God be thanked, I have yet no parliamentary bufinefs; and if they have none with me, I fhall never feek their acquaintance. I have not been very fond of them for fome years past, not when I thought them tolerably, good; and therefore, if I can get leave to be abfent, I fhall be much inclined to be on that fide, when there is a parliament on this. But truly I must be a little eafy in my mind · before I can think of Scriblerus. You are to understand, that I live in the corner of a vaft unfurnished houfe. My family confists of a steward, a groom, a helper in the ftable, a footman. and an old maid, who are all at boardwages; and when I do not dine abroad, or make an entertainment, (which laft is very rare), I eat a mutton-pye, and drink half a pint of wine. My amusements are, defending my fmall dominion against the Archbishop, and endeavouring to reduce my rebellious choir. Perditur hac inter mifero lux. I defire you will present my humble fervice to Mr. Addifon, Mr. Congreve, and Mr. Rowe, and Gay. I am, and will be always, extremely: Yours, &c. ********************** I LETTER IV. Mr. POPE to Dr. SWIFT. June 20 1716. Cannot fuffer a friend to cross the Irish feas, without bearing a teftimony from me of the Mr. Pope was neither wanting to his friends for fear of party, nor would infult a miniftry to humour his friends. He faid of himself, and I believe he faid truly, that " he never wrote a line to gratify "the animofity of any one party at the expenfe of another." Warb. A a 3 conftant conftant esteem and affection I am both obliged and inclined to have for you. It is better he should tell you than I, how often you are in our thoughts, and in our cups, and how I learn to fleep lefs *, and drink more, whenever you are named among us. I look upon a friend in Ireland, as upon a friend in the other world, whom (Popishly speaking) I believe conftantly well difpofed towards me, and ready to do me all the good he can, in that state of feparation, though I hear nothing from him, and make addreffes to him but very rarely. A Proteftant divine cannot take it amifs, that I treat him in the fame manner with my patron faint. I can tell you no news, but what you will not fufficiently wonder at, that I fuffer many things as an author militant; whereof, in your days of probation, you have been a sharer, or you had not arrived at that triumphant ftate you now deservedly enjoy in the church. As for me, I have not the leaft hopes of the cardinalet, though I fuffer for my religion in almost every weekly paper. I have begun to take a pique at the pfalms of David, if the wicked may be credited, who have printed a fcandalous one in my name *. This report I dare not difcourage too much, in a profpect I have at prefent of a poft under the Marquis de Langallerie ; wherein, if I can but do fome fignal fervice against the Pope, I may be confiderably advanced by the Turks, the only religious people I dare confide in. If it fhould happen hereafter, that I fhould write for the holy law of Mahomet, 1 hope it may make no breach between you and me. Every one must live, and I beg you will not be the Alluding to his conftant custom of sleeping after dinner. Warb. One who made a noife then, as Count Bonneval has done fince. man man to manage the controverfy against me. The church of Rome I judge (from many modern fymptoms, as well as ancient prophecies) to be in a declining condition; that of England will in a fhort time be fcarce able to maintain her own family; fo churches fink as generally as banks in Europe, and for the fame reafon; that religion and trade, which at first were open and free, have been reduced into the management of companies, and the roguery of directors. I don't know why I tell you all this, but that I always loved to talk to you; but this is not a time for any man to talk to the purpose. Truth is a kind of contraband commodity, which I would not venture to export; and therefore the only thing tending that dangerous way which I fhall fay, is, that I am, and always will be, with the utmost fincerity, Yours, &c. I LETTER V. From Dr. SWIFT to Mr. POPE. Aug. 30. 1716. Had the favour of your's by Mr. F.; of whom, before any other queftion relating to your health or fortune, or fuccefs as a poet, I inquired your principles, in the common form, "Is he a Whig, or a Tory?" I am forry to find they are not fo well tallied to the prefent juncture as I could wifh. I always thought the terms of facto and jure had been introduced by the poets, and that poffef 66 fion of any fort in kings was held an unexceptionable title in the courts of Parnaffus. If you do not grow a perfect good fubject in all its prefent latitudes, I fhall conclude you are become rich, and able to live without dedications to men in power ; whereby one great inconvenience will follow, that you and the world, and pofterity, will be utterly ignorant of their virtues. For either your brethren have miferably deceived us these hundred years paft, or power confers virtue, as naturally as five of your popifh facraments do grace. You fleep lefs, and drink more;- -but your mafter Horace was vini fomnique benignus: and, as I take it, both are proper for your trade. As to mine, there are a thousand poetical texts to confirm the one; and as to the other, I know it was anciently the custom to fleep in temples, for those who would confult the oracles, "Who dictates to me lumbering &c. You are an ill catholic, or a worfe geographer; for I can affure you, Ireland is not a paradife; and I appeal even to any Spanish divine, whether addreffes were ever made to a friend in hell or purgatory? And who are all these enemies you hint at? I can only think of Curl, Gildon, 'Squire Burnet, Blackmore, and a few others, whofe fame I have forgot. Tools, in my opinion, are as neceffary for a good writer, as pen, ink, and paper. And befides, I would fain know, whether every draper doth not fhew you three or four damn'd pieces of stuff to fet off his good one? However, I will grant, that one thorough book-felling rogue is better qualified to vex an author, than all his cotemporary fcribblers in critic or fatire, not only by ftolen copies of what was incorrect, or unfit for the public, but by downright laying other mens dulnefs at your door. I had a long defign upon the ears of that Curl, when * Milton. I was in credit; but the rogue would never allow me a fair stroke at them, although my penknife was ready drawn and fharp. I can hardly believe the relation of his being poifoned, although the hiftorian pretends to have been an eye-witnefs: but I beg pardon, fack might do it, although ratfbane would not. I never faw the thing you mention as falfely imputed to you; but I think the frolics of merry hours, even when we are guilty, fhould not be left to the mercy of our best friends, until Curl and his refemblers are hanged. With fubmiffion to the better judgement of you and your friends, I take your project of an employment under the Turks to be idle and unneceffary. Have a little patience, and you will find more merit and encouragement at home by the fame methods. You are ungrateful to your country; quit but your own religion, and ridicule ours, and that will allow. you a free choice for any other, or for none at all, and pay you well into the bargain. Therefore pray do not run and difgrace us among the Turks, by telling them you were forced to leave your native home, because we would oblige you to be a Christian; whereas we will make it appear to all the world, that we only compelled you to be a Whig. There is a young ingenious Quaker in this town, who writes verfes to his mistress, not very correct, but in a strain purely what a poetical quaker fhould do, commending her look and habit, &c. It gave me a hint, that a fet of Quaker paftorals might fucceed, if our friend Gay* could fancy it, and I think it a fruitful fubject. Pray hear what he fays. I believe further, the pastoral ridicule is not exhausted; and that a porter, footman, or chairman's Gay wrote a paftoral of this kind, which is published in his works. Warb. paftoral |