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Mr. Congreve is too fick to bear a thin air; and fhe that leads him too rich to enjoy any thing. Lord Peterborow can go to any climate, but never stay in any. Lord Bathurft is too great an husbandman to like barren hills, except they are his own to improve. Mr. Bethel indeed is too good and too honeft to live in the world, but yet 'tis fit, for its example, he should. We are left to ourselves in my opinion, and may live where we please, in Wales, Dublin, or Bermudas: And for me, I affure you I love the world fo well, and it loves me fo well, that I care not in what part of it I pass the rest of no funfhine but in the face of a friend.

my days.

my days.

I fee

I had a glympfe of a letter of yours lately, by which I find you are (like the vulgar) apter to think well of people out of power, than of people in power; perhaps 'tis a mistake, but however there's fomething in it generous. Mr. ** takes it extreme kindly, I can perceive, and he has a great mind to thank you for that good opinion, for which I believe he is only to thank his ill fortune: for if I am not in an error, he would rather be in power, than out.

To fhew you how fit I am to live in the mountains, I will with great truth apply to myself an old sentence: "Those that are in, may abide in; and those that are out, may

3

"abide

"abide out: yet to me, thofe that are in shall "be as thofe that are out, and thofe that are out shall be as those that are in."

I am indifferent as to all those matters, but I mifs you as much as I did the first day, when (with a fhort figh) I parted. Wherever you are, (or on the mountains of Wales, or on the Coast of Dublin,

Tu mihi, feu magni fuperas jam faxa Timavi, Sive oram Illyrici legis æquoris—)

I am, and ever shall be Yours, &c.

A

LETTER XVIII.

Mr. GAY to Dr. SWIFT.

Nov. 17, 1726.

Bout ten days ago a Book was publish'd here of the Travels of one Gulliver, which hath been the conversation of the whole town ever fince: the whole impreffion fold in a week; and nothing is more diverting than to hear the different opinions people give of it, though all agree in liking it extremely. 'Tis generally faid that you are the Author; but I am told, the Bookfeller declares, he knows not from what hand it came. From the highest to

the

the loweft it is univerfally read, from the Cabinet-council to the Nursery. The Politicians to a man agree, that it is free from particular reflections, but that the Satire on general focieties of men is too fevere. Not but we now and then meet with people of greater perfpicuity, who are in fearch for particular applications in every leaf; and 'tis highly probable we shall have keys published to give light into Gulliver's defign. Lord is the person who least ap

proves it, blaming it as a defign of evil confequence to depreciate human nature, at which it cannot be wondered that he takes most offence, being himself the most accomplish'd of his species, and fo lofing more than any other of that praise which is due both to the dignity and virtue of a man a. Your friend, my Lord Harcourt, commends it very much, though he thinks in fome places the matter too far carried. The Duchefs Dowager of Marlborough is in raptures at it; fhe fays fhe can dream of nothing else fince the read it: fhe declares, that he hath now found out, that her whole life hath been loft in careffing the worst part of

a It is no wonder a man of real merit should condemn a fatire on his fpecies; as it injures Virtue and violates Truth: And, as little, that a

corrupt or worthlefs man fhould approve fuch a satire, because it juftifies his principles and tends to excufe his practice.

mankind,

mankind, and treating the best as her foes; and that if she knew Gulliver, tho' he had been the worst enemy she ever had, fhe would give up her prefent acquaintance for his friendship. You may fee by this, that you are not much injur'd by being fuppofed the Author of this piece. If you are, you have difobliged us, and two or three of your best friends, in not giving us the least hint of it while you were with us; and in particular Dr. Arbuthnot, who fays it is ten thousand pitys he had not known it, he could have added fuch abundance of things upon every subject. Among Lady-critics, fome have found out that Mr. Gulliver had a particular malice to Maids of honour. Those of them who frequent the Church, say, his design is impious, and that it is depreciating the works of the Creator. Notwithstanding, I am told the Princess hath read it with great pleasure. As to other Critics, they think the flying islands is the least entertaining; and fo great an opinion the town have of the impoffibility of Gulliver's writing at all below himself, 'tis agreed that part was not writ by the fame hand, tho' this hath its defenders too. It hath pafs'd Lords and Commons, nemine contradicente; and the whole town, men, women, and children, are quite full

of it.

Perhaps

Perhaps I may

all this time be talking to you

of a Book you have never feen, and which hath
not yet
reach'd Ireland; if it hath not, I believe
what we have faid will be fufficient to recom-

mend it to your reading, and that you will or-
der me to fend it to you.

But it will be much better to come over yourself, and read it here, where you will have the pleasure of variety of commentators, to explain the difficult paffages to you.

We all rejoice that you have fixed the precise time of your coming to be cum hirundine prima; which we modern naturalifts pronounce ought to be reckon'd, contrary to Pliny, in this northern latitude of fifty-two degrees, from the end of February, Styl. Greg. at fartheft. But to us your friends, the coming of fuch a black fwallow as you, will make a fummer in the worst of feafons. We are no lefs glad at your mention of Twickenham and Dawley; and in town know you have a lodging at Court.

you

The Princess is cloath'd in Irish filk; pray give our fervice to the Weavers. We are strangely furpriz'd to hear that the Bells in Ireland ring without your money. I hope you do not write the thing that is not. We are afraid that B hath been guilty of that crime, that you (like Honynhnm) have treated him as a

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