not in this whole city three Gentlemen out of Employment, who are able to give entertainments once a month. Those who are in employments of church or ftate, are three parts in four from England, and amount to little more than a dozen; Thofe indeed may once or twice invite their friends, or any perfon of distinction that makes a voyage hither, All my acquaintance tell me, they know not above three families where they can occafionally dine in a whole year: Dr. Delany is the only gentleman I know, who keeps one certain day in the week to entertain seven or eight friends at dinner, and to pass the evening, where there is nothing of excefs, either in eating or drinking. Our old friend Southern (who hath just left us) was invited to dinner once or twice by a judge, a bishop, or a commiffioner of the revenues, but most frequented a few particular friends, and chiefly the Doctor, who is eafy in his fortune, and very hofpitable. The conveniencies of taking the air, winter or fummer, do far exceed thofe in London. For the two large ftrands just at the two ends of the town are as firm and dry in winter as in fummer. There are at least fix or eight gentlemen of fenfe, learning, good humour and taste, able and defirous to please you; and orderly females, fome of the better fort, to take care of These were the mo

you.

tives that I have frequently made ufe of to entice you hither. And there would be no failure among the best people here, of any honours that could be done you. As to myself, I declare, my health is fo uncertain that I dare not venture amongst you at present. I hate the thoughts of London, where I am not rich enough to live otherwife than by shifting, which is now too late. Neither can I have conveniencies in the country for three horses and two fervants, and many others, which I have here at hand. I am one of the governors of all the hackney-coaches, carts, and carriages round this town, who dare not infult me, like your rafcally waggoners or coachmen, but give me the way; nor is there one Lord or Squire for a hundred of yours, to turn me out of the road, or run over me with their coaches and fix. Thus, I make fome advantage of the public poverty, and give you the reasons for what I once writ, why I chufe to be a freeman among flaves, rather than a flave among freemen. Then, I walk the streets in peace, without being juftled, nor even without a thousand bleffings from my friends the vulgar. I am Lord Mayor of 120 houfes, I am abfolute Lord of the greatest cathedral in the kingdom, am at peace with the neighbouring Princes, the Lord Mayor of the city, and the Arch-bishop of Dub

lin, only the latter, like the K. of France, sometimes attempts encroachments on my dominions, as old Lewis did upon Lorrain. In the midst of this raillery, I can tell you with seriousness, that these advantages contribute to my ease, and therefore I value them. And in one part of your letter relating to my Lord B-- and yourself, you agree with me entirely, about the indifference, the love of quiet, the care of health, &c. that grow upon men in years. And if you discover those inclinations in my Lord and yourself, what can you expect from me, whose health is so precarious? and yet at your or his time of life, I could have leap'd over the

moon.

LETTER LXIX.

Sept. 1, 1733.

Have every day wish'd to write to you, to say a thousand things; and yet, I think, I should not have writ to you now, if I was not fick of writing any thing, fick of myself, and (what is worse) fick of my friends too. The world is become too bufy for me; every body is fo concerned for the public, that all private enjoyments are loft, or dif-relish'd. I write more to show you I am tir'd of this life, than to

tell

tell you any thing relating to it. I live as I did, I think as I did, I love you as I did; but all these are to no purpose; the world will not live, think, or love as I do. I am troubled for, and vexed at, all my friends by turns. Here are fome whom you love, and who love you; yet they receive no proofs of that affection from you, and they give none of it to you. There is a great gulph between. In earnest I would go a thousand miles by land to see you, but the fea I dread. My ailments are fuch, that I really believe a fea-sickness (confidering the oppreffion of colical pains, and the great weakness of my breaft) would kill me: and if I did not die of that, I must of the exceffive eating and drinking of your hofpitable town, and the exceffive flattery of your most poetical country. I hate to be cramm'd, either way. Let your hungry poets, and your rhyming poets digeft it, I cannot. I like much better to be abused and half-ftarved, than to be fo over-praised and overfed. Drown Ireland! for having caught you, and for having kept you: I only reserve a little charity for her, for knowing your value, and esteeming you: You are the only Patriot I know, who is not hated for ferving his country. The man who drew your Character and printed it here, was not much in the wrong in many things he said of you: yet he was a very impertinent

pertinent fellow, for faying them in words quite different from those you had yourself employed before on the fame fubject: for furely to alter your words is to prejudice them; and I have been told, that a man himself can hardly fay the fame thing twice over with equal happiness; Nature is so much a better thing than artifice.

I have written nothing this year: It is not affectation to tell you, my Mother's lofs has turn'd my frame of thinking. The habit of a whole life is a stronger thing than all the reafon in the world. I know I ought to be easy, and to be free; but I am dejected, I am confined my whole amusement is in reviewing my past life, not in laying plans for my future. I wish you cared as little for popular applause as I; as little for any nation in contradistinction to others, as I and then I fancy, you that are not afraid of the sea, you that are a ftronger man at fixty than ever I was at twenty, would come and see several people who are (at last) like the primitive Chriftians, of one foul and of one mind. The day is come, which I have often wished, but never thought to fee; when every mortal, that I esteem, is of the fame fentiment in Politics and in Religion.

Adieu. All you love, are yours; but all are busy, except (dear Sir) your fincere friend. LET