do not know how to fend it to you fafe. You did tell me a gentleman fhould call; where he lives, or who he is, I know not. I am very defirous you should have it, because it has been fo long coming; and I am very ambitious of doing any thing that may in the least be agreeable to you. You had heard of this fooner, but I have been for three months out of town; I made a long progress, even beyond Edinburgh fifty miles. I enquire of you fometimes of Dean Berkeley *: I was forry to hear that you were troubled with that melancholy diftemper, the want of hearing, although in some cases it is good; but one would have it in one's power to hear, or not hear, as it fuits beft with one's inclinations. I am also forry 'that there is no mention made of any defign of your coming into England. I long much for it, and do flatter myself with the thoughts of feeing you under my roof, where you shall execute more authority than I will allow to belong to any bishops made fince. Do not lay afide all thoughts of coming over; change of air may do you good, as well as the voyage. I thank God your fifter is very well, confidering the way fhe is in; I hope in two months, or thereabouts, fhe will be much better: She prefents her humble fervice to you. Peggy is very well. Dr Berkeley was then Dean of Derry. Pope Pope is well, I fuppofe; he is rambling about the country. I have the pleasure of seeing a picture, which is very like you, every day, and is as good a picture as ever Jarvis painted. I am, Sir, your moft obedient humble fervant and brother, OXFORD. I REV. SIR, Dover-freet, Aug. 30, 1725, RECEIVED the favour of your letter; I am vexed that the trifle of the ring should not have reached you. I found where the fault lay; I hope you will foon receive both the picture and the ring fafe: I have ordered them to the care of Erafmus Lewis, Efq; our old friend; and he is a punctual man, and is well acquainted with Mr Ford, and my Lord Arran's chaplain, Mr Charleton; fo I hope this method will not fail that I have now taken. I would not be wanting in the leaft trifle, by which I might fhew the value and efteem I have, and always muft and will have, for you. The picture I have of you, is the fame which Mr Jarvis drew of you in Ireland, and it is very like you, and is a very good picture; though Mr Jarvis is honoured with the place of his Majesty's painter, he cannot paint a picture I fhall fo much value, as I do that of the Dean of St Patrick's. My My old fellow-collegiate has done fo right a thing, as to prefer one of your recommendation. I am, Sir, your most obedient humble fervant, OXFORD. My wife fends her compliments to you; fhe is as well as can be expected. LETTER CCCXXXIX. GEORGE ROCHFORD, ESQ; TO DR SWIFT. I DEAR SIR, * FIND myfelf ftand in need of the advice I bestowed on you t'other night; and therefore, if you have not got rid of your cold, I would prefcribe a fmall jaunt to Belcamp this morning. If you find yourself thus difpofed, I will wait for you here in my boots : The weather may perhaps look gloomy at the deanry; but I can affure you it is a fine day in this parish †, where we fet up for as good taftes as our neighbours : To convince you of mine, I fend you this invitation. I am, dear Sir, your much obliged and obedient fervant, GEORGE ROCHFORD. Wednesday Morning, Sept. 9, 1725. LET * Dr Gratton's, about five miles from Dublin. Ir LETTER CCCXL. DR SWIFT TO DR SHERIDAN. Quilca, Sept. 11, 1725. F you are indeed a difcarded courtier, you have reason to complain, but none at all to wonder. You are too young, for many experiences to fall in your way; yet you have read enough, to make you know the nature of man. It is fafer for a man's intereft to blafpheme God, than to be of a party out of power, or even to be thought fo. And fince the last was the case, how could you imagine, that all mouths would not be open when you were received, and in fome manner preferred by the government, though in a poor way? I tell you, there is hardly a Whig in Ireland, who would allow a potatoe and buttermilk to a reputed Tory. Neither is there any thing in your countrymen upon this article, more than what is common in all other nations, only quoad magis et minus. Too much advertancy is not your talent, or elfe you had fled from that text, as from a rock *. For, as Don Quixote faid to Sancho, what business had you to speak of a halter, in a family where one of it was hang ed? *Sufficient to the day is the evil thereof;" on which Dr Sheridan preached at his parish-church on the 1st of August. See a vindication of his Excellency John Lord Carteret, vol. iv. p. 136. Hawkef. ed? And your innocence is a protection that wife men are afhamed to rely on, further than with God. It is indeed against common fenfe, to think, that you should chufe fuch a time, when you had received a favour from the Lord Lieutenant, and had reason to expect more, to discover your difloyalty in the pulpit. But what will that avail? Therefore fit down and be quiet, and mind your business as you fhould do, and contract your friendships, and expect no more from man, than fuch an animal is capable of; and you will every day find my description of Yahoos more refembling. You should think and deal with every man as a villain, without calling him fo, or flying from him, or valuing him lefs. This is an old true leffon. You believe every one will acquit you of any regard to temporal intereft; and how came you to claim an exemption from all mankind? I believe you value your temporal interest as much as any body, but you have not the arts of pursuing it. You are mistaken. Domestic evils are no more within a man, than others; and he who cannot bear up against the first, will fink under the fecond: And, in my confcience, I believe this is your cafe; for being of a weak conftitution, in an employment precarious and tirefome, loaden with children, cum uxore neque leni neque commoda, a man of intent and abstracted thinking, inslaved by mathematics and complaint of the world, this new weight of party-malice hath ftruck you down, like a feather on a horse's back, already loaden as far |