excellent lady be who lives a few miles from this town! As I was telling of Mr. Gay's way of living at Amesbury, she offered fifty guineas to have you both at her house for one hour over a bottle of Burgundy, which we were then drinking. To your question, I answer that your grace should pull me by the sleeve till you tore it off, and when you said you were weary of me, I would pretend to be deaf, and think (according to another proverb) that you tore my clothes to keep me from going. I never will believe one word you say of my lord duke unless I see three or four lines in his own hand at the bottom of yours. I have a concern in the whole family, and Mr. Gay must give me a particular account of every branch, for I am not ashamed of you though you be duke and duchess, though I have been of others who are, &c., and I do not doubt but even your own servants love you, even down to your postilions; and when I come to Amesbury, before I see your grace, I will have an hour's conversation with the vicar, who will tell me how familiarly you talk to Goody Dobson and all the neighbors as if you were their equal, and that you were godmother to her son Jacky. I am, and shall be ever, with the greatest respect, your grace's most obedient, &c.

TO THE EARL OF PETERBOROUGH.

1732.

MY LORD, I never knew or heard of any person so volatile and so fixed as your lordship; you, while your imagination is carrying you through every corner of the world, where you have or have not been, can at the same time remember to do offices of favor and kindness to the meanest of your friends; and, in all the scenes you have passed, have not been able to attain that one quality peculiar to a great man, of forgetting everything but injuries. Of this I am a living witness against you; for, being the most insignificant of all your old humble servants, you were so cruel as never to give me time to ask a favor; but prevented me in doing whatever you thought I desired, or could be for my credit or advantage.

I have often admired at the capriciousness of fortune in regard to your lordship. She hath forced courts to act against their oldest and most constant maxims; to make you a general because you had courage and conduct; an ambassador because you had wisdom and knowledge in the interests of Europe; and an admiral on account of your skill in maritime affairs; whereas, according to

head of the army, and you of the church, or rather a curate under the dean of St. Patrick's.

The archbishop of Dublin laments that he did not see your lordship till he was just upon the point of leaving the Bath: I pray God you may have found success in that journey; else I shall continue to think there is a fatality in all your lordship's undertakings, which only terminate in your own honor, and the good of the public, without the least advantage to your health or fortune.

I remember lord Oxford's ministry used to tell me, "That, not knowing where to write to you, they were forced to write at you." It is so with me; for you are in one thing an evangelical man, that "you know not where to lay your head;" and I think you have no house. Pray, my lord, write to me that I may have the pleasure, in this scoundrel country, of going about, and showing my depending parsons a letter from the earl of Peterborough. I am, &c.

TO MR. ALDERMAN BARBER.

Dublin, September 11, 1732. MY LORD ELECT,-I anticipate your title, because perhaps it may be your due before your chaplain, Mr. Pilkington, can attend you. And besides, I have a mind to be the first person who gives it to you. And, first, I heartily acknowledge your goodness in favoring a young gentleman who has well answered all the recommendations that have been given me of him, and I have some years watched all opportunities to do him a good office, but none of the few things in my own gift that would be proper for him have fallen in my way since I knew him; and power with others, you know or may believe, I have none. I value Mr. Pilkington as much for his modesty as his learning and sense, or any good quality he has. And it would be hard, after your sending us over so many worthless bishops, all bedangled with their pert illiterate relations and flatterers, if you would not suffer us to lend you, at least for one year, one sample of modesty, virtue, and good sense; and I am glad it falls to your lordship to give the first precedent. I will write to i Dr. Trapp in Mr. Pilkington's favor, but whether I have any credit with him I cannot tell, although perhaps you will think I may pretend to some. It is by my advice that Mr. Pilkington goes over somewhat sooner; for I would have him know a little of your end of the town, and what he is to do; but he will not give you any trouble or care till you please to command him, which I suppose

Nothing but this cruel accident of a lameness could have hindered me from attending your ceremonial as a spectator, and I should have forwarded, to the utmost, Mr. Pope's scheme, for I never approved the omission of those shows. And I think I saw, in my youth, a lord-mayor's show with all that pomp, when sir Thomas Pilkington, of your chaplain's name and family, made his procession.

I have advised your chaplain to send you this letter, and not present it, that you may be in no pain about him, for he shall wait on you the next morning, when he has taken a lodging for himself, till you come into your mayoralty.

I cannot conclude without repeating my acknowledgments for your kind remembrance of me. We were both followers of the same court and the same cause and exiles, after a sort, you a voluntary one, and I a necessary; but you have out-thrown me many a hundred bars' lengths. I heartily wish the continuance of your good success, and am, with great truth, your most constant friend and most obedient humble servant.

TO THE RIGHT HON. JOHN BARBER,

LORD-MAYOR OF LONDON.

Dublin, December 14, 1732. MY LORD,- After obtaining one favor from your lordship, I am under the necessity of requesting another; which, however, I hope will not give you much trouble. I know that it depends upon chance what employments you may have in your disposal during your mayoralty; but some I presume you will have. It is therefore my request, and will be so likewise of some others among your friends, that if any employment should fall vacant during your government, which Mr. Barber would be allowed capable of executing well, your lordship would please that he may have the refusal, with as much favor as will consist with your own generous disposition, adding the friendship you are pleased to profess to me, which I throw heartily into the balance. He is of English birth; a very upright, honest man, and his wife has abundance of merit in all respects; they design to settle among you, having turned what fortune they had here into money.

And now, my lord, I heartily give you joy of governing the noblest city in the world, where I know you are desirous and able to do so much good, and to set a worthy pattern for the imitation

head of the army, and you of the church, or rather a curate under the dean of St. Patrick's.

The archbishop of Dublin laments that he did not see your lordship till he was just upon the point of leaving the Bath: I pray God you may have found success in that journey; else I shall continue to think there is a fatality in all your lordship's undertakings, which only terminate in your own honor, and the good of the public, without the least advantage to your health or fortune.

I remember lord Oxford's ministry used to tell me, “That, not knowing where to write to you, they were forced to write at you.” It is so with me; for you are in one thing an evangelical man, that you know not where to lay your head;" and I think you have no house. Pray, my lord, write to me that I may have the pleasure, in this scoundrel country, of going about, and showing my depending parsons a letter from the earl of Peterborough. I am, &c.

TO MR. ALDERMAN BARBER.

Dublin, September 11, 1732.

MY LORD ELECT,-I anticipate your title, because perhaps it may be your due before your chaplain, Mr. Pilkington, can attend you. And besides, I have a mind to be the first person who gives it to you. And, first, I heartily acknowledge your goodness in favoring a young gentleman who has well answered all the recommendations that have been given me of him, and I have some years watched all opportunities to do him a good office, but none of the few things in my own gift that would be proper for him have fallen in my way since I knew him; and power with others, you know or may believe, I have none. I value Mr. Pilkington as much for his modesty as his learning and sense, or any good quality he has. And it would be hard, after your sending us over so many worthless bishops, all bedangled with their pert illiterate relations and flatterers, if you would not suffer us to lend you, at least for one year, one sample of modesty, virtue, and good sense; and I am glad it falls to your lordship to give the first precedent. I will write to Dr. Trapp in Mr. Pilkington's favor, but whether I have any credit with him I cannot tell, although perhaps you will think I may pretend to some. It is by my advice that Mr. Pilkington goes over somewhat sooner; for I would have him know a little of your end of the town, and what he is to do; but he will not give you any trouble or care till you please to command him, which I suppose

Nothing but this cruel accident of a lameness could have hindered me from attending your ceremonial as a spectator, and I should have forwarded, to the utmost, Mr. Pope's scheme, for I never approved the omission of those shows. And I think I saw, in my youth, a lord-mayor's show with all that pomp, when sir Thomas Pilkington, of your chaplain's name and family, made his procession.

I have advised your chaplain to send you this letter, and not present it, that you may be in no pain about him, for he shall wait on you the next morning, when he has taken a lodging for himself, till you come into your mayoralty.

I cannot conclude without repeating my acknowledgments for your kind remembrance of me. We were both followers of the same court and the same cause and exiles, after a sort, you a voluntary one, and I a necessary; but you have out-thrown me many a hundred bars' lengths. I heartily wish the continuance of your good success, and am, with great truth, your most constant friend and most obedient humble servant.

TO THE RIGHT HON. JOHN BARBER,

LORD-MAYOR OF LONDON.

Dublin, December 14, 1732.

MY LORD,- After obtaining one favor from your lordship, I am under the necessity of requesting another; which, however, I hope will not give you much trouble. I know that it depends upon chance what employments you may have in your disposal during your mayoralty; but some I presume you will have. It is therefore my request, and will be so likewise of some others among your friends, that if any employment should fall vacant during your government, which Mr. Barber would be allowed capable of executing well, your lordship would please that he may have the refusal, with as much favor as will consist with your own generous disposition, adding the friendship you are pleased to profess to me, which I throw heartily into the balance. He is of English birth; a very upright, honest man, and his wife has abundance of merit in all respects; they design to settle among you, having turned what fortune they had here into money.

And now, my lord, I heartily give you joy of governing the noblest city in the world, where I know you are desirous and able to do so much good, and to set a worthy pattern for the imitation