ftow correction upon thofe three Treatifes, which you fay are fo near compleated, I fhould think it a better work than any I can pretend to of my own. I am almost at the end of my Morals, as I've been, long ago, of my Wit; my fyftem is a fhort one, and my circle narrow. Imagination has no limits, and that is a sphere in which you may move on to eternity; but where one is confined to Truth (or to speak more like a human creature, to the appearances of Truth) we foon find the shortness of our Tether. Indeed by the help of a metaphyfical chain of Ideas, one may extend the circulation, go round and round for ever, without making any progress beyond the point to which providence has pinn'd us: But this does. not fatisfy me, who would rather say a little to no purpofe, than a great deal. Lord B. is voluminous, but he is voluminous only to destroy volumes. I fhall not live, I fear, to fee that work printed; he is so taken up fill (in fpite of the monitory hint given in the first line of my Effay) with particular Men, that he neglects mankind, and is ftill a creature of this World, not of the Universe: This World, which is a name we give to Europe, to England, to Ireland, to London, to Dublin, to the Court, to the Caftle, and fo diminishing till it comes to our own affairs, and to our own perfons. When you write (either to him or to me, for we accept it all as one) rebuke him for it, as a Divine, if you like it, or as a Badineur, if you think that more effectual.

What I write will show you that my head is yet weak. I had written to you by that gentleman from the Bath, but I did not know him, and every body that comes from Ireland pretends to be a friend of the Dean's. I am always glad to fee any that are truly fo, and therefore do not mistake any thing I faid, fo as to difcourage your fending any fuch to me. Adieu.

LETTER LXXIV.

From Dr. SWIFT.

May 12, 1735

YOUR letter was fent me yesterday by Mr. Stopford,

who landed the fame day, but I have not yet feen him. As to my filence, God knows it is my great miffortune. My little domestic affairs are in great confufion, by the villainy of agents, and the miseries of this kingdom, where there is no money to be had: nor am I unconcern'd to fee all things tending towards absolute power, in both nations (it is here in perfection already) although I fhall not live to fee it established. This condition of things, both public and personal to myself, hath given me fuch a kind of defpondency, that I am almoft unqualified for any company, diverfion or amufement. The death of Mr. Gay and the Doctor, hath been terrible wounds near my heart. Their living would have been a great comfort to me, although I should never have seen them; like a sum of money in a bank, from which I fhould receive at least annual intereft, as I do from you, and have done from my Lord Bolingbroke. To fhew in how much ignorance I live, it is hardly a fortnight fince I heard of the death of my Lady Masham, my constang friend in all changes of times. God forbid that I should expect you to make a voyage that would in the least affect your health: but in the mean time how unhappy am I, that my best friend should have perhaps the only kind of diforder for which a fea-voyage is not in fome degree a remedy? The old Duke of Ormond faid, he would not change his dead fon (Offory) for the beft living fon

*The Dean was frequently troubled, he tells us, with a giddinese in his head. VOL. VI,

in Europe. Neither would I change you my abfent friend for the best present friend round the Globe.

I have lately read a book imputed to Lord B. called a Differtation on Parties. I think it very mafterly written.

Pray God reward you for your kind prayers: I believe your prayers will do me more good than those of all the Prelates in both kingdoms, or any Prelates in Europe, except the Bishop of Marfeilles *. And God preferve you for contributing more to mend the world, than the whole pack of (modern) Parfons in a lump. I am ever intirely yours..

LETTER. LXXV.

From Dr. SwIFT.

Sept. 3, 1735.

THIS letter will be delivered to you by Faulkner

the printer, who goes over on his private affairs. This is an answer to yours of two months ago, which complains of that profligate fellow Curl. I heartily with you were what they call difaffected, as I am. I may fay, as David did, I have finned greatly, but what have these fheep done? You have given no offence to the Miniftry, nor to the Lords, nor Commons, nor Queen, nor the next in power. For you are a man of virtue, and therefore muft abhor vice and all corruption, although your discretion holds the reins. "You need not fear any confequence in the commerce that hath fo long paffed "between us; although I never destroy'd one of your

* Who continued there with his flock all the time a dreadful peftilence defolated that city.

"letters. But my Executors are men of honour and "virtue, who have strict orders in my will to burn every "letter left behind me." Neither did our letters contain any Turns of Wit, or Fancy, or Politics, or Satire, but mere innocent Friendship: yet I am loth that any letters, from you and a very few other friends, fhould die before me; I believe we neither of us ever leaned our head upon our left hand to ftudy what we should write next; yet we have held a conftant intercourse from your youth and my middle age, and from your middle age it must be continued till my death, which my bad state of health makes me expect every month. I have the ambition, and it is very earnest as well as in haste, to have one Epistle inscribed to me while I am alive, and you just in the time when wit and wisdom are in the height. I must once more repeat Cicero's defire to a friend; Orna me. A month ago were fent me over by a friend of mine, the works of John Hughes, Efq. They are in verfe and profe. I never heard of the man in my life, yet I find your name as a subscriber too. He is too grave a Poet for me, and, I think, among the mediocribus in profe as well as verfe. I have the honour to know Dr. Rundle; he is indeed worth all the rest you ever fent us, but that is faying nothing, for he answers your character; I have dined thrice in his company. He brought over a worthy clergyman of this kingdom as his chaplain, which was a very wife and popular action. His only fault is, that he drinks no wine, and I drink nothing else.

This kingdom is now abfolutely ftarving, by the means of every oppreffion that can be inflicted on mankind-Shall I not vifit for these things? faith the Lord. You advise me right,, not to trouble myself about the world: But oppreffion tortures me, and I cannot live without meat and drink, nor get either without money?

and money is not to be had, except they will make me a Bishop, or a Judge, or a Colonel, or a Commiffioner of the Revenues. Adieu.

LETTER LXXVI.

To answer your question as to Mr. Hughes, what he wanted as to genius he made up as an honest man: but he was of the clafs you think him.

I am glad you think of Dr. Rundle as I do. He will be an honour to the Bishops and a difgrace to one Bishop, two things you will like: But what you will lise more particularly, he will be a friend and benefactor even to your un-friended, un-benefited Nation; he will be a friend to human race, wherever he goes. Pray tell him my best wishes for his health and long life: I with you and he came over together, or that I were with you. I never saw a man so seldom whom I liked fo much as Dr. Rundle.

Lord Peterborow I went to take a last leave of at his fetting fail for Lifbon: No Body can be more wafted, no Soul can be more alive. Immediately after the severeft operation of being cut into the bladder for a fuppreffion of urine, he took coach, and got from Briftol to Southampton. This is a man that will neither live nor die like any other mortal.

Poor Lord Peterborow! there is another ftring lost, that wou'd have help'd to draw you hither! He order'd on his death-bed his Watch to be given me (that which had accompanied him in all his travels) with this reafon, "That I might have something to put me every day in "mind of him." It was a prefent to him from the King of Sicily, whofe arms and Infignia are graved on the inner-cafe; on the outer, I have put this inscription.