fame thing, but with more stiffness, and confequently lefs diverting: Now I must tell you, that you are to look upon me as one going very faft out of the world; but my flesh and bones are to be carried to Holy-head, for I will not lie in a country of flaves. It pleaseth me to find that you begin to dif like things in fpite of your Philofophy; your Muse cannot forbear her hints to that purpose. I cannot travel to see you; otherwife, I folemnly protest I would do it. I have an intention to pass this winter in the country with a friend forty miles off, and to ride only ten miles a day; yet is my health fo uncertain that I fear it will not be in my power. I often ride a dozen miles, but I come to my own bed at night: My best way would be to marry, for in that cafe any bed would be better than my own. I found you a very young man, and I left you a middle-aged one; you knew me a middleaged man, and now I am an old one. Where is my Lord methinks, I am enquiring after a Tulip of last year." You need not apprehend any "Curl's meddling with your letters to me; I will "not deftroy them, but have ordered my Execu"tors to do that office." I have a thousand things more to fay, longavitas eft garrula, but I must remember I have other letters to write if I have time, which I spend to tell you fo; I am ever, deareft Sir, Your, &c.

I

LETTER LXXVIII.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Feb. 9, 1735-6.

Cannot properly call you my best friend, becaufe I have not another left who deferves the. name, fuch a havock have Time, Death, Exile,

and Oblivion made. Perhaps you would have fewer complaints of my ill health and lowness of fpirits, if they were not fome excufe for my delay of writ ing even to you. It is perfectly right what you fay of the indifference in common friends, whether we are fick or well, happy or miserable. The very maidfervants in a family have the fame notion: I have heard them often fay, Oh, I am very fick, if any body cared for it! I am vexed when my yifitors come with the compliment ufual here, Mr. Dean, I hope you are very well. My popularity that you mention, is wholly confined to the common people, who are more conftant than those we mif- call their betters. I walk the streets, and fo do my lower friends, from whom and from whom alone, I have a thousand hats and bleffings upon old fcores, which those we call the Gentry have forgot. But I have not the love, or hardly the civility, of any one man in power or station; and I can boast that I neither yifit nor am acquainted with any Lord Temporal or Spiritual in the whole kingdom; nor am able to do the leaft good office to the moft deferving man, except what I can difpofe of in my own Cathedral upon a vacancy. What hath funk my spirits more than even years and fick nefs, is reflecting on the moft execrable Corruptions that run thro' every branch of public management.

I heartily thank you for thofe lines tranflated, Singula de nobis anni, &c. You have put them in a strong and admirable light; but however I am fo partial, as to be more delighted with those which are to do me the greateft honour I fhall ever receive from pofterity, and will outweigh the malignity of ten-thousand enemies. I never faw them before, by which it is plain that the letter you fent me mifcarry'd.--I do not doubt that you have choice of new acquaintance, and fome of them may be deferving: For Youth is the feafon of Virtue; Corruptions

*

ruptions grow with years, and I believe the oldeft rogue in England is the greatest. You have years enough before you to watch whether thefe new acquaintance will keep their Virtue, when they leave you and go into the world; how long will their fpirit of independency last against the temptations of future Minifters, and future Kings.--As to the new Lord Lieutenant, I never knew any of the family; fo that I fhall not be able to get any jobb done by him for any deserving friend.

I

LETTER LXXIX.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Feb. 7, 1735-6.

T is fome time fince I dined at the Bishop of Derry's, where Mr. Secretary Cary told me with great concern, that you were taken very ill. I have heard nothing fince, only I have continued in great pain of mind, yet for my own fake and the world's more than for yours; because I well know how little you value life both as a Philofopher and a Christian, particularly the latter, wherein hardly one in a million of us heretics can equal you. If you are well recovered, you ought to be reproached for not putting me especially out of pain, who could not bear the lofs of you; although we must be for ever diftant as much as if I were in the grave, for which my years and continual indifpofition are preparing me every season. I have staid too long from preffing you to give me some ease by an account of your health; pray do not use me fo ill any more. I look upon you as an estate from which I receive

my

beft

* He was mistaken.

0 4

annual

annual rents, although I am never to fee it. Mr. Tickel was at the fame meeting under the fame real concern; and fo were a hundred others of this town who had never seen you.

I read to the Bishop of Derry the paragraph in your letter which concerned him, and his Lordfhip exprefs'd his thankfulness in a manner that became him. He is esteemed here as a perfon of learning and conversation and humanity, but he is beloved by all people.

I have no-body now left but you: Pray, be fo kind to out-live me, and then die as foon as you please, but without pain; and let us meet in a better place, if my Religion will permit, but rather my Virtue, although much unequal to yours. Pray, let my Lord Bathurst know how much I love him; I ftill infift on his remembring me, although he is too much in the world to honour an abfent friend with his letters. My ftate of health is not to boast of; my giddiness is more or less too conftant; I fleep ill, and have a poor appetite. I can as easily write a Poem in the Chinese-language as my own.: I am as fit for Matrimony as invention; and yet I have daily schemes for innumerable Effays in profe, and proceed fometimes to no lefs than half a dozen lines, which the next morning become wafte paper. What vexes me moft is, that my female friends, who could bear me very well a dozen years ago, have now forfaken me, although I am not fo old in proportion to them, as I formerly was: which I can prove by Arithmetic, for then I was double their age, which now I am not. Pray, put me out of fear as foon as you can, about that ugly report of your illness; and let me know who this Chefelden is, that hath fo lately fprung up in your favour? Give me alfo fome account of your neighbour who writ to me from Bath: I hear he refolves to be ftrenuous for taking off the Teft; which grieves me extremely,

from

from all the unprejudiced Reasons I ever was able to form, and againft the maxims of all wife Chriftian governments *, which always had fome establish'd Religion, leaving at beft a toleration to others.

Farewel, my dearest friend! ever, and upon every account that can create friendship and esteem.

LETTER LXXX.

March 25, 1736.

Fever I write more Epiftles in Verfe, one of them fhall be addrefs'd to you. I have long concerted it, and begun it, but I would make what bears your name as finifhed as my last work ought to be, that is to say, more finished than any of the reft. The fubject is large, and will divide into four Epiftles, which naturally follow the Effay on Man, viz. 1. Of the Extent and Limits of Human Reafon and Science. 2. A View of the useful and therefore attainable, and of the un-ufeful and therefore un-attainable, Arts. 3. Of the Nature, Ends, Application, and Use of different Capacities. 4. Of the Ufe of Learning, of the Science of the World, and of Wit. It will conclude with a Satire against the mif-application of all these, exemplify'd by pictures, characters, and examples.

But alas! the task is greit, and non fum qualis eram! My understanding indeed, fuch as it is, is extended rather than diminished: I fee things more in the whole, more confiftent, and more clearly deduced from, and related to, each other. But what I gain on the fide of philofophy, I lose on the fide of poetry the flowers are gone, when the fruits

*The Author of the Differtation on parties appears to be of the fame opinion.