Our friend Gay is used as the friends of Tories are by Whigs (and generally by Tories too.) Because he had humour, he was fuppofed to have dealt with Dr. Swift; in like manner as when any one had learning formerly, he was thought to have dealt with the Devil. He puts his whole trust at Court in that Lady whom I described to you; and whom you take to be an allegorical creature of fancy: I wish she really were Riches for his fake; though as for your's, I queftion whether (if you knew her) you would change her for the other?

Lord Bolingbroke had not the least harm by his fall; I wish he had receiv'd no more by his other fall; Lord Oxford had none by his. But Lord Bolingbroke is the most improved Mind fince you faw him, that ever was improved without shifting into a new body, or being: paullo minus ab angelis. I have often imagined to myself, that if ever all of us meet again, after fo many varieties and changes, after so much of the old world and of the old man in each of us has been altered, that scarce a single thought of the one, any more than a fingle atome of the other, remains juft the fame; I've fancy'd, I fay, that we should meet like the righteous in the Millennium, quite in peace, divefted of all our former Paffions, fmiling at our past follies, and content to enjoy the king

dom

dom of the just in tranquillity. But I find you would rather be employ'd as an avenging Angel of wrath, to break your Vial of Indignation over the heads of the wretched creatures of this world: nay, would make them Eat your Book, which you have made (I doubt not) as bitter a pill for them as possible.

I won't tell you what defigns I have in my head (befides writing a set of Maxims in oppofition to all Rochefoucault's principles a) till I fee you here, face to face. Then you fhall have no reason to complain of me, for want of a generous difdain of this world, though I have not loft my Ears in yours and their service. Lord Oxford too (whom I have now the third time mentioned in this letter, and he deferves to be always mentioned in every thing that is addrefs'd to you, or comes from you) expects you: That ought to be enough to bring you hither; 'tis a better reason than if the nation expected you. For I really enter as fully as you can defire, into your principle of love of Individuals: and I think the way to have a public fpirit is first to have a private one; for who can

a This was only said as an oblique reproof of the horrid mifanthropy in the foregoing Letter; and which he fuppofed, might be chiefly occafioned by the Dean's

fondness for Rochefoucault, whofe Maxims are founded on the principle of an univerfal felfishness in human nature.

believe

believe (faid a friend of mine) that any man can care for a hundred thousand people, who never cared for one? No ill-humour'd man can ever be a Patriot, any more than a Friend.

He

I defigned to have left the following page for Dr. Arbuthnot to fill, but he is fo touch'd with the period in yours to me concerning him, that he intends to answer it by a whole letter. is too busy about a book, which I guess he will tell you of. So adieu-what remains worth telling you? Dean Berkley is well, and happy in the prosecution of his Scheme. Lord Oxford and Lord Bolingbroke in health, Duke Disney fo alfo; Sir William Wyndham better, Lord Bathurst well. These, and fome others, preferve their ancient honour and ancient friendship. Those who do neither, if they were d-d, what is it to a Proteftant prieft, who has nothing to do with the dead? I answer for my own part as a Papift, I would not pray them out of Purgatory.

My name is as bad an one as yours, and hated by all bad Poets, from Hopkins and Sternhold to Gildon and Cibber. The first pray'd against me with the Turk; and a modern Imitator of theirs (whom I leave you to find out) has added the Christian to 'em, with proper definitions of each in this manner,

The Pope's the Whore of Babylon,

The Turk he is a Jew:

The Chriftian is an Infidel

That fitteth in a Pew.

LET

I

LETTER XIII.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Nov. 26, 1725.

Should fooner have acknowledged yours, if

my

a feverish disorder and the relics of it had not difabled me for a fortnight. I now begin to make excufes, because I hope I am pretty near feeing you, and therefore I would cultivate an acquaintance; because if you do not know me when we meet, you need only keep one of my letters, and compare it with my face, for face and letters are counterparts of my heart. I fear I have not exprefs'd that right, but I mean well, and I hate blots: I look in your letter, and in my confcience you say the fame thing, but in a better manner. Pray tell my Lord Bolingbroke that I wish he were banished again, for then I should hear from him, when he was full of philosophy, and talked de contemptu mundi. My Lord Oxford was fo extremely kind as to write to me immediately an account of his fon's birth; which I immediately acknowledged, but before my letter could reach him, I wish'd it in the fea: I hope I was more afflicted than his Lordship. 'Tis hard that Parfons and Beggars should be over-run with bratts, while fo great and good a family wants an

heir to continue it. I have receiv'd his father's picture, but I lament (fub figillo confeffionis) that it is not so true a resemblance as I could wifh. Drown the world! I am not content with defpifing it, but I would anger it, if I could with fafety. I wish there were an Hospital built for its Despisers, where one might act with fafety, and it need not be a large building, only I would have it well endow'd. P** is fort chancellant whether he fhall turn Parfon or no. But all employments here are engaged, or in reverfion. Caft Wits and caft Beaux have a proper fanctuary in the church: yet we think it a fevere judgment, that a fine gentleman, and so much the finer for hating Ecclefiafticks, should be a domestic humble retainer to an Irish Prelate. He is neither Secretary nor Gentlemanusher, yet ferves in both capacities. He hath published several reasons why he never came to fee me, but the best is, that I have not waited on his Lordship. We have had a Poem fent from London in imitation of that on Mifs Carteret. It is on Mifs Harvey of a day old; and we fay and think it is yours. I wish it were not, because I am against monopolies You might have fpared me a few more lines of your Satire, but I hope in a few months to fee it all. To hear boys, like you, talk of Millenniums and tranquillity! I

am