you hither! He order'd on his death-bed his Watch to be given me (that which had accompanied him in all his travels) with this reason, "That I might have fome thing to put me every day in mind of him." It was a present to him from the King of Sicily, whose arms and Infignia are graved on the inner-case; on the outer, I have put this infcription. Victor Amadeus, Rex Sicilia, Dux Sabaudiæ, &c. &c. Carolo Mordaunt, Comiti de Peterborow, D. D. Car. Mor. Com. de Pet. Alexandro Pope moriens legavit, 1735. Pray write to me a little oftener: and if there be a thing left in the world that pleases you, tell it one who will partake of it. I hear with approbation and pleasure, that your present care is to relieve the most helplefs of this world, those objects a which most want our compaffion, tho' generally made the fcorn of their fellow-creatures, fuch as are lefs innocent than they. You always think generously; and of all charities, this is the most difinterested, and leaft vain-glorious, done to fuch as never will thank you, or can praise you for it. God bless you with ease, if not with pleafure; with a tolerable state of health, if not with its full enjoyment; with a refign'd temper a Idiots. of It is up of mind, if not a very chearful one. on these terms I live myself, tho' younger than you, and I repine not at my lot, could but the prefence of a few that I love be added to these. Adieu. I LETTER LXXVII. . From Dr. SWIFT. Oct. 21, 1735. Answer'd your letter relating to Curl, &c. I believe my letters have efcap'd being publifh'd, because I writ nothing but Nature and Friendship, and particular incidents which could make no figure in writing. I have obferv'd that not only Voiture, but likewife Tully and Pliny writ their letters for the public view, more than for the fake of their correfpondents; and I am glad of it, on account of the Entertainment they have given me. Balfac did the fame thing, but with more stiffness, and consequently less diverting: Now I muft tell you, that you are to look upon me as one going very fast out of the world; but my flesh and bones are to be carried to Holy-head, for I will not lie in a Country of flaves. It pleaseth me to find that you begin to dislike things in spite of VOL. IX. T your your Philosophy; your Mufe cannot forbear her hints to that purpose. I cannot travel to fee you; otherwise, I folemnly protest I would do it. I have an intention to pass this winter in the country with a friend forty miles off, and to ride only ten miles a day; yet is my health fo uncertain that I fear it will not be in my power. I often ride a dozen miles, but I come to my own bed at night: My best way would be to marry, for in that cafe any bed would be better than my own. I found you a very young man, and I left you a middle-aged one; you knew me a middle-aged man, and now I am an old one. Where is my Lord? methinks, I am enquiring after a Tulip of laft "You need not apprehend any Curl's year."meddling with your letters to me; I will not deftroy them, but have order'd my Exe"cutors to do that office." I have a thousand things more to fay, longævitas eft garrula, but I must remember I have other letters to write if I have time, which I spend to tell you fo. I am ever, dearest Sir, Your, &c. LET I LETTER LXXVIII. From Dr. SWIFT. Feb. 9, 1735-6: per Cannot properly call you my best friend, becaufe I have not another left who deferves the name, fuch a havock have Time, Death, Exile, and Oblivion made. Perhaps you would have fewer complaints of my ill health and lowness of fpirits, if they were not some excuse for my delay of writing even to you. It is fectly right what you fay of the indifference in common friends, whether we are fick or well, happy or miferable. The very maid fervants. in a family have the fame notion: I have heard them often say, Oh, I am very fick, if any body cared for it! I am vexed when my visitors come with the compliment ufual here, Mr. Dean, I hope you are very well. My popularity that you mention, is wholly confined to the common people, who are more conftant than those we mif-call their betters. I walk the streets, and fo do my lower friends, from whom and from whom alone, I have a thoufand hats and bleffings upon old scores, which those we call the Gentry have forgot. But I have not the love, or hardly the civility, of any one man in power or station; and I can boast that I neither vifit nor am acquainted with any Lord Temporal or Spiritual in the whole kingdom; nor am able to do the least good office to the most deferving man, except what I can dispose of in my own Cathedral upon a vacancy. What hath funk my fpirits more than even years and fickness, is reflecting on the most execrable Corruptions that run through every branch of public management. I heartily thank you for those lines translated, Singula de nobis anni, &c. You have put them in a strong and admirable light; but however I am fo partial, as to be more delighted with thofe which are to do me the greatest honour I fhall ever receive from pofterity, and will outweigh the malignity of ten thousand enemies. I never faw them before, by which it is plain that the letter you fent me mifcarry'd.—I do not doubt that you have choice of new acquaintance, and fome of them may be deferving: For youth is the season of Virtue; Corruptions grow with years, and I believe the oldest rogue in England is the greatest. You have years enough before you to watch whether these new acquaintance will keep their Virtue, when they leave you and go into the world; how long will their fpirit of independency laft against the temptations of future Ministers, and future |