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Dublin, June 29, 1710.

WAS in the country when I received your letter with the Apology inclosed in it; and I had neither health nor humour to finish that bufinefs. But the blame refts with you, that if you thought it time, you did not print it when you had it. I have just now your last, with the complete Key. I believe it is so perfect a Grubstreet-piece, it will be forgotten in a week. But it is ftrange that there can be no fatisfaction against a Bookfeller, for publishing names in fo bold a manner. I wish some lawyer could advise you how I might have fatiffaction: For, at this rate, there is no book,

* The Apology prefixed to the Tale of a Tub.

VOL. XVI.

however so vile, which may not be fastened on me. I cannot but think that little Parfon-coufin of mine is at the bottom of this; for, having lent him a copy of fome part of, &c. and he shewing it, after I was gone for Ireland, and the thing abroad, he affected to talk fufpiciously, as if he had fome share in it. If he should happen to be in town, and you light on him, I think you ought to tell him gravely, that if he be the author, he fhould fet his name to the &c; and rally him a little upon it: And tell him, if he can explain fome things, you will, if he pleafes, fet his name to the next edition. I fhould be glad to fee how far the foolish impudence of a dunce could go. Well; I will fend you the thing, now I am in town, as foon as poffible. But, I dare fay, you have neither printed the reft, nor finished the cuts, only are glad to lay the fault on me. I fhall, at the end, take a little contemptible notice of the thing you fent me; and I dare fay it will do you more good than hurt. If you are in such haste, how came you to forget the Mifcellanies? I would not have you think of Steele for a publifher; he is too bufy. I will, one of thefe days, fend you fome hints, which I would have in a preface, and you may get fome

fome friend to drefs them up. I have thoughts of fome other work one of these years; and I hope to see you ere it be long; fince it is like to be a new world, and since I have the merit of fuffering by not complying with the old. Yours, &c,

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LETTER II.

Mr. TOOKE to Doctor SWIFT,

SIR,

London, July 10, 1710.

NCLOSED I have fent the Key, and think it would be much more proper to add the notes at the bottom of the respective pages they refer to, than printing them at the end by themselves. As to the Cuts, Sir Andrew Fountaine has had them from the time they were defigned, with an intent of altering them. But he is now gone into Norfolk, and will not return till Michaelmas; fo that, I think, they muft be laid afide: For, unlefs they are very well done, it is better they were quite let alone. As to the Apology, I was not so careless but that I took a copy of it before I fent it to you, fo that I could have print, ed it easily, but that you fent mẹ word not В 2

to

to go on till you had altered fomething in it. As to that Coufin of yours, which you fpeak of, I neither know him, nor ever heard of him till the Key mentioned him. It was very indifferent to me which I proceeded on first, the Tale or the Miscellanies: But, when you went away, you told me there were three or four things should be fent over out of Ireland, which you had not here; which, I think, is a very reasonable excufe for myself in all these affairs. What I beg of you at prefent is, that you would return the Apology and this Key, with directions as to the placing it: Although I am entirely of opinion to put it at the bottom of each page, yet fhall fubmit. If this be not done foon, I cannot promife but fome rascal or other will do it for us both; fince you fee the liberty that is already taken. I think too much time has already been loft in the Miscellanies; therefore haften that: And whichever is in the moft forwardness, I would begin on firft. All here depend on an entire alteration. I am, &c.

LETTER

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LETTER III.

To the Earl of PETERBOROW.

MY LORD,

February 1710-11.

ENVY none of the Queen's fubjects fo much as those who are abroad; and I defire to know, whether, as great a foul as your Lordship has, you did not observe your mind to open and enlarge, after you were fome leagues at fea, and had left off breathing party-air. I am apt to think this fchifm in politics has cloven our understandings, and left us but just half the good sense that blazed in our actions: And we fee the effect it has had upon our wit and learning, which are crumbled into pamphlets and penny-papers. The October-club, which was in its rudiments when your Lordship left us, is now growing up to be a party by itself, and begins to rail at the miniftry as much as the Whigs do, but from topics directly contrary. I am fometimes talked into frights, and told that all is ruined; but am immediately cured when I fee any of the ministry: Not from the fatisfaction they give me in any one point, but because I see them so per. fectly

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