Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 11.djvu/121

Rh queen herself should have the doing of it: but I said a great deal of this in former letters. If your grace has any commands for me of your own, I shall obey them with all cheerfulness, being, with great respect,

J. SWIFT.

MY LORD,

DAY or two after I received your grace's letter, of the second instant, I dined with Mr. Southwell, who showed me the letter of the bishops to the duke of Ormond, and another letter from the bishop of Kildare to Mr. Southwell, to desire him to get the papers from me, which I shall send him as soon as I have looked them out. Mr. Southwell said, that a month or two hence, when the duke began to think of this journey, it would be time enough to solicit this affair. Upon this I told him frankly, that the queen had already granted the first-fruits, and that I had writ to your grace by Mr. Harley's directions, but that my letter did not reach you until your'syours [sic] was sent to the duke and him; and that therefore I thought it would be a very odd step to begin again. He said, he was glad it was done, and that he did not design to take any of the credit from me, &c. I told him sincerely, it was what I did not regard at all,