far as he is able to bear. You ought to change the Apostle's expreffion, and fay, I will strive to learn in whatever ftate, &c.

I will bear none of your visions; you shall live at Quilca but three fortnights and a month in the year, perhaps not fo much. You fhall make no entertainments, but what are neceffary to your interefts; for your true friends would rather fee you · over a piece of mutton and a bottle once a-quarter. You shall be merry at the expence of others; you fhall take care of your health, and go early to bed, and not read late at night; and laugh with all men, without trufting any: And then a fig for the contrivers of your ruin, who now have no further thoughts, than to ftop your progrefs, which perhaps they may not compass, unless I am deceived more than is ufual. All this you will do, fi mihi credis, and not dream of printing your fermon, which is a project abounding with objections unanswerable, and with which I could fill this letter. You fay nothing of having preached before the Lord Lieutenant, nor whether he is altered towards you; for you speak nothing but generals. You think all the world has now nothing to do, but to pull Mr Sheridan down; whereas it is nothing but a flap in your turn, and away. Lord Oxford faid once to me on an occafion, Thefe fools, because they hear a noise about their ears of their own making, think the whole world is full of it. When I come to town, we will change all this fcene, and act like men of the

world.

world. Grow rich, and you will have no enemies. Go fometimes to the caftle; keep faft Mr Tickell and Ballaguer *; frequent thofe on the right fide, friends to the prefent power; drop thofe who are loud on the wrong party, because they know they can fuffer nothing by it.

LETTER CCCXLI.

Sept. 14, 1725.

I

NEED not tell you with what real delight I fhould have done any thing you defired; and in particular, any good offices in my power, towards the bearer of your letter, who is this day gone for France. Perhaps it is with poets as with prophets; they are fo much better liked in another country, than their own, that your gentleman, upon arriving in England, loft his curiofity concerning me. However, had he tried, he had found me his friend; I mean he had found me your's. I am disappointed at not knowing better a man whom you efteem, and comfort myfelf only with having got a letter from you; with which, after all, I fit down a gainer; fince, to my great pleasure, it confirms my hope of once more feeing you. After fo many difperfions, and fo many divifions, two or three of us may yet be gathered together; not to plot, not to VOL. XV.

LI

contrive

* Private secretary to his Excellency the Lord Carteret, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. Dub. edit.

contrive filly fchemes of ambition, or to vex our own, or others hearts, with bufy vanities, (fuch as perhaps at one time of life or other, take their tour in every man); but to divert ourselves, and the world too if it pleafes, or at worst, to laugh at others, as innocently, and as unhurtfully, as at ourfelves. Your travels* I hear much of; my own, I promise you, fhall never more be in a ftrange land, but a diligent, I hope useful, inveftigation of my own territories. I mean no more tranflations, but fomething domeftic, fit for my own country, and for my own time t.

If you come to us, I'll find you elderly ladies enough that can halloo, and two that can nurse, and they are too old and feeble to make too much noife; as you will guefs, when I tell you they are my own mother and my own nurse. I can also help you to a lady, who is as deaf, though not fo old, as yourself; you'll be pleafed with one another, I'll engage, though you don't hear one another; you'll converfe like spirits, by intuition. What you'll moft wonder at, is, fhe is confiderable at Court, yet no party-woman; and lives in Court, yet would be eafy, and make you eafy.

One of those you mention, (and I dare fay always will remember), Dr Arbuthnott is at this time ill of a very dangerous diftemper, an impofthume in the bowels; which is broke, but the event is very uncertain. Whatever that be, (he bids me tell you, and I write this by him), he lives or dies your

* Gulliver.

The Effay on Man.

your faithful friend; and one reafon he has to defire a little longer life, is the wish to see you

once more.

He is gay enough in this circumftance to tell you, he would give you, (if he could) fuch advice as might cure your deafnefs; but he would not advise you, if you were cured, to quit the pretence of it, becaufe you may, by that means, hear as much as you will, and anfwer as little as you please. Believe me,

Your's, &c.

LETTER

CCCXLII.

DR SWIFT TO DR SHERIDAN.

WE

forbid preaching.

Quilca, Sept. 19, 1725.

you was

E have prevailed with Neal, in fpite of his harveft, to carry up Mifs, with your directions; and it is high time, for fhe was run almoft wild, though we have fomething civilized her fince she came among us. You are too fhort in circumftances. I did not hear Have you feen my Lord? Who forbade you to preach? Are you no longer chaplain? Do you never go to the caftle? Are you certain of the accufer, that it is Tighe? Do you think my Lord acts thus, because he fears it would breed ill-humour, if he should openly favour one who is looked on as of a different party; I think that

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that it is too mean for him. I do not much difapprove your letter, but I think it a wrong method. Pray read over the inclofed twice; and if you do not dislike it, let it be fent, (not by a servant of your's, nor from you) to Mr Tickell. There the cafe is ftated as well as I could do it in generals, for want of knowing particulars. When I come to town, I fhall fee the Lord Lieutenant, / and be as free with him as poffible. In the mean time, I believe it may keep cold; however, advise with Mr Tickell and Mr Balaguer. Ifhould fancy, that the Bishop of Limerick * could eafily fatisfy his Excellency, and that my Lord Lieutenant believes no more of your guilt than I: And therefore it can be nothing but to fatisfy the noife of party at this juncture, that he acts as he does; and if fo, (as I am confident it is), the effect will ceafe with the caufe. But, without doubt, Tighe and others have dinned the word Torry and Jacobite into his Excellency's ears; and therefore your text, &c. was only made use of as an opportunity.

Upon the whole matter, you are no loser, but at leaft have got fomething. Therefore be not like him who hanged himfelf, becaufe, going into a gaming-houfe, and winning ten thoufand pounds, he loft five the of it, and came away with only half his winnings. When my Lord is in London, we may clear a way to him, to do you another job, and you are young enough

to wait.

* Dr William Burfcow.

We

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