in the time when wit and wisdom are in the height, I must once more repeat Cicero's defire to a friend, Orna me. A month ago were fent me over by a friend of mine, the works of John Hughes, Efq; They are in verfe and profe. I never heard of the man in my life; yet I find your name as a fubfcriber too. He is too grave a poet for me; and, I think, among the mediocribus in profe as well as verfe. I have the honour to know Dr. Rundle *. He is indeed worth all the reft you ever fent us; but that is faying nothing, for he answers your character. I have dined thrice in his company. He brought over a worthy clergyman of this kingdom as his chaplain; which was a very wife and popular action. His only fault is, that he drinks no wine, and I drink nothing else.

This kingdom is now absolutely starving, by the means of every oppreffion that can be inflicted on mankind.- "Shall I not vifit for these things? "faith the Lord." You advife me right, not to trouble myself about the world. But oppreffion tortures me; and I cannot live without meat and drink, nor get either without money; and money is not to be had, except they will make me a bishop, or a judge, or a colonel, or a commiffioner of the Adieu.

revenues.

LETTER LXXVII.

ΤΟ TO anfwer your queftion as to Mr. Hughes, what he wanted as to genius, he made up as an honeft man: but he was of the clafs you think him.

I am glad you think of Dr. Rundle as I do. He

Bishop of Derry.
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will be an honour to the bishops, and a difgrace to one bishop; two things you will like: but what you will like more particularly, he will be a friend and benefactor even to your unfriended, unbenefited nation. He will be a friend to human race wherever he goes. Pray tell him my best wishes for his health and long life. I with you and he came over together, or that I were with you. I never faw a man fo feldom whom I liked fo much as Dr. Rundle..

Lord Peterborow I went to take a laft leave of, at his fetting fail for Lisbon. No body can be more wafted, no foul can be more alive. Immediately after the fevereft operation of being cut into the bladder, for a fuppreffion of urine, he took coach, and got from Bristol to Southampton. This is a man that will neither live nor die like any other mortal.

Poor Lord Peterborow! there is another ftring loft, that would have helped to draw you hither! He ordered, on his deathbed, his watch to be given me, (that which had accompanied him in all his travels), with this reafon, "That I might have "fomething to put me every day in mind of him.” It was a prefent to him from the King of Sicily, whofe arms and infignia are graved on the inner cafe. On the outer I have put this infcription, Victor Amadeus, Rex Sicilia, Dux Sabaudia, &c. &c. Carolo Mordaunt, Comiti de Peterborow, D. D. Car. Mor. Com. de Pet. Alexando Pope moriens legavit, 1735.

Pray write to me a little oftener: and if there be a thing left in the world that pleases you, tell it one who will partake of it. I hear with approbation and pleasure, that your prefent care is to relieve the moft helplefs of this world, thofe objects which moft want our compaffion, though generally made

* Idiots.

*

the

the fcorn of their fellow-creatures, fuch as are less. innocent than they. You always think generously; and of all charities this is the most difinterested, and least vain-glorious, done to fuch as never will thank you, or can praife you for it.

God blefs you with ease, if not with pleasure; with a tolerable ftate of health, if not with its full enjoyment; with a refigned temper of mind, if not a very cheerful one. It is upon thefe terms I live myself, though younger than you; and I repine not at my lot, could but the prefence of a few that I love be added to these. Adieu.

LETTER LXXVIII.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Oct. 21. 1735. Anfwered your letter relating to Curll, &c. I believe my letters have escaped being published, because I writ nothing but nature and friendship, and particular incidents which could make no figure in writing. I have obferved, that not only Voiture, but likewife Tully aud Pliny, writ their letters for the public view, more than for the fake of their correfpondents; and I am glad of it, on account of the entertainment they have given me. Balfac did the fame thing; but with more stiffness, and confequently lefs diverting. Now I must tell you, that you are to look upon me as one going very faft out of the world; but my flesh and bones are to be carried to Holyhead, for I will not lie in a country of flaves. It pleafeth me to find that you begin to diflike things, in fpite of your philofophy. Your mufe cannot forbear her hints to VOL. X. K

that

that purpose. I cannot travel to fee you, otherwife I folemnly protest I would do it. I have an intention to pass this winter in the country, with a friend forty miles off, and to ride only ten miles aday; yet is my health fo uncertain, that I fear it will not be in my power. I often ride a dozen miles, but I come to my own bed at night. My best way would be to marry; for in that cafe any bed would be better than my own. I found you a

very young man and I left you a middle-aged one; you knew me a middle aged man, and now I am an old one. Where is my Lord ? Methinks I am inquiring after a tulip of laft year." You “need not apprehend any Curlls meddling with

your letters to me. I will not destroy them, but "have ordered my executors to do that office." I have a thousand things more to fay; longavitas eft garrula; but I must remember I have other letters to write, if I have time, which I spend to tell you fo. I am ever, deareft Sir,

Yours, &c.

I

LETTER LXXIX.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Feb. 9. 1735-6.

Cannot properly call you my best friend, because I have not another left who deserves the name ; fuch a havock have time, death, exile, and oblivion made. Perhaps you would have fewer complaints of my ill health and lownefs of fpirits, if they were not fome excufe for my delay of writing even to you. It is perfectly right what you fay of the indifference in common friends, whether we are fick for well, happy or miserable. The very maid-fer

vants in a family have the fame notion: I have heard them often fay, Oh, I am very fick, if any body cared for it! I am vexed when my visitors come with the compliment ufual here, Mr. Dean, I hope you are very well. My popularity, that you mention, is wholly confined to the common people, who are more conftant than thofe we mifcall their betters. I walk the streets, and fo do my lower friends; from whom, and from whom alone, I have a thousand hats and bleffings upon old fcores, which those we call the gentry have forgot. But I have not the love, or hardly the civility, of any one man in power or station; and I can boast, that I neither vifit nor am acquainted with any Lord, temporal or fpiritual, in the whole kingdom; nor am able to do the leaft good office to the moft deferving man, except what I can difpofe of in my own cathedral upon a vacancy. What hath funk my fpirits more than even years and fickness, is reflecting on the most execrable corruptions that run through every branch of public manage

'ment.

I heartily thank you for those lines tranflated Singula de nobis anni, &c. You have put them in a ftrong and admirable light: but, however, I am fo partial, as to be more delighted with thofe which are to do me the greatest honour I fhall ever receive from pofterity; and will outweigh the malignity of ten thousand enemies. I never faw them before; by which it is plain that the letter you fent me mifcarried.—I do not doubt that you have choice of new acquaintance, and fome of them may be deferving for youth is the feafon of virtue; corruptions grow with years, and I believe the oldest rogue in England is the greateft. You have years enough before you to watch whether these new acquaintance will keep their virtue, when they leave you, and go into the world; how long will their fpirit of independency laft against the temptations of fu

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ture