nobody, not even the weakest of the company, that is, myself.

I flatter my friendship for you with the hopes, that you are really in the cafe, in which you fay, that our friend Pope feems to be; and that you do not know your own character. Or did you mean to amuse yourself, like that famous painter, who, instead of copying Nature, tried, in one of his defigns, how far it was poffible to depart from his original? Whatever your intention was, I will not be brought in among those friends, whofe misfortunes have given them an habitual fournefs. I declare to you, once for all, that I am not unhappy; and that I never fhall be fo, unless I fink under fome phyfical evil. Retrench therefore the proportion of peevishness, which you fet to my account. You might, for several other reafons, retrench the proportions which you fet to the account of others, and fo leave yourself without peevishness, or without excufe. I lament, and have always lamented, your being placed in Ireland; but you are worse than peevish, you are unjuft, when you fay, that it was either not in the power, or will of a miniftry, to place you in England. Write minifter, friend Jonathan, and scrape out the words, either, power, or; after which the paffage will run as well, and be conformable to the truth of things. I know but one man who had power at that time; and Ff3

that:

Lord Oxford.

that wretched man, had neither the will, nor the skill, to make a good use of it.

We talk of characters: Match me that, if you can, among all the odd phoenomena which have appeared in the moral world. I have not a Tacitus by me; but I believe that I remember your quotation, and, as a mark that I hit right, I make no comment upon it. As you defcribe your public fpirit, it feems to me to be a difeafe, as well as your peevifhnefs. Your propofals for reforming the ftate, are admirable; and your fchemes concife. With refpect to your humble fervant, you judge better than you did in a letter I received from you about four years ago. You feemed, at that time, not fo afraid of the nightingale's falling into the ferpent's mouth. This reflection made me recollect, that I writ you at that time, a long epiftle in metre. After rummaging among my papers, 1 found it, and fend it with my letter: It will serve to entertain you the first faft-day. I depend on the fidelity of your friendhip, that it fhall fall under no eye but your Adieu.

own.

I read in English, (for she understands it), to a certain Lady, the paffage of your letter, which relates to her. The Latin I most generously concealed. She defires you to receive the compliments of one, who is fo far from being equal to fifty others of her fex, that the never found herfelf equal to any one of them. She fays, that fhe has neither youth nor beauty; but that fhe hopes,

on

on the long and intimate acquaintance fhe has had with you, when you meet, if that ever happens, to caft fuch a mist before your eyes, that you shall not perceive fhe wants either of them.

LETTER CCCXIX.

TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE LORD CARTERET, LORD LIEUTENANT OF IRELAND.

MY LORD,

April 28, 1724.

ANY of the principal perfons in this king

M dom, diftinguished for their loyalty to

his prefent Majefty, hearing that I had the honour to be known to your Excellency, have for fome time preffed me very earneftly, fince you were declared Lord Lieutenant of this kingdom, to represent to your Excellency, the apprehenfions they are under, concerning Mr Wood's patent for coining half-pence to pafs in Ireland. Your Excellency knows the unanimous fentiments of the parliament here upon that matter: And, upon enquiry, you will find, that there is not one person of any rank or party in this whole kingdom, who does not look upon that patent as the most ruinous project that ever was contrived against any nation. Neither is it doubted, that, when your Excellency fhall be thoroughly informed, your juftice and compaffion for an injured people, will force yon to employ your credit for their relief.

I

I have made bold to fend you, inclofed, two fmall tracts on this fubject; one written (as it is fuppofed) by the Earl of Abercorn; the other is entitled to a Weaver, and fuited to the vulgar, but thought to be the work of a better hand.

I hope your Excellency will forgive an old humble fervant, and one who always loved and efteemed you, for interfering in matters out of his province; which he would never have done, if many of the greatest persons here had not, by their importunity, drawn him out of his retirement, to venture giving you a little trouble, in hopes to fave their country from utter deftruction, for which the memory of your government will be bleffed by pofterity.

I hope to have the honour of seeing your Excellency here; and do promife, neither to be a frequent vifitor, nor troublefome folicitor, but ever with the greateft refpect, &c..

LETTER

TO THE SAME.

CCCXX.

MY LORD,

June 9, 1724.

T is above a month fince I took the boldness

IT is

of writing to your Excellency, upon a subject where the welfare of this kingdom is highly

concerned.

I writ at the defire of feveral confiderable perfons here, who could not be ignorant that I had the honour of being well known to you.

I could have wifhed your Excellency had condefcended fo far, as to let one of your under-clerks have fignified to me that a letter was received.

I have long been out of the world; but have not forgotten what used to pass among those I lived with, while I was in it: And I can fay, that, during the experience of many years, and many changes in affairs, your Excellency, and one more, who is not worthy to be compared to you, are the only great perfons that ever refused to answer a letter from me, without regard to business, party, or greatnefs; and if I had not a peculiar esteem for your perfonal qualities, I should think myself to be acting a very inferior part in making this complaint.

I never was fo humble as to be vain upon my acquaintance with men in power, and always rather chose to avoid it when I was not called. Neither were their power or titles fufficient, without merit, to make me cultivate them; of which I have witneffes enough left, after all the havock made among them, by accidents of time, or by changes of perfons, nieasures, and opinions.

I know not how your own conceptions of yourself may alter, by every new high ftation; but mine muft continue the fame, or alter for the worse.

I often told a great minister, whom you well know, that I valued him for being the fame man. through