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my stay at that Court, I fhould think myself very happy, if you could contrive any method to profecute it; for I am told, that their civilities very rarely defcend fo low as the fecretary. I have all the reafon in the world, to acknowledge this as wholly owing to you. And the many favours I have received from you, purely out of your love for doing good, affures me you will not forget me in my abfence. As for myself, whether I am at home or abroad, gratitude will always put me in mind of the man, to whom I owe fo many benefits. I am your moft obliged humble fervant, J. GAY.

LETTER CXC.

DR SWIFT TO MISS ESTHER VANHOMRIGH.

I

Upper Letcomb, near Wantage, Berks,

June 8, 1714.

HAVE not much news to tell you from hence, nor have I had one line from any body fince I left London, of which I am very glad: But, to fay the truth, I believe I fhall not ftay here fo long as I intended. I am at a clergyman's houfe, whom I love very well; but he is fuch a melancholy thoughtful man, partly from nature, and partly by a folitary life, that I fhall foon catch the fpleen from him. Out of ease and complaifance, I defire him not to alter any

of

of his methods for me; fo we dine exactly between twelve and one. At eight we have fome

bread and butter,

he goes to bed.

little I fent him;

and a glafs of ale; and at ten Wine is a ftranger, except a of which, one evening in two, we have a pint between us. His wife has been this month twenty miles off, at her father's, and will not return thefe ten days. I never faw her; and perhaps the houfe will be worfe when fhe comes. I read all day, or walk; and do not fpeak as many words as I have now wrote, in three days: So that, in fhort, I have a mind to fteal to Ireland, unlefs I find myself take more to this way of living, fo different, in every cir cumftance, from what I left. This is the firft fyllable I have wrote to any body fince you faw me. I fhall be glad to hear from you, not as you are a Londoner, but as a friend; for I care not three-pence for news, nor have heard one fyllable fince I came here. The Pretender, or Duke of Cambridge, may both be landed, and I never the wifer: But if this place were ten times worfe, nothing fhall make me return to town, while things are in the fituation I left them. I give a guinea a week for my board, and can eat any thing.

LET

I

LETTER

CXCI.

MR JOHN BARBER TO DR SWIFT.

DEAR SIR,

to my

London, June 8, 1714.

HAVE inclofed all the letters that have come hands. I faw my Lord Treasurer today, who asked me where you were gone? I told his Lordship you were in Berkshire *. He answered, it is very well; I fuppofe I fhall foon hear from him. My Lord Bolingbroke was very merry with me upon your journey, and hoped the world would be the better for your retirement, and that I fhould foon be the midwife. The fchifm bill was read the fecond time yefterday, and committed for to-morrow, without a divifion. Every body is in the greatest confternation at your retirement, and wonders at the caufe. I tell them, it is for your health's fake. Mr Gay is made fecretary to my Lord Clarendon, and is very well pleafed with his promotion. The Queen is fo well, that the Sicilian Ambaffa

dor

*Swift having in vain endeavoured to bring about a reconciliation between Lord Oxford and Lord Bolingbroke, retired about this time to the houfe of a friend, the Rev. Mr Gerie, at Wantage, in Berkshire, who is still living. While he was there, he wrote a discourse, called, Free thoughts on the present state of affairs, and fent it up to London: But fome difference of opinion between him and Lord Bolingbroke, prevented its publication at that time. The Queen died about ten weeks afterwards, and the difcourfe has been fince printed in his works.

dor hath his audience to-night. She can walk, thank God, and is very well recovered. Sir, your moft obedient humble fervant,

TYRANT*.

LETTER

CXCII.

DR ARBUTHNOTT, THE QUEEN'S DOMESTIC PHYSICIAN, TO DR SWIFT.

I

DEAR BROTHER †, St James's, June 12, 1714.

AM glad your proud ftomach is come down, and that you submit to write to your friends. I was of opinion, that if they managed you right, they might bring you to be even fond of an article in the Poft-Boy, or Flying-Post. As for the present state of our Court affairs, I thank God, I am almoft as ignorant as you are, to my great eafe and comfort. I have never enquired about any thing, fince my Lady Masham told the dragon ‡, that she would carry no more meffages, nor meddle nor make, &c. I don't know whether things were quite so bad when you went. The dragon manages this bill § pretty

well,

Alderman Barber made a prefent of Dr Swift's picture, taken in the early time of his life, to the university of Oxford. One of the fixteen.

Lord Treasurer Oxford.

§ To prevent the growth of fchifm, and for the further fecurity of the Church of England, as by law established. It paffed the Houfe of Lords, 13th June, 1714.

well, for you know, that is his forte: And I be lieve, at the rate they go on, they will do mischief to themselves, and good to nobody else.

You know, that Gay goes to Hanover, and my Lord Treasurer has promised to equip him. Monday is the day of departure; and he is now dancing attendance, for money to buy him fhoes, ftockings, and linen. The Duchefs has turned him off*, which I am afraid will make the poor man's condition worse, inftead of better.

The dragon was with us on Saturday night laft, after having fent us really a moft excellent copy of verfes. I really believe, when he lays down, he will prove a very good poet. I remember the first part of his verfes, was complaining of ill ufage; and at last he concludes,

"He that cares not to rule, will be fure to obey, "When summon'd by Arbuthnot, Pope, Parnell, and Gay."

Parnell has been thinking of going chaplain to my Lord Clarendon t; but they will not fay whether he fhould or not. I am to meet our club at the Pall-Mall coffee-house, about one to day, where we cannot fail to remember you. The Queen is in good health; much in the fame circumstances with the gentleman I mentioned, in attendance upon

tary.

I

The Duchefs of Monmouth, to whom he had been fecre

Who was fent by the Queen to the Court of Hanover.

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