promifes (against his nature) to confider him; but interpofed an exception, which I believe will deftroy the whole. Mrs Whiteway gives herself airs of loving you; but do not truft her too much; for the grows difobe-. dient, and fays, fhe is going for to get another favourite. In fhort, fhe calls you names, and has neither Mr nor Dr on her tongue, but calls you plain Sheridan, and pox take you. She is not with me now, elfe fhe would read this in fpite of me; and, between ourselves, the fets up to be my governor. I wish you had fent me the Christian name of Knatchbull, and I would have writ to him; but I will fee him on Monday, if he will be vifible. The poem on the legion-club is fo altered and enlarged, as I hear, (for I only faw the original), and fo damnably murdered, that they have added many of the club to the true number. I hear it is charged to me, with great perfonal threatenings from the puppies offended. Some fay they will wait for revenge to their next meeting; others fay the privy council will fummon the fufpected author. If I could get the true copy, I would fend it you. Your Bishop writes me word, that the real author is manifeft by the work.- Your lofs of flesh is nothing, if it be made up with fpirit. God help him who hath neither, I mean myself. I believe I fhall fay with Horace, Non omnis moriar for half my body is already spent. ; LETTER CXXXVIII. Dr SWIFT to Mr POPE. Dear SIR, T Dublin, April 28. 1739. HE gentleman who will have the honour to deliver you this, although he be one related to me, which is by no means any fort of recommendation; for I am utterly void of what the world calls natural affection; and with good reafon, because they are a numerous race degenerating from their ancestors, who were of good esteem for their loyalty and fufferings in the rebellion against King Charles I.: this coufi of mine, who is fo defirous to wait on you, is named Deane A a 2 Swift Swift, becaufe his great-grandfather by the grandmother's fide was Admiral Deane; who having been one of the regicides, had the good fortune to fave his neck by dying a year or two before the restoration. I have a great esteem for Mr Deane Swift, who is much the most valuable of any in his family. He was first a student in this univerfity, and finifhed his ftudies in Oxford; where Dr King, Principal of St Mary Hall, affured me, that Mr Swift behaved himself with good reputation and credit. He hath a very good tafte for wit, writes agreeable and entertaining verfes, and is a perfect mafter, equally fkilled in the best Greek and Roman authors. He hath a true fpirit for liberty, and with all these advantages is extremely decent and modeft. Mr Swift is heir to the little paternal eftate of our family at Goodrich in Herefordshire. My grand father was fo perfecuted and plundered two and fifty times, by the barbarity of Cromwell's hellish crew, (of which I find an account in a book called Mercurius Ru ficus), that the poor old gentleman was forced to fell the better half of his eftate to fupport his family. How ever, three of his fons had better fortune; for coming over to this kingdom, and taking to the law, they all purchafed good eftates here; of which Mr Deane Swift hath a good fhare, but with fome incumbrance. I had a mind that this young gentleman fhould have the honour of being known to you, which is all the favour ask for him; and that if he stays any time longer in London than he now intends, you will permit him to wait on you fometimes. I am, My dearest friend, Your most obedient, and most humble fervant, J. SWIFT. * Author of An essay upon the life, writings, and character of Dr Swift, published in 1755 A A LET T. E R. DOCTOR, U as illi gefto me. 'RE verens is as fit amanto tellus to ris affi. It is E veri lædi is a prata pace: fum arlo denti i curfum at a venture. A manto mari ad rapido cetis a miti folli. Ime metum at Annibal. A tu es de fe nite fed ito a lædi in cum pani offa delatoris, præfit in mi lapfu. Dicti camina furiatus, orto præ ventus his cot is vel vetas fine affa hero. Hiftrix arfo rudi cantabit en durum. His arfis ne ver atqui et. Cæfi, de vilis in uti fora puppi. Præ heris anfer. Surfum denis agrum, agros, aras calli, as aufi, an empti, an das curvi tori. A pacatoris fat at fuperbius, fed ito Dic; Serra, ærugo, origo, I mæres mi angor in as lapithæ belli: I promiffu as furas urina gaudi coti intendit; fori de testa. vi olent parti rogas mi ene mi. As furas veni fonis fit fora pafti. Ima deni fe; far ab ove ad rumor, ora piper, or a caper in fartor. Sed ito an ebur nec fto mifi de; Ago, arundo formica ne, lætabo beat mi merci. I feda punis mi de lite, ora cupa claret; an di cæfo fore ver. Alludo dic ifto callus aras calido deni it. Dic fedi in ager, cantu ride mi mare inani para bootes, ora nupera fues Dic has hyems in his pate. His cum pani i tecum fora veri fcilicet o puppis: iras cullum tuenti times a de. Dic fed, i amabo, i fedi deteftabo, i findit: cantu curabo? Prædixit an do tellus fum tales. Cannibal a fudo? Olet Serapis in ure bootes: olet hircum. A curru artis apparent. As fine as ure cotis, it is as Græci affa candelis; nota fum tuus habet forabo. Atlas tu fed: Serra dicti, sensu arfo rude tomis ter deni fe, ure nos in mi ars. Præ fe Doctor, mufti vifit mi par fonas i intendit? I definit a tu es de nite nec ftat his labora tori; an de at mi fuperaturus. Itis ab ova forte nite ago finceri ritu notis offa define tomus ter almi tori parti at fuper. Se, mufti bipes forum, orno? An ebur omine has fum veri fine ftipes; I præ ubi fumto fata porcas i intendat fum time for a A a 3 meri meri Es ter, orat Crifta mas de. As tomi pes, i avum redi in atro. Is dicor is mari deflet me tecum in tomi cum pani; formidinis in mi pate. Fori cantherina dea bellet alpha quarter offa miles distans. Sed ito dic, præis mi lædi Mari abuti orno? Heris anfer; O, as feras ab lac amore, affuet as Ajax, as meri as an ipis, an das redito fartas a marina rodis. Præbe fpecus a fatur de nec ftat fuperaturus: Ime beaturus Tori rori, as meri affa piper. Res tore mi in cornu curru ftola fatur de. Udi diti fe, an das furas agunto, it iftos hamus. tuto nugator inani gelu defervit. Ime comi Atlas tu me sufferat a gallus fora robur. Itis veri es ito paca juri. Cani se imas Indis Creta manas ubi? I cano. Præ furdo me justis. Sed ito dixit quietas alam. Senfu arfo pertica nata ni time triumpho vero prætor; itis notat alto me. luit nota quarto vale. I va Mi puppi is folaminis legas i cantu fim inani errant. Seras de lite ifto flat ter. Afflat error is redito puta nos inani ars. Sera fed i, pullus fum fruitor lætus pullum, an apri coxa bitumen de lite in. Ire alimenta civi lite fora lædi, butio nimis tecum. Itis inveni findito trito humorem Itis as longa timeas ire membra jumento fume fora det at ipfi rogato poto vale: uno lo nomen agro at. I meto non eft as urnæ, a foto mi en emi; an dipedit in hifco in. Sinciput Eumenides ago in a furi, Iambicum more care fulto repent it: Atom, cantu culmen fit fora meri cum pani? Atri forum, prædo. Finalis mi de lite. Obruit as fine affis inani citi. Ure caris in ops notabit fufti. Aduncis mi de lite, juftas a paratis ures; I herum, I en cur age, an di fecundum in almi follis, fora de or fo Tomi ad vifu toris torifque nota peni inani Hanno veri an interest. Arma gesti Čaro lina has no credit. An das tomi Georgica notabit en dure. Mi cur doctor toral ordinis nupera bootes. Mifer vi ceto ure datur An. peni. I fum times caftas ipfi ater. Satur de at nite. Siriam," Præ rem embrio hera Ures. A bumorous letter to Dr SHERIDAN fcheme of writing. SIR, As S you are a famous inftructor of youth in the learned languages, I cannot doubt of your being willing to encourage all useful inventions, that may further improve knowledge. I have often lamented the unneceffary * Swift was naturally fond of feeing his works in print; and he was encouraged in this fondness by his friend Dr Sheridan, who had the cacoethes fcribendi, to the greatest degree, and was continually letting off fquibs, rockets, and all forts of little fire-works from the prefs: by which means he offended many particular perfons, who, although they stood in awe of Swift, held Sheridan at defiance. The truth is, the poor Doctor, by nature the most peaceable, inoffenfive man alive, was in a continual state of warefare with the minor poets; and they revenged themselves, or, in the ftyle of Mr Bays, often gave him flafa for flash, and finged his feathers. The affection between Thefeus and Pirithous was not greater than the affection between Swift and Sheridan. But the friendship that cemented the two ancient horoes, probably commenced upon motives very different from those which united the two modern divines. As in a former letter I drew a picture of Swift's wife, [p. 291. of this volume], let me here give you some sketches of Swift's friend. Dr Sheridan was a schoolmaster, and, in many instances, perfectly well adapted for that ftation. He was deeply verfed in the Greek and Roman languages, and in their cuftoms and antiquities. He had that kind of good nature, which abfence of mind, indolence of body, and carelessness of fortune, produce; and although not over ftrick in his own conduct, yet he took care of the morality of his fcholars, whom he fent to the univerfity remarkably well grounded in all clas fical learning, and not ill inftructed in the focial duties of life. He was flovenly, indigent, and chearful. He knew books much better than men; and he knew the value of money leaft of all. In this fituation, and with this difpofition, Swift fattened upon him, as upon a prey with which he intended to regale himfelf, whenever his appetite fhould prompt him. Sheridan therefore was kept conftantly within his reach and the only time he was permitted to go beyond the limits of his chain, was to take poffeffion of a living in the county of Cork, which had been bestowed upon him by the then Lord Lieu. tenant of Ireland, the prefent Earl of Granville. Sheridan, in one fatal moment, or by one fatal text, effected his own ruin. You will find the story told by Swift himself, in vol. 3. p. 182. So that here I need only tell you, that this ill-starred, good-natured, improvident man returned to Dublin, unhinged from all favour at court, and even banished |