Prologomena, Teftimonia Scriptorum, Index Authorum, and Notes Variorum. As to the latter, I defire you to read over the Text, and make a few in any way you like beft, whether dry raillery upon the style and way of commenting of trivial Criticks; or humours upon the Authors in the poem; or historical, of perfons, places, times; or explanatory, or collecting the parallel paffages of the Ancients. Adieu. I am pretty well, my Mother not ill, Dr. Arbuthnot vext with his fever by intervals; I am afraid he declines, and we shall lofe a worthy man: I am troubled about him very much.

I am, &c.

LETTER

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LETTER XXXII.

Dr. SWIFT to Mr. POPE.

July 16, 1728.

Have often run over the Dunciad in an Irish edition (I suppose full of faults) which a gentleman fent me. The Notes I could with to be very large, in what relateth to the perfons concerned ; for I have long obferved, that twenty miles from London no body underftandeth hints, initial letters, or town-facts and paffages; and in a few years not even those who live in London. I would have the names of those fcriblers printed indexically at the beginning or end of the Poem, with an account of their works, for the reader to refer to. I would have all the Parodies (as they are called) referred to the authors they imitate-When I began this long paper, I thought I should have filled it with fetting down the feveral paffages which I had marked in the edition I had, but I find it unneceffary, so many of them falling under the fame rule. After twenty times reading the whole, I never in my opinion faw fo much good fatire, or more good fenfe, in fo many lines. How it paffeth in Dublin I know not yet; but I am fure it will be a great difadvantage to the poem, that the perfons and facts will not be understood, until an explanation cometh out, and a very full one. I imagine it

is

is not to be published until towards winter,' when folks begin to gather in town. Again I infift, you must have your Afterisks filled up with fome real names of Dunces.

I am now reading your preceding letter, of June 28, and find that all I have advised above is mentioned there. I would be glad to know whether the quarto edition is to come out anonymously, as published by the Commentator, with all his pomp of preface, &c. and many complaints of fpurious editions? I am thinking whether the Editor should not follow the old style of, This excellent author, &c. and refine in many places, when you meant no refinement? and into the bargain take all the load of naming the Dunces, their qualities, hiftories, and performances ?

As to yourself, I doubt you want a spurreron to exercise and amusements; but to talk of decay at your season of life is a jeft. But you are not fo regular as I. You are the moft temperate man God-ward, and the most intemperate yourself-ward, of moft I have known. I fuppofe Mr. Gay will return from the Bath with twenty pounds more flesh, and two hundred lefs in money: Providence never defigned him to be above two and twenty, by his thoughtlessnefs and Cullibility. He hath as little forefight of age, ficknefs, poverty, or loss of admirers, as a girl at fifteen. By the way, I must obferve, that my Lord Bolingbroke (from the effects of his kindnefs to me) argueth most fophiftically:

phiftically the fall from a million to an hundred-thousand pounds is not fo great, as from eight hundred pounds a year to one: Befides, he is a controller of Fortune, and Poverty dareth not look a great Minifter in the face under his loweft declenfion. I never knew him live fo great and expenfively as he hath done fince his return from Exile; fuch mortals have refources that others are not able to comprehend. But God blefs You, whofe great genius hath not so tranfported you as to leave you to the courtesy of Mankind; for wealth is liberty, and liberty is a bleffing fitteft for a philofopherand Gay is a slave just by two thousand pounds too little-And Horace was of my mind,-and Lord contradict him if he dareth

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my

LETTER XXXIII.

Mr. POPE to Dr. SWIFT.

Bath, Nov. 12, 1728.

Have past fix weeks in quest of health, and found it not; but I found the folly of follicitude about it in an hundred inftances; the contrariety of opinions and practices, the inability of Phyficians, the blind obedience of fome patients, and as blind rebellion of others. I believe at a certain time of life, men are either fools or phyficians, and zealots or divines, for themselves.

VOL. VII.

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It was much in my hopes that you intended us a winter's vifit, but last week I repented that wish, having been alarm'd with a report of your lying ill on the road from Ireland; from which I am just relieved by an affurance that you are still at Sir Arthur Achefon's, planting and building; two things that I envy you for, befides a third, which is the fociety of a valuable Lady: I conclude (tho' I know nothing of it) that you quarrel with her, and abufe her every day, if she is fo. I wonder I hear of no Lampoons upon her, either made by yourself, or by others because you efteem her. I think it a vast pleasure that whenever two people of merit regard one another, fo many fcoundrels envy and are angry at them; 'tis bearing teftimony to a merit they cannot reach; and if you knew the infinite content I have received of late, at the finding yours and my name conftantly united in any filly scandal, I think you would go near to fing* Io Triumphe! and celebrate my happiness in verse; and I believe if you won't, I fhall. The infcription to the Dunciad is now printed and inserted in the Poem. Do you care I fhould fay any thing farther how much that poem is yours? fince certainly without you it had never been. Would to God we were together for the rest of our lives! The whole weight of Scriblers would

just

* An Expreffion of Congratulation among the Ancients after a Victory. ·