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juft ferve to find us amusement, and not more. I hope you are too well employed to mind them: Every stick you plant, and every ftone you lay, is to fome purpose: but the business of fuch lives as theirs is but to die daily, to labour and raise nothing. I only wish we could comfort each other under our bodily infirmities, and let those who have fo great a mind to have more Wit than we, win it and wear it. Give us but ease, health, peace, and fair weather, I think it is the best wish in the world, and you know whofe it was. If I lived in Ireland, I fear the wet climate would endanger more than my life, my humour and health, I am so Atmospherical a creature

I must not omit acquainting you, that what you heard of the words fpoken of you in the Drawing-room, was not true. The fayings of Princes are generally as ill related as the fayings of Wits. To fuch reports little of our regard should be given, and lefs of our conduct influenced by them.

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LETTER XXXIV.

I

Lived

Dr. SWIFT to Mr. POPE.

Dublin, Feb. 13, 1728.

very easily in the country: Sir Arthur Achefon is a man of Senfe, and a scholar, hath a good voice, and my Lady à better; fhe is perfectly well bred, and defirous to improve her understanding, which is very good, but cultivated too much like a fine Lady. She was my pupil there, and feverely chid when the read wrong; with that, and walking, and making twenty little amufing improvements, and writing family verfes of mirth by way of libels on my Lady, my time paft very well and in very great order; infinitely better than here, where I fee no creature but my fervants and my old Presbyterian house-keeper, denying myself to every body until I shall recover my ears..

The account of another Lord Lieutenant was only in a common news-paper, when I was in the country, and if it should have happened to be true, I would have defired to have had accefs to him as the fituation I am in requireth. But this renews the grief for the death of our friend Mr. * Congreve, whom I loved from my youth,

Author of feveral Plays and Poems, was born in Ireland, and educated in the University of Dublin.

youth, and who furely befides his other talents, was a very agreeable companion. He had the misfortune to fquander away a very good conftitution in his younger days; and I think a man of sense and merit like him, is bound in confcience to preferve his health for the fake of his friends as well as of himself. Upon his own account I could not much defire the continuance of his life, under so much pain, and fo many infirmities. infirmities. Years have not yet hardned me, and I have an addition of weight on my fpirits fince we loft him, although I faw him so feldom; and poffibly, if he had lived on should never have seen him more. I do not only wish, as you ask me, that I was unacquainted with any deferving perfon, but almost, that I never had a friend. Here is an ingenious good-humoured* Physician, a fine gentleman, an excellent scholar, easy in his fortunes, kind to every body, hath abundance of friends, entertains them often and liberally, they pafs the evening with him at cards, with plenty of good meat and wine, eight or a dozen together; he loves them all, and they him; he hath twenty of these at command; if one of them dieth, it is no more than poor Tom! he getteth another, or taketh up with the reft, and is no more moved than at the lofs of his cat; he offendeth no body, is eafy with every body—is not this the true happy man? I was defcribing him

* Dr. Helsham.

him to my Lady Achefon, who knoweth him too, but the hateth him mortally by my character, and will not drink his health: I would give half my fortune for the fame temper; and yet, I cannot fay I love it, for I do not love my Lord- who is much of the Doctor's nature. I hear Mr. Gay's + fecond Opera which you mentioned, is forbid, and then he will be once more fit to be advised, and reject your advice. Adieu.

Y

LETTER XXXV.

Dr. SWIFT to Lord BOLINGBROKE.

Dublin, March 21, 1729. OU tell me you have not quitted the defign of collecting, writing, &c. This is the answer of every finner who deferreth his repentance. I wish Mr. Pope were as great an urger as I, who long for nothing more than to see truth under your hands, laying all detraction in the duft I find myself difpofed every year, or rather every month, to be more angry and revengeful; and my rage is fo ignoble, that it defcendeth even to refent the folly and bafenefs of the enflaved people among whom I live. I knew an old Lord in Liceftershire, who amused himself with mending pitchforks and fpades for his Tenants gratis: Yet

+Polly,

I have higher ideas left, if I were nearer to objects on which I might employ them; and contemning my private fortune, would gladly crofs the channel and stand by, while my betters were driving the Boar out of the garden, if there be any probable expectation of such an endeavour. When I was of your age I often thought of death, but now after a dozen years more, it is never out of my mind, and terrifieth me lefs. I conclude that providence hath ordered our fears to decrease with our fpirits; and yet I love la bagatelle better than ever : For finding it troublesome to read at night, and the company here growing tastelefs, I am always writing bad profe, or worse verse, either of rage or raillery, whereof fome few escape to give offence, or mirth, and the rest are burned.

They print fome Irish trash in London, and charge it on me, which you will clear me of to my friends, for all are fpurious except one +paper, for which Mr. Pope very lately chid me. I remember your Lordship ufed to fay, that a few good fpeakers, would in time carry any point that was right; and that the common method of a majority, by calling To the queftion, would never hold wrong when reafon was on the other fide. Whether politicks do

* Trifling.

not

+Entitled, a Libel on Dr. Delany, and a certain great Lord.

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