To waft her gently o'er the wat'ry way.

With true poetic exaggeration he extolled Caroline's virtues, and then,
so that there should be no excuse for misunderstanding, said in plain
terms that he had desired a post at Court, and made it perfectly clear
that he was still prepared to accept such employment, if so be as it was
coupled with suitable remuneration:--

Since all my schemes were baulk'd, my last resort,
I left the Muses to frequent the Court;
Pensive each night, from room to room I walk'd,
To one I bow'd, and with another talk'd;
Inquir'd what news, or such a lady's name,
And did the next day, and the next, the same.
Places I found, were daily giv'n away,
And yet no friendly _Gazette_ mention'd Gay.

Gay's protestations of delight at the accession to the throne of the
House of Hanover would probably have been regarded as more sincere if,
unfortunately, he had not a few months before dedicated "The Shepherd's
Week" to Bolingbroke. His very outspoken hint in the "Letter to a Lady"
was ignored; but Caroline, who liked eulogy as much as anyone, received
him kindly; and when in February, 1715, he produced "The What D'ye Call
It" at Drury Lane Theatre, she and her consort attended the first
performance. But still, no place was found for him at Court. "Tell me,"
Swift asked him so much later as 1723, "are you not under original sin
by the dedication of your Eclogue to Lord Bolingbroke?"


[Footnote 1: _The Guardian_, No. 32; April 17th, 1713.]