Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 11.djvu/122

110 all, and provided the church had the benefit, it was indifferent to me how it came about; and so we parted. I had told the duke of Ormond at first, that I would apply myself to Mr. Harley if his grace advised it, which he did; and I afterward told Mr. Southwell, that Mr. Harley had been very kind in promising his good offices: farther I durst not speak, being under an engagement of secrecy to Mr. Harley; and the whole thing was done before the duke was declared lord lieutenant. If your grace considers the time you sent me the paper, you will judge what dispatch was made; in two days after, I delivered a memorial I drew up to Mr. Harley; and in less than a fortnight he had treated the matter four times with the queen, and then told me she had granted it absolutely, as my memorial desired, but charged me to tell no man alive; and your grace may remember, that one of my letters ended with something as if I were limited, and would say more in a short time. In about a week after, I had leave to inform the primate and your grace, as I did in my letter of the 4th instant. It is to be considered, that the queen was all this while at Hampton Court or Windsor, so that I think the dispatch was very great. But indeed, I expected a letter would have been sent from the secretary's office, to signify this matter in due form; and so it will: but Mr. Harley had a mind first to bring me to the queen, for that and some other matters; and she came to town not a week ago, and was out of order one day when it was designed I should attend her, and, since, the parliament's beginning has taken her up: but in a few days, Mr. Harley tells me he will introduce me. This I tell your grace in confidence, only to satisfy