than 3007. a year? have you such an inclination to my person and humor as to comply with my desires and way of living, and endeavor to make us both as happy as you can? will you be ready to engage in those methods I shall direct for the improvement of your mind, so as to make us entertaining company for each other, without being miserable when we are neither visiting nor visited? can you bend your love and esteem and indifference to others the same way as I do mine? shall I have so much power in your heart, or you so much government of your passions, as to grow in good humor upon my approach, though provoked by a ? have you so much good-nature as to endeavor by soft words to smooth any rugged humor occasioned by the cross accidents of life? shall the place wherever your husband is thrown be more welcome than courts or cities without him? In short these are some of the necessary methods to please men who, like me, are deep read in the world; and to a person thus made I should be proud in giving all due returns towards making her happy. These are the questions I have always resolved to propose to her with whom I meant to pass my life; and whenever you can heartily answer them in the affirmative, I shall be blessed to have you in my arms, without regarding whether your person be beautiful or your fortune large. Cleanliness in the first, and competency in the other, is all I look for. I desire, indeed, a plentiful revenue, but would rather it should be of my own; though I should bear from a wife to be reproached for the greatest.

I have said all I can possibly say in answer to any part of your letter, and in telling you my clear opinion as to matters between us. I singled you out at first from the rest of women: and I expect not to be used like a common lover.

an answer to this without

When you think fit to send me , I shall then approve myself, by all means you shall command, madam, your most faithful humble servant.

TO THE BISHOP OF DERRY.1

Dublin Castle, July 16, 1700. MY LORD,- I was several times to wait on your lordship at your lodgings; but you were either abroad, or so engaged that I could not be permitted the honor to attend you. I have an humble request to your lordship, that you will please to excuse me if I

opinion, you can best draw consequences from it. The place where Dr. Bolton1 lived is upon a living which he keeps with the deanery; but the place of residence for that they have given me is within a mile of a town called Trim, twenty miles from hence; and there is no other way but to hire a house at Trim, or build one on the spot: the first is hardly to be done, and the other I am too poor to perform at present. For coming down to Belfast, it is what I cannot yet think of, my attendance is so close and so much required of me; but our government sits very loose, and I believe will change in few months; whether our part will partake in the change I know not, though I am very apt to believe it: and then I shall be at leisure for a short journey. But I hope your other friends, more powerful than I, will, before that time, persuade you from the place where you are. I desire my service to your mother, in return for her remembrance; but for any other dealings that way, I entreat your pardon; and I think I have more cause to resent your desires of me in that case than you have to be angry at my refusals. If you like such company and conduct, much good do you with them! My education has been otherwise. My uncle Adam asked me one day in private, as by direction, what my designs were in relation to you, because it might be a hinderance to you if I did not proceed. The answer I gave him (which I suppose he has sent you) was to this effect: "That I hoped I was no hinderance to you; because the reason you urged against an union with me was drawn from your indisposition, which still continued; that you also thought my fortune not sufficient, which is neither at present in a condition to offer you; that if your health and my fortune were as they ought, I would prefer you above all your sex; but that, in the present condition of both, I thought it was against your opinion, and would certainly make you unhappy: that, had you any other offers which your friends or yourself thought more to your advantage, I should think I were very unjust to be an obstacle in your way." Now for what concerns my fortune, you have answered it. I desire, therefore, you will let me know if your health be otherwise than it was when you told me the doctors advised you against marriage, as what would certainly hazard your life. Are they or you grown of another opinion in this particular? are you in a condition to manage domestic affairs, with an income of less (perhaps)

1

This gentleman, as well as Dr. Swift, was chaplain to lord Berkeley when one

than 3007. a year? have you such an inclination to my person and humor as to comply with my desires and way of living, and endeavor to make us both as happy as you can? will you be ready to engage in those methods I shall direct for the improvement of your mind, so as to make us entertaining company for each other, without being miserable when we are neither visiting nor visited? can you bend your love and esteem and indifference to others the same way as I do mine? shall I have so much power in your heart, or you so much government of your passions, as to grow in good humor upon my approach, though provoked by a ? have

you so much good-nature as to endeavor by soft words to smooth any rugged humor occasioned by the cross accidents of life? shall the place wherever your husband is thrown be more welcome than courts or cities without him? In short these are some of the necessary methods to please men who, like me, are deep read in the world; and to a person thus made I should be proud in giving all due returns towards making her happy. These are the questions I have always resolved to propose to her with whom I meant to pass my life; and whenever you can heartily answer them in the affirmative, I shall be blessed to have you in my arms, without regarding whether your person be beautiful or your fortune large. Cleanliness in the first, and competency in the other, is all I look for. I desire, indeed, a plentiful revenue, but would rather it should be of my own; though I should bear from a wife to be reproached for the greatest.

I have said all I can possibly say in answer to any part of your letter, and in telling you my clear opinion as to matters between us. I singled you out at first from the rest of women: and I expect not to be used like a common lover. When you think fit to send me I shall then approve myself, by all means you shall command, madam, your most faithful humble

an answer to this without

servant.

TO THE BISHOP OF DERRY.

Dublin Castle, July 16, 1700.

MY LORD, I was several times to wait on your lordship at your lodgings; but you were either abroad, or so engaged that I could not be permitted the honor to attend you. I have an humble request to your lordship, that you will please to excuse me if I

cannot be at the triennial visitation; for my lord and lady [Berkley] continually residing at the Lodge, I am obliged to a constant attendance there. I am, with all respect, my lord, your lordship's most obedient and most humble servant.

TO THE REV. DR. TIDSALL.1

London, December 16, 1703.

I PUT great violence on myself in abstaining all this while from treating you with politics. I wish you had been here for ten days, during the highest and warmest reign of party and faction that I ever knew or read of, upon the bill against occasional conformity, which, two days ago, was, upon the first reading, rejected by the lords. It was so universal that I observed the dogs in the streets much more contumelious and quarrelsome than usual; and the very night before the bill went up, a committee of Whig and Tory cats had a very warm and loud debate upon the roof of our house. But why should we wonder at that, when the very ladies are split asunder into high-church and low, and, out of zeal for religion, have hardly time to say their prayers? The masks will have a crown more from any man of the other party, and count it a high point of merit to a member who will not vote on their side. For the rest, the whole body of the clergy, with a great majority of the house of commons, were violent for this bill. As great a majority of the lords, among whom all the bishops but four were against it: the court and the rabble (as extremes often agree) were trimmers. I would be glad to know men's thoughts of it in Ireland; for myself, I am much at a loss, though I was mightily urged by some great people to publish my opinion. I cannot but think (if men's highest assurances are to be believed) that several, who were against this bill, do love the church and do hate or despise presbytery. I put it close to my lord Peterborough, just as the bill was going up, who assured me in the most solemn manner that, if he had the least suspicion the rejecting this bill would hurt the church or do kindness to the dissenters, he would lose his right hand rather than speak against it. The like profession I had from the bishop of Salisbury [Gilbert Burnet], my lord Somers, and some others; so that I know not what to think, and therefore shall think no more; and you will

The circumstances of Dr. Tidsall's proposal to Stella will be found described in the Life of the author.

forgive my saying so much on a matter that all our heads have been so full of, to a degree that, while it was on the anvil, nothing else was the subject of conversation. I shall return in two months, in spite of my heart. I have here the best friends in nature, only want that little circumstance of favor and power; but nothing is so civil as a cast courtier. Pray let the ladies [Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Dingley] know I had their letter, and will answer it soon; and that I obeyed Mrs. Johnson's commands, and waited on her mother and other friend. You may add, if you please, that they advise her clearly to be governed by her friends there about the renewing her lease, and she may have her mortgage taken up here whenever she pleases, for the payment of her fine; and that we have a project for putting out her money in a certain lady's hands for annuities, if the parliament goes on with them, and she likes it.

I'll teach you a way to outwit Mrs. Johnson: it is a new-fashioned way of being witty, and they call it a bite. You must ask a bantering question, or tell some damned lie in a serious manner, and then she will answer or speak as if you were in earnest; and then cry you, "Madam, there's a bite!" I would not have you undervalue this, for it is the constant amusement in court, and everywhere else among the great people; and I let you know it, in order to have it obtain among you, and teach you a new refinement.

TO THE SAME.

London, February 3, 1703.

I AM content you should judge the order of friendship you are in with me by my writing to you, and accordingly you will find yourself the first after the ladies [Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Dingley]; for I never write to any other, either friend or relation, till long after. I cannot imagine what paragraph you mean in my former that was calculated for lord-primate [Dr. Marsh], or how you could show it him without being afraid he might expect to see the rest. But I will take better methods another time, and you shall never, while you live, receive a syllable from me fit to be shown to a lordprimate, unless it be yourself. Montaigne was angry to see his essays lie in the parlor window, and therefore wrote a chapter that forced the ladies to keep it in their closets. After some such manner I shall henceforth use you in my letters, by making them fit to be seen by none but yourself.