Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/287

Rh to the miniſtry, or write to the King, and thought it beneath him to aſk a favour.

This conduct of the duke may be imputed, by ſome, to pride and obſtinacy, but a more natural conſtruction is, that he was afraid of treachery. He could not diſcover upon what motives, two perſons whom he looked upon as creatures of the court, would give themſelves the trouble to come to Rouen, in order to perſuade him to act for his own intereſt, unleſs they had ſome concealed views of ſuch a nature, perhaps, as would prove fatal to him, ſhould he ſubmit.

He ſoon after this received advice from England, that his truſtees could remit him no more of his annuity, on account of the indictment preferred againſt him. There was now a dreadful proſpect before him; his money was waſted; all future ſupplies cut off; and there was a large family to ſupport, without any hopes of relief. He began now to feel the effects of the indictment, which he before held in ſo much contempt; he complained of it as a rigorous proceeding, becauſe it laid him under a neceſſity of aſking a favour, and receiving it in a public manner, which he fancied neither conſiſtent with his honour, or reputation. Thus exaſperated againſt the government, he wrote the memorable paper which he contrived to get printed in Miſt’s Journal, under the colour of an account of Mirevais and Sultan Ezref, which contained ſevere reflexions on the adminiſtration. Mean time the duke’s credit at Rouen began to ſink; he was attended every morning with a conſiderable levee, conſiſting of the tradeſmen of that city, who came with importunate faces to demand payment of their bills, which he diſcharged by quitting Rouen, leaving his horſes and equipage to be ſold, and the money to be divided among them. The