I would defcribe to you my way of living, if any method could be call'd fo in this Country. I chufe my companions among those of leaft confequence and most compliance: I read the most trifling books I can find, and whenever I write, it is upon the moft trifling fubjects: But riding, walking, and fleeping take up eighteen of the twenty-four hours. I procraftinate more than I did twenty years ago, and have several things to finish which I put off to twenty years hence; Hæc eft vita Solutorum, &c. I fend you the compliments of a friend of yours, who hath paffed four months this summer with two grave acquaintance at his country-houfe without ever once going to Dublin, which is but eight miles diftant; yet when he returns to London, I will engage you fhall find him as deep in the Court of Requefts, the Park, the Opera's, and the Coffee-house, as any man there. I am now with him for a few days.

You must remember me with great affection to Dr. Arbuthnot, Mr. Congreve, and Gay.-I think there are no more eodem tertio's between you and me, except Mr. Jervas, to whofe houfe I addrefs this, for want of knowing where you live: for it was not clear from your last whether you lodge with Lord Peterborow, or he with you?

I

I am ever, &c.

LETTER X.

Sept. 14, 1725.

Need not tell you, with what real delight I

should 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 'tis with Poets as with Prophets, they are fo much better lik'd in another country

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than their own, that your Gentleman, upon arriving in England, loft his curiofity concerning me. However, had he try'd, he had found me his friend; I mean he had found me yours. I am disappointed at not knowing better a man whom you efteem, and comfort myself 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 gather'd together: not to plot, not to contrive filly fchemes of ambition, or to vex our own or others hearts with bufy vanities (such 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 pleases; or at worst, to laugh at others as innocently and as unhurtfully as at ourselves. Your Travels* I hear much of; my own I promise you fhall never more be in a strange land, but a diligent, I hope useful, investigation of my own Territories t. I mean no more Tranflations, but fomething domeftic, fit for my own country, and for my own time.

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 noise; as you will guess, when I tell you they are my own mother, and my own nurfe. I can also help you to a Lady who is as deaf, tho' not fo old, as yourself; you'll be pleas'd with one-another I'll engage, tho' you don't hear one-another; you'll converfe like fpirits by intuition. What you'll most wonder at is, The is confiderable at Court, yet no Party-woman, and lives in Court, yet would be easy, and make you eafy.

One of thofe you mention (and I dare fay always will remember) Dr. Arbuthnot, is at this time ill + The Essay on Man.

* Gulliver.

of

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 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 wou'd give you (if he cou'd) fuch advice as might cure your deafnefs, but he would not advife you, if you were cured, to quit the pretence of it; because you may by that means hear as much as you will, and answer as little as you please. Believe me Your's, &c.

I

LETTER XI.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Sept. 29, 1725.

am now returning to the noble fcene of Dublin, into the grand Monde, for fear of burying my parts: to fignalize myself among Curates and Vicars, and correct all corruptions crept in relating to the weight of bread and butter, through thofe dominions where I govern. I have employ'd my time (befides ditching) in finishing, correcting, amending, and tranfcribing my Travels, in four parts compleat, newly augmented, and intended for the prefs when the world fhall deferve them, or rather when a Printer shall be found brave enough to venture his ears. I like the scheme of our meeting after diftreffes and difperfions; but the chief end I propofe to myself in all my labours, is to vex the world, rather than divert it; and if I could compafs

Gulliver's Travels.
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that defign without hurting my own person or fortune, I would be the most indefatigable writer you have ever feen, without reading. I am exceedingly pleafed that you have done with Tranflations; Lord Treasurer Oxford often lamented that a rafcally world fhould lay you under a neceffity of mifemploying your genius for fo long a time. But fince you will now be fo much better employ'd, when you think of the world, give it one lash the more at my request. I have ever hated all Nations, Profeffions, and Communities; and all my love is towards Individuals: for inftance, I hate the Tribe of Lawyers, but I love Counsellor fuch a one, and Judge fuch a one: 'Tis fo with Phyficians, (I will not fpeak of my own Trade) Soldiers, English, Scotch, French, and the reft. But principally I hate and deteft that animal call'd Man, although I heartily love John, Peter, Thomas, and fo forth. This is the fyftem upon which I have governed myfelf many years (but do not tell) and fo I fhall go on till I have done with them. I have got materials towards a Treatife, proving the falfity of that definition Animal rationale, and to fhew it fhould be only rationis capax. Upon this great foundation of Mifanthrophy (tho' not in Timon's manner) the whole building of my Travels is erected; and I never will have peace of mind, till all honeft men are of my opinion: By confequence you are to embrace it immediately, and procure that all who deserve my efteem may do fo too. The matter is fo clear, that it will admit of no difpute; nay, I will hold a hundred pounds that you and I agree in the point.

I did not know your Odyffey was finished, being yet in the country, which I fhall leave in three days. I thank you kindly for the prefent, but shall like it three fourths the lefs, for the mixture you mention of other hands; however, I am glad you fav'd yourfelf fo much drudgery-I have been long told by

Mr.

Mr. Ford of your great achievements in building and planting, and especially of your fubterranean paffage to your garden, whereby you turned a Blunder into a Beauty, which is a piece of Ars Poetica.

I have almost done with Harridans, and fhall foon become old enough to fall in love with girls of fourteen. The Lady whom you defcribe to live at Court; to be deaf, and no party-woman, I take to be Mythology, but know not how to moralize it. She cannot be Mercy, for Mercy is neither deaf, nor lives at Court: Juftice is blind, and perhaps deaf, but neither is fhe a Court-lady: Fortune is both blind and deaf, and a Court-lady, but then she is a moft damnable Party-woman, and will never make me eafy, as you promife. It must be Riches, which anfwers all your defcription: I am glad fhe vifits you, but my voice is fo weak, that I doubt fhe will never hear me.

Mr. Lewis fent me an account of Dr. Arbuthnot's illness, which is a very fenfible affliction to me, who by living fo long out of the world, have loft that hardness of heart contracted by years and general converfation. I am daily lofing friends, and neither seeking nor getting others. Oh if the world had but a dozen of Arbuthnots in it, I would burn my Travels! But however he is not without fault: There is a paffage in Bede, highly commending the piety and learning of the Irish in that age, where after abundance of praifes he overthrows them all, by lamenting that, alas! they kept Easter at a wrong time of the year. So our Doctor has every quality and virtue that can make a man amiable or ufeful; but alas, he hath a fort of flouch in his Walk! I pray God protect him, for he is an excellent Chriftian, though not a Catholic.

I hear nothing of our friend Gay, but I find the Court keeps him at hard meat. I advifed him to come over here with a Lord Lieutenant. Philips

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