Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 16.djvu/266

to make use of this expedient; wherein he seems to mistake his account: for this distinguishing term whig had a most infamous original, denoting a man who favoured the fanatick sect, and an enemy to kings, and so continued till the idea was a little softened, some years after the Revolution, and during a part of her late majesty's reign. After which it was in disgrace until the queen's death, since which time it has indeed flourished with a witness: but how long it will continue so, in our variable scene, or what kind of mortal it may describe, is a question which this courtly landlord is not able to answer. And therefore he should have set a date on the title of his borough, to let us know what kind of creature a whig was in that year of our Lord. I would readily assist nomenclators of this costive imagination; and therefore I propose, to others of the same size in thinking, that, when they are at a loss about christening a country seat, instead of straining their invention, they would call it Booby-borough, Fool-brook, Puppy-ford, Coxcomb-hall, Mount-loggerhead, Dunce-hill; which are innocent appellations, proper to express the talents of the owners. But I cannot reconcile myself to the prudence of this lord of Whig-borough, because I have not yet heard, among the presbyterian squires, how much soever their persons and principles are in vogue, that any of them have distinguished their country abode by the name of Mount-regicide, Covenant-hall, Fanatick-hill, Round-head-bawn, Canting-brook, or Mount-rebel, and the like: because there may probably come a time when those kind of sounds may not be so grateful to the ears of the kingdom. For I do not conceive it would be a mark of discretion, upon supposing a gentleman,

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