that I have ever known or heard of, which is a felicity not happening to one in a million. The worst effect of her death falls upon me, and fo much the worse, because, I expected aliquis damno ufus in illo, that it would be followed by making me and this kingdom happy with: your prefence. But I am told, to my great misfortune, that a very convenient offer happening, you waved the invitation preffed on you, alledging the fear you had of being killed here with eating and drinking. By which I find that you have given fome credit to a notion of our great plenty and hofpitality. It is true, our meat and wine is cheaper here, as it is always in the poorest countries, because there is no money to pay for them: I believe there are not in this whole city three Gentlemen out of Employment, who are able to give entertainments once a month. Those who are in Employment of church or state, are three parts in four from England, and amount to little more than a dozen: Thofe indeed may once or twice invite their friends, or any perfon of distinction that makes a voyage hither. All my acquaintance tell me, they know not above three families where they can occafionally dine in a whole year: Dr. Delany is the only gentleman I know, who keeps one certain -day in the week to entertain seven or eight friends at dinner, and to pass the evening, where there is nothing. of excefs, either in eating or drinking. Our old friend Southern (who hath just left us) was invited to dinner once or twice by a judge, a bishop, or a commiflioner of the revenues, but most frequented a few particular friends,, and chiefly the Doctor, who is eafy in his fortune, and very hofpitable. The conveniencies of taking the air, winter or fummer, do far exceed thofe in London. For the two large ftrands just at two ends of the town are as firm and dry in winter as in fummer. There are at least fix or eight gentlemen of fenfe, learning, good humour

and tafte, able and defirous to please you; and orderly females, fome of the better fort, to take care of you. These were the motives that I have frequently made use of to entice you hither. And there would be no failure among the best people here, of any honours that could be done you. As to myself, I declare my health is fo uncertain that I dare not venture amongst you at present. I hate the thoughts of London, where I am not rich enough to live otherwife than by shifting, which is now too late. Neither can I have conveniencies in the country for three horses and two fervants, and many others, which I have here at hand. I am one of the governors of all the hackney-coaches, carts, and carriages round this town, who dare not infult me, like your rafcally waggoners or coachmen, but give me the way; nor is there one Lord or Squire for a hundred of yours, to turn me out of the road, or run over me with their coaches and fix. Thus, I make fome advantage of the public poverty, and give you the reasons for what I once writ, why I chufe to be a freeman among flaves, rather than a flave among freemen. Then, I walk the streets in peace without being juftled, nor ever without a thousand ble flings from my friends the vulgar. I am Lord Mayor of 120 houses, I am abfolute Lord of the greatest Cathedral in the kingdom, am at peace with the neighbouring Princes, the Lord Mayor of the city, and the Archbishop of Dublin, only the latter, like the K. of France, fometimes attempts encroachments on my dominions, as old Lewis did upon Lorrain. In the midst of this raillery, I can tell you with feriousness, that these advantages contribute to my ease, and therefore I value them. And in one part of your letter relating to my Lord B-and yourfelf, you agree with me entirely, about the indifference, the love of quiet, the care of health, etc. that grow upon men in years. And if you discover those inclinations in

my Lord and yourself, what can you expect from me, whofe health is fo precarious? and yet at your or his time of life, I could have leap'd over the moon.

LETTER LXIX.

Sept. 1, 1733.

I

Have every day wish'd to write to you, to say a thoufand things; and yet, I think, I should not have writ to you now, if I was not fick of writing any thing, fick of myself, and (what is worfe) fick of my friends too. The world is become too busy for me; every body is fo concerned for the public, that all private enjoyments are loft, or dif-relifh'd. I write more to show you I am tired of this life, than to tell you any thing relating to it. I live as I did, I think as I did, I love you as I did; but all these are to no purpose: the world will not live, think, or love, as I do. I am troubled for, and vexed at, all my friends by turns. Here are fome whom you love, and who love you: yet they receive no proofs of that affection from you, and they give none of it to you. There is a great gulph between. In earnest, I would go a thousand miles by land to fee you, but the fea I dread. My ailments are fuch, that I really believe a fea-fickness (confidering the oppreffion of colical pains, and the great weakness of my breast) would kill me; and if I did not die of that, I must of the exceffive eating and drinking of your hospitable town, and the exceffive flattery of your most poetical country. I hate to be cramm'd, either way. Let your hungry Poets, and your rhyming Poets, digeft it, I cannot. I like much better to be abused and half-ftarved, then to be so overpraised and over-fed. Drown Ireland! for having

caught you, and for having kept you: I only referve a little charity for her, for knowing your value, and efteeming you: You are the only Patriot I know, who is not hated for ferving his country. The man who drew your Character and printed it here, was not much in the wrong in many things he said of you: yet he was a very impertinent fellow, for faying them in words quite different from those you had yourself employed before on the fame fubject: for furely to alter your words is to prejudice them; and I have been told, that a man himself can hardly say the same thing twice over with equal happiness; Nature is fo much a better thing than artifice.

I have written nothing this year: It is no affectation to tell you, my Mother's lofs has turned my frame of thinking. The habit of a whole life is a stronger thing than all the reason in the world. I know I ought to be eafy, and to be free; but I am dejected, I am confined: my whole amusement is in reviewing my past life, not in laying plans for my future. I wish you cared as little for popular applaufe as I; as little for any nation, in contradistinction to others, as 1: and then I fancy, you that are not afraid of the sea, you that are a ftronger man at fixty than ever I was at twenty, would come and fee several people who are (at last) like the primitive Chriftians, of one foul and of one mind. The day is come, which I have often wifhed, but never thought to fee; when every mortal, that I efteem, is of the fame fentiment in Politics and in Religion.

Adieu. All you love, are yours; but all are busy, except (dear Sir) your fincere friend.

LETTER LXX.

Jan. 6, 1734

I Never think of you and can never write to you, now,

without drawing many of thofe short fighs of which we have formerly talk'd: The reflection both of the friends we have been depriv'd of by Death, and of those from whom we are separated almost as eternally by Abfence, checks me to that degree that it takes away in a manner the pleasure (which yet I feel very fenfibly too of thinking I am now converfing with you. You have been filent to me as to your Works; whether those printed here are, or are not genuine? but one, I am fure, is yours, and your method of concealing yourself puts me in mind of the Indian bird I have read of, who hides his head in a hole, while all his feathers and tail ftick out. You'll have immediately by feveral franks (even before 'tis here published) my Epiftle to Lord Cobham, part of my Opus Magnum, and the last Essay on Man, both which, I conclude, will be grateful to your bookfeller, on whom you please to bestow them fo early. There is a woman's war declared against me by a certain Lord; his weapons are the fame which women and children use, a pin to scratch, and a squirt to befpatter: I writ a fort of answer, but was afhamed to enter the lifts with him, and after fhewing it to fome people, suppress'd it: otherwise it was such as was worthy of him and worthy of me. I was three weeks this autumn with Lord Peterborow, who rejoices in your doings, and always fpeaks with the greatest affection of you. I need not tell you who elfe do the fame; you be fure almost all thofe whom I ever fee, or defire to fee. I wonder not that B- paid you no fort of civility while he was in Ireland: he is too much a half

may