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bore his part in the lofs of the South-fea. He lives moftly at Twickenham, and amufes himfelf in his house and garden. I fupped, about a fortnight ago, with Lord Bathurft and Lewis, at Dr Arbuthnott's. Whenever your old acquaintance meet, they never fail of expreffing their want of you. I wish you would come, and be convinced that what I tell you is true.

As for the reigning amufement of the town, it is entirely mufic, real fiddles, bafs viols, and hautboys; not poetical harps, lyres, and reeds. There's no body allowed to fay, I fing, but an Eunuch, or an Italian woman. Every body is grown, now, as great a judge of mufic, as they were, in your time, of poetry; and folks that could not diftinguish one tune from another, now daily difpute about the different ftiles of Handel, Bononcini, and Attilio. People have now forgot Homer and Virgil, and Cæfar; or, at leaft, they have loft their ranks. For in London, and Weftminster, in all polite converfations, Senefino is daily voted to be the greatest man that ever lived.

I am obliged to you for your advice, as I have been formerly for your affiftance in introducing me into bufinefs. I fhall this year be a commiffioner of the state-lottery, which will be worth to me a hundred and fifty pounds. And I am not without hopes, that I have friends, that will think of fome better and more certain provifion for me. You fee I talk to you of myself, as a

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thing of confequence to you. I judge by myfelf; for to hear of your health and happiness, will always be one of my greatest fatisfactions. Every one that I have named in the letter, give their fervice to you. I beg you to give mine, Mr Pope's, and Mr Kent's to Mr Ford. I am, dear Sir, your most faithful, and most humble fervant,

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J. GAY..

I

LETTER CCCXII.

DR SWIFT TO MR WALLIS.

SIR,

Dublin, Feb. 12, 1722-3.

WOULD have been at Laracor and Ath

boy + before now, if an ugly depending chapter-business ‡ had not tied me here. There キ is a lay difficulty that concerns the government, the archbishop §, the chapter, the dean ||, Dr Howard, and Robin Grattan ; and I know E e 2

not

* A celebrated improver, to whom Pope, speaking of Esher, a feat of the late Mr Pelham's, pays a moft elegant compliment: "Where Kent and Nature vie for Pelham's love."

+ Mr Wallis's living near Laracor.

Probably the difpofal of the curacy of St Bridget's, Dublin, in which the Dean efpoufed the intereft of Mr Robert Grattan. § Dr King, then Archbishop of Dublin.

Dr Swift himself.

Afterwards Bishop of Elphin.

Afterwards curate of St Bridget's, prebendary of St Audeon's, and one of the Dean's ten executors. To this Mr

Grattan,

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not whether it will be determined in a month. All my defign is, to job for Robin Grattan; but the reft have their different fchemes and politics, too deep, and too contemptible for me to trouble myfelf about them. Mean time you grow negligent, and the improvements at Laracor are forgotten. I beg you will step thither for a day or two, and do what is neceffary now, before the feafon is too late; and I will come when this affair is over, and bring down wine (which · will not be ready 'till then, for it is but just bottled) and we will be merry at your house and my cottage.

I fent your memorial, drawn up myself, with my opinion upon it, and a letter to Dr Kearney †, to recommend it to the primate t. I likewife defired Mr Morgan to fecond it. I have in vain hitherto fought Dr Kearney, but fhall find him foon; and I intend to engage Dr Worth §, and Mr Crofs : And probably all may come to nothing-Sed quid tentare nocebit? The ladies are as ufually-Mrs Johnson eats an ounce a-week, which frights me from dining with her.

My

Grattan, (who was one of the feven fons of Dr Grattan, a venerable and hospitable clergyman) Swift whimfically bequeathed his "bottle-screw, his second-best beaver, and his strong box, "on condition of his giving the fole ufe of the faid box to his "brother, Dr James Grattan, (a physician) during the life of "the faid Doctor, who had more occafion for it."

The word in the original is illegible.

+ Treafurer of Armagh.

S An eminent phyfician.

Dr Lindsay.

Rector of St Mary's, Dublin.

My crew has drunk near three hogfheads fince I came to town, and we must take up with new when I come down. I fuppofe you are in the midft of fpleen and juftice. I have often an ill head, and am fo fortunate as to pick out rainy days to ride in. What is it to you that old Pooley the painter is dead?

I am ever your's,

J. SWIFT.

LETTER CCCXIII.

LADY M

TO DR SWIFT.

IT

DEAR SIR, (Indorfed, Received 20th Feb. 1723.) Tis impoffible for you to imagine with what fatisfaction I received your kind letter; and though I had been fo long without hearing from you, I could never impute it to want of friendfhip, in one whofe goodnefs to me hath always been abundantly more than I could deferve. I had writ often to you; but, having no fafe conveyance, chofe rather to enquire after your health and welfare, of fome people that could give me an account of it. And I do affure you, from the bottom of my heart, there is not a perfon living I have a greater friendship for, than yourself, and fhall have to the end of my life.. Indeed, now, I can only thew it in expreffions,

Ee 3

but

Meaning, perhaps, his chapter.

I

but I flatter myfelf you believe them fincere. long to fee you at my retired habitation, where you will meet with a most hearty welcome, and faithful friends, and none more fo, than her who is your most affectionate humble fervant,

My Lord, children, bro-
ther and fifter, are your
humble fervants..

A. MM.

LETTER

CCCXIV.

DR SWIFT TO DR SHERIDAN..

Clonfert, Aug. 3, 1723.

O; I cannot poffibly be with you so soon; there are too many rivers, bogs, and mountains between: Befides, when I leave this, I fhall make one or two fhort vifits in my way to Dublin, and hope to be in town by the end of this month; though it will be a bad time in the hurry of your loufy p- -t. Your dream is wrong; for this Bishop * is not able to lift a cat upon my shoulders. But if you are for a curacy of twenty-five pounds a-year, and ride five miles every Sunday, to preach to fix beggars, have at you. And yet this is no ill country; and the Bishop has made, in four months, twelve miles of ditches, from his houfe to the Shannon, if you

talk

* Dr Theophilus Bolton, afterwards Bishop of Elphin, and Archbishop of Cashel,

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