The true Tory

Farewell, dear Lady Hester. God knows whether I shall ever hear from you or write to you again, but never believe that I have not a true and deep feeling for you. W. NAPIER

April 10th. I have delayed sending this letter for a fortnight, partly to obtain a surer mode of conveyance; in which I have succeeded through my friend Lord Fitzroy-Somerset, a true Tory of your school, that is to say, an upright honest man, and a thorough gentleman, both in his private and public proceedings. Principally, however, I have waited to procure some information for you about the estates and persons you mentioned in your letter.

XVI

FRIENDSHIP AND MORE

Marjorie Fleming sends her mother her love

MY

I was truly happy

DEAR LITTLE MAMA, to hear that you were all well. We are surrounded with measles at present on every side, for the Herons got it, and Isabella Heron was near Death's Door, and one night her father lifted her out of bed, and she fell down as they thought lifeless. Mr. Heron said, "That lassie's deed noo"-"I'm no deed yet." She then threw up a big worm nine inches and a half long. I have begun dancing, but am not very fond of it, for the boys strikes and mocks me. - I have been another night at the dancing; I like it better. I will write to you as often as I can; but I am afraid not every week. I long for you with the longings of a child to embrace you to fold you in my arms. I respect you with all the respect due to a mother. You don't know how I love you. So I shall remain, your loving child,

M. FLEMING

Swift and Pope's dear Patty

The Dean in Dublin

(To Mrs. Martha Blount in town)

DUBLIN, February 29, 1727-28

EAR PATTY, I am told you have a mind to

DEAR receive a letter from me, which is a very undecent

declaration in a young lady, and almost a confession that you have a mind to write to me; for as to the fancy of looking on me as a man sans consequence, it is what I will never understand.. I am told likewise you grow every day younger, and more a fool, which is directly contrary to me, who grow wiser and older, and at this rate we shall never agree. I long to see you a London lady, where you are forced to wear whole clothes, and visit in a chair, for which you must starve next summer at Petersham, with a mantua out at the sides; and spunge once a week at our house, without ever inviting us in a whole season to a cow-heel at home. I wish you would bring Mr. Pope over with you when you come; but we will leave Mr. Gay to his beggars and his operas till he is able to pay his club. How will you pass this summer for want of a Squire to Ham-Common and Walpole's Lodge? for as to Richmond Lodge and Marble Hill, they are abandoned as much as Sir Spencer Compton: and Mr. Schabe's coach, that used to give you so many a set-down, is wheeled off to St. James'. You must be forced to get a horse, and gallop with Mrs. Jansen and Miss Bedier, your greatest happiness is, that you are out of the chiding of Mrs. Howard and the Dean; but I suppose Mr. Pope is so just as to pay our arrears, and that you edify as much by him as by us, unless you are so happy that he now looks upon you as reprobate and a cast-away, of which I think he hath given me some

hints.

"The six lines in a hook

However, I would advise you to pass this summer at Kensington, where you will be near the court, and out of his jurisdiction; where you will be teased with no lectures of gravity and morality, and where you will have no other trouble than to get into the mercers' books, and take up a hundred pounds of your principal for Quadrille. Monstrous, indeed, that a fine lady, in the prime of life and gaiety, must take up with an antiquated Dean, an old gentlewoman of four-score, and a sickly poet. I will stand by my dear Patty against the world, if Teresa beats you for your good, and I will buy her a fine whip for the purpose. Tell me, have you been confined to your lodging this winter for want of chairhire?

Do you know that this unlucky Mr. Delaney came last night to the Deanery, and being denied, without my knowledge, is gone to England this morning, and so I must send this by the post. I bought your opera to-day for sixpence, so small printed that it will spoil my eyes. I ordered you to send me your edition, but now you may keep it till you get an opportunity.

Patty, I will tell you a blunder. I am writing to Mr. Gay, and had almost finished the letter, but by mistake I took up this instead of it, and so the six lines in a hook are all to him, and therefore you must read them to him for I will not be at the trouble to write them over again. My greatest concern in the matter is, that I am afraid I continue in love with you, which is bad after near six months' absence.. I hope you have done with your and other little disorders, and that I shall see you a fine, young, healthy, plump lady, and, if Mr. Pope chides you, threaten him that you will turn heretic. Adieu! dear Patty, and believe me to be one of your truest friends and humblest servants; and that, since I can never live

rash

Temptings to Dublin

in England, my greatest happiness would be to have you and Mr. Pope condemned, during my life, to live in Ireland, he at the Deanery, and you, for reputation sake, just at next door, and I will give you eight dinners a week, and a whole half dozen of pint bottles of good French wine at your lodgings, a thing you could never expect to arrive at, and every year a suit of fourteenpenny stuff, that should not be worn out at the right side; and a chair costs but sixpence a job; and you shall have Catholicity as much as you please, and the Catholic Dean of St. Patrick's, as old again as I, for your Confessor. Adieu again, dear Patty,

Edward FitzGerald replies at once

JON. SWIFT

GELDESTONE HALL, September 9, 1834

EAR ALLEN, I have really nothing to say, and

DEAR

I am ashamed to be sending this third letter all the way from here to Pembrokeshire for no earthly purpose: but I have just received yours: and you will know how very welcome all your letters are to me when you see how the perusal of this one had excited me to such an instant reply. It has indeed been a long time coming: but it is all the more delicious. Perhaps you can't imagine how wistfully I after a walk, my eyes have coming into the room, to see it. tempted to be angry with you: but then I thought I was sure you would come a hundred miles to serve me, though you were too lazy to sit down to a letter. I suppose that people who are engaged in serious ways of life, and are of well filled minds, don't think much

have looked for it: how, turned to the table, on Sometimes I have been