Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 11.djvu/189

Rh which would be better let alone, where they cannot be carried without opposition.

The house of commons seem to have received ill impressions of some. They reckon my lord duke's advisers, as if they were secretly his enemies, and designed to betray him. They generally seem persuaded, that his grace is a sincere honest man, and most in the interest of the kingdom of any chief governor they can ever expect; and that therefore they ought to support him to the utmost of their power, and declare, that the quarrels his enemies raise, shall not hinder them from doing whatever he shall reasonably desire from them, or her majesty's service require; and as an instance of their sincerity in this, they have granted funds for two years from Christmas last: whereas at first they intended only two years from the preceding 24th of June.

I have been preaching a doctrine that seems strange to some: it is, that her majesty, and the ministry, will be inclined to employ such as may be a help and support to their interest, and not a clog. I mean, that these subalterns should, by their prudence and dexterity, be able to remove any misunderstandings, that may be between the government and the people, and help to beget in them a good notion of the ministry; and by all means, avoid such things, as may embarrass or beget jealousies; so that the burden or odium may not fall on the ministry, where any harsh things happen to be done: that it seems to me to be the duty of those in posts, to avoid unnecessary disputes, and not to expect, that the ministry will interpose to extricate them, when they, without necessity, have involved themselves. But some are of a different opinion, and. XI.