Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 11.djvu/39

Rh been honoured with your commands. I believe I told your grace, that I was directly advised by my lord Sunderland, my lord Somers, Mr. Southwell, and others, to apply to my lord treasurer, in behalf of the clergy of Ireland; and lord Sunderland undertook to bring me to lord treasurer, which was put off for some time on account of the invasion. For, it is the method here of great ministers, when any publick matter is in hand, to make it an excuse for putting off all private application, I deferred it some time longer, because I had a mind my lord Sunderland should go along with me; but either the one or the other was always busy, or out of the way; however, his lordship had prepared lord treasurer, and engaged him (as he assured me) to think well of the matter; and the other day lord treasurer appointed me to attend him. He took me into a private room, and I told him my story; that I was commanded by your grace, and desired by some other bishops, to use what little credit I had, to solicit (under the direction of my lord lieutenant) the remitting of the first fruits; which, from the favourable representation of his lordship to the queen about four years ago, the clergy were encouraged to hope would be granted: that I had been told it might be of use, if some person could be admitted to his presence, at his usual times of being attended, in order to put him in mind; for the rest, they relied entirely on his excellency's good office, and his lordship's dispositions to favour the church. He said, in answer, he was passive in this business: that he supposed my lord tenant