"Here we fee the mafterly poet, and the warm, fin"cere, generous friend; while he, according to the "character he gives of Mr Addison, damns with faint praije." "Well," replied the Dean, "I'll fhew 66 you a late letter of his." He did fo; and Mrs Pilkington was furprised to find it filled with low and ungentleman-like reflections, both on Mr Gay, and the two noble perfons who honoured him with their patronage after his disappointment at court. "Well, Ma"dam," said the Dean, "What do you think of that "letter?" (feeing the had gone quite thro' it.) In"deed, Sir," (replied the,)" I am forry I have read "it; for it gives me reafon to think there is no fuch thing as a fincere friend to be met with in the "world.". 66 Why," replied he, authors are as jea"lous of their prerogative as kings; and can no more "bear a rival in the empire of wit, than a monarch "could in his dominions." Mrs Pilkington then obferving a Latin fentence writ in Italics, defired the Dean to explain it."No," replied he, fmiling, "I'll leave "that for your husband to do. I'll fend for him to dine with us, and in the mean time we'll go and take a walk in Naboth's vineyard.”"Where may that "be, pray, Sir?" faid the. Why, a garden,” faid the Dean, I cheated one of my neighbours out of." When they entered the garden, or rather the field, which was fquare, and inclofed with a fone wall, the Dean afked her how the liked it?" Why, pray, Sir," said fhe, "where is the garden?" "Look behind you," faid he. She did fo; and obferved the fouth wall was lined with brick, and a great number of fruit-trees planted against it, which being then in bloffom, looked very beautiful. What are you fo intent on ?" faid the Dean. "The opening bloom," replied the; which brought Waller's lines to her remembrance. 66 Hope waits upon the flow'ry prime. "Oh!" replied he, " you are in a poetical vein; I thought you had been taking notice of my wall. 'Tis the beft in Ireland. When the masons were building it, (as most tradesmen are rogues), I watch "ed 66 «ed them very close, and as often as they could, they "put in a rotten ftone; of which however I took no "notice, till they had built three or four perches beyond it. Now, as I am an abfolute monarch in the liberties, and king of the mob, my way with them was, to have the wall thrown down to the place "where I obferved the rotten ftone; and, by doing fo "five or fix times, the workmen were at last convinced "it was their intereft to be honeft:"- "Or elfe, Sir," faid Mrs Pilkington, "your wall would have been as " tedious a piece of work as Penelope's web, if all that 66 was done in the day was to be undone at night." “Well,” answered the Dean, "I find you have poetry for every occafion; but as you cannot keep pace "with me in walking, I would have you fit down on "that little bank, till you are rested, or I tired, to put us more upon a par." 66 66 As SHE seated herself, and away the Dean walked, or rather trotted as hard as ever he could drive. She could not help fmiling at his odd gait; for the thought to her felf, he had written fo much in praise of horses, that he was refolved to imitate them as nearly as he could. fhe was indulging this fancy, the Dean returned to her, and gave her a trong confirmation of his partiality to those animals. "I have been confidering, Madam, as "I walked," faid he, "what a fool Mr Pilkington was "to marry you; for he could have afforded to keep a "horfe for less money than you cost him; and that, you "must confefs, would have given him better exercise " and more pleasure than a wife-Why, you laugh, " and don't anfwer me-is not it truth?"" I muft anfwer you, Sir," replied fhe, with another queftion: Pray how can a bachelor judge of this matter?"" I "find," faid he, you are vain enough to give your"felf the preference." I do, Sir," replied the, “ to "that ipecies here; to a Houyhnhnm I would as becomes me, give preference. But, Sir, 'tis going to "rain."-" I hope not," faid he," for that will coft me "fixpence for a coach for you," (the garden being at fome distance from the house.) "Come, hafte; O how the "tefter trembles in my pocket!" She obeyed; and they got in a doors just time enough to escape a heavy fhower. "Thank 66 k 2 "Thank God," faid the Dean, "I have faved my money. Here, you fellow," (to the fervant), "carry "this fixpence to the lame old man that fells ginger"bread at the corner, because he tries to do fomething, "and does not beg." MRS Pilkington was fhewed into a little ftreet-parlour, where was Mrs Brent, his housekeeper. 66 Here," fays he, Mrs Brent, take care of this child, while I take my walk out within doors." The Dean then ran up the great ftairs, down one pair of back-stairs, up another, in fo violent a manner, that Mrs Pilkington could not help expreffing her uneafinefs to Mrs Brent, left he should fall, and be hurted. Mrs Brent faid, it was a cuftomary exercise with him, when the weather did not permit him to walk abroad. MRS Brent then told Mrs Pilkington of the Dean's charity; of his giving above half of his yearly income in private penfions to decayed families; and keeping 500 1. in the constant service of industrious poor, which he lent out 5 1. at a time, and took the payment back at I s. a-week; which, fhe observed, did them more fervice than if he gave it to them entirely, as it obliged them to work, and at the fame time kept up this charitable fund for the affiftance of many. 86 "You cannot imagine," said she, "what numbers of poor tradefmen, who have even wanted proper tools to carry on "their work, have, by this finall loan, been put into a profperous way, and brought up their families in cre"dit. The Dean," added the," has found out a new "method of being charitable, in which, however, I be lieve, he will have but few followers; which is, to "debar himself of what he calls the fuperfluities of life, " in order to adminifter to the neceffities of the diftref"fed. You juft now faw an inftance of it; the money a coach would have coft him, he gave to a poor man "unable to walk. When he dines alone, he drinks a pint of beer, and gives away the price of a pint of "wine. And thus he acts in numberless inftances." THE Dean came to dine with Mr and Mrs Pilkington at their Lilliputian palace, as he called it; and, who could have thought it? he juft looked into the parlour, and ran up into the garret, then into Mrs Pilkington's bedchamber bedchamber and library, and from thence down to the kitchen; and the houfe being very clean, he complimented her upon it, and told her, that was his cuftom; and that it was from the cleanliness of the garret and kitchen, he judged of the good housewifery of the miftrefs of the houfe; for no doubt but a flut would have the room clean where the guests were to be entertained. HE was fometimes very rude, even to his fuperiors; of which the following ftory, related to Mrs Pilkington by himself, may serve as one inftance amongst a thousand others. THE last time he was in London, he went to dine with the Earl of Burlington, who was then but newly married. The Earl being willing, 'tis fuppofed, to have fome diverfion, did not introduce him to his lady, nor mention his name. It is to be observed, that his gown was generally very rufty, and his perfon no way extraordinary. After dinner, faid the Dean, "Lady "Burlington, I hear you can fing; fing me a fong.' The lady looked on this unceremonious manner of afking a favour with diftafte, and pofitively refufed him. He faid, the should fing, or he would make her." Why, Madam, I fuppofe you take me for one of your poor English hedge parfons; fing when I bid you." As ,the Earl did nothing but laugh at this freedom, the lady was fo vexed, that she burst into tears, and retired. 64 His firft compliment to her when he faw her again, was, Pray, Madam, are you as proud and as ill-natu"red now, as when I faw you laft?" To which fhe anfwered, with great good humour, "No, Mr Dean; I'll fing for you, if you please." From which time he conceived great esteem for her. But who that knew him would take offence at his bluntnefs? 66 MRS Pilkington could not recollect that ever the faw the Dean laugh; perhaps he thought it beneath him; for when any pleafantry paffed which might have excited it, he used to fuck his cheeks to avoid rifibility. He ufed frequently to put her in mind of Shakespear's defcription of Caffius. He is a great difcerner, and he looks Quite thro' the deeds of men Seldom he fmiles, and fmiles in fuch a fort As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit, That could be mov'd to smile at any thing. Jul. Cafar. MRS Pilkington believed the Dean's early youth did not promise that bright day of wit which has fince enlightened the learned world. Whilst he was at the univerfity of Dublin, he was fo far from being distinguished for any fuperiority of parts or learning, that he was ftopped of his degree as a dunce. When she heard the Dean relate this circumftance, fhe told him, fhe fuppofed he had been idle: but he affirmed to the contrary, affuring her he was really dull. Which, if true, is very furprising. "I have," fays fhe, "often been led to look on the "world as a garden, and the human minds as fo ma ny plants, fet by the hand of the great Creator for "utility and ornament. Thus fome, we fee, early pro"duce beautiful bloffoms, and as foon fade away; o"thers, whofe gems are more flow in unfolding, but more permanent when blown; and others again, "who, tho' longer in arriving at perfection, not only bless us then with fhade and odour, but also with "delicious wholefome fruit." 46 He was a perpetual friend to merit and learning; and utterly incapable of envy; for, in true genuine wit, he could fear no rival. Ir has been often obferved, that where great talents are beftowed, there the ftrongeft paffions are likewise given. This great man did but too often let them have dominion over him, and that on the moft trifling occafions. During meal-times he was evermore in a ftorm; the meat was always too much or too little done, or the fervants had offended in fome point, imperceptible to the reft of the company: however, when the cloth was taken away, he made his guests rich amends for the pain he had given them. For then Was truly mingled in the friendly bowl Yet |