refine in many places when you meant no refinement; and into the bargain take all the load of naming the dunces, their qualities, hiftories, and performances?

I

As to yourself, I doubt you want a spurrer-on to exercise and to amusements; but to talk of decay at your season of life is a jeft. But you are not fo regular as I. You are the most temperate man God-ward, and the most intemperate your self-ward, of moft I have known. I fuppofe Mr. Gay will return from the Bath with twenty pounds more flesh, and two hundred less in money: Providence never design'd him to be above two and twenty, by his thoughtleffness and Cullibility. He hath as little forefight of age, sickness, poverty, or loss of admirers, as a girl at fifteen. By the way, must observe, that my Lord Bolingbroke (from the effects of his kindness to me) argues most fophiftically: The fall from a million to a hundred thousand pounds is not so great, as from eight hundred pounds a year to one: Befides, he is a controller of Fortune, and Poverty dares not look a great Minister in the face under his loweft declenfion. I never knew him live fo great and expensively as he hath done fince his return from Exile; fuch mortals have refources that others are not able to comprehend. But God bless You, whofe great genius has

5

not

not so transported you as to leave you to the courtesy of mankind; for wealth is liberty, and liberty is a bleffing fittest for a Philosopher —and Gay is a Slave juft by two thousand pounds too little-And Horace was of my mind, and let my Lord contradict him, if he dares.

LETTER XXXIV.

Bath, Nov. 12, 1728.

I

Have past fix weeks in queft of health and

found it not; but I found the folly of follicitude about it in a hundred inftances; the contrariety of opinions and practices, the inability of phyficians, the blind obedience of fome patients, and as blind rebellion of others. I believe at a certain time of life, men are either fools, or phyficians for themfelves, and zealots, or divines for themselves.

It was much in my hopes that you intended us a winter's vifit, but laft week I repented that wish, having been alarm'd with a report of your lying ill on the road from Ireland; from which I am just reliev'd by an affurance that you are ftill at Sir A's planting and building; two things that I envy you for, befides a third, which is the fociety, of a valuable lady. I con

clude

clude (tho' I know nothing of it) that you quarrel with her, and abuse her every day, if fhe is fo. I wonder I hear of no Lampoons upon her, either made by yourself, or by others, because you efteem her. I think it a vast pleasure that whenever two people of merit regard one another, fo many fcoundrels envy and are angry at them; 'tis bearing teftimony to a merit they cannot reach; and if you knew the infinite content I have receiv'd of late, at the finding yours and my name conftantly united in any filly fcandal, I think you would go near to fing Io Triumphe! and celebrate my happiness in verfe; and, I believe, if you won't, I shall. The inscription to the Dunciad is now printed and inferted in the Poem. Do you care I should say any thing farther how much that poem is yours? fince certainly without you it had never been. Would to God we were together for the reft of our lives! The whole weight of Scriblers would just serve to find us amusement, and not more. I hope you are too well employed to mind them: every ftick you plant, and every ftone you lay is to fome pur

pofe; but the bufinefs of fuch lives as theirs is but to die daily, to labour, and raise nothing. I only wish we could comfort each other under our bodily infirmities, and let those who have fo great a mind to have more Wit than we, win

it

it and wear it. Give us but eafe, health, peace, and fair weather! I think it is the best wish in the world, and you know whose it was. If I liv'd in Ireland, I fear the wet climate would endanger more than my life; my humour, and health; I'am fo Atmospherical a creature.

I must not omit acquainting you, that what you heard of the words spoken of you in the Drawing-room, was not true. The fayings of Princes are generally as ill related as the sayings of Wits. To fuch reports little of our regard fhould be given, and lefs of our conduct influenc'd by them.

LETTER XXXV.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Dublin, Feb. 13, 1728.

Liv'd very easily in the country: Sir A. is a

I Liv

man of fenfe, and a scholar, has a good voice, and my Lady a better; fhe is perfectly well bred, and defirous to improve her underftanding, which is very good, but cultivated too much like a fine Lady. She was my pupil there, and feverely chid when she read wrong; with that, and walking, and making twenty little amufing improvements, and writing family

verfes of mirth by way of libels on my Lady, my time past very well and in very great order; infinitely better than here, where I see no creature but my fervants and my old Presbyterian houfe-keeper, denying myself to every body, till I fhall recover my ears.

The account of another Lord Lieutenant was only in a common news-paper, when I was in the country; and if it should have happened to be true, I would have defired to have had access to him as the fituation I am in requires. But this renews the grief for the death of our friend Mr. Congreve, whom I lov'd from my youth, and who furely, befides his other talents, was a very agreeable companion. He had the misfortune to fquander away a very good constitution in his younger days; and I think a man of fenfe and merit like him, is bound in conscience to preserve his health for the fake of his friends, as well as of himself. Upon his own account I could not much defire the continuance of his life under fo much pain, and so infirmities. Years have not and I have an addition of weight upon my fpirits fince we loft him; tho' I faw him fo feldom, and poffibly if he had liv'd on, should never have seen him more. I do not only wish as you ask me, that I was unacquainted with any deferving perfon, but almost that I never

yet

many hardened me;

had