that a Person who had wrote lewdly, nay even Atheistically, might by having a false undeserved character given him be promoted to a Bishoprick[1] by her Majesty whose intentions were always good. It was answered by the other Party that the same plea of persecution had been used in the Occasional Conformity Bill. Lord Treasurer at last said that the whole of it came to this, whether that House had a power of regulating the education of children or not; for his part he was of opinion the Bill would be of very good consequence, and as for those little hardships which some of the Lords had complained of, they might be amended by the Committee. It was carried that it should be committed without dividing. Afterwards the D. of Devonshire proposed to the House a Petition of some Dissenting Protestants, that the House would hear Councell in the matter; after some dispute whether that wanted a president or noe they came to a division, and the Petition was rejected by three Votes and 3 Proxys.
[Peter Wentworth.]
London, June 4, 1714.
Dear Brother,
Since the Princess Sophia was a friend of yours I am sorry she's dead, but she was of a great age and cou'd not be expected to live long. I have a long time heard she was the only friend you had at that Court, and if I had not many more weighty reasons to desire that the time might be far off before you shou'd have any need to make your court affresh, this wou'd be an inducement to me to be hearty in the wish. They tell me the Queen is well, and I hope in God she's so and may out live all that wish otherways. The town wonders much that she has not given the King of Sicilia Ambassador Audience yet, and I believe he's sorry for't because he's forc't to be at a greater expence till that's over then he cares for. There's no manner of news in the town. My sister D——
- ↑ Swift, made Dean of St. Patrick's in 1713, is always supposed to have been aimed at by this remark.
