You were pretty bold in mentioning Lord Bolingbroke in that preface. I faw the Key to the Lock but yesterday: I think you have changed it a good deal, to adapt it to the prefent times.+ God be thanked, I have yet no parliamentary bufinefs; and if they have none with me, I fhall never feek their acquaintance. I have not been very fond of them for fome years past, not when I thought them tolerably good; and therefore, if I can get leave to abfent, I fhall be much inclined to be on that fide, when there is a parliament on this. But truly I must be a little easy in my mind before I can think of Scriblerus. You are to understand, that I live in the corner of a vaft unfurnished houfe. My family confifts of a steward, a groom, a helper in the ftable, a footman, and an old maid, who are all at board-wages; and when I do not dine abroad, or make an entertainment, (which laft is very rare), I eat a mutton-pye, and drink half a pint of wine. My amufements are, defending my fmall dominions against the Archbishop, and endeavouring to reduce my rebellious choir. Perditur hæc inter mifero lux. I defire you will prefent my humble service to Mr Addison, Mr Con greve, Put these two laft obfervations together, and it will appear, that Mr Pope was neither wanting to his friends for fear of party, nor would infult a miniftry to humour his friends. He faid of himself, and I believe he faid truly, "That he never wrote a line, to gratify the animofity of any one party at the expence of another. Warb. greve, and Mr Rowe, and Gay. I am, and will be always, extremely, T may look like an idle or officious thing in Ime, Yo give your Lordship any interruption under your prefent circumftances: Yet I could never forgive myself, if, after being treated for feveral years with the greatest kindness and diftinction, by a perfon of your Lordship's virtue, I fhould omit making you, at this time, the humbleft offers of my poor fervice and attendance. It is the first time I ever solicited you in my own behalf; and if I am refused, it will be the first request you ever refused me. I do not think myfelf obliged to regulate my opinions by the proceedings of a Houfe of Lords or Commons; and therefore, however they may acquit themfelves in your Lordship's cafe, I fhall take the liberty of thinking, and calling your Lordfhip the ableft and faithfuleft minifter, and trueft lover of your country, that this age hath produced. And I have already taken care, that you fhall be fo reprefented to pofterity, in spite of all the rage and malice of your enemies. And this this I know will not be wholly indifferent to your Lordship; who, next to a good confcience, always efteemed reputation your beft poffeffion. Your intrepid behaviour, under this profecution, aftonisheth every one but me, who know you fo well, and how little it is in the power of human actions or events to difcompofe you. I have feen your Lordship labouring under greater difficulties, and exposed to greater dangers, and overcoming both by the providence of God, and your own wifdom and courage. Your life has been already attempted by private malice; it is now purfued by public refentment. Nothing elfe remained. You were deftined to both trials; and the fame power which delivered you out of the paws of the lion and the bear, will, I truft, deliver you out of the hands of the uncircumcifed. I can write no more. You fuffer for a good caufe, for having preferved your country, and for having been the great inftrument, under God, of his prefent Majefty's peaceable acceffion to the throne. This I know, and this your enemies know, and this I will take care that all the world fhall know, and future ages be convinced of. God Almighty protect you, and continue to you that fortitude and magnanimity he hath endowed you with. Farewell. I J. S. LET LETTER CCLI. DR ARBUTHNOTT TO DR SWIFT. am kinder than you. August 6, 1715. RECEIVED your very Heraclitian letter. I I defire to hear your complaints, and will always fhare them, when I cannot remove them. I fhould have the fame concern for things as you, were I not convinced, that a comet will make much more strange revolutions upon the face of our globe, than all the petty changes that can be occafioned by governments and ministries. And you will allow it to be a matter of importance, to think of methods to fave one's felf and family in fuch a terrible fhock, when this whole earth will turn upon new poles, and revolve in a new orbit. I confider myself as a poor paffenger; and that the earth is not to be forfaken, nor the rocks removed from me.' But you are certainly fome firft minifter of a great monarch, who, for fome misbehaviour, are condemned, in this revolution of things, to govern a chapter, and a choir of finging-men. I am fure I should think myself happy, if I had only such a province as the latter. Certainly your chapter peaceable, and not like other chapters; elfe they would give you more occupation. You fee I begin with philofophy. As to bufiness, I this moment faw the Dragon. He had your letP is too VOL. XV. ters, ters, and fhewed them to me fome time ago, and feems to be mighty fond of the project; only he is to be at Wimple, and not in Herefordshire, and it is but a step further. He is to write tonight, if you believe him, to that very purpose; nay, I am to have the letter to inclofe, and I intend to keep mine open till eleven. It is ftrange, that you should imagine the Dragon had caft his exuvia in his den*, or that confinement is a cure for inactivity; so far from it, all these habits are ten times ftronger upon him than ever. Lewis will furnish you with a collection of new ftories, that are as far beyond the old ones, as you can imagine. Therefore, I say again, come, and you will be far from finding any such dismal scenes as you describe. Your own letter will furnish you with topics to conquer your melancholy. For in fuch a mutability, what is it, that must not in time caft up? Even the return of that brother † you mention. And as philofophical as I am, I should be very fad, if I did not think that very probable and feasible. As to your friends, tho' the world is changed to them, they are not changed to you; and you will be careffed as much as ever, and by fome that bore you no good will formerly. Do you think there is no pleasure in hearing the H-r-club ‡ declaim upon the clemency *He was fent to the Tower. + Bolingbroke. tary. Hanover club, of which Ambrofe Philips, Efq; was fecre |