being out of poffeffion of the said island seven or eight years, there could not poffibly be above four fhillings due to you; for which you have thought proper to stop three or four years tythe, at your own rate of two pounds five fhillings a year, (as I remember) and ftill continue to stop it, on pretence that the faid ifland was not furrendered to you in form; although you have cut down more plantations of willows, and abeles, than would purchase a dozen fuch islands. I told my friend, that this talent of Squires prevailed very much formerly in the country: That, as to yourfelf, from the badness of your education, against all my advices and endeavours, and from the caft of your nature, as well as another circumftance which I fhall not mention; I expected nothing from you that became a gentleman: That I had expoftulated this fcurvy matter very gently with you: That I conceived this letter was an answer. That, from the prerogative of a good eftate, however gotten, and the practice of lording over a few Irish wretches, and from the natural want of better thinking, I was fure your answer would be extremely rude and ftupid, full of very bad language in all fenfes. That, a bear

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a bear in a wilderness will as foon fix on a philofopher as on a cottager: And a man, wholly void of education, judgment, or diftinction of perfons, has no regard, in his infolence, but to the passion of fear; And, how heartily I wished, that to make fhew your humility, your quarrel had rather been with a captain of dragoons, than the Dean of St. Patrick's.

you

All this happened before my opening your letter; which, being read, my friend told me I was an ill gueffer. That you affirmed you despised me only as a clergyman by your own confeflion; and that you had reafon, because clergymen pretend to learning, wherein you value yourself as what you are an utter ftranger to.

I took fome pains in providing and advifing about your education; but, fince you have made fo ill use of my rules, I cannot deny, that according to your own principles, your ufage of me is juft. You are wholly out of my danger: The weapons 1 ufe will do you no hurt; and to that which would keep nicer men in awe you are infenfible. A needle against a ftone-wall can make no impreflion. Your faculty lies in making bargains: Stick to that. Leave your children a better cflate

than

h

m

than your father left you; as he left you much more than your grandfather left. him. Your father and you are much wifer than I, who gave among you fifty years. purchase for land, for which I am not to fee one farthing. This was intended as an encouragement to a clergyman to refide among you, whenever any of your posterity fhall be able to distinguish a man from a beaft. One thing I defire you will be fet right in: I do not despise all squires. It is true, I despise the bulk of them. But pray take notice, that a fquire must have some merit before I fhall honour him with my contempt: For I do not defpife a fly, a maggot, or a mite.

If you fend me an answer to this, I fhall not read it, but open it before company, and in their presence burn it; for no other reafon but the deteftation of bad fpelling, no grammar, and that pertnefs which proceeds from ignorance and an invincible want of tafte.

I have ordered a copy of this letter to be taken, with an intention to print it, as a mark of my esteem for you; which, however, perhaps I fhall not purfue: For I could willingly excufe our two names from standing in the fame paper, fince I

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am confident you have as little defire of fame as I have to give it you.

I with many happy new years to you and your family, and am, with truth,

Your friend and humble fervant.

Let me add fomething ferious: That, as it is held an imprudent thing to provoke valour; fo, I confefs, it was imprudent in me to provoke rudeness: Which, as it was my own flanding rule never to do, except in cafes where I had power to punish it, so my error proceeded from a better opinion of you than you have thought fit to make good. For, with every fault in your nature, your education, and your underflanding, I never imagined you fo utterly devoid of knowing fome little diftinction between perfons.

LETTER XLVII.

To Lady WORSLEY.

MADAM,

April 19th, 1730.

MY Lady Carteret (if you know such a

Lady) commands me to purfue my

own inclination; which is, to honour my

felf

felf with writing you a letter; and thereby endeavouring to preferve myself in your. memory, in fpite of an acquaintance of more years, than in regard to my own reputation, as a young gentleman, I care to recollect. I forgot whether I had not fome reasons to be angry with your Ladyship, when I was last in England. I hope to fee you very foon the youngest great-grandmother in Europe: and fifteen years hence (which I fhall have nothing to do with) you will be at the amusement of " Rife up daughter," &c. You are to answer this letter, and to inform me of your health and humour; and, whether you like your daughter better or worse, after having fo long converfed with the Irish world, and fo little with me. Tell me what are your amusements at prefent; cards, court, books, vifiting, or fondling (I humbly beg your Ladyfhip's pardon, but it is between ourfelves) your grand-children? My Lady Carteret hath been the best Queen we have known in Ireland thefe many years; yet is fhe mortally hated by all the young girls, because (and it is your fault) she is handfomer than all of them together. Pray, do not infult poor Ireland on this occafion, for it would have been exactly the fame thing

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