ing them you were forced to leave your native home, because we would oblige you to be a Chriftian; whereas we will make it appear to all the world, that we only compelled you to be a Whig.

There is a young ingenious Quaker in this town who writes verses to his mistress, not very correct, but in a ftrain purely what a poetical Quaker should do, commending her look and habit, &c. It gave me a hint that a fet of Quaker paftorals might fucceed, if our friend Gay* could fancy it, and I think it a fruitful subject; pray hear what he fays I be. lieve further, the pastoral ridicule is not exhaufted; and that a porter, footman †, or chairman's paftoral might do well. Or what think you of a Newgate-paftoral among the whores and thieves there?

Lastly, to conclude, I love you never the worse for feldom writing to you. I am in an obscure scene, where you know neither thing nor perfon. I can only answer yours, which I promise to do after a fort whenever you think fit to employ me. But I can affure you, the scene and the times have depreffed me wonderfully, for I will impute no defect to those two paltry years which have flipt by fince I had the happiness to fee you. I am, with the truef efteem,

Yours, &c.

Gay did write a pastoral of this kind, which is published in his works.

+Swift himfelf wrote one of this kind, intitled Dermot and Sheelab.

A

LETTER V.

From Dr. SwIFT to Mr. POPE.

Dublin, Jan. 10, 1721.

Thousand things have vexed me of late years,

upon which I am determined to lay open my mind to you. I rather chufe to appeal to you than to my Lord Chief Juftice Whitfied, under the fituation I am in. For, I take this caufe properly to lie before you: You are a much fitter Judge of what concerns the credit of a Writer, the injuries that are done him, and the reparations he ought to receive. Befides, I doubt whether the Arguments I could fuggest to prove my own innocence would be of much weight from the gentlemen of the Long-robe to those in Furs, upon whofe decifion about the difference of Style or Sentiments, I should be very unwilling to leave the merits of my Caufe.

Give me leave then to put you in mind (although you cannot eafily forget it) that about ten weeks before the Queen's death, I left the town, upon oc. cafion of that incurable breach among the great men at Court, and went down to Berkshire, where you may remember that you gave me the favour of a vifit. While I was in that retirement, I writ a Difcourfe which I thought might be useful in such a

* This Letter Mr. Pope never received, nor did he believe it was ever fent,

juncture of affairs, and fent it up to London; but, upon fome difference in opinion between me and a certain great minifter now abroad, the publishing of it was deferred fo long that the Queen died, and I recalled my copy, which hath been ever fince in fafe hands. In a few weeks after the lofs of that excellent Princess, I came to my ftation here; where I have continued ever fince in the greatest privacy, and utter ignorance of thofe events, which are most commonly talked of in the world. I neither know the names nor number of the Royal Family which now reigns, further than the Prayer-book informs me. I cannot tell who is Chancellor, who are Secretaries, nor with what nations we are in peace or war. And this manner of life was not taken up out of any fort of Affectation, but merely to avoid giving offence, and for fear of provoking Partyzeal.

I had indeed written fome Memorials of the four laft years of the Queen's reign, with fome other informations, which I received, as necessary materials to qualify me for doing fomething in an employment then defign'd me* : But, as it was at the disposal of a perfon, who had not the fmallest share of steddiness or fincerity, I disdain❜d to accept it.

Thefe papers, at my few hours of health and leifure, I have been digefting † into order by one

* Hiftoriographer.

Thefe papers fome years after were brought finished by the Dean into England, with an intention to publish them. But a

fheet at a time, for I dare not venture any further, left the humour cf fearching and feizing papers, should revive; not that I am in pain of any danger to myself (for they contain nothing of present Times or Persons, upon which I shall never lose a thought while there is a Cat or a Spaniel in the house) but to preserve them from being loft among Messengers and Clerks.

I have written in this kingdom, a * difcourfe to perfuade the wretched people to wear their own Manufactures inftead of thofe from England. This Treatife foon spread very fast, being agreeable to the fentiments of the whole nation, except of those gentlemen who had employments, or were Expectants. Upon which a perfon in great office here immediately took the alarm: he fent in hafte for the Chief Juftice, and informed him of a feditious, fatious, and virulent Pamphlet, lately published with a design of setting the two kingdoms at variance;

friend on whofe judgment he relied (the fame I fuppofe whom he mentions above, as being abroad at the time of writing this letter) diffuaded him from that defign. He told the Dean there were feveral facts he knew to be falfe, and that the whole was fo much in the spirit of party-writing, that, though it might have made a feasonable pamphlet in the time of their administration, it was a difhonour to just history. The Dean would do nothing against his Friend's judgment, yet it extremely chagrined him. And he told a common friend, that since ** did not approve his hiftory, he would caft it into the fire, tho' it was the best work he had ever written. However it did not undergo this fate and is faid to be yet in being.

* Propofal for the universal Use of Irish Manufactures.

directing at the fame time that the Printer should be profecuted with the utmost rigour of law. The Chief Juftice had fo quick an understanding, that he refolved, if poffible, to out-do his orders. The Grand-Juries of the county and city were practifed effectually with to reprefent the faid Pamphlet with all aggravating Epithets, for which they had thanks fent them from England, and their Prefentments published for feveral weeks in all the news papers. The Printer was feized, and forced to give great bail after his trial the Jury brought him in Not Guilty, although they had been culled with the utmoft industry; the Chief Juftice fent them back nine times, and kept them eleven hours, until being perfectly tired out, they were forced to leave the matter to the mercy of the Judge, by what they call a fpecial Verdict. During the trial, the Chief Juftice, among other fingularities, laid his hand on his breaft, and protefted folemnly that the Author's defign was to bring in the Pretender; although there was not a fingle fyllable of party in the whole Treatife, and although it was known that the moft emi. nent of thofe who profeffed his own principles, pub. lickly difallowed his proceedings. But the caufe being fo very odious and impopular, the trial of the Verdict was deferred from one Term to another, until upon the Duke of G-ft-n the Lord Lieutenant's arrival, his Grace. after mature advice, and permiflion from England, was pleased to grant a malk profequi.

VOL. X.