journal.
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