the beft, and not die here in a rage, like a poifon'd rat in a hole. I wonder you are not ashamed to let me pine away in this kingdom while you are out of power.

I come from looking over the Melange abovewritten, and declare it to be a true copy of my prefent difpofition, which muft needs please you, fince nothing was ever more difpleafing to myself. I defire you to prefent my most humble refpects to my Lady.

LETTER XXXVII.

Dr. SWIFT to Lord BOLINGBROKE.

I

Dublin, April 5, 1729.

Do not think it could be poffible for me to hear better news than that of your getting over your fcurvy fuit, which always hung as a dead weight on my heart; I hated it in all its circumstances, as it affected your fortune and quict, and in a fituation of life that must make it every way vexatious. And as I am infinitely obliged to you for the juftice you do me in fuppofing your affairs do at least concern me as much as my own; fo I would never have pardoned your omitting it. But before I go on, I cannot forbear mentioning what I read laft fummer in a news-paper, that you were writing the hiftory of your own times. I fuppofe fuch a report might arife from what was not fecret among your friends, of your intention to write another kind of hiftory; which you often promis'd Mr. Pope and me to do I know he defires it very much, and I am fure I defire nothing more, for the honour and love I bear you, and the perfect knowledge I have of your public virtue. My Lord, I have no other notion of

Oeconomy

Oeconomy than that it is the parent of Liberty and Eafe, and I am not the only friend you have who hath chid you in his heart for the neglect of it, tho' not with his mouth, as I have done. For there is a filly error in the world, even among friends otherwife very good, not to intermeddle with mens affairs in fuch nice matters. And, my Lord, I have made a maxim, that fhould be writ in letters of diamonds, That a wife man ought to have Money in his head, but not in his heart. Pray, my Lord, enquire whether your Prototype, my Lord Digby, after the Reftoration when he was at Briftol, did not take fome care of his fortune, notwithstanding that quotation I once fent you out of his fpeech to the H. of Commons? In my conscience, I believe Fortune, like other drabbs, values a man gradually lefs for every year he lives. I have demonstration for it; becaufe if I play at piquet for fix-pence with a man or a woman two years younger than myself, I always lofe; and there is a young girl of twenty, who never fails of winning my money at Backgammon, tho' fhe is a bungler, and the game be Ecclefiaftic. As to the public, I confefs nothing could cure my itch of meddling with it but these frequent returns of deafnefs, which have hindered me from paffing laft winter in London; yet I cannot but confider the perfidioufnefs of fome people, who I thought when I was laft there, upon a change that happened, were the moft impudent in forgetting their profeffions that I have ever known. Pray, will

you please to take your pen, and blot me out that political maxim from whatever book it is in, that Res nolunt diu male administrari; the commonnefs makes me not know who is the author, but fure he must be some Modern.

I am forry for Lady Bolingbroke's ill health; but I proteft I never knew a very deferving perfon of that fex, who had not too much reafon to complain

of

this to you,

of ill health. I never wake without finding life a more infignificant thing than it was the day before : which is one great advantage I get by living in this country, where there is nothing I fhall be forry to lofe. But my greatest misery is recollecting the fcene of twenty years paft, and then all on a fudden dropping into the prefent. I remember, when I was a little boy, I felt a great fish at the end of my line, which I drew up almost on the ground, but it dropt in, and the difappointment vexes me to this very day, and, I believe, it was the type of all my future disappointments. I fhould be afham'd to fay if you had not a fpirit fitter to bear your own misfortunes, than I have to think of them. Is there patience left to reflect, by what qualities wealth and greatness are got, and by what qualities they are loft? I have read my friend Congreve's verfes to Lord Cobham, which end witha vile and false moral, and I remember is not in Horace to Tibullus, which he imitates," that all times are equally "virtuous and vicious," wherein he differs from all Poets, Philofophers, and Chriftians that ever writ. It is more probable that there may be an equal quantity of virtues always in the world, but fometimes there may be a peck of it in Afia, and hardly a thimble-full in Europe. But if there be no virtue, there is abundance of fincerity; for I will venture all I am worth, that there is not one human creature in power, who will not be modest enough to confefs that he proceeds wholly upon a principle of Corruption. I say this, because I have a fcheme in fpite of your notions, to govern England upon the principles of Virtue, and when the nation is ripe for it, I defire you will fend for me. I have learn'd this by living like a Hermit, by which I am got backwards about nineteen hundred years in the Era of the world, and begin to wonder at the wickedness of men. I dine alone upon half a difh

of

of meat, mix water with my wine, walk ten miles a day, and read Baronius. Hic explicit Epiftola ad Dom. Bolingbroke, et incipit ad amicum Pope.

Having finifhed my Letter to Ariftippus, I now begin to you. I was in great pain about Mrs. Pope, having heard from others that he was in a very dangerous way, which made me think it unfeasonable to trouble you. I am afhamed to tell you, that when I was very young I had more desire to be famous than ever fince; and fame, like all things elfe in this life, grows with me every day more a trifle. But you who are fo much younger, although you want that health you deserve, yet your fpirits are as vigorous as if your body were founder. I hate a crowd, where I have not an eafy place to fee and be seen. A great Library always makes me melancholy, where the beft Author is as much fqueezed, and as obfcure, as a Porter at a Coronation. In my own little library, I value the compilements of Grævius and Gronovius, which make thirty-one volumes in folio (and were given me by my Lord Bolingbroke) more than all my books befides; because whoever comes into my closet, cafts his eyes immediately upon them, and will not vouchsafe to look upon Plato or Xenophon. I tell you it is almoft incredible how Opinions change by the decline or decay of spirits, and I will further tell you, that all my endeavours, from a boy to distinguish myfelf, were only for want of a great Title and Fortune, that I might be used like a Lord by those who have an opinion of my parts; whether right or wrong, it is no great matter; and so the reputation of wit or great learning does the office of a blue ribband, or of a coach and fix horses. To be remembred for ever on the account of our friendship, is what would exceedingly please me; but yet I never lov'd to make a vifit, or be

feen

feen walking with my betters, because they get all the eyes and civilities from me. I no fooner writ this than I corrected myself, and remember'd Sir Fulk Grevil's Epitaph," Here lies, &c. who was friend to "Sir Philip Sidney." And therefore I most heartily thank you for your defire that I would record our friendship in verfe, which if I can fucceed in, I will never defire to write one more line in poetry while I live. You must prefent my humble fervice to Mrs. Pope, and let her know I pray for her continuance in the world, for her own reafon, that the may live to take care of you.

I

LETTER XXXVIII.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Aug. 11, 1729.

AM very fenfible that in a former letter I talked very weakly of my own affairs, and of my imperfect wishes and defires, which however I find with fome comfort do now daily decline, very fuitable to my ftate of health for fome months paft. For my head is never perfectly free from giddinefs, and especially towards night. Yet my diforder is very moderate, and I have been without a fit of deafnefs this half year; fo I am like a horfe, which, though off his mettle, can trot on tolerably; and this comparison puts me in mind to add, that I am returned to be a rider, wherein I wish you would imitate me. As to this country, there have been three terrible years dearth of corn, and every place ftrowed with beggars; but dearths are common in better climates, and our evils here lie much deeper. Imagine a nation the two thirds of whose revenues are spent out of it, and who are not permitted to

trade