The Life and Romances of Mrs. Eliza HaywoodWhicher, George Frisbie
General
The Life and Romances of Mrs. Eliza Haywood
Whicher, George Frisbie
Haywood, Eliza Fowler, 1693?-1756
"With this Advantage, join'd to the most soothing and insinuating
Behaviour, he came to Court, and, by his Artifices, so wound himself
into the Favour of some great Officers, that he was not long without
being put into a considerable Post. This he discharged so well, that he
was soon promoted to a better, and at length to those of the highest
Trust and Honour in the Kingdom. But that which was most remarkable in
him, and very much contributed to endear him to all Sorts of People, was
that his Elevation did not seem to have made the least Change in his
Sentiments. His natural Pride, his Lust, his exorbitant Ambition, were
disguised under the Appearance of Sweetness of Disposition, Chastity,
and even more Condescension, than was consistent with the Rank he then
possest. By this Behaviour, he render'd himself so far from exciting
Envy, that those, by whose Recommendation he had obtained what he
enjoy'd, and with some of whom he was now on more than an Equality,
wish'd rather to see an Augmentation, than Diminution of a Power he so
well knew to use; and so successful was his Hypocrisy, that the most
Discerning saw not into his Designs, till he found means to accomplish
them, to the almost total Ruin of both King and People."[10] Ochihatou
worms his way into the favor of the king, and after gaining complete
ascendancy over his royal master, uses the power for his own ends. He
fills the positions at court with wretches subservient to his own
interests. "He next proceeded to seize the publick Treasure into his own
Hands, which he converted not to Works of Justice or Charity, or any
Uses for the Honour of the Kingdom, but in building stately Palaces for
himself, his Wives, and Concubines, and enriching his mean Family, and
others who adhered to him, and assisted in his Enterprizes." Lest this
reference should not be plain enough in its application to Walpole's
extravagances at Houghton, Mrs. Haywood adds in a footnote, "Our Author
might have saved himself the Trouble of particularizing in what manner
Ochihatou apply'd the Nation's Money; since he had said enough in
saying, he was a _Prime Minister_, to make the Reader acquainted with
his Conduct in that Point." Further allusions to a standing army of
mercenaries and to an odious tribe of tax-collectors--two of the most
popular grievances against Walpole--give additional force to the satire.
There is a suspicion that in the character of the young prince banished
by Ochihatou readers of a right turn of mind were intended to perceive a
cautious allusion to the Pretender.
[Transcriber's note: Quotes in paragraph in original, not block quote.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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