He mounts upon a scaffold just over the spectators, and from thence throws down a great quantity of large tiles and stones, which fall like so many pillows, without so much as discomposing either perukes or head-dresses. He takes any person of quality up to the said scaffold, which person pulls off his shoes, and leaps nine feet directly down on a board prepared on purpose, full of sharp spikes six inches long, without hurting his feet or damaging his stockings. He places the said board on a chair, upon which a lady sits down with another lady in her lap, while the spikes, instead of entering into the under lady's flesh, will feel like a velvet cushion. He takes any person of quality's footman, ties a rope about his bare neck, and draws him up by pulleys to the ceiling, and there keeps him hanging as long as his master or the company pleases, the said footman, to the wonder and delight of all beholders, having a pot of ale in one hand and a pipe in the other and when he is let down, there will not appear the least mark of the cord about his neck. He bids a lady's maid put her finger into a cup of clear liquor like water, upon which her face and both her hands are immediately withered like an old woman of fourscore; her belly swells as if she were within a week of her time, and her legs are as thick as millposts; but upon putting her finger into another cup, she becomes as young and handsome as she was before. He gives any gentleman leave to drive forty twelvepenny nails up to the head in a porter's backside, and then places the said porter in a loadstone chair, which draws out every nail, and the porter feels no pain. He likewise draws the teeth of half a dozen gentlemen, mixes and jumbles them in a hat, gives any person leave to blindfold him, and returns each their own, and fixes them as well as ever. With his forefinger and thumb, he thrusts several gentlemen's and ladies' eyes out of their heads without the least pain, at which time they see an unspeakable number of beautiful colours; and after they are entertained to the full, he places them again in their proper sockets, without any damage to the sight. He lets any gentleman drink a quart of hot melted lead, and by a draught of prepared liquor, of which he takes part himself, he makes the said lead pass through the said gentleman, before all the spectators without any damage, after which it is produced in a cake to the company: With many other wonderful performances of art too tedious here to mention. The said artist has performed before most kings and princes in Europe with great applause. He performs every day (except Sundays) from ten of the clock to one in the forenoon: and from four till seven in the evening, at the New Inn in Smithfield. The first seat a British crown, the second a British half-crown, and the lowest a British shilling. N.B. The best hands in town are to play at the said show. A LETTER, GIVING AN ACCOUNT OF A PESTILENT NEIGHBOUR. SIR,-You must give me leave to complain of a pestilent fellow in my neighbourhood, who is always beating mortar, yet I cannot find he ever builds. In talking he useth such hard words, that I want a druggerman to interpret them. But all is not gold that glisters. A pot he carries to most houses where he visits. makes his prentice his galley-slave. I wish our lane were purged of him. Yet he pretends to be a cordial He folks; who by their leaves, in my opinion, help him A LETTER TO THE EARL OF 1709, at a conjecture. MY LORD, It is now a good while since I resolved to take some occasions of congratulating with your lordship, and condoling with the public, upon your lordship's leaving the Admiralty; and I thought I could never choose a better time than when I am in the country with my lord bishop of Clogher and his A LETTER TO THE EARL OF Pretended to be the dying speech of Tom Ashe, whose brother "Given to Dr. Monsey by sir Andrew Fountaine, and communicated to Dr. Deane Swift by that ingenious, learned, and very obliging gentleman." TOM ASHE died last night. It is conceived he was so puffed up by my lord-lieutenant's favour, that it struck him into a fever. I here send you his dying speech, as it was exactly taken by a friend in short-hand. It is something long, and a little incoherent; but he was several hours in delivering it, and with several intervals. His friends were about the bed, and he spoke to them thus: a Thomas Ashe, esq., descended from an ancient family of that name in Wiltshire, was a gentleman of fortune in Ireland. He was a facetious, pleasant companion, but the most eternal, unwearied punster that ever lived. He was thick and short in his person, being not above five feet high at the most, and had something very droll in his appearance. He died about the year 1719, and left his whole estate, of about 1000%. a-year, to his intimate friend and kinsman, Richard Ashe of Ashfield, esq. There is a whimsical story, and a very true one, of Tom Ashe, which is well remembered to this day. It hap pened that, while he was travelling on horseback, and at a considerable distance from any town, there burst from the clouds such a torrent of rain as wetted him through. He galloped forward; and as soon as he came to an inn, he was met instantly by a drawer: "Here," said he to the fellow, stretching out one of his arms, "take off my coat immediately!"-" No, sir, I won't," said the drawer. "Pox confound you," said Ashe, "take off my coat this iustant!"-" No, sir," replied the drawer, "I dare not take off your coat, for it is felony, to strip an Asu." Tom was delighted beyond measure, frequently told the story, and said he would have given fifty guineas to have been the author of that pun. This little tract of Dr. Swift's, entitled "The Dying Words of Tom Ashe," was written several years before the decease of Tom, and was merely designed to exhibit the manner in which such an eternal punster might have ex man. Every spring his shop is crowded with country-pressed himself on his death-bed. MY FRIENDS,-It is time for a man to look grave, when he has one foot there. I once had only a punnic fear of death; but of late I have pundered it more seriously. Every fit of coffing hath put me in mind of my coffin; though dissolute men seldomest think of dissolution. This is a very great alteration: I, that supported myself with good wine, must now be myself supported by a small-bier. A fortune-teller once looked on my hand, and said, this man is to be a great traveller; he will soon be at the diet of Worms, and from thence go to Ratisbone. But now I understand his double meaning. I desire to be privately buried, for I think a public funeral looks like Bury-fair; and the rites of the dead too often prove wrong to the living. Methinks the word itself best expresses the number, neither few nor all. A dying man should not think of obsequies, but ob se quies. Little did I think you would so soon see poor Tom stown under a tomb-stone, But as the mole crumbles the mold about her, so a man of small mold, before I am old, may molder away. Sometime I've rav'd that I should revive; but physicians tell me, that when once the great artery has drawn the heart awry, we shall find the cor di all, in spite of all the highest cordial.-Brother, you are fond of Daffy's elixir; but when death comes, the world will see that, in spite of Daffy, down Dilly.a Whatever doctors may design by their medicines, a man in a dropsy drops he not, in spite of Goddard's drops, though none are reckoned such high drops?—I find death smells the blood of an Englishman: a fee faintly fumbled out will be a weak defence against his fee-fafum. PT are no letters in death's alphabet; he has not half a bit of either: he moves his sithe, but will not be moved by all our sighs. Everything ought to put us in mind of death: physicians affirm that our very food breeds it in us; so that, in our dieting, we may be said to die eating. There is something ominous, not only in the names of diseases, as diarrhoea, di-abetes, di-sentery, but even in the drugs designed to preserve our lives; as di-accodium, diapente, di-ascordium. I perceive Dr. Howard (and I feel how hard) lay thumb on my pulse, then pulls it back, as if he saw lethum in my face. I see as bad in his; for sure there is no physic like a sick phiz. He thinks I shall decease before the day cease; but before I die, before the bell hath toll'd, and Tom Tollman is told that little Tom, though not old, has paid nature's toll, I do desire to give some advice to those that survive me. First, let gamesters consider that death is a hazard and passage, upon the turn of a die. Let lawyers consider it as a hard case. And let punners consider how hard it is to die jesting, when death is so hard in digesting. As for my lord-lieutenant, the earl of Mungomerry, I am sure he be-wales my misfortune, and it would move him to stand by when the carpenter (while my friends grieve and make an odd splutter) nails up my coffin. I will make a short affidavi-t that, if he makes my epitaph, I will take it for a great honour, and it is a plentiful subject. His excellency may say that the art of punning is dead with Tom: Tom has taken all puns away with him, Omne tulit pun-Tom.-May his excellency long live tenant to the queen in Ireland! We never Herberd so good a governor before. Sure he mun-go-merry home, that has made a kingdom so happy. I hear my friends design to publish a collection of my puns. Now I do confess I have let many a pun go, which did never pungo: therefore, the world must read the bad as well as the good. Virgil has long foretold it: Punica mala leges. I have had several forebodings that I should soon die; I have late been often at committees, where I have sat de die in diem. I conversed much with the usher of the black a A nickname of Tom Ashe's brother. rod: I saw his medals; and woe is me dull soul, not to consider they are but dead men's faces stamped over and over by the living, which will shortly be my condition. Tell sir Andrew Fountaine I ran clear to the bottom, and wish he may be a late a river where I am going. He used to brook compliments. May his sand be long a running; not quick sand, like mine! Bid him avoid poring upon monuments and books; which is in reality but running among rocks and shelves to stop his course. May his waters never be troubled with mud or gravel, nor stopped by any grinding stone! May his friends be all true trouts, and his enemies laid as flat as flounders! I look upon him as the most fluent of his race; there fore let him not despond. I foresee his black rod will advance to a pike, and destroy all our ills. But I am going; my wind in lungs is turning to a winding sheet. The thoughts of a pall begin to apall Life is but a vapour, car elle va pour la moindre cause. Farewell: I have lived ad amicorum fastudium, and now behold how fast I di um! me. MADAM, I will not trouble you with any grave tophicks, lest I should discurmode you; but rather write in a farmiliar and jocosious way. We in You must know then I was the other night at Mrs. Tattle's, and Mrs. Rattle came in to drink some jocklit with us, upon which they fell in a nargiment about the best musicioners in town. At last Rattle told Tattle that she did not know the difrence between a song and a tympany. They were going to defer the matter to me; but I said that, when people disputed, it was my way always to stand muter. You full would have thought they were both intosticated with liquor, if you had seen them so full of outrageousness. However, Mrs. Tattle, as being a very timbersome woman, yielded to Rattle, and there was an end of the disputement. I wonder you do not honour me sometimes with your company. If I myself be no introducement, my garden, which has a fine ruval look, ought to be one. My Tommy would be glad to see you before he goes for England; and so would I, for I am resolved to take the tower of London before I return. tend to go to Norfolk or Suffolk to see a clergyman, a near cousin of ours. They say that he is an admiral good man, and very hospital in his own house. I am determ'd when this vege is over, never to set my foot in a stage-coach again; for the jolting of it has put my blood into such a firmament that I have been in an ego ever since, and have lost my nappetite to such a degree that I have not eaten a mansion of bread put all together these six weeks past. They allow me to eat nothing at night but blunchius manshius, which has made a perfect notomy of me; and my spirits are so extorted that I am in a perfect liturgy; for which I am resolved to take some rubrick, although the doctors davise me to drink burgomy. And what do you think? When I went to my cellar for a flask, I found that my servants had imbellished it all: for which I am resolved to give them some hippocockeny to bring it up again.—I fear that I have been too turbulent in this long and tedious crawl; which I hope you will excuse from your very humble servant, MARY HOWE, This letter is fictitious, and was written by Dr. Sheridan. TRIFLES CONSULTATION OF FOUR PHYSICIANS UPON A LORD THAT WAS DYING. As Swift did not partake of the usual amusements of the world for recreation, he indulged himself in various sports and whims of fancy. Among others he was foud of a new species of composition, which consisted all of Latin words, but by allowing for false spelling, and running the words into each other, the sentences would contain good sense in English. It was thought specimens of this singular mode of writing would not be unacceptable to the reader. 1st D. Is his honor sic? Præ lætus felis pulse. It do es beat veris loto de. 2nd D. No notis as qui cassi e ver feltu metri it. Inde edit is as fastas an alarum ora fire bellat nite. 3rd D. It is veri hei! 4th D. Noto contra dictu in my juge mentitis veri loto de. Itis as orto maladi, sum callet. (Here e ver id octo reti resto a par lori na mel an coli post ure.) 1st D. It is a me gri mas I opi ne. 2nd D. No docto rite quit fora quin si. Heris a plane sim tomo fit. Sorites Para celsus: Præ re adit. 1st D. Nono doctor I ne ver quo te aqua casu do. 2nd D. Sum arso: mi autoris no ne. 3rd D. No quare lingat pre senti de si re. is sic offa colli casure as I sit here. His honor 4th D. It is æther an atro phi or a colli casu sed: Ire membri re ad it in doctor me ades Esse, here itis. 3rd D. I ne ver re ad apage in it, no re ver in tendit. 2nd D. Fer ne is offa qui te di ferent noti o nas i here. 1st D. Notis ab ludi fluxit is vere plene. 2nd D. I fitis a fluxit me re qui re ac lis ter. 3rd D. I a ver his casis veneri alas i disco ver edit in as hanc cor; an da poli pus in his nosce. be as I cetis, ago no rea me en sue. 1st D. It is ad ange rus casas ani. An di fit 4th D. I must tellure alitis ago uti humor in his Bel li. Hi sto macto is empti. 1st D. It me bea pluri si; avo metis veri pro per fora manat his age. 2nd D. Ure par donat præsenti des ire; His dis eas is a cata ride clare it. 3rd D. Atlas tume findit as tone in his quid ni es. 4th D. Itis ale pro si fora uti se. Præ hos his a poti cari; cantu tellus? Ab lis ter me bene cessa risum decens. Itis as ure medi in manicas es. 3rd D. I findit isto late tot hinc offa reme di; fori here his Honor is De ad. 2nd D. His ti meis cum. 1st D. Is it trudo ut hinc? 4th D. It is veri certa in. His Paris his Belli sto ringo ut foris de partu re. 3rd D. Næ, i fis Ecce lens is de ad lætus en dum apri esto præ foris sole. His Honor has bina Cato liquor a de isti here. 1st D. Alor dis sum times as tingi as an usu reris. 2nd D. Api stolis alligo time a verbi mi at endans for a forte nite. 3rd D. O mei ne vera tendo na nil ordinis sic nes ani more! 4th D. Api stolis ne a quin in a nil ordo fis qua liti; sum pes fore times more. It istos mala fito a Doctor o fis hic. 2nd D. Lætus paco fitis time. 1st D. Abigo ditis hi time, in de editis, forus alto fallas campe ringo fas fastas arato ut offa da iri; fori fera bea tinge veri minute: bimi solido. His lac quis, an das turdis aussi sto ut valet is re di forus. 2nd D. Ali feris ab ast in a do; fori here ano is at adis stans. A LOVE SONG. APUD in is almi de si re, Mimis tres I ne ver re qui re, Alo veri findit a gestis, His miseri ne ver at restis. Is his honour sick? Pray let us feel his pulse. It does beat very slow to-day. No, no, 'tis as quick as I ever felt; you may try it. Indeed, it is as fast as an alarum, or a fire bell at night. It is very high. Not to contradict you, in my judgment it is very slow to day. It is a sort of malady, some call it. Here every doctor retires to a parlour in a melancholy posture. It is a megrim as I opine. No, doctor, I take it for a quinsy. Here is a plain symp tom of it. So writes Paracelsus-Pray read it. No, no, doctor, I never quote a quack as you do. No quarrelling at present, I desire. His honour is sick of a colic, as sure as I sit here. It is either an atrophy or a colic, as you said. I remember I read it in doctor Mead's Essay here it is. I never read a page in it, nor ever intend it. Ferne is quite of a different notion, as I hear. No, 'tis a bloody flux, it is very plain. If it is a flux, it may require a glyster. I aver his case is venereal, as I discovered it in a chancre and a polypus in his nose. Aud, if it be as I say 'tis, a gonorrhoea may ensue. It is a dangerous case as any. I must tell you really, 'tis a gouty humour in his belly. His stomach, too, is empty. It may be a pleurisy; a vomit is very proper for a man at his age. Your pardon at present I desire. His disease is a catarrh, I declare it. At last you may find it a stone in his kidneys. It is a leprosy for aught I see. Pray, who's his apothecary, can't you tell us? A blister may be necessary some days hence. It is a sure remedy in many cases. I find it is too late to think of a remedy; for I hear his honor is dead. AN EPIGRAM. DIC, heris agro at, an da quar to fine ale, Fora ringat ure nos, an da stringat ure tale. TO SAMUEL BINDON. Esq. MOLLIS abuti, Has an acuti, No lasso finis, O mi de armis tres, Imi na dis tres. Cantu disco ver Meas alo ver? TO DR. SHERIDAN. THIS gibberish resolves into what the dean's postscript calls "as bad sense as you would desire." "I am an ass; O let me suck calf; O so I do in summer; O but I had mum in all I supt; Minim o' time is tiresome; writes of any tall lass; I buss 'em? O soberer. Nan, sit, sit a top. O Tom am I so dull, I a cully? I so agen? I a madman? I've a memory son. I'm a sinner. 'Tis a part. "Is a cap a cure? O covet it o' men, tire me not; 'tis a loss in time and tide. I'm in a musing mood; I am kneeling in mire. A, but I see none, so I get never a rap." The Latin must be read backwards. "Emoveor aliquando paululum gravitate subjecti si habeas me excusatum." I EXPECTURE anser an da fullone abo ut mi monito de. Times a re veri de ad nota do it oras hi lingat almi e state. Mire se ver cannas vel res ad e villas a peni. Cursim I se fora prime minis ter. Cantu res a Sum at ab an cursu de an. Atri do. Uno mi de arde annuo me a gro at. It is hi time tot, hinc ope in it. I ama non est manicae, ac nave is mi aversio ni de clare. Ad unis at mi do ore fora Sum io on damnat urnæ, ab umbelicum in at his ars, as redi as ac at is at amo use, ora rati se, orabat. I re Iambicum as mutas a Statu: as lænas ara que; as de a fas an ad aris; as hæ a vi as an assis: as quæras a duc: ast emas alam; as de ad as a do orna ilis; as insipidas de ad vi negaris; ora potato in me. membri vas o na time as qui casa fleat a lædis belli; as meri as a Phili: as fullo pleas ac id; as fullo meretrix as ac it en is, oras ab a bonni na capis. I rite si miles use e, cantu ritum? Udi ne at urse de at mi o use. I vah belli fullo meato en ter tenus fit fora nil ordinis equi page. Uva stomachi me ope. Here is ab illo fare. Ago use. A paro dux. Sum fis his, as a paro soles. A paro places. Apud in. Afri casei. Arabit astu in. Neu pes. Neu beans. Alam pij fit fora minis ter o state. Acus tardis ast it abit as at artis. Afri teris mi de lite. Mi liquor istoc que, it costus api Stola quarti a verrit. A quartos ac. Margo use claret as fine as a rubi. Graves. Lac rima Christi. Hoc. Cote rotæ. Sum Cyprus. As fine Sidera se ver Id runcat at averne. Præbe specus a Superaturus. Summas par a gusto eat. Sum colli flo ures, ac ab age lætis fora Sal ad. Invita lædito ac cum pani ure verens, nota præter nota coquet. A grave matronis pro per fora grave de an, an da doctor, an das cole mas ter. I ritu a verse o na molli o mi ne, A manat a glans ora sito fer diis, De armo lis abuti hos face an hos nos is As fer a sal illi, as reddas aro sis. When you have puzzled your brains with reading this, you will find it as bad sense as you would desire. Where do you dine to-day? To-morrow with me. DEAR MISTER DEAN, I EXPECT your answer, and a full one, about my money to-day. Times are very dead, not a doit or a shilling at all my estate. My receiver can as well raise a devil as a penny. Curse him, I say, for a prime minister. Can't you raise a sum at a banker's, you dean? Ah. try do. You know, my dear dean, you owe me a groat. It is high time to think upon it. I am an honest man, I say; a knave's my aversion, I declare. A dun is at my door, for a sum I owe one damned attorney; a bumbaillie come in at his arse, as ready as a cat is at a mouse, or a rat, I say, or a bat. I am become as mute as a statue; as lean as a rake; as deaf as an adder is; as heavy as an ass is; as queer as a duck; as tame as a lamb; as dead as a door-nail is; as insipid as dead vinegar is; or a potatoe in me. I remember I was, on a time, as quick as a flea at a lady's belly; as merry as a filly; as full o' play as a kid; as full o' merry tricks as a kitten is, or as a baboon in a cap is. I write similes, you see; can't you write 'em? You dine o' Thursday at my house. I've a belly full o' meat to entertain us, fit for any lord in his equipage. You've a stomach, I may hope. Here is a bill o' fare: A goose, a pair o' ducks, some fishes, a pair o' soles, a pair o' plaices, a pudding, a fricassee, a rabbit a-stewing, new peas, new beans, a lamb pie, fit for a minister o' state. A custard is as tit a bit as a tart is. A fritter is my delight. My liquor is Tokay; it cost us a pistole a quart. I aver it. A quart o' sack. Margoux claret, as fine as a ruby. Graves. Laeryma Christi. Hock. Cote-roti. Some Cyprus. As fine cyder as ever I drank at a tavern. Pray bespeak us a supper at your house. Some asparagus te eat. Some cauliflowers, a cabbage, lettuce for a salad. Invite a lady to accompany your reverence; not a prater; not a coquette. A grave matron is proper for a grave dean, and a doctor, and a school-master. I write you a verse on a Molly o' mine, I never knew any so neat in mine eyes, A man at a glance, or a sight of her, dies; Dear Molly's a beauty, whose face and whose nose is As fair as a lily, as red as a rose is. Ac is o mi molli is almi de lite, I figo imus te cato tum an dumus trans ac ure pense exceptive illuc. I fi ple in gestitis fora negat eas ter. Notabit fora cardami, norabit fora di se i, as migra num has sed forti times. I nono nues offa ni momento ritu buttabata illis o ver at Dan sic. In Itali an in Germani merce nari es desertum e veri de. O ne gener alis de ad ac an non bullit huc offis hæ ad. A fle et is præ par in fora se fite. Me ni Si eges ara carri in o nat his time. Mi Magis as meri as an apis. Hæ do es se a quæ Hæ is caper in in ac age me do Sali. Abit ob re ad is gener ali his super, ora livor offa lambis. cur a quæ cur a cur. A kiss o' my Molly is all my delight; I love her by day, and I love her by night. If I go I must take a totum, and you must ransack your pence, except I've ill-luck. If I play in jest, it is for an egg at Easter. Not a bit for a card am I, nor a bit for a dice am I, as my grannum has said forty times. I know no news of any moment to write you; but a battle is over at Dantzic. In Italy and in Germany, mercenaries desert 'em every day. One general is dead; a cannon-bullet took off his head. A fleet is preparing for a sea-fight. Many sieges are a-carrying on at this time. My Mag is as merry as an ape is. He does say, a quaker, a quaker, a cur. He is capering in a cage made o'sallow. A bit o' bread is generally his supper, or a liver of a lamb is. My service to all at home; excuse my haste. For ever and ever yours, THOMAS SHERIDAN, O' Friday at ten o'clock, at my study. On the other hand the dean, in way of reply, tried to write English words to be read into Latin, of which the following is an instance : TO DR. SHERIDAN. Terse I ow I ane you are wry. AM I SAY VAIN A RABBLE 18, GAUDY o tea rue ry dy you sale you tye in service he : Said lynk way more Ass, eat red Eye, add nose sight O. Quipp ye knife all or tame Puss East. Tea Mary Tuck Sir: Tea may rent Family are ease. Anne lewd is cart is? Veal some no in dull jest I? Anne Jo Cuz ty by place eat? Meer Rum spare O Freak went her Bib is: Lack Tea compleat: Ay'd is, ride ease, Lock were is, do neck fat I gat us ease. A wry Debt nay, Rage in a eat may right us tye by? Do my Tea here I eggs peck't have I; said may day say pist I. Usquebach come am Ass; Force an I buy ass he o buss East; Codd mark a Toryes nice Eye ass I dumb mine I may hay bent. Said post hose Dairy lick toes add noes vain I. You buy inn do mow Day can at us bon um Salt 'em by beam us, sign on Mealy o'r'em fall or no. Satyr nigh, dye ease nose ty feast us east. May come air is; Sigh mull seek ray to Carmen a Pan game us. Ride end 'um, buy, bend 'um e'r it come so dayly buss: nigh least carry us invite a. Sick Dice it Whore ah see us; Spare take um Sick way pot you it wag and Team Et a lye by: Back 'um in Ray mote is Carrmen areyou Pyebuss. Said; For tune a lay to save an egg o show. Sate I sope I nor sight ha' shown um; add fine em proper and 'um East. Valiant a Mice I Vestry, eat you in Shoe pair rally Ass. Ah my Cuz vest are, DAY CAN US. FROM DR. SHERIDAN. RAVE E ER END DAY ANN, Fy brew Harry 25, 1734-5. Eye EYE fan see they Rake order is a deel a tory jant ill man, bee cause he mite heave scent his o pin eye on beef o'er this. Yew no eye heave sum mow knee too pea miss tear Hen a wry, Ann damn inn hay east tub ring Matt Eyrs twack on clue shun. maid a nap point meant two Bee at they Dean a wry tun ey't, butt am pray vent head buy a ten ant in Jew red buy Ann at Urn I, buy home eye must and. Eye am ewer mow stob ay dy ant Ann dumb bell serve aunt, TOM ASS SHE RID ANN. AMICE VENERABILIS, Tertio Januarii. GAUDE ote ruri diu saluti inservisse; sed linque moras, et redi ad nos cito. Quippe ni fallor tempus est. Timeret uxor, timerent familiares. An ludis cartis? Vel somno indulges te? Anne jocus tibi placet? Merum spero frequenter bibis. Lac te complet. Edis, rides, loqueris, donec fatigatus es. Arridet ne regina et maritus tibi? Domi te heri expectavi, sed me decepisti. Usque Bacchum amas. Forsan ibi asse opus est. Quod mercatores ni scias idem minime habent. Sed post hos derelictos ad nos veni; ubi in domo Decanatus bonum saltem bibemus, si Mecum non meliorem Falerno. Saturni dies, nôsti, festus est. eris; simul secreto carmina pangemus. Ridendum, bibendum erit cum sodalibus; nil est carius in vitâ! DEAR DEAN THOMAS SHERIDAN. May 26, 1735. You may remember, about an hour ago, I writ some Anglo-Angli, in imitation of yours; but I fear there are mis |