Letter 19.
1 John Hartstonge, D.D. (died 1717), was Bishop of Ossory from 1693 to 1714,
when he was translated to Derry.
2 See Letter 15, note 16.
3 Thomas Proby was Chirurgeon-General in Ireland from 1699 until his death in
1761. In his Short Character of Thomas, Earl of Wharton, Swift speaks of him
as "a person universally esteemed," who had been badly treated by Lord
Wharton. In 1724 Proby's son, a captain in the army, was accused of popery,
and Swift wrote to Lord Carteret that the charge was generally believed to be
false: "The father is the most universally beloved of any man I ever knew in
his station. . . . You cannot do any personal thing more acceptable to the
people of Ireland than in inclining towards lenity to Mr. Proby and his
family." Proby was probably a near relative of Sir Thomas Proby, Bart., M.P.,
of Elton, Hunts, at whose death in 1689 the baronetcy expired. Mrs. Proby
seems to have been a Miss Spencer.
4 Meliora, daughter of Thomas Coningsby, Baron of Clanbrassil and Earl of
Coningsby, and wife of Sir Thomas Southwell, afterwards Baron Southwell, one
of the Commissioners of Revenue in Ireland, and a member of the Irish Privy
Council. Lady Southwell died in 1736.
5 Lady Betty Rochfort was the daughter of Henry Moore, third Earl of Drogheda.
Her husband, George Rochfort, M.P. for Westmeath, was son of Robert Rochfort,
an Irish judge, and brother of Robert Rochford, M.P., to whose wife Swift
addressed his Advice to a very Young Lady on her Marriage. Lady Betty's son
Robert was created Earl of Belvedere in 1757.
6 See Letter 17, note 23. Mr. Bussiere, of Suffolk Street, had been called in
directly after the outrage, but Radcliffe would not consult him.
7 The letter from Dr. King dated March 17, 1711, commenting on Guiscard's
attack upon Harley.
8 See Feb. 10, 1710-11.
9 The word "trangram" or "tangram" ordinarily means a toy or gimcrack, or
trumpery article. Cf. Wycherley (Plain Dealer, iii. 1), "But go, thou
trangram, and carry back those trangrams which thou hast stolen or purloined."
Apparently "trangum" here means a tally.
10 See Letter 12, note 2.
11 Swift means Godolphin, the late Lord Treasurer.
12 Sir John Holland (see Letter 3, note 28).
13 "It caused a violent daub on the paper, which still continues much
discoloured in the original" (Deane Swift).
14 "He forgot here to say, 'At night.' See what goes before" (Deane Swift).
15 See Letter 17, note 1.
16 Irishman. "Teague" was a term of contempt for an Irishman.
17 To "Mr. Harley, wounded by Guiscard." In this piece Prior said, "Britain
with tears shall bathe thy glorious wound," a wound which could not have been
inflicted by any but a stranger to our land.
18 Sir Thomas Mansel married Martha, daughter and heiress of Francis
Millington, a London merchant.
19 Slatterning, consuming carelessly.
20 "The candle grease mentioned before, which soaked through, deformed this
part of the paper on the second page" (Deane Swift).
21 Harcourt.
22 William Rollinson, formerly a wine merchant, settled afterwards in
Oxfordshire, where he died at a great age. He was a friend of Pope,
Bolingbroke, and Gay.
23 In relation to the banknote (see Letter 17, note 14).
24 "Swift was, at this time, their great support and champion" (Deane Swift).
25 See Letter 14, note 15.
26 See Letter 17, note 25.
27 "Stella, with all her wit and good sense, spelled very ill; and Dr. Swift
insisted greatly upon women spelling well" (Deane Swift).
28 "The slope of the letters in the words THIS WAY, THIS WAY, is to the left
hand, but the slope of the words THAT WAY, THAT WAY, is to the right hand"
(Deane Swift).
29 See Letter 17, note 24.
30 See Letter 5, note 11 and Letter 10, note 28.
