Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/286

276 ; and though every argument was uſed to convince him of this error, at once ſo obvious and fatal, yet he would hearken to no admonition while he had one crown left.

At Rouen, as in every other place, the duke charmed all thoſe who converſed with him; he was warmly received by perſons of the firſt diſtinction in that province, with whom he took the diverſion of hunting twice a week, ’till ſome news arrived, which would have given interruption to the mirth of any other man; but the alteration was ſcarce to be perceived in him.

This was a Bill of Indictment preferred againſt Philip duke of Wharton, for high treaſon. The fact laid to his charge was, appearing in arms before, and firing off cannon againſt, his Majeſty’s town of Gibraltar. Here we cannot omit an anecdote, from which the reader may draw what concluſion he pleaſes. During the time the proceedings againſt the duke were at a ſtand in the long vacation, a gentleman of character, intimately acquainted with the duke, and alſo with his affairs in England; one who enjoyed the ſunſhine of court favour, and was a Member of Parliament, went over to Rouen to viſit his grace, in company with another gentleman. Theſe two viſitants took a great deal of pains to perſuade him to ſubmit to the government, and return to his eſtate, which they aſſured him he might do, by writing a letter to the King, or the miniſtry. This alone, without any other pretenſions to favour, was to re-eſtabliſh him, and leave him the free enjoyment of his eſtate, which, notwithſtanding all the reductions, would even then have yielded 6000 l. a year. This point they ſollicited inceſſantly, and their words of honour were given, to remove all ſcruples his grace might have about the performance of the conditions. Their interpoſitions were however in vain; he refuſed to ſubmit to