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knows it is my great misfortune. My little domeftic affairs are in great confufion by the villainy of agents, and the miferies of this kingdom, where there is no money to be had: nor am I unconcerned to fee all things tending towards abfolute power, in both nations (it is here in perfection already) although I fhall not live to fee it established. This condition of things, both public and perfonal to myself, hath given me fuch a kind of despondency, that I am almost unqualified for any company, diverfion, or amusement. The death of Mr. Gay and the Doctor, hath been terrible wounds near my heart. Their living would have been a great comfort to me, although I fhould never have feen them; like a fum of money in a bank, from which I fhould receive at leaft annual intereft, as I do from you, and have done from my Lord Bolingbroke. To fhew in how much ignorance I live, it is hardly a fortnight fince I heard of the death of my Lady Mafham, my conftant friend in all changes of times. God forbid that I fhould expect you to make a voyage that would in the leaft affect your health: but in the mean time how unhappy am I, that my best friend should have perhaps the only kind of diforder for which a fea-voyage is not in fome degree a remedy? The old Duke of Ormond said, he would not change his dead fon (Offory) for the best living fon in Europe. Neither would I change you my abfent friend for the beft prefent friend round the Globe.

I have lately read a book imputed to Lord B. called a Diflertation upon Parties. I think it very mafterly written.

Pray God reward you for your kind prayers: I believe your prayers will do me more good than

*The Dean was frequently troubled, he tells us, with a giddines in his head,

thofe

thofe of all the Prelates in both kingdoms, or any Prelates in Europe except the Bishop of Marseilles *. And God preserve you for contributing more to mend the world, than the whole pack of (modern) Parfons in a lump.

I am ever entirely yours.

LETTER LXXV.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Sept. 3, 1735.

T

HIS letter will be delivered to you by Faulkner the printer, who goes over on his private affairs. This is an answer to yours of two months ago, which complains of that profligate fellow Curl. I heartily with you were what they call difaffected, as I am. I may fay as David did, I have finned greatly, but what have these sheep done? You have given no offence to the Ministry, nor to the Lords, nor Commons, nor Queen, nor the next in Power. For you are a man of virtue, and therefore muft abhor vice and all corruption, although your difcretion holds the reins. "You need not "fear any confequence in the commerce that hath "fo long paffed between us; although I never de"ftroyed one of your letters. But my Executors sc are men of honour and virtue, who have ftrict "orders in my will to burn every letter left behind 66 me." Neither did our letters contain any Turns of Wit, or Fancy, or Politics, or Satire, but mere innocent Friendship: yet I am loth that any letters, from you and a very few other friends, fhould dye

* Who continued there with his flock all the time a dreadful peftilence defolated that city.

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before me; I believe we neither of us ever leaned our head upon our left hand to study what we should write next; yet we have held a constant intercourse from your youth and my middle age, and from your middle age it must be continued till my death, which my bad ftate of health makes me expect every month. I have the ambition, and it is very earneft as well as in hafte, to have one Epiftle infcribed to me while I am alive, and you juft in the time when wit and wisdom are in the height. I muft once more repeat Cicero's defire to a friend; Orna me. A month ago were fent me over by a friend of mine, the works of John Hughes, Efq. They are in verfe and profe. I never heard of the man in my life, yet I find your name as a fubfcriber too. He is too grave a Poet for me, and, I think, among the mediocribus in profe as well as verfe. I have the honour to know Dr. Rundle; he is indeed worth all the reft you ever fent us, but that is faying nothing, for he anfwers your character; I have dined thrice in his company. He brought over a worthy clergyman of this kingdom as his chaplain, which was a very wife and popular action. His only fault, is, that he drinks no wine, and I drink nothing else.

This kingdom is now absolutely ftarving, by the means of every oppreffion that can be inflicted on mankind-Shall I not vifit for these things? faith the Lord. You advise me right, not to trouble myself about the world: But, oppreffion tortures me, and I cannot live without meat and drink, nor get either without money; and money is not to be had, except they will make me a Bishop, or a Judge, or a Colonel, or a Commiffioner of the Revenues.

Adieu.

LET

То

LETTER LXXVI.

O anfwer your queftion as to Mr. Hughes, what he wanted as to genius he made up as an honest man: but he was of the clafs you think him.

I am glad you think of Dr. Rundle as I do. He will be an honour to the Bishops, and a difgrace to one Bishop, two things you will like: But what you will like more particularly, he will be a friend and benefactor even to your un-friended, un-benefited Nation; he will be a friend to human race, where. ever he goes. Pray tell him my best wishes for his health and long life: I wish you and he came over together, or that I were with you. I never faw a man fo feldom whom I liked fo much as Dr. Rundle.

Lord Peterborow I went to take a laft leave of, at his fetting fail for Lisbon: No Body can be more wafted, no Soul can be more alive. Immediately after the fevereft operation of being cut into the bladder for a fuppreffion of urine, he took coach, and got from Bristol to Southampton. This is a man that will neither live nor die like any other mortal.

Poor Lord Peterborow! there is another ftring loft, that wou'd have help'd to draw you hither! He order'd on his death-bed his Watch to be given me (that which had accompanied him in all his travels) with this reafon, "That I might have some"thing to put me every day in mind of him." It was a prefent to him from the King of Sicily, whose arms and Infignia are graved on the inner-cafe; on the outer, I have put this infcription. Victor Amadeus, Rex Siciliæ, Dux Sabaudiæ, &c. &c. Carole Mordaunt, Comiti de Peterborow, D. D. Car. Mar. Com. de Pet. Alexandro Pope moriens legavit, 1735.

02

Pray

Pray write to me a little oftner: and if there be a thing left in the world that pleases you, tell it one who will partake of it. I hear with approbation and pleasure, that your present care is to relieve the moft helpless of this world, those objects* which most want our compaffion, tho' generally made the fcorn of their fellow-creatures, fuch as are lefs innocent than they. You always think generously; and of all charities, this is the moft difinterested, and leaft vain-glorious, done to fuch as never will thank you, or can praise you for it.

God bless you with ease, if not with pleasure; with a tolerable ftate of health, if not with its full enjoyment; with a refign'd temper of mind, if not a very chearful one. It is upon thefe terms I live myself, tho' younger than you, and I repine not at my lot, could but the prefence of a few that I love be added to thefe.

Adieu.

LETTER_LXXVII.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Oct. 21, 1735.

I

Anfwer'd your letter relating to Curl, &c. I believe my letters have efcap'd being publifh'd because I writ nothing but Nature and Friendship, and particular incidents which could make no figure in writing. I have obferv'd that not only Voiture, but likewife Tully and Pliny writ their letters for the public view, more than for the fake of their correfpondents; and I am glad of it, on account of the Entertainment they have given me, Balfac did the

Idiots.

fame

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