Nov. 5. 1853.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



433 



In no account of Newton that I ever read is it 

 stated that INIrs. Barton was an intimate friend of 

 Swift, probably througli Halifax. Having been 

 told that there is frequent mention of her in 

 Swift's Journal to Stella, I examined that series 

 and the rest of the correspondence, in which her 

 name occurs about twenty times. One letter from 

 herself, under the name of Conduitt (Novem- 

 ber 29, 1733), is indorsed by the Dean, "My old 

 friend Mrs. Barton, now Mrs. Conduitt," and es- 

 tablishes the identity of Swift's friend with 

 Newton's niece : otherwise, it proves nothing here. 

 The other points to be noticed are as follows. 



1710, September 28, November 30, March 7 ; 

 1711, April 3, July 18, October 14 and 25, Swift 

 visited or dined with Mrs. Barton at her lodgings. 

 He was also at this time on good terms with 

 Halifax, and dined with him November 28, 1710, 

 and with Mrs. Barton on November 30. Ac- 

 cording to the idiom of the day, lodgings was a 

 name for every kind of residence, and even for the 

 apartments of a guest in the house of his host. 

 Tor anything to the contrary in the mere word, 

 the lodgings might have been in the house of Lord 

 Halifax, or of Newton himself. But, on the other 

 hand, the future Dean, much as he writes to 

 Stella of every kind of small talk, never mentions 

 Halifax and Mrs. Barton together, never makes 

 the slightest allusion to either in connexion with 

 the other, though in one and the same letter he 

 minutes his having dined with Halifax on the 28th, 

 and with Mrs. Barton on the 30th. There must 

 have been intentional suppression in this. All 

 the world knew that there was some liaison be- 

 tween the two; yet when Swift (1711, Nov. 20) 

 records his having been " teased with whiggish 

 discourse " by Mrs. Barton, he does not even drop 

 a. sarcasm about her politics having been learnt 

 from Halifax. This is the more remarkable as 

 the two seem to have been almost the only persons 

 •who are mentioned as talking whiggery to him. 

 To this list, however, may be added Lady Betty 

 Germain, well known to the .readers of Swift's 

 poetry, who joined Mrs. Barton in inflicting the 

 vexation,, and at whose house the conversation 

 took place. It thus appears that Mrs. Barton was 

 received in a manner which shows that she was 

 regarded as a respectable woman. The sup- 

 pression on the part of Swift may indicate respect 

 for his two friends (that he highly respected Mrs. 

 Barton appears clear), and observance of a con- 

 vention established in their circle. But perhaps 

 itis rather to be attributed to his own position 

 with respect to Stella, which was certainly peculiar, 

 though no one can say what their understanding 

 was at_ the date of the journal. This journal came 

 again into Swift's hands before it was published ; 

 so that we can only treat it as containing what he 

 finally chose to preserve. Allusions may have 

 been struck out. 



There is another point which our modern 

 manners will not allow to be very closely handled 

 in pi'int, but on which I am disposed to lay some 

 stress. On September 28, 1710, and April 3, 

 1711, Swift visited Mi's. Barton at Jier lodgings. 

 On each of these occasions she regaled him with 

 a good story, which there is no need to repeat : 

 there is no harm in either, and they are far from 

 being the most singular communications which he 

 made to Stella ; but they go beyond what, even ia 

 that day, will be considered as the probable con- 

 versation of a maiden lady of thirty-one, with a 

 bachelor man of the world of forty-three. But 

 they by no means exceed what we know to be the 

 license then taken by married women ; and Swift's 

 tone with respect to the stories, combined with his 

 obvious respect for Mrs. Barton, may make any 

 one lean to the supposition that he believed him- 

 self to be talking to a married woman. 



The reserve of Swift puts us quite at fault as to 

 the locality of Mrs. Barton's lodgings. They may 

 have been in Lord Halifax's house ; but if not, it 

 requires some supposition to explain why they 

 were not in that of Newton, with whom siie had 

 lived, and with whom she certainly lived after the 

 death of Halifax. Perhaps, when farther research 

 is made in such directions as may be indicated 

 by the only unreserved stiitement of the existing 

 case which has ever been printed, the conclusion I 

 arrive at, as to me the most probable, may either 

 be reinforced, or another substituted for it. Be 

 this as it may, such points as I have discussed, re- 

 lating to such men as Newton, will not remain ia 

 abeyance for ever, let biographers be as timid as 

 they will. A. De Morgan. 



DR. PARR ON MILTON. 



Amongst my autographs I find the inclosed 

 letter from Dr. Parr. It is written upon a half- 

 sheet of paper, and in a very cramp and illegible 

 hand. To whom it is addressed, or when written, 

 I am unable to say. As it relates to the opinions 

 held by Milton, perhaps you may think it worth 

 insertion in your work, particularly as Milton has 

 been the subject of some papers in "N. & Q." 

 lately. W. M. F. 



Copy of Letter from Dr. Farr, without date or 

 address. 



Dear Sir, 



I send you Johnson's Life of Milton. My 

 former feelings again return upon me, that John- 

 son did not mean to aflirm that Milton prayed not 

 upon any occasion or in any manner ; but that 

 he was engaged in no visible worship ; that he 

 prayed at no stated time ; that he had not what 

 we may call any regular return of family or pri- 

 vate devotion. Pray read the sequel. That he 

 lived without prayer can hardly be affirmed, this 



