What we are doing, or what is become of us, I know not. Prudens futuri temporis exitum This is all the Latin and writing I can at prefent fpare you. Pray give my fervice to your Chancellor *, and be much acquainted with Judge Nutely, and love him very well for my fake. Adieu. Once more, find out my coufin Pennyfather, and Nutely, (if he is not too grave for you); and, according to the laudable cuftom of your country, drink this Louis out, for a token of my generofity, and your fobriety. And now, I think, I have furnished out a very pretty letter. LETTER CLXVIII. DR SMALRIDGE (AFTERWARDS BISHOP OF BRISTOL) TO DR SWIFT. MR DEAN, September 27, 1713. W HEN you was fo kind as to favour the mafter of the Temple +, and me, with your company at the chaplain's table at Ken * Sir Conftantine Phipps. Dr Sherlock, afterwards bifhop of London. fington, fington, there dined with us one Mr Fiddes †, a well-deferving clergyman, whose circumstances, we told you, were not at all fuitable to his merits. You expreffed, on that occafion, fo generous a concern for him, and so great a readiness to do him any good offices which might lie in your way, that he seems to think he should be wanting to himself, if he did not endeavour to cultivate an intereft with one fo willing and fo able to ferve him. He has therefore made re peated inftances to me, that I would remind you of him, which I should not have hearkened to, were I not affured, that you would excufe, if not thank me, for furnishing you with an opportunity of doing a generous and goodnatured thing. You will not, I fancy, think a formal application to any great man in his behalf, either proper or requifite; but if you should, upon the perufal of one or two of his fermons, think as well of them as I do, and should, in conversation with my Lord Treasurer, exprefs a good opinion of the author, one kind word. from you, feasonably dropped, might determine his fortune, and give you the fatisfaction of having made him and his family happy as they can wish to be. I am, Sir, your most humble fervant, GEO. SMALRIDGE. LET Richard Fiddes, afterwards D. D. author of a Body of Divinity, the Life of Cardinal Wolfey, &c. LETTER CLXIX. LORD CH LOR PHIPPS TO DR SWIFT. blin, O. 10, 1713. SIR, HAD the favour of your kind letter of the twenty-fecond of September, and had fooner acknowledged it, if I had not been prevented by the constant hurry we have been in, with relation to the city and parliament affairs. my I heartily congratulate your fafe arrival in London; and return you, with all the gratitude imaginable, my thanks for the great trouble you have given yourself, as well on behalf of fon in particular, as of this kingdom in general. And I am forry you should venture fo far as to burn your fingers; but you prove, fuch misfortunes often happen to gentlemen, who have a hearty zeal for the intereft of their friends. But this comfort attends them, that the burning goes off foon; whereas the credit and honour of ferving one's friend, laft always. The account you fent me of Mr Worfley's being an envoy, was new, and had not reached us before your letter came. I know not how fufficiently to acknowledge the obligations you have laid on me; but affure you, if you have any commands on this fide of the water, there is no one will be more proud of being honoured with them, than he who is, with very great respect, your most obedient humble fervant, CON. PHIPPS.. LET LETTER CLXX. LORD CHANCELLOR PHIPFST DR SWIFT. I DEAR SIR, n. blin, O. 24, 1713. AM indebted to you for your kind letters of the eighth and tenth inftant, and 1 very heartily acknowledge the obligation. That of the eighth gave me a great many melancholy thoughts, when I reflected upon the danger our constitution is in, by the neglect and fupineness of our friends, and the vigilance and unanimity of our enemies: But I hope your parliament proving fo good, will awaken our friends, and unite them more firmly, and make them more active. That part of your letter of the tenth, which related to my son, gave me a great fatisfaction; for though your commiffioners here have heard nothing of it, yet I believed Mr Keightly might bring over full instructions in it: But he is arrived, and knows nothing of it; fo that whatever good intentions my Lord Treafurer had in relation to my fon, his Lordship has forgotten to give any directions concerning him; for, with him, things are just as they were when you left Dublin. If you will be fo kind to put his Lordship in mind of it, you will be very obliging. I cannot discharge the part of a friend, if I Omit to let you know, that your great neighbour at at St Pulcher's is very angry with you. He accufeth you for going away without taking your leave of him, and intends in a little time to compel you to refide at your deanry. He lays fome other things to your charge, which you shall know in a little time. We hourly expect my Lord Lieutenant *. The Whigs begin to be fenfible they muft expect no great countenance from him; and begin to be a little down in the mouth, fince they find Broderick is not to be their Speaker †. I am, with very great truth, your most obedient fer vant. LETTER CLXXI. DR DAVENANT TO DR SWIFT. SIR, YOU Windfor, Nov. 3, 1713. YOU have the character of employing, in good offices to others, the honour and happiness you have of being often with my Lord Treasurer. This ufe of your access to him, is an uncommon inftance of generofity, deferving the highest praises; for, most commonly, men are most apt to convert fuch advantages to their * Duke of Shrewsbury. Own He was, however, chofen Speaker, by a majority of four' voices. Inspector-General of the exports and imports. |