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LETTERS

OF

Dr. SWIFT to Mr. GAY:

From the YEAR 1729 to 1732a.

LETTER XLIX.

Dublin, March 19, 1729.

Deny it. I do write to you according to the old ftipulation, for, when you kept your old company, when I writ to one, I writ to all. But I am ready to enter into a new bargain fince you are got into a new world, and will answer all your letters. You are first to prefent my most humble respects to the Duchefs of Queensbury, and let her know that I never dine without thinking of her, although it be

a Found among Mr. Gay's Papers, and returned to Dr. Swift by the Duke of Queensbury and Mr. Pope. P.

with some difficulty that I can obey her when I dine with forks that have but two prongs, and when the fauce is not very confiftent. You must likewise tell her Grace that she is a general Toast among all honeft folks here, and particularly at the Deanery, even in the face of my Whig fubjects.---I will leave my money in Lord Bathurst's hands, and the management of it (for want of better) in yours: and pray keep the interest-money in a bag wrapt up and fealed by itself, for fear of your own fingers under your carelessness. Mr. Pope talks of you as a perfect stranger; but the different pursuits and manners and interests of life, as fortune hath pleased to difpofe them, will never fuffer those to live together, who by their inclinations ought never to part. I hope when you are rich enough, you will have fome little œconomy of your own in town or country, and be able to give your friend a pint of Port; for the domestic feafon of life will come on. I had never much hopes of your vampt Play, although Mr. Pope seem'd to have, and although it were ever fo good: But you fhould have done like the Parfons, and changed your Text, I mean the Title, and the names of the perfons. After all, it was an effect of idleness, for you are in the prime of life, when invention and judgment go together. I wish you had 100l. a year more

for

for horses---I ride and walk whenever good weather invites, and am reputed the best walker in this town and five miles round. I writ lately to Mr. Pope: I wish you had a little Villakin in his neighbourhood; but you are yet too volatile, and any Lady with a coach and fix horses would carry you to Japan.

LETTER L.

Dublin, Nov. 10, 1703.

WH

HEN my Lord Peterborow in the Queen's time went abroad upon his Ambaffies, the Ministry told me, that he was fuch a vagrant, they were forced to write at him by guefs, because they knew not where to write to him. This is my cafe with you; fometimes in Scotland, fometimes at Ham-walks, fometimes God knows where. You are a man of business, and not at leifure for infignificant correspondence. It was I got you the employment of being my Lord Duke's premier Miniftre: for his Grace having heard how good a manager you were of my revenue, thought you fit to be entrusted with ten talents. I have had twenty times a ftrong inclination to spend a fummer near Salusbury-downs, having rode over them more than once, and with a young

3

parfon

parfon of Salisbury reckoned twice the Stones of Stonehenge, which are either ninety-two or ninety-three. I defire to prefent my most humble acknowledgments to my Lady Duchefs in return of her civility. I hear an ill thing, that fhe is matre pulchra filia pulchrior: I never faw her fince he was a girl, and would be angry she should excel her mother who was long my principal Goddess. I defire you will tell her Grace, that the ill management of folks is not to be help'd when they are only bidential, which happens in all poor houses, especially thofe of Poets; upon which account a knife was abfolutely neceffary at Mr. Pope's, where it was morally impoffible with a bidential fork to convey a morfel of beef, with the incumbrance of mustard and turnips, into your mouth at once. And her Grace hath coft me thirty pounds to provide Tridents for fear of offending her, which fum I defire she will please to return me. I am fick enough to go to the Bath, but have not heard it will be good for my disorder. I have a strong mind to spend my 2007. next fummer in France; I am glad I have it, for there is hardly twice that fum left in this kingdom. You want no settlement (I call the family where you live, and the foot you are upon, a fettlement) till you increase

your

your fortune to what will fupport you with ease and plenty, a good house and a garden. The want of this I much dread for you: For I have often known a She-coufin of a good family and small fortune, paffing months among all her relations, living in plenty, and taking her circles, till fhe grew an old Maid, and every body weary of her. Mr. Pope complains of feldom feeing you; but the evil is unavoidable, for different circumftances of life have always feparated those whom friendship would join: God hath taken care of this, to prevent any progress towards real happiness here, which would make life more defirable, and death too dreadful. I hope you have now one advantage that you always wanted before, and the want of which made your friends as uneafy as it did yourself; I mean the removal of that folicitude about your own affairs, which perpetually fill'd your thoughts and disturb'd your converfa. tion. For if it be true what Mr. Pope seriously tells me, you will have opportunity of faving every groat of the intereft you receive; and fo by the time he and you grow weary of each other, you will be able to pass the reft of your winelefs life, in ease and plenty, with the additional triumphal comfort of never having receiv'd a penny from thofe taftelefs ungrateful people from whom you deserved fo much, and who

deferve

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