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and winters are milder here than with you; all things for life in general better for a middling fortune: You will have an absolute command of your company, with whatever obfequioufnefs of freedom you may expect or allow. I have an elderly * house-keeper, who hath been my Walpole above thirty years, whenever I lived in this kingdom: I have the command of one or two villa's near this town: You have a warm apartment in this house, and two Gardens for amusement. I have faid enough, yet not half. Except abfence from friends, I confefs freely, that I have no difcontent at living here; befides what arifeth from a filly fpirit of Liberty, which, as it neither fowereth my drink, nor hurteth my meat, nor spoileth my stomach, farther than imagination, so I resolve to throw it off.

You talk of this Dunciad, but I am impatient to have it || volare per ora- there is now a vacancy for fame: The Beggar's Opera hath done its tafk, § difcedat, uti conviva fatur. Adieu.

* Mrs. Brent.

+ Prime Minifter, or chief Manager. Published.

Let it depart, like a full-fed Guest.

LETTER

I'

LETTER XXX.

Dr. SWIFT to Mr, POPE.

June 1, 1728.

upon

Look upon my Lord Bolingbroke, and us two, as a peculiar Triumvirate, who have nothing to expect, or to fear; and fo far fitteft to converfe with one another: Only he and I are a little fubject to schemes, and often very weak appearances, and this you have nothing to do with. I do profess, without affectation, that your kind opinion of me as a Patriot (fince you call it fo) is what I do not deferve; because what I do is owing to perfect rage and resentment, and the mortifying fight of flavery, folly, and baseness about me, among which I am forced to live. And I will take my oath, that you have more Virtue in an hour than I in feven years; for you despise the follies, and hate the vices of mankind, without the least ill effect on your temper; and with regard to particular men, you are inclined al-. ways rather to think the better, whereas with me it is always directly contrary. I hope, however, this is not in you from a fuperior principle of virtue, but from your fituation, which hath made all parties and interests indifferent to you, who can be under no concern about high and low church, Whig and Tory, or who is firft Minister-Your long letter was

the

the last I received, until this by Dr. Delany, although you mention another fince. The Doctor told me your fecret about the Dunciad, which doth not please me, because it deferreth gratifying my vanity in the moft tender point, and perhaps may wholly disappoint it. As to one of your enquiries, I am easy enough in great matters, but have a thousand paultry vexations in my little ftation, and the more contemptible, the more vexatious.

There might be a Lutrin writ upon the tricks ufed by my Chapter to teize me. I do not converfe with one creature of Station or Title; but I. have a fett of eafy people whom I entertain when I have a mind; I have formerly defcribed them to you; but when you come you shall have the honours of the country as much as you please, and I fhall on that account make a better figure, as long as I live. Pray God preferve Mrs. Pope for your fake and ease, I love and esteem her too much to with it for her own: If I were twenty-five, I would wish to be of her age, 'to be as fecure as fhe is of a better life. Mrs. * P. B. hath written to me, and is one of the beft Letter-writers I knów; very good fenfe, civility and friendship, without any ftiffness or conftraint. The Dunciad hath taken wind here; but if it had not, you are as much known here as in England, and

Mrs. Patty Blount, to whom Mr. Pope

left the Bulk of his Fortune.

and the University lads will crowd to kiss the hem of your garment. I am grieved to hear that my Lord Bolingbroke's ill health forced him to the Bath. Tell me, is not Temperance a neceffary virtue for great men, fince it is the parent of Eafe and Liberty? fo neceffary for the use and improvement of the Mind, and which philofophy alloweth to be the greatest felicities of life? I believe, had health been given fo liberally to you, it would have been better husbanded without shame to your parts.

I

LETTER XXXI.

Mr. POPE to Dr. SWIFT.

Dawley, June 28, 1728. Now hold the Pen for my Lord Bolingbroke, who is reading your Letter between two Haycocks, but his attention is fometimes diverted by cafting his eyes upon the clouds, not in admiration of what you fay, but for fear of a shower. He is pleas'd with your placing him in the Triumvirate between yourself and me; tho' he says, that he doubts he shall fare like Lepidus, while one of us runs away with all the power like Auguftus, and another with all the pleasures like Antony. It is upon a forefight of this, that he has fitted up his farm, and you will agree, that this scheme of retreat

at

at leaft is not founded upon weak appearances. Upon his return from the Bath, all peccant humours, he finds, are purg'd out of him; and his great Temperance and Oeconomy are fo fignal, that the first is fit for my conftitution, and the latter would enable you to lay up fo much money, as to buy a Bishoprick in England. As to the return of his health and vigour, were you here, you might enquire of his Haymakers; but as to his temperance, I can anfwer that (for one whole day) we have had nothing for dinner but mutton-broth, beans and bacon, and a Barn-door fowl.

Now his Lordship is run after his Cart, I have a moment left to myself to tell you, that I over-heard him yesterday agree with a Painter for two hundred pounds, to paint his country hall with Trophies of Rakes, fpades, prongs, &c. and other ornaments, merely to countenance his calling this place a Farm-now turn over a new leaf

He bids me affure you, he fhould be forry not to have more fchemes of kindness for his friends, than of ambition for himself: There, tho' his schemes may be weak, the motives at least are strong; and he fays further, if you could bear as great a fall, and decrease of your revenues, as he knows by experience he can, you wou'd not live in Ireland an hour.

The Dunciad is going to be printed in all pomp, with the infcription which makes me proudeft. It will be attended with Proeme, Prologomena,

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