volumes, by fubfcription. I faid I would give no leave, and fhould be forry to fee them printed here. He faid they could not be printed in London. I anfwered, they could, if the partners agreed. He faid, "he would be glad of my permiffion; but as "he could print them without it, and was advised "that it could do me no harm, and having been "affured of numerous fubfcriptions, he hoped I "would not be angry at his purfuing his own in"tereft," &c. Much of this difcourfe paffed; and he goes on with the matter, wherein I determine not to intermeddle, though it be much to my dif content: and I wish it could be done in England rather than here, although I am grown pretty indifferent in every thing of that kind. This is the truth of the ftory.

My vanity turns at prefent on being perfonated in your Qua virtus, &c. You will obferve in this letter many marks of an ill head and a low spirit ; but a heart wholly turned to love you with the greatest earnestnefs and truth.

I

LETTER LXVIII.

May 28. 1733

Have begun two or three letters to you by fnatches, and been prevented from finifhing them by a thousand avocations and diffipations. I must first acknowledge the honour done me by Lord Orrery, whofe praises are that precious ointment-Solomon speaks of, which can be given only by men of virtue. All other praife, whether from poets or peers, is contemptible alike: and I am old enough, and experienced enough, to know, that the only praises worth having, are thofe bestow

H.2

edi

ed by virtue for virtue. My poetry I abandon to the critics, my morals I commit to the teftimony of thofe who know me; and therefore I was more pleafed with your libel, than with any verses I ever received. I wifh fuch a collection of your writings could be printed here, as you mention going on in Ireland. I was surprised to receive from the printer that fpurious piece, called "The life and cha"racter of Dr. Swift," with a letter, telling me, the perfon "who published it, had affured him, "the dedication to me was that I would not take ill, or elfe he would not have printed it." I can't tell who the man is, who took so far upon

him as to answer for my way of thinking; though, had the thing been genuine, I fhould have been greatly difpleafed at the publisher's part, in doing it without your knowledge.

I am as earnest as you can be, in doing my best. to prevent the publishing of any thing unworthy of Mr. Gay; but I fear his friends partiality. I wish you would come over. All the myfteries of my philofophical work fhall then be cleared to you, and you will not think that I am not merry enough, nor angry enough. It will not want for fatire; but as for anger, I know it not; or at leaft only that fort of which the Apoftle speaks, "Be ye angry, and fin not."

My neighbour's writings have been metaphyfical, and will next be hiftorical. It is certainly from him only that a valuable hiftory of Europe in thefe latter times can be expected. Come, and quicken him; for age, indolence, and contempt of the world, grow upon men apace, and may often make the wifeft indifferent whether pofterity be any wifer than we. To a man in years, health and quiet become fuch rarities, and confequently fo valuable, that he is apt to think of nothing more than of en

* Lord Bolingbroke.

joying them whenever he can, for the remainder of life; and this, I doubt not, has caufed fo many great men to die without leaving a fcrap to pofterity.

I am fincerely troubled for the bad account you give me of your own health. I with every day to hear a better, as much as I do to enjoy my own, I faithfully affure you.

LETTER LXIX.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Dublin, July 8. 1733.

*Muft condole with you for the lofs of Mrs. Pope, of whofe death the papers have been full* But I would rather rejoice with you, becaufe, if any circumstances can make the death of a dear parent and friend a fubject for joy, you have them all. She died in an extreme old age, without pain, under the care of the most dutiful fon that I have ever known or heard of, which is a felicity not happening to one in a million. The worst effect of her death falls upon me; and so much the worfe, becaufe I expected aliquis damno ufus in illo, that it would be followed by making me and this kingdom happy with your prefence. But I am told, to my great misfortune, that a very convenient offer happening, you waved the invitation preffed on you, alledging the fear you had of being killed here with eating and drinking. By which I find, that you have given fome credit to a notion, of our great plenty and hofpitality. It is

Mrs. Pope died June 7. 1733, aged 93.

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true,

true, our meat and wine is cheaper here, as it is always in the pooreft countries, because there is no money to pay for them. I believe there are not in this whole city three gentlemen out of employment, who are able to give entertainments once a-month. Those who are in employments of church or ftate, are three parts in four from England, and amount to little more than a dozen; thofe indeed may once or twice invite their friends, or any perfon of diftinction that makes a voyage hither. All my acquaintance tell me, they know not above three families where they can occafionally dine in a whole year. Dr. Delany is the only gentleman I know, who keeps one certain day in the week to entertain feven or eight friends at dinner, and to pafs the evening: where there is nothing of ex- . cess, either in eating or drinking. Our old friend Southern (who hath juft left us) was invited to dinner once or twice by a judge, a bishop, or à commiffioner of the revenues; but moft frequented a few particular friends, and chiefly the Doctor, who is eafy in his fortune, and very hofpitable. The conveniencies of taking the air, winter or fummer, do far exceed thofe in London. For the two large ftrands juft at two ends of the town, are as firm and dry in winter as in fummer. There are at least fix or eight gentlemen of sense, learning, good-humour, and tafte, able and defirous to please you; and orderly females, fome of the better fort, to take care of you. These were the motives that I have frequently made ufe of to entice you hither. And there would be no failure among the best people here, of any honours that could be done you. As to myfelf, I declare, my health is fo uncertain that I dare not venture amongst you at prefent, I hate the thoughts of London; where I am not rich enough to live otherwise than by fhifting, which is now too late. Neither can I have conveniencies in the country for

three

three horfes and two fervants, and many others, which I have here at hand. I am one of the governors of all the hackney-coaches, carts, and carriages round this town; who dare not infult me, like your rafcally waggoners or coachmen, but give me the way: nor is there one lord or 'fquire for a hundred of yours, to turn me out of the road, or run over me with their coaches and fix. Thus I make some advantage of the public pover ty; and give you the reafons for what I once writ, why I chufe to be a freeman among flaves, rather than a flave among freemen. Then I walk the streets in peace without being joftled, nor ever without a thoufand bleffings from my friends the vulgar. I am Lord Mayor of 120 houses, I am abfolute lord of the greatest cathedral in the kingdom, am at peace with the neighbouring princes, the Lord Mayor of the city, and the Archbishop of Dublin; only the latter, like the King of France, fometimes attempts incroachments. on my dominions, as old Lewis did upon Lorrain. In the midst of this raillery, I can tell you, with ferioufnefs, that thefe advantages contribute to my ease, and therefore I value them. And in one part of your letter relating to my Lord B and yourself, you agree with me entirely, about the indifference, the love of quiet, the care of health, &c. that grow upon men in years. And if you difcover thofe inclinations in my Lord and yourfelf, what can you expect from me, whofe health is fo precarious? and yet, at your or his time of life, Î could have leaped over the moon.

LET