deferved fo much, and who deferve no better Genius's than those by whom they are celebrated. If you fee Mr. Cefar, present my humble fervice to him, and let him know that the fcrub Libel printed against me here, and reprinted in London, for which he fhewed a kind concern to a friend of us both, was written by myself, and sent to a Whig-printer: It was in the style and genius of fuch fcoundrels, when the humour of libelling ran in this strain against a friend of mine whom you know. is ended.

But my paper

LETTER LI.

Dublin, Nov. 19, 1730.

Writ to you a long letter about a fortnight

IV

paft, concluding you were in London, from whence I understood one of your former was dated : Nor did I imagine you were gone back to Aimsbury fo late in the year, at which season I take the Country to be only a scene for those who have been ill ufed by a court on account of their Virtues; which is a ftate of happiness the more valuable, because it is not accompanied by Envy, although nothing deferves it more. I would gladly fell a Dukedom to lofe favour in the manner their Graces have done. I believe VOL. IX. N

my

my Lord Carteret, fince he is no longer Lieutenant, may not with me ill, and I have told him often that I only hated him as Lieutenant : I confess he had a genteeler manner of binding the chains of this kingdom than most of his predeceffors, and I confefs at the fame time that he had fix times a regard to my recommendation by preferring so many of my friends in the church; the two laft acts of his favour were to add to the dignities of Dr. Delany and Mr. Stopford, the last of whom was by you and Mr. Pope put into Mr. Pultney's hands. I told you in my laft, that a continuance of giddinefs (tho' not in a violent degree) prevented my thoughts of England at present. For in my cafe a domeftic life is neceffary, where I can with the Centurion fay to my fervant, Go, and he goeth, and Do this, and he doth it. I now hate all people whom I cannot command, and confequently a Duchefs is at this time the hatefullest Lady in the world to me, one only excepted, and I beg her Grace's pardon for that exception, for, in the way I mean, her grace

is ten thousand times more hateful. I confefs I begin to apprehend you will fquander my money, because I hope you never lefs wanted it; and if you go on with fuccefs for two years longer, I fear I shall not have a farthing of it left. The Doctor hath ill-informed me, who

fays

fays that Mr. Pope is at present the chief Poetical Favourite, yet Mr. Pope himself talks like a Philofopher and one wholly retir'd. But the vogue of our few honeft folks here is, that Duck is abfolutely to fucceed Eusden in the laurel, the contention being between Concannen or Theobald, or fome other Hero of the Dunciad. I never charged you for not talking, but the dubious ftate of your affairs in those days was too much the fubject, and I wish the Duchefs had been the voucher of

your amendment. Nothing fo much contributed to my ease as the turn of affairs after the Queen's death; by which all my hopes being cut off, I could have no Ambition left, unless I would have been a greater rafcal than happened to fuit with my temper. I therefore fat down quietly at my morfel, adding only thereto a principle of hatred to all fucceeding Measures and Ministries by way of fauce to relish my meat: And I confefs one point of conduct in my Lady Duchess's life hath added much poignancy to it. There is a good Irish practical bull towards the end of your letter, where you spend a dozen lines in telling me you must leave off, that you may give my Lady Duchefs room to write, and fo'you proceed to within two or three lines of the bottom; though I would

have remited you my 2col. to have left place for as many more.

Madam,

To the Duchefs.

My beginning thus low is meant as a mark of respect, like receiving your Grace at the bottom of the ftairs. I am glad you know your duty; for it hath been a known and establish'd rule above twenty years in England, that the first advances have been conftantly made me by all Ladies who afpir'd to my acquaintance, and the greater their quality, the greater were their advances. Yet, I know not by what weakness, I have condefcended graciously to dispense with you upon this important article. Though Mr. Gay will tell you that a nameless perfon fent me eleven meffages before I would yield to a vifit: I mean a person to whom he is infinitely obliged, for being the occafion of the happiness he now enjoys under the protection and favour of my Lord Duke and your Grace. At the fame time, I cannot forbear telling you, Madam, that you are a little imperious in your manner of making your advances. You fay, perhaps you fhall not like me; I affirm you are mistaken, which I can plainly demonftrate; for I have certain intelligence, that another perfon dislikes me of late, with whose likings

yours

yours have not for fome time past gone together. However, if I fhall once have the honour to attend your Grace, I will out of fear and prudence appear as vain as I can, that I know your thoughts of me.

may not This is your own direction, but it was needlefs: For Diogenes himself would be vain, to have receiv'd the honour of being one moment of his life in the thoughts of

your

Grace.

LETTER LII.

Dublin, April 13, 1730-1.

OUR fituation is an odd one; the Du

You

chefs is your Treasurer, and Mr. Pope tells me you are the Duke's. And I had gone a good way in fome Verfes on that occafion, prefcribing leffons to direct your conduct, in a negative way, not to do so and fo, &c. like other Treasurers; how to deal with Servants, Tenants, or neighbouring Squires, which I take to be Courtiers, Parliaments, and Princes in alliance, and fo the parallel goes on, but grows too long to please me: I prove that Poets are the fittest perfons to be treasurers and managers to great perfons, from their virtue, and contempt of money, &c. &c.-Pray, why did you not get a new heel to your fhoe? unless you would make your court at St. James's by affecting to imitate N 3

the