to ruin. The wall of my own apartment is fallen down, and I want mud to rebuild it, and straw to thatch it. Befides, a fpiteful neighbour has seized on fix foot of ground, carried off my trees, and fpoiled my grove. All this is literally true, and I have not fortitude enough to go and fee thofe devaftations.

But in return, I live a country-life in town, fee no body, and go every day once to prayers; and hope, in a few months, to grow as ftupid as the prefent fituation of affairs will require.

Well, after all, parfons are not fuch bad company, especially when they are under fubjection; and I let none but fuch come near me.

However, pray God forgive them, by whofe indolence, neglect, or want of friendship, I am reduced to live, with twenty leagues of faltwater between your Lordship and me, &c.

LETTER

CCXLIV.

DR ARBUTHNOTT TO DR SWIFT.

DEAR BROTHER,

E

October 19, 1714.

VEN in affliction your letter made me melancholy, and communicated fome of the fpleen which you had when you wrote it, and made me forfeit fome of my reputation of chearfulness and temper under affliction. However, I have fo many fubjects amongst my friends and fellow

I

fellow-fervants to be grieved for, that I can eafily turn it of myfelf with credit. The Queen's poor fervants are like fo many poor orphans, expofed in the very streets: And thofe, whofe paft obligations of gratitude and honour ought to have engaged them to have represented their cafe, pafs by them like fo many abandoned creatures, without the poffibility of ever being able to make the leaft return for a favour, which has added to my theory of human virtue.

I wish I did not only haunt you in the obliging and affectionate fenfe you are pleased to express it, but were perfonally prefent with you; and I think it were hardly in the power of fortune, not to make fome minutes pleafant. I dine with my Lord and Lady Mafham to-day, where we will, as ufually, remember you.

You have read ere this time, the hiftory of the White Staff, which is either contrived by an enemy, or by himself, to bring down vengeance; and I have told fome of his nearest friends fo. All the Dragon can fay, will not give him one single friend amongst the whole party; and therefore,

*

A pamphlet written by Mr Daniel de Foe, and published in 1714, in 8vo, in two parts, under the title of "The Secret Hiftory of the White Staff; being an account of affairs urder the conduct of fome late minifters, and of what might probably have happened, if her Majesty had not died.”—Soon after the publication of it, came out, in 8vo," A Detection of the Sophiftry and Falfities of the pamphlet, intitled, The Secret History of the White Staff, containing an inquiry into the Staff's conduct in the late management, particularly with refpect to the Proteftant fucceffion."

I even wonder at him, which you will fay is a ftrange thing. The very great perfon of all * can hardly fpeak of him with patience. The Conde acts like a man of fpirit, makes up to the k—, and talks to him, and would have acted with more fenfe than any of them, could he have had any body to have acted along with him; nos numerus fumus, &c. The man you speak of, is just as you defcribe; fo I beg pardon. Shedwell fays, he will have my place at Chelfea. Garth told me, his merit was giving intelligence about his miftrefs's health. I defired he would do me the favour to fay, that I valued myself upon quite the contrary; and I hoped to live to fee the day, when his Majefty would value me the more for it too. I have not feen any thing as yet, to make me recant a certain inconvenient opinion I have, that one cannot pay too dear for peace of mind.

Poor philofopher Berkeley has now the idea f of health, which was very hard to produce in him; for he had an idea of a ftrange fever upon him, fo ftrong, that it was very hard to destroy it by introducing a contrary one. Poor Gay is much where he was, only out of the Duchefs's family and fervice. He has fome confidence in the Princefs and Countefs of Picbourgh; I with

*Probably King George I.

it

This alludes to his book; in which he attempts to prove, that all things fuppofed to depend upon a material world, fubfift only in idea.

The Duchefs of Monmouth.

it may be fignificant to him. I advifed him to make a poem upon the Princefs, before fhe came over, defcribing her to the English Ladies; for it feems the Princefs does not diflike that. She is really a perfon, that, I believe, will give great content to every body. But Gay was in fuch a groveling condition as to the affairs of the world, that his mufe would not ftoop to vifit him. I can fay no more of news, than that you will find the proceedings hitherto have been comparatively gentle. Adieu.

LETTER

CCXLV.

ANOTHER LETTER FROM THE SAME, WRITTEN ON THE SAME PAPER.

I

ed

THANK you kindly for your's, with the inclofed from our friend. I would have obeyyour commands as to the history of the white staff; but that there really is no anfwer to it, more than a thing that rises juft out of what is faid in the hiftory. None wrote on purpose by any one, that knows matters of fact, or can contradict what he says; or indeed wrote by concert of the perfons, that are attacked. And I reckon any other is not worth your while to read. The Dragon denies it; but as I told the governor, it is neceffary for him to do that in a very folemn and ftrong manner; elfe there will be a ripping anfwer,

02

anfwer, as you fay. All things go on at the ufual rate. I am at an uncertainty still as to my little office. I leave them to do juft as they pleafe. George Fielding and Brigadier Brittain are grooms of the bed-chamber, which does not feem altogether the doing of a certain great man. The groom of the ftole is ftill uncertain, lying betwixt two that you know. I am told, that the great perfon of all has fpoke more contemptibly of the Dragon, than of any body, and in very hard terms. Has not he managed finely at last? The Princefs gives great content to every body. I will add no more, being to write on the other fide to the Dean; which pray forward.

LETTER

CCXLVI.

DR SWIFT TO SIR ARTHUR LANGFORD.

I

SIR,

Trim, October 30, 1714

WAS to wait on you the other day, and was

told by your fervant, that you are not to be feen till towards evening, which, at the diftance I am at this time of the year, cannot eafily be compaffed. My principal bufinefs was to let you know, that fince my last return from England, many perfons have complained to me, that I fuffered a conventicle to be kept in my parish, and in a place where there never was any before. I mentioned this to your nephew Rowley in Du