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about his two thoufand. Shall no one of us live as we would with each other to live? Shall we have no annuity, you no fettlement on this fide, and I no profpect of getting to you on the other? This world is made for Cæfar as Cato faid, for ambitious, false, or flattering people to domineer in : Nay they would not, by their good will, leave us our very books, thoughts, or words, in quiet. I defpife the world yet, I affure you, more than either Gay or you, and the Court more than all the reft of the world. As for those Scriblers for whom you apprehend I would fupprefs my Dulness (which by the way, for the future, you are to call by a more pompous name, The Dunciad) how much that nest of Hornets are my regard, will eafily appear to you," when you read the Treatife of the Bathos.

At all adventures, yours and my name shall stand linked as friends to pofterity, both in verfe and profe, and (as Tully calls it) in confuetudine Studiorum. Would to God our perfons could but as well, and as furely, be infeparable! I find my other Tyes dropping from me: fome worn off, fome torn off, others relaxing daily: My greateft, both by duty, gratitude, and humanity, Time is fhaking every moment, and it now hangs but by a thread! I am many years the older, for living fo much with one fo old; much the more helpless, for having been fo long help'd and tended by her; much the more confiderate and tender, for a daily commerce with one who requir'd me juftly to be both to her; and confequently the more melancholy and thoughtful; and: the lefs fit for others, who want only in a compa-.. nion or a friend, to be amufed or entertained. My conftitution too has had its fhare of decay, as well as my fpirits, and I am as much in the decline at forty as you at fixty. I believe we should be fit to live together, cou'd I get a little more health, which might make me not quite infupportable: your Deaf

nefs

1

But

nefs wou'd agree with my Dulness; you would not
want me to fpeak when you could not hear.
God forbid
you fhou'd be as deftitute of the focial
comforts of life, as I must when I lose my mother;
or that ever you fhou'd lose your more useful ac-
quaintance fo utterly, as to turn your thoughts to
fuch a broken reed as I am, who could fo ill fupply
your wants. I am extremely troubled at the returns
of your deafnefs; you cannot be too particular in
the accounts of your health to me; every thing you
do or fay in this kind obliges me, nay, delights me,
to fee the juftice you do me in thinking me con-
cern'd in all your concerns; fo that though the plea-
fanteft thing you can tell me be that
you are better
or eafier; next to that it pleases me, that you make
me the perfon you would complain to.

As the obtaining the love of valuable men is the happiest end I know of this life, fo the next felicity is to get rid of fools and fcoundrels; which I can't but own to you was one part of my defign in falling thefe Authors, whofe incapacity is not greater than their infincerity, and of whom I have always found (if I may quote myself)

upon

That each bad Author is as bad a Friend.

This Poem will rid me of thofe infects,

Cedite, Romani Scriptores, cedite, Graii;
Nefcio quid majus nafcitur Iliade.

I mean than my Iliad; and I call it Nefcio quid, which
is a degree of modefty; but however if it filence
these fellows*, it must be fomething greater than
any Iliad in Chriftendom.

i

Adieu.

* It did, in a little time, effectually filence them.

1

LET

I

LETTER XXX.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Dublin, May 10, 1728.

Have with great pleasure fhewn the New-England News-paper with the two names Jonathan Gulliver, and I remember Mr. Fortefcue fent you an account from the affizes, of one Lemuel Gulliver who had a Cause there, and loft it on his ill reputation of being a liar. These are not the only obfervations I have made upon odd ftrange accidents in trifles, which in things of great importance would have been matter for Hiftorians. Mr. Gay's Opera hath been acted here twenty times, and my Lord Lieutenant tells me, it is very well perform'd; he hath feen it often, and approves it much.

You give a moft melancholy account of yourfelf, and which I do not approve. I reckon that a man fubject like us to bodily infirmities, fhould only occafionally converfe with great people, notwithftanding all their good qualities, eafineffes, and kindneffes. There is another race which I prefer before them, as Beef and Mutton for conftant diet before Partridges: I mean a middle kind both for understanding and fortune, who are perfectly eafy, never impertinent, complying in every thing, ready to do a hundred little offices that you and I may of ten want, who dine and fit with me five times for once that I go to them, and whom I can tell without offence, that I am otherwife engaged at prefent. This you cannot expect from any of those that either you or I or both are acquainted with on your fide; who are only fit for our healthy feafons, and have much bufinefs of their own. God forbid I fhould condemn you to Ireland (Quanquam O!) and for England I defpair; and indeed a change of

affairs

affairs would come too late at my season of life, and might probably produce nothing on my behalf. You have kept Mrs. Pope longer, and have had her care beyond what from nature you could expect; not but her lofs will be very fenfible, whenever it shall happen. I fay one thing, that both fummers and winters are milder here than with you; all things for life in general better for a middling fortune: you will have an abfolute command of your company, with whatever obfequioufnefs or freedom you may expect or allow. I have an elderly house-keeper, who hath been my W-lp-le above thirty years, whenever I liv'd in this kingdom. I have the command of one or two villa's near this town: You have a warm apartment in this house, and two gardens for amusement. I have faid enough, yet not half. Except abfence from friends, I confefs freely that I have no difcontent at living here; befides what arifes from a filly spirit of Liberty, which as it neither fours my drink, nor hurts my meat, nor fpoils my ftomach farther than in imagination, fo I refolve to throw it off.

You talk of this Dunciad, but I am impatient to have it volare per ora-there is now a vacancy for fame; the Beggar's Opera hath done its tafk, difcedat uti conviva fatur.

LETTER XXXI.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Adieu.

June 1, 1728.

I

Look upon my Lord Bolingbroke and us two, as a peculiar Triumvirate, who have nothing to expect, or to fear; and fo far fitteft to converfe with

one another: Only he and I are a little fubject to fchemes, and one of us. (I won't say which) upon very weak appearances, and this you have nothing to do with. I do profefs without affectation, that your kind opinion of me as a Patriot (fince you call it fo) is what I do not deferve; becaufe what I do is owing to perfect rage and refentment, and the mortifying fight of flavery, folly, and bafeness about me, among which I am forc'd to live. And I will take my oath that you have more Virtue in an hour, than I in feven years; for you defpife the follies, and hate the vices of mankind, without the leaft ill effect on your temper; and with regard to particular men, you are inclined always rather to think the better, whereas with me it is always directly contrary. I hope however, this is not in you from a fuperior principle of virtue, but from your fituation, which hath made all parties and interefts indifferent to you, who can be under no concern about high and low-church, Whig and Tory, or who is first Minister-Your long letter was the last I receiv'd till this by Dr. Delany, although you mention another fince. The Dr. told me your fecret about the Dunciad, which does not pleafe me, because it defers gratifying my vanity in the most tender point, and perhaps may wholly difappoint it. As to one of your enquiries, I am eafy enough in great matters, and have a thousand paltry vexations in my little ftation, and the more contemptible, the more vexatious. There might be a Lutrin writ upon the tricks used by my Chapter to teaze me. i do not converse with one creature of Station or Title, but I have a fett of eafy people whom I entertain when I have a mind; I have formerly defcribed them to you, but, when you come you fhall have the honours of the country as much as you pleafe, and I fhall on that account make a better figure as long as I live. Pray God preferve Mrs. Pope for VOL. IX, G

your

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