than their own, that your Gentleman, upon arriving in England, loft his curiofity concerning me. However, had he try'd, he had found me his friend; I mean he had found me yours. I am disappointed at not knowing better a man whom you efteem, and comfort myself only with having got a Letter from you, with which (after all) I fit down a gainer; fince to my great pleasure it confirms my hope of once more seeing you. After fo many difperfions and so many divifions, two or three of us may yet be gathered together: not to plot, not to contrive filly schemes of ambition, or to vex our own or others hearts with bufy vanities (such as perhaps at one time of life or other take their Tour in every man) but to divert ourfelves, and the world too if it pleases; or at worst, to laugh at others as innocently and as unhurtfully as at ourselves. Your Travels* I hear much of; my own I promise you shall never more be in a frange land, but a diligent, I hope useful, investigation of my own Territories t. I mean no more Translations, but fomething domeftic, fit for my own country, and for my own time.

If you come to us, I'll find you elderly Ladies enough that can halloo, and two that can nurse, and they are too old and feeble to make too much noise; as you will guefs, when I tell you they are my own mother, and my own nurfe. I can also help you to a Lady who is as deaf, tho' not fo old, as yourself; you'll be pleafed with one another I'll engage, tho' † The Essay on Man,

* Gulliver.

you don't hear one another: you'll converse like spirits by intuition. What you'll most wonder at is, the is confiderable at Court, yet no Party-woman, and lives in Court, yet would be eafy, and make you eafy.

One of thofe you mention (and I dare fay always will remember) Dr. Arbuthnot, is at this time ill of a very dangerous diftemper, an impofthume in the bowels; which is broke, but the event is very uncertain. Whatever that be he bids me tell you, (and I write this by him) he lives or dies your faithful friend; and one reason he has to defire a little longer life, is the wish to see you once more.

He is gay enough in this circumstance to tell you, he would give you (if he cou'd) such advice as might cure your deafness, but he would not advise you, if you were cured, to quit the pretence of it; because you may by that means hear as much as you will, and answer as little as you please. Believe me

Your's, &c.

I

LETTER XI.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Sept. 29, 1725.

Am now returning to the noble scene of Dublin,

into the grand Monde, for fear of burying my parts to fignalize myself among Curates and Vi

cars, and correct all corruptions crept in relating

*

to the weight of bread and butter, through thofe dominions where I govern. I have employed my time (befides ditching) in finishing, correcting, amending, and transcribing my Travels, in four parts. compleat, newly augmented, and intended for the prefs when the world shall deferve them, or rather when a Printer shall be found brave enough to ven. ture his ears. I like the scheme of our meeting after diftreffes, and difperfions; but the chief end I propofe to myself in all my labours, is to vex the world, rather than divert it; and if I could compass that defign without hurting my own perfon or fortune, I would be the most indefatigable writer you have ever seen, without reading. I am exceedingly pleased that you have done with Tranflations; Lord Treasurer Oxford. often lamented that a rafcally world should lay you under a neceffity of misemploying your genius for fo long a time. But fince you will now be fo much better employed, when you think of the world, give it one lash the more at my requeft. 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 fo 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. called Man, although I heartily love John, Peter,, Thomas, and fo forth. This is the fyftem upan

:

* Gulliver's Travels.

which I have governed myself many years (but do not tell) and fo 1 fhall go on till I have done with them. I have got materials towards a Treatise, proving the falfity of that definition Animal rationale, and to fhew it fhould be only rationis capax. Upon this great foundation of Misanthropy (though 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 difpute; 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 fhall leave in three days. I thank you kindly for the prefent, but fhall like it three fourths the lefs, from the mixture

you mention fav'd your

of other hands; however, I am glad you felf 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 defcribe to live at Court, to be deaf, and no party-woman, 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 she is a moft damnable Party-woman, and will never make me eafy, as you promise. It must be Riches, which answers all your description: I am glad fhe vifits you, but my voice is so weak, that I doubt she will never

hear me.

Mr. Lewis fent me an account of Dr. Arbuthnot's illness, which is a very fenfible affliction to me, who by living fo long out of the world, have loft that hardness of heart contracted by years and general converfation. I am daily lofing friends, and neither feeking 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 paffage 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 Eafter at a wrong time of the year. So our doctor has every quality and vir tue 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.

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 Mifs Carteret. A Dublin Blacksmith, a