has been accused, after a warm discussion, of returning
home in a passion, and then writing the character of a person.
But as his feelings were warm, it is probable he might have
often practised the reverse. An anecdote of the times is
preserved in "The Memoirs of Grub-street," vol. ii. p. 291. "A
noble peer now living declares he stood with a very ill grace
in the history, till he had an opportunity put into his hands
of obliging the bishop, by granting a favour at court, upon
which the bishop told a friend, within an hour, that he was
mistaken in such a lord, and must go and alter his whole
character; and so he happens to have a pretty good one." In
this place I also find this curious extract from the MS.
"Memoirs of the M---- of H----." "Such a day Dr. B----t told
me King William was an obstinate, conceited man, that would
take no advice; and on this day King William told me that Dr.
B----t was a troublesome, impertinent man, whose company he
could not endure." These anecdotes are very probable, and lead
one to reflect. Some political tergiversation has been laid to
his charge; Swift accused him of having once been an advocate
for passive obedience and absolute power. He has been
reproached with the deepest ingratitude, for the purpose of
gratifying his darling passion of popularity, in his conduct
respecting the Duke of Lauderdale, his former patron. If the
following piece of secret history be true, he showed too much
of a compliant humour, at the cost of his honour. I find it in
Bishop Kennet's MSS. "Dr. Burnet having _over night_ given in
some important depositions against the Earl of Lauderdale to
the House of Commons, was, _before morning_, by the
intercession of the D----, made king's chaplain and preacher
at the Rolls; so he was bribed to hold the peace."--Lansdowne
MSS., 990. This was quite a politician's short way to
preferment! An honest man cannot leap up the ascent, however
he may try to climb. There was something morally wrong in this
transaction, because Burnet notices it, and acknowledges--"I
was much blamed for what I had done." The story is by no means
refuted by the _naive_ apology.

Burnet's character has been vigo