Do  you  think  that  a  banished  minister  can  have  any,  the
smallest,  resemblance  to  what  he  was  when  in  power  ?  By  gum-
dragon,  as  our  friend  Swift  so  euphoniously  and  elegantly
says,  or  swears, — by  gumdragon,  I  think  not !  What  altered
Satan  so  after  his  fall  ?  what  gave  him  hornsand  atail  ?  nothing
but  his  disgrace. Oh  !  years,  and  disease,  plague,  pestilence,
and  famine,  never  alter  a  man  so  much  as  the  loss  of  power."

''  You  say  wisely  ;  but  what  am  I  to  gather  from  your  words  ?
is  it  all  over  with  us  in  real  earnest?  "

"Us  !  with  7ne  it  is  indeed  all  over — you  may  stay  here  for
ever. /  must  fly — a  packet  boat  to  Calais,  or  a  room  in  the
Tower--!  must  choose  between  the  two. I  had  some  thoughts
of  remaining,  and  confronting  my  trial,  but  it  would  be  folly —
there  is  a  difference  between  Oxford  and  me. He  has  friends,
though  out  of  power ;  I  have  none. If  they  impeach  him —
he  will  escape  ;  if  they  impeach  me,  they  will  either  shut  me  up
like  a  rat  in  a  cage,  for  twenty  years,  till,  old  and  forgotten,
I  tear  my  heart  out  with  my  confinement,  or  they  will  bring  me
at  once  to  the  block,     No,  no — I  must  keep  myself  for  another


DEVEREUX. 217

day  ;  and,  while  they  banish  me,  I  will  leave  the  seeds  of  the
true  cause  to  grow  up  till  my  return. Wise  and  exquisite  policy
of  my  foes — *  Frustra  Cassium  amovisti,  si  gliscere  et  vigere
Brutorum  emulos  passurus  es.'  *  But  I  have  no  time  to  lose —
farewell,  my  friend — God  bless  you — you  are  saved  from  these
storms  ;  and  even  intolerance,  which  prevented  the  exercise  of
youj  genius,  preserves  you  now  from  the  danger  of  having
applied  that  genius  to  the  welfare  of  your  country  :  Heaven
knows,  whatever  my  faults,  I  have  sacrificed  what  I  loved
better  than  all  things — study  and  pleasure — to  her  cause. In
her  wars  I  served  even  my  enemy  Marlborough,  in  order  to
serve  her  ;  her  peace  I  effected,  and  I  suffer  for  it. 