to give your opinion of it, and fend me your animadverfions upon the whole; which I am confident you won't refufe me, when you confider of how great an advantage they will be to the whole earth, who, may be to this day, have read over thefe fheets with too fuperficial an understanding; and efpecially fince it is the request of, Learned Sir, your moft dutiful and obedient humble fervant, SIR POLITICK WOULD-BE. I fubmit it to your better judgment, (when you make a more curious enquiry into the arcana of this piece), to confider, whether, by Sir John Vangs (who you find lives by the waterfide) must not be meant the Dutch; fince you find too, that he eats bag-pudding freezing hot. This may feem a paradox; but I have been affured by a curious friend of mine, of great veracity, who had lived many Winters in Holland, that nothing is more common, than for hot pudding to freeze in that cold country. But, then, what convinces me that by Sir John the Dutch must be meant, is, that you find he creeps out of a ftopper hole, which alludes to their mean origin. I muft obferve too, that Gammer Vangs had an old woman to her fon. That's a bob for Glorious *. But I am under great concern, to find fo hard a fentence paffed upon poor Swift, because he's little. I think him better than any of them, and hope to fee him greater. T 3 LET* The common appellation in Ireland for King William III. I LETTER CCLXXIX. MR PRIOR TO DR SWIFT. MY DEAR DEAN, London, Sept. 25, 1718. HAVE now made an end of what you, in your haughty manner, call wretched work. My book is quite printed off; and if you are as much upon the bagatelle as you pretend to be, you will find more pleasure in it than you imagine. We are going to print the fubfcribers names: If, therefore, you have any by you, which are not yet remitted, pray send them over by the next poft. If you have not, pray fend me word of that too; that, in all cafes, I may at least hear from you. E of O has been in town all this Summer, is now going into Hereford fhire, and fays he fhall fee you very foon in England. I would tell you with what pleafure this would be, if I knew upon what certainty the hopes of it were founded. Write me word of this too; for upon it I would order my matters fo, that I may be as much with you as I can: And this you will find no little favour; for I affure you, we are all fo changed, that there is very little choice of fuch company as you would like; and, except about eighteen hundred that have fubfcribed to my book, I do not hear of as many more in this nation that have common fenfe. My coufin Pennyfather, and Will. Philips, Philips, drink your health. I cough, but am otherwife well; and till I ceafe to cough, i. e. to live, I am, with entire friendfhip and affection, dear Sir, your moft obedient and humble fervant, M. PRIOR. I' LETTER CCLXXX. MR ADDISON TO DR SWIFT. DEAR SIR; Bristol, Oct. 1, 1718. HAVE received the honour of your letter at Bristol, where I have just finished a course of water-drinking, which I hope has pretty well recovered me from the leavings of my laft Winter's fickness. As for the fubject of your letter, though you know an affair of that nature cannot well nor fafely be trusted in writing, I defired a friend of mine to acquaint Sir Ralph Gore, that I was under a pre-engagement, and not at my own choice to act in it, and have fince troubled my Lady Ashe with a letter to the fame effect, which I hope has not mifcarried. However, upon my return to London, I will farther enquire into that matter, and fee if there is any room left for me to negociate as you propose. I live ftill in hopes of feeing you in England; and if you would take my houfe at Bilton in your way, (which lyes upon the road, within a mile of Rugby) I would strain hard to meet you there, provided you would make me happy in your your company for fome days. The greatest pleafure I have met with for fome months, is in the converfation of my old friend Dr Smallridge, who, fince the death of the-excellent man you mention, is to me the moft candid and agreeable of all bifhops; I would fay clergymen, were not deans comprehended under that title. We have often talked of you; and when I affure you he has an exquifite taste of writing, I need not tell you how he talks on fuch a fubject. I look upon it as my good fortune, that I can exprefs my esteem of you, even to those who are not of the bithop's party, without giving offence. When a man has fo much compafs in his character, he affords his friends topics enough to enlarge upon, that all fides admire. I am fure a zealous friendly behaviour, distinguishes you as much, as your many more fhining talents; and as I have received particular inftances of it, you must have a very bad opinion of me, if you do not think I heartily love and respect you; and that I am ever, dear Sir, your moft obedient, and moft humble fervant, LETTER J. ADDISON. CCLXXXI. DR ARBUTHNOTT TO DR SWIFT. DEAR SIR, THIS London, Oct. 14, 1718. HIS serves for an envelope to the inclosed; for I cannot tell whether you care to hear from from any of your friends on this fide. In your laft, I think, you defired me to let you alone, to enjoy your own fpleen. Can you purchase your fifty pounds a-year in Wales? yet, I can tell you before-hand, Lewis fcorns to live with you there. He keeps company with the greatest, and is principal governor in many families. I have been in France; fix weeks at Paris, and as much at Rouen; where, I can affure you, I hardly heard a word of news, or politics, except a little clutter about fending fome impertinent prefidents du parliament to prifon, that had the impudence to talk for the laws and liberties of their country. I was asked for Monfieur Swift by many people, I can affure you; and particularly, by the Duke d'Aumont. I was refpectfully and kindly treated by many folks, and even by the great Mr Laws *. Amongst other things, I had the honour to carry an Irish Lady † to Court, that was admired beyond all the Ladies in France for her beauty. She * The contriver of the Miffiffippi scheme. The celebrated Beauty, Mifs Nelly Bennet, on whom these lines were written: For when as Nelly came to France, (Invited by her cousins) Across the Tuilleries, each glance Kill'd Frenchmen by whole dozens. The King, as he at dinner fat, Did beckon to his huffar, And bid him bring his tabby cat, The |