Or make you faft, and carry you to pray'rs: But if he will break in, and walk up ftairs, Steal by the back-door out, and leave him there;

Then order Squash to call a hackney-chair.

Detinet, affumam; locus eft et pluribus umbris:

Sed nimis arcta premunt olidæ convivia. capræ.

Tu, quotus effe velis, refcribe; et, rebus. omiffis,

Atria fervantem poftico falle clientem.

ΤΟ

GEORGE NIM-DAN-DEAN's

INVITATION+

то

MR. THOMAS SHERIDAN.

DE

Gallftown, August 28, 1721.

EAR Tom, this verfe, which however the beginning may appear, yet in the end's good metre,

Is fent to defire that, when your Auguft vacation comes, your friends you'd meet here.

For

In the year 1721, Doctor Swift, Doctor Delany, Doctor Sheridan, Doctor Stopford, the Reverend Dan Jackson, and fome other company, spent a great part of the summer at Gallftown, in the county of Westmeath, the feat of George Rochfort, Efq; father to the prefent Earl of Bellevidere. Many of the gentlemen afïembled in this groupe had a genius for poetry, and a taste for the polite arts. In this retirement they paffed their hours very agreeably, and frequently amused themfelves with poetical jefts and whimfies of the brain, which undoubtedly were never defigned originally for the prefs. However, fince, by one means or other, feveral of thofe ingenious rapid performances have already appeared in fome of the former volumes of Doctor Swift's works, it is hoped the two or three following copies of verfes, which were communicated to the Editor of these volumes by a gentleman who had them long in his poffeffion, will not meet with an ungracious reception from perfons of tafte and refinement.

+ This Invitation feems to have been the joint compofition of George Rochfort, John Rochfort, (who was called Nim,

For why should you ftay in that filthy hole, I mean the city fo fmoaky,

When you have not one friend left in town,

or at least not one that's witty, to joke w'ye ? For, as for honeft John*, tho' I am not fure on't, yet I'll be hang'd, lefs he Be gone down to the county of Wexford with that great peer the Lord Anglefey †. Oh! but I forgot, perhaps, by this time, you

may have one come to town, but I don't know whether he be friend or foe, Delany: But, however, if he be come, bring him down, and you fhall go back in a fortnight, for I know there's no delaying ye. Oh! I forgot too, I believe there may be one more, I mean that great fat joker, friend Helfham, he

That wrote the Prologue ‡, and if you stay with him, depend on't, in the end, he'll Sham ye.

Bring

or Nimrod, by Doctor Swift, because he was fond of hunting) Dan Jackson, and Doctor Swift, in a vein of whim and merriment; and, in all probability, was fent off directly by the poft to Sheridan.

* It is fuppofed that by John, in this paffage, is meant Dr. Walmsley.

+ Arthur Earl of Anglesey.

It was customary with Doctor Sheridan to have a Greek play acted by his head clafs juft before they entered the Univerfity; and accordingly, in the year 1720, the Doctor hav

Bring down Long Shanks Jim * too, but now I think on't, he's not come yet from Courtown, I fancy;

For I heard, a month ago, that he was down there a courting Sly Nancy.

ing fixed on Hippolytus, writ a prologue in English, to be spoken by Mafter Tom Putland, one of the youngest children he had in his fchool. The prologue was very neat and elegant, but extremely puerile, and quite adapted to the childhood of the speaker, who as regularly was taught, and rehearsed his part, as any of the upper lads did theirs. However, it unfortunately happened, that Doctor King, Archbishop of Dublin, had promised Sheridan that he would go and fee his lads perform the tragedy. Upon which Doctor Helfham writ another prologue, wherein he laughed egregiously at Sheridan's, and privately inftructed Master Putland how to act his part; and, at the fame time, exacted a promife from the child, that no confideration fhould make him repeat that prologue which he had been taught by Sheridan. When the play was to be acted, the Archbishop attended according to his promife, and Mafter Putland began Helfham's prologue, and went through it to the amazement of Sheridan; which fired him to fuch a degree, (although he was one of the beft natured men in the world) that he would have entirely put off the play, had it not been in respect to the Archbishop, who was indeed highly complimented in Helfham's performance. When the play was ever, the Archbishop was very defirous to hear Sheridan's prologue; but all the entreaties of the Archbishop, the child's father, and Sheridan, could not prevail with Mafter Putland to repeat it, having, he faid, promifed faithfully that he would not, upon any account whatever; and therefore infifted that he would keep his word.

* Door James Stopford, late bishop of Cloyne. + Courtown, the feat of

ty of Kildare.

Huffay, Efq; in the coun

However,

However, bring down yourself, and you bring down all; for, to fay it we may

venture,

In thee Delany's fpleen, John's mirth, Helfham's jokes, and the foft foul of amorous Jemmy center.

POSTSCRIPT.

I had forgot to defire you to bring down what I fay you have, and you'll believe me as fure as a gun, and own it;

I mean, what no other mortal in the universe can boaft of, your own spirit of pun, and own wit.

And now I hope you'll excuse this rhyming, which I must say is (tho' written fomewhat at large) trim and clean;

And fo I conclude, with humble refpects as ufual, Your moft dutiful and obedient

George Nim-Dan-Dean.

то