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was at all defirous to cultivate it, becaufe I did not at all approve of his conduct. In a two or three days after I faw you at Sirb Compton Dornvile's houfe, all my acquaintance told me how full the town was of the vifit I had made you; and of the cruel treatment you received from me, with relation to your fon. I will not believe your Ladyfhip was fo weak as to spread this complaint yourself, but I lay it wholly to thofe two young women who were then all in the fame room, I fuppofe as vifiters. But, if you were really difcontented, and thought to publish your difcontent in aggravating words, I muft cut off at least nine tenths of the friendship I had for you, and lift you in the herd of Irish ladies, whofe titles, or thofe of their husbands, with me never have the weight of a feather, or the value of a pebble. I imagined you had fo much fenfe as to understand, that all I faid was intended for the fervice both of you and your fon. I have often spoken much more feverely to perfons of much higher quality than your fon, and in a kingdom where to be a lord is of importance; and I have received hearty thanks, as well as found amendment. One thing I fhall obferve, upon

your account; which is, Never to throw away any more advice upon any Irish lord, or his mother; because I thought you would be one of the last to deceive

me.

I called four times at the house where you lodge, and you were always denied, by which, I fuppofe, you would have me think you are angry; whereas I am the person who ought to complain, because all I faid to you proceeded from friendfhip, and a defire of reforming your fon. But that defire is now utterly at an end.

LETTER LI.

To the Earl of CHESTERFIELD.

MY LORD,

January 5, 1730-1.

RETURN your Lordship my moft hum

ble thanks for the honour and favour of your letter, and defire your justice to believe, that, in writing to you a fecond time, I have no defign of giving you a fecond trouble. My only end at present is to beg your pardon for a fault of igno rance. I ought to have remembered, that the arts of courts are like thofe of play; where,

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SIR,

YOUR

LETTER LII.

To VENTOSO.

April 28th, 1731.

UR letter hath lain by me without acknowledging it longer than I intended; not for want of civility, but because I was wholly at a loss what to fay: For, as your scheme of thinking, converfing, and living, differs in every point diametrically from mine, fo I think myfelf the moft improper perfon in the world to converfe or correfpond with you. You would be glad to be thought a proud man, and yet there is not a grain of pride in you: For you are pleafed that people fhould know you have been acquainted with perfons of great names and titles, whereby you confefs that you take it for an honour; which a proud man never docs: And, befides, you ran the hazard of not being believed. You went abroad, and ftrove to engage yourself in a defperate caufe, very much to the damage of your fortune, and might have been to the danger of your life, if there had not been, as it were, a combination of fome, who would not give credit

to

to the account you gave of your tranfactions; and of others, who, either really or pretending to believe you, having given you out as a dangerous perfon, (of which laft notion. I once hinted fomething to you:) Becaufe, if what you repeated of yourfelf were 'true, it was neceffary that you had either made your peace, or must have been profecuted for high-treafon. The reputation (if there be any) of having been acquainted with princes and other great perfons, arifes from it's being generally known to others, but never once mentioned by ourselves, if it can poffibly be avoided. I fay this perfectly for your fervice, because an univerfal opinion among thofe who know, or have heard of you, that you have always practifed a direct contrary proceeding, hath done you more hurt than your natural understanding, left to itfelf, could ever have brought upon you. The world will never allow any man that character which he gives to himself, by openly profeffing it to thofe with whom he converfeth. Wit, learning, valour, great acquaintance, the efteem of good men, will be known although we should endeavour to conceal them, however they may pafs unrewarded: But, I doubt, our own bare affertions,

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affertions, upon any of those points, will very little avail, except in tempting the hearers to judge directly contrary to what we advance. Therefore, at this feafon of your life, I should be glad you would act after the common cuftom of mankind, and have done with thoughts of courts, of ladies, of lords, of politics, and all dreams of being important in the world. I am glad your country-life hath taught you Latin, of which you were altogether ignorant when I knew you firft; and I am aftonished how you came to recover it. Your new friend Horace will teach you many leffons agreeable to what I have faid, for which I could refer to a dozen paffages in a few minutes. I should be glad to fee the house wholly fwept of these cobwebs, and that you would take an oath never to mention a prince, or princess, a foreign or domeftic lord, an intrigue of flate or of love; but fuit yourself to the climate and company, where your prudence will be to pafs the reft of your life. It is not a farthing matter to you what is doing in Europe, more than to every alderman who reads the news in a coffee-house. If you could refolve to act thus, your underftanding is good good enough to qualify you

for