upon her ministers, for fomething fhe cannot obtain. My Lord and my Lady Mafham, and Lady Fair, remember you kindly; and none with more fincere respect, than your affectionate brother, and humble fervant,

JO. ARBUTHNOTT.

LETTER

CXCIII.

DR SWIFT TO THE EARL OF OXFORD

MY LORD,

WHE

June 14, 1714.

HEN I was with you, I have faid more than once, that I would never allow quality or ftation made any real difference between mien. Being now abfent, and forgotten, I have changed my mind. You have a thousand people who can pretend they love you, with as much appearance of fincerity as I; fo that, according to common juftice, I can have but a thoufandth part in return of what I give. And this difference is wholly owing to your station. And the misfortune is ftill the greater, because I always loved you just fo much the worfe for your station. For in your public capacity, you have often angered me to the heart; but as a private man, never once. VOL. XV.

F

So

This letter was written from Berkshire, after the Doctor had wholly quitted the miniftry, upon finding it impoffible to reconcile the mifunderflandings between the Lord Treasurer and the Secretary. Swift.

So that if I only look towards myself, I could wish you a private man to-morrow. For I have nothing to afk, at least nothing that you will give, which is the fame thing. And then you would fee whether I fhould not, with much more willingness, attend you in a retirement, whenever you please to give me leave, than ever I did at London or Windfor. For thefe fentiments I will never write to you, if I can help it, otherwise than as to a private perfon, nor allow myfelf to have been obliged by you in any other capacity.

The memory of one great inftance of your candour and juftice, I will carry to my grave; that having been in a manner domeftic with you for almost four years, it was never in the power of any public or concealed enemy, to make you think ill of me, though malice and envy were often employed to that end. If I live, pofterity fhall know that and more; which, though you, and fomebody that thall be namelefs, feem to value lefs than I could with, is all the return I can make you. Will you give me leave to fay, how I would defire to stand in your memory? as one who was truly fenfible of the honour you did him, though he was too proud to be vain upon it; as one who was neither affuming, officious, nor teafing, who never wilfully mifreprefented perfons or facts to you, nor confulted his paffions when he gave a character; and, laftly, as one whofe indifcretions proceeded altogether from a weak head, and not an ill heart. I will add one thing more,

which is the higheft compliment I can make, that I never was afraid of offending you, nor am now in any pain for the manner I write to you in. I have faid enough, and, like one at your levee, having made my bow, I fhrink back into the croud. I am, my Lord, &c.

LETTER

CXCIV.

MR POPE TO DR SWIFT.

June 18, 1714.

W1

HATEVER apologies it might become me to make at any other time for writing to you, I fhall use none now, to a man who has owned himself as fplenetic as a cat in the country. In that circumftance, I know by experience, a letter is a very ufeful, as well as amufing thing. If you are too bufied in ftate affairs to read it, yet you may find entertainment in folding it into divers figures; either doubling it into pyramidical, or twifting it into a ferpentine form; or, if your difpofition fhould not be fo mathema-tical, in taking it with you to that place where men of ftudious minds are apt to fit longer than ordinary; where, after an abrupt divifion of the paper, it may not be unpleasant to try to fit and rejoin the broken lines together. All thefe amusements I am no stranger to in the country; and doubt not, but by this time you begin to relifh them in your prefent contemplative fituation.

F 2

I.

I remember a man who was thought to have fome knowledge in the world, ufed to affirm that no people in town ever complained they were forgotten by their friends in the country. But my increafing experience convinces me he was mistaken; for I find a great many here grievoufly complaining of you upon this fcore. I am told further, that you treat the few you correspond with, in a very arrogant style; and tell them you admire at their infolence, in disturbing your meditations, or even enquiring of your retreat *: But this I will not pofitively affert, becaufe I never received any fuch infulting epiftle from you. My Lord Oxford fays, you have not written to him once fince you went. But this perhaps may be only policy in him, or you; and I, who am half a Whig, muft not entirely credit any thing he affirms. At Button's it is reported you are gone to Hanover, and that Gay goes only on an embaffy to you. Others apprehend fome dangerous State-Treatife from your retirement; and a Wit, who affects to imitate Balfac, fays, That the miniftry now, are like thofe Heathens of old, who received their oracles from the woods. The Gentlemen of the Roman-holic perfuafion are not unwilling to credit me, when I whifper, that you are gone to meet fome Jesuits commiffioned

Some time before the death of Q. Anne, when her ministers were quarrelling, and the Dean could not reconcile them, he retired to a friend's house in Berkshire, and never faw them after.

miffioned from the Court of Rome, in order to fettle the moft convenient methods to be taken for the coming of the Pretender. Dr Arbuthnott is fingular in his opinion, and imagines your only defign is to attend at full leifure, to the life and adventures of Scriblerus *. This indeed must be granted of greater importance than all the reft; and I wish I could promise so well of you. The top of my own ambition is to contribute to that great work, and I fhall tranflate Homer by the bye. Mr Gay has acquainted you what progrefs I have made in it. I can't name Mr Gay, without all the acknowledgments which I fhall ever owe you on his account. If I writ this in verfe, I would tell you, you are like the fun; and while men imagine you to be retired or abfent, are hourly exerting your indulgence, and bringing things to maturity for their advantage. Of all the world, you are the man, (without flattery) who ferve your friends with the leaft oftentation: It is almost ingratitude to thank you, confidering your temper; and this is the period of all my letter, which I fear you will think the moft impertinent. I am, with truest affection, your's, &c. LET

F

3

This project (in which the principal perfons engaged were Dr Arbuthnott, Dr Swift, and Mr Pope) was, to write a complete fatire in profe upon the abufes in every branch of fcience, comprised in the hiftory of the life and writings of Scriblerus. Of which only fome detached parts and fragments were done; fuch as, the Memoirs of Scriblerus, the Travels of Gulliver, the Treatife of the Profund, the Literal Criticifms en Virgil, &c... Warb.