Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 9.djvu/291

Rh finely dressed about the court end of the town, and as far as York buildings where the lord treasurer Oxford dwelt, calling the women who cried buy my fresh places, and talking to them in the corner of a street until they understood each other's sign. But we never could observe that any fish was bought.

Some years before the cries last mentioned, the duke of Savoy was reported to have made certain overtures to the court of England, for admitting his eldest son by the duchess of Orleans's daughter to succeed to the crown, as next heir, upon the pretender's being rejected; and that son was immediately to turn protestant. It was confidently reported, that great numbers of people disaffected to the then illustrious, but now royal house of Hanover, were in those measures. Whereupon another set of women were hired by the jacobite leaders to cry through the whole town, buy my Savoys, dainty Savoys, curious Savoys. But I cannot directly charge the late earl of Oxford with this conspiracy, because he was not then chief minister. However, this wicked cry still continues in London, and was brought over hither, where it remains to this day; and is in my humble opinion a very offensive sound to every true protestant, who is old enough to remember those dangerous times.

During the ministry of that corrupt and jacobite earl abovementioned, the secret pernicious design of those in power, was, to sell Flanders to France: the consequence of which must have been the infallible ruin of the States General, and would have opened the way for France to obtain that universal monarchy they have so long aimed at; to which the British