writers, who might convey intelligence of past abuses, and fhew the wafte of public money, the unreasonable Conduct of the Allies, the avarice of generals, the ty ranny of minions, and the general danger of approaching ruin.

For this purpose a paper called the Examiner was periodically published, written, as it happened, by any wit of the party, and fometimes as is faid by Mrs. Manley. Some are owned by Swift; and one, in ridi- · cule of Garth's verfes to Godolphin upon the lofs of his place, was written by Prior, and anfwered by Addifon, who appears to have known the author either by conjecture or intelligence.

The Tories, who were now in power, were in hafte to end the war; and Prior, being recalled (1710) to his former employment of making treaties, was fent (July 1711) privately to l'aris with propofitions of peace. He was remembered at the French court; and, returning in about a month, brought with him the Abbé Gaultier, and M. Mefnager, a minifter from France, invefted with full powers.

This tranfaction not being avowed, Mackay, the mafter of the Dóver packet-boat, either zealously or officiously, feized Prior and his affociates at Canterbury. It is easily supposed that they were foon released.

The negotiation was begun at Prior's house, where the Queen's minifters met Mefnager (September 20, 1711) and entered privately upon the great business. The importance of Prior appears from the mention made of him by St. John in his Letter to the Queen..

"My Lord Treasurer moved, and all my Lords "were of the fame opinion, that Mr. Prior fhould be added to those who are empowered to fign; the rea

K 4

"fon

"fon for which is, becaufe he, having perfonally "treated with Monfieur de Torcy, is the best witnefs "we can produce of the fenfe in which the general "preliminary engagements are entered into: befides "which, as he is the best verfed in matters of trade "of all your Majesty's fervants who have been trufted "in this fecret, if you shall think fit to employ him "in the future treaty of commerce, it will be of con

fequence that he has been a party concerned in con"cluding that convention, which must be the rule of ❝ this treaty."

The affembly of this important night was in fome degree clandeftine, the defign of treating not being yet openly declared, and, when the Whigs returned to power, was aggravated to a charge of high treafon; though, as Prior remarks in his imperfect answer to the Report of the Committee of Secrecy, no treaty ever was made without private interviews and preliminary difcuffions.

My business is not the hiftory of the peace, but the life of Prior. The conferences began at Utrecht on the first of January (1711-12), and the English plenipotentiaries arrived on the fifteenth. The minifters of the different potentates conferred and conferred; but the peace advanced fo flowly, that speedier methods were found neceffary, and Bolingbroke was fent to Paris to adjust differences with lefs formality; 'Prior either accompanied him or followed him; and after his departure had the appointments and authority of an ambassador, though no public character,

By fome mistake of the Queen's orders, the court of France had been difgufted; and Bolingbroke fays in his Letter, "Dear Mat, hide the nakedness of thy

66 country,

country, and give the best turn thy fertile brain will "furnifh thee with to the blunders of thy countrymen, * who are not much better politicians than the French "are poets."

Soon after, the duke of Shrewfbury went on a formal embaffy to Paris. It is related by Boyer, that the intention was to have joined Prior in the fame commiffion, but that Shrewsbury refufed to be affociated with a man fo meanly born. Prior therefore continued to act without a title till the duke returned next year to England, and then he affumed the ftyle and dignity of embaffador.

But, while he continued in appearance a private man, he was treated with confidence by Lewis, who fent him with a letter to the Queen, written in favour of the elector of Bavaria. "I fhall expect," says he, "with impatience, the return of Mr. Prior, whofe con"duct is very agreeable to me." And while the Duke of Shrewsbury was ftill at Paris, Bolingbroke wrote to Prior thus: "Monfieur de Torcy has a confidence in you; make use of it, once for all, upon this occa"fion, and convince him thoroughly, that we must "give a different turn to our parliament and our people, according to their refolution at this crifis."

Prior's public dignity and splendour commenced in August 1713, and continued till the Auguft following; but I am afraid that, according to the ufual fate of greatness, it was attended with fome perplexities and mortifications. He had not all that is cuftomarily given to ambaffadors: he hints to the Queen, in an imperfect poem, that he had no service of plate; and it appeared, by the debts which he contracted, that his remittances were not punctually made.

3

On

On the first of Auguft, 1714, enfued the downfall of the Tories, and the degradation of Prior. He was recalled; but was not able to return, being detained by the debts which he had found it neceffary to contract, and which were not difcharged before March, though his old friend Montague was now at the head of the treasury.

He returned then as foon as he could, and was welcomed on the 25th of March by a warrant, but was, however, fuffered to live in his own house, under the cuftody of the meffenger, till he was examined before a committee of the Privy Council, of which Mr. Walpole was chairman, and Lord Coningsby, Mr. Stanhope and Mr. Lechmere, were the principal interrogators; who, in this examination, of which there is printed an account not unentertaining, behaved with the boisterousness of men elated by recent authority. They are reprefented as afking questions fometimes vague, fometimes infidious, and writing anfwers different from thofe which they received. Prior, however, feems to have been overpowered by their turbulence; for he confeffes that he figned what, if he had ever come before a legal judicature, he fhould have contradicted or explained away. The oath was administered by Boscawen, a Middlefex juftice, who at last was going to write his attestation on the wrong fide of the paper.

They were very industrious to find some charge against Oxford; and afked Prior, with great earnestness, who was prefent when the preliminary articles were talked of or figned at his houfe? He told them, that either the earl of Oxford or the duke of Shrewfbury was abfent, but he could not remember which; an answer which perplexed them, because it fupplied no accufa

tion against either. "Could any thing be more ab"furd," fays he "or more inhuman, than to propofe "to me a question, by the answering of which I might, "according to them, prove myself a traitor? And not"withstanding their folemn promife, that nothing "which I could fay fhould hurt myfelf, I had no rea"fon to trust them: for they violated that promife "about five hours after. However, I owned I was "there prefent. Whether this was wifely done or no "I leave to my friends to determine."

When he had figned the paper, he was told by Walpole, that the committee were not fatisfied with his behaviour, nor could give fuch an account of it to the Commons as might merit favour; and that they now thought a stricter confinement neceffary than to his own house." Here," fays he," Boscawen played the "moralift, and Coningsby the chriftian, but both very "aukwardly." The meffenger, in whofe cuftody he was to be placed, was then called, and very decently afked by Coningsby, if his house was fecured by bars and bolts? The messenger answered, No, with aftonishment; at which Coningsby very angrily faid, Sir, you muft fecure this prisoner; it is for the fafety of the nation: if he escape, you shall answer for it.

They had already printed their report; and in this examination were endeavouring to find proofs.

He continued thus confined for fome time; and Mr. "Walpole (June 10, 1715) moved for an impeachment against him. What made him fo acrimonious does not appear: he was by nature no thirfter for blood. Prior was a week after committed to close custody, with orders that no person should be admitted to fee him without leave from the Speaker.

When,