The

defired my leave to publish them in four volumes. He reafoned, That printers here had no property in their copies: That mine would fall into worse hands: That he would fubmit to me and my friends what to publish or omit. On the whole, I would not concern myfelf; and fo they have appeared abroad, as you will fee them in those I make bold to fend you. I muft now return to mention wine. last season for it was very bad in France, upon which our merchants have raised the price twenty per cent. already, and the prefent weather is not like to mend it. Upon this I have told fome merchants my opinion, or perhaps my fancy: That, when the warmth of fummer happens to fail in the feveral wine-countries, Spain and Portugal wines, and thofe in the South of Italy, will be at least as ripe as those of France in a good year. If there be any truth in this conceit, I would defire our merchants to deal this year in those warmer climates: Because I hear that in Spain French vines are often planted, and the wine is more mellow; although, perhaps, the natural Spanish grape may fail for want of its ufual fhare of fun. In this point I would have your opinion; wherein,

4

if

if you agree, I will make Mr. Hall, an honeft Catholic merchant here, who deals in Spanish wine, to bring me over as large a cargo as I can afford, of wines as like French claret as he can get. For my disorders, with the help of years, make wine absolutely neceffary to support me. And, if you were not a perfon of too confiderable a rank, (and now become half a Spaniard) I would try to make you descend fo low, as to order some merchants there to confign to fome of ours, directed to me, fome good quantity of wine that you approve of; fuch as our claret-drinkers here will be content with. For, when I give them a pale wine, (called by Mr. Hall Caffalia) they say it will do for one glafs, and then (to speak in their language) call for Honeft Claret.

LETTER LXV.

To BISHOP HORTE. *

MY LORD,

May 12th, 1736.

HAVE two or three times begun a letter to your Lordfhip, and as often laid it afide; until, by the unafked advice of

* Dr. Jofiah Horte, Bishop of Kilmore.

VOL. XVI.

P

fome

fome friends of yours, and of all my own, I refolved at laft to tell you my thoughts upon the affair of the poor printer, who fuffered fo much upon your Lordship's account, confined to a dungeon among common thieves, and others with infectious diseases, to the hazard of his life; befides the expence of above twenty-five pounds, and befides the ignominy to be fent to Newgate like a common malefactor.

His misfortunes do also very highly and perfonally concern me. For, your Lordthip declaring your defire to have that Paper looked for, he did at my request fearch his fhop, and unfortunately found it: And, although he had abfolutely refused before to print it, becaufe my name as the author was fixed to it; which was very legible, notwithstanding there was a fcratch through the words; yet, at my defire, he ventured to print it. Neither did Faulkner ever name you as the author, although you fent the paper by a clergyman, one of your dependents: But your friends were the only perfons who gave out the report of it's having been your performance. I read your Lordship's letter written to the printer, wherein you argue that he is, in thefe dealings, the adventurer, and muft

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muft run the hazard of gain or lofs. Indeed, my Lord, the cafe is otherwise. He fells fuch papers to the running boys for farthings apiece, and is a gainer by each,. lefs than half a farthing; and it is feldom he fells above a hundred, unless they be of fuch as only spread by giving offence, and confequently endanger the printer both in lofs of money and liberty, as it was the cafe of that very paper: Which, although it be written with spirit and humour, yet, if it had not affected Bettefworth, would fcarce have cleared above a failling to Faulkner; neither would he have done it at all, but at my urgency, which was the effect of your Lordship's commands to me. But, as your Lordship hath fince been univerfally known for the author, although never named by Faulkner or me, fo it is as generally known that you never gave him the leaft confideration for his loffes, difgraces, and dangers of his life. I have heard this, and more, from every perfon of my acquaintance, whom I fee at home or abroad: And particularly from one perfon too high to name, who told me all the particulars; and I heartily wifhed, upon your account, that I could have affured him that the

poor man had received the least mark of your justice, or, if you please to call it so, your generosity, which I would gladly inform that great person of before he leaves

us.

Now, my Lord, as God, affifting your own good management of a very ample fortune, hath made you extremely rich, I may venture to fay, that the printer hath a demand, in all confcience, justice, and honour, to be fully refunded, both for his difgraces, his losses, and the apparent danger of his life; and that my opinion ought to be of fome weight, because I was an innocent inftrument, drawn in by your Lordship, against Faulkner's will, to be an occafion of his fufferings: And, if you fhall please to recompençe him in the manner that all people hope or defire, it will be no more in your purfe than a drop in the bucket. And, as foon as I fhall be informed of it, I fhall immediately write to that very great perfon, in fuch a manner as will be most to the advantage of your character: For which, I am fure, he will rejoice, and fo will all your friends; or, if you have any enemies, they will be put to filence.

Your Lordship hath too good an understanding to imagine, that my principal re