rafcally world should lay you under a neceflity of mifemploying your genius for fo long a time. But fince you will now be fo much better employ'd, when you think of the world, give it one lash the more at my request. I have ever hated all Nations, Profeffions, and Communities; and all my love is towards Individuals: for inftance, I hate the Tribe of Lawyers, but I love Counsellor fuch a one, and Judge fuch a one: 'Tis so with Phyficians (I will not speak of my own Trade) Soldiers, English, Scotch, French, and the reft. But principally I hate and detest that animal call'd Man, although I heartily love John, Peter, Thomas, and fo forth. This is the fyftem upon which I have governed myself many years (but do not tell) and so I shall go on till I have done with them. I have got materials, towards a Treatife, proving the falfity of that definition Animal rationale, and to fhew it should be only rationis capax. Upon this great foundation of Misanthropy (tho' not in Timon's manner) the whole building of my Travels is erected; and I never will have peace of mind, till all honeft men are of my opinion: By confequence you are to embrace it immediately, and procure that all who deferve my esteem may do fo too. The matter is fo clear, that it will admit of no dispute; nay, I

will hold a hundred pounds that you and I agree in the point.

I did not know your Odyffey was finished, being yet in the country, which I shall leave in three days. I thank you kindly for the present, but shall like it three fourths the lefs for the mixture you mention of other hands; however, I am glad you fav'd yourself fo much drudgery -I have been long told by Mr. Ford of your great atchievements in building and planting, and especially of your fubterranean paffage to your garden, whereby you turned a Blunder into a Beauty, which is a piece of Ars Poetica.

I have almost done with Harridans, and shall foon become old enough to fall in love with girls of fourteen. The Lady whom you describe to live at Court, to be deaf, and no partywoman, I take to be Mythology, but know not how to moralize it. She cannot be Mercy, for Mercy is neither deaf, nor lives at Court: Juftice is blind, and perhaps deaf, but neither is The a Court-lady: Fortune is both blind and deaf, and a Court-lady, but then fhe is a moft damnable Party-woman, and will never make me easy, as you promise. It must be Riches, which answers all your defcription: I am glad fhe vifits you, but my voice is fo weak, that doubt she will never hear me. E 4

I

Mr.

Mr. Lewis fent me an account of Dr. Arbuthnot's illness, which is a very fenfible Affiction to me, who by living so long out of the world, have loft that hardness of heart contracted by years and general conversation. I am daily lofing friends, and neither seeking nor getting others. Oh if the world had but a dozen of Arbuthnots in it, I would burn my Travels! But however he is not without fault: There is a passage in Bede, highly commending the piety and learning of the Irish in that age, where after abundance of praises he overthrows them all, by lamenting that, alas! they kept Easter at a wrong time of the So our Doctor has every quality and virtue that can make a man amiable or useful; but alas! he hath a fort of flouch in his walk! I pray God protect him, for he is an excellent Christian, though not a Catholic.

year.

I hear nothing of our Friend Gay, but I find the Court keeps him at hard meat. I advised him to come over here with a Lord Lieutenant. Philips writes little Flams (as Lord Leicester call'd thofe fort of verfes) on Miss Carteret. A Dublin Blacksmith, a great poet, hath imitated his manner in a poem to the fame Miss. Philips is a complainer, and on this occafion I told Lòrd Carteret, that Complainers never fucceeded at Court, though Railers do.

Are

Are you altogether a country gentleman ? that I must addrefs to you out of London, to the hazard of your lofing this precious letter, which I will now conclude altho' so much paper is left. I have an ill Name, and therefore fhall not subscribe it, but you will guess it comes from one who efteems and loves you about half as much as you deserve, I mean as much as he

can.

I am in great concern, at what I am just told is in fome of the news-papers, that Lord Bolingbroke is much hurt by a fall in hunting. I am glad he has fo much Youth and vigour left (of which he hath not been thrifty) but I wonder he has no more Discretion.

LETTER XII.

Oct. 15, 1725.

I

Am wonderfully pleas'd with the fuddenness of your kind answer. It makes me hope you are coming towards us, and that you incline more and more to your old friends, in proportion as you draw nearer to them; and are getting into our Vortex. Here is One, who was once a powerful planet, but has now (after long experience of all that comes of shining) learned to be content, with returning to his first

point, without the thought or ambition of fhining at all. Here is Another, who thinks one of the greatest glories of his Father was to have diftinguished and loved you, and who loves you hereditarily. Here is Arbuthnot, recovered from the jaws of death, and more pleas'd with the hope of seeing you again, than of reviewing a world every part of which he has long defpis'd, but what is made up of a few men like yourself. He goes abroad again, and is more chearful than even health can make a man, for he has a good confcience into the bargain (which is the most Catholic of all remèdies, tho' not the most Universal) I knew it would be a pleasure to you to hear this, and in truth that made me write so foon to you. I'm forry poor P. is not promoted in this

age; for certainly if his reward be of the next, he is of all Poets the most miserable. I'm also forry for another reafon; if they don't promote him, they'll spoil the conclufion of one of my Satires, where, having endeavoured to correct the Taste of the town in wit and criticism, I end thus,

But what avails to lay down rules for fenfe? In's Reign thefe fruitless lines were writ, When Ambrofe Philips was preferr'd for Wit!

Our