66 out, and those that are out fhall be as thofe that 66 are in." I'am indifferent as to all thofe matters; but I miss you as much as I did the first day, when (with a fhort figh) I parted. Where-ever you are, (or on the mountains of Wales, or on the coast of Dublin, Tu mihi, feu magni fuperas jam faxa Timavi, I am, and ever fhall be your's, &c. A Νου. 17. 1726. Bout ten days ago a book was published here of the travels of one Gulliver, which hath been the converfation of the whole town ever fince. The whole impreffion fold in a week; and nothing is more diverting, than to hear the different opinions people give of it, though all agree in liking it extremely. 'Tis generally faid that you are the author; but I am told, the bookfeller declares, he knows not from what hand it came. From the highest to the loweft it is univerfally read, from the the cabinet counfel to the nursery. The politicians to a man agree, that it is free from particular reflections, but that the fatire on general focieties of men is too fevere. Not but we now and then meet with people of greater perfpicuity, who are in fearch for particular applications in every leaf; and 'tis highly probable we fhall have keys published to give light into Gulliver's defign. Lord is the the perfon who leaft approves it, blaming it as a defign of evil confequence to depreciate human nature; at which it cannot be wondered that he takes moft offence, being himself the moft accomplished of his fpecies, and fo lofing more than any other of that praise which is due both to the dignity and virtue of a man*. Your friend, my Lord Harcourt, commends it very much, though he thinks in fome places the matter too far carried. The Duchefs dowager of Marlborough is in rapture at it; fhe fays the can dream of nothing elfe fince the read it; fhe declares, that the hath now found out, that her whole life hath been loft in careffing the worst part of mankind, and treating the best as her foes; and that if fhe knew Gulliver, though he had been the worst enemy she ever had; fhe would give up her prefent acquaintance for his friendship. You may fee by this, that you are not much injured by being supposed the author of this piece. If you are, you have disobliged us, and two or three of your best friends, in not giving us the leaft hint of it, while you were with us; and in particular Dr. Arbuthnot, who fays, 'tis ten thousand pities he had not known it, he could have added fuch abundance of things upon every fubject. Among ladycritics, fome have found out that Mr. Gulliver had a particular malice to maids of honour, Those of them who frequent the church, fay his defign is impious, and that it is depreciating the works of the Creator Notwithstanding, I am told the Princefs hath read it with great pleasure. As to other critics, they think the flying ifland is the leaft entertaining; and fo great an opinion the town have of the impoffibility of Gulliver's writing at all be It is no wonder a man of worth fhould condemn a fatire on his fpecies; as it injures virtue, and violates truth; and as little, that a corrupt man fhould approve it, becaufe it juftifies his principles, and tends to excufe his practice, Warb. low It. low himself, 'tis agreed that was not writ by the fame hand, though this hath its defenders too. hath paffed Lords and Commons nemine contra dicente: and the whole town, men, women, and children, are quite full of it. Perhaps, I may all this time be talking to you of a book you have never feen, and which hath nat yet reached Ireland. If it hath not, I believe what we have faid will be fufficient to recommend it to your reading, and that you will order me to fend it to you. But it will be much better to come over yourself, and read it here, where you will have the pleasure of variety of commentators, to explain the difficult paffages to you. We all rejoice that you have fixed the precife time of your coming to be cum hirundine prima; which we modern naturalifts pronounce ought to he reckoned, contrary to Pliny, in this northern latitude of fifty-two degrees, from the end of February, ftyl. Greg. at fartheft. But to us your friends, the coming of fuch a black fwallow as you, will make a fummer in the worst of feafons. We are no lefs glad at your mention of Twickenham and Dawley; and in town you know you have a lodging at court. The princefs is cloathed with Irifh filk; pray give our fervice to the weavers. We are ftrangely furprised to hear that the bells in Ireland ring without your money. I hope you do not write the thing that is not. We are afraid that B- hath been guilty of that crime, that you (like Houyhnhnm) have treated him as a Yahoo, and difcarded him your fervice. I fear you do not understand thefe modifh terms, which every creature now understands but yourself. You tell us your wine is bad, and that the clergy do not frequent your houfe, which we look upon to be tautology. The beft advice we can give you you is, to make them a prefent of your wine, and come away to better. You fancy we envy you, but you are mistaken : we envy thofe you are with; for we cannot envy the man we love. Adieu. I LETTER XX. Nov. 16. 1726. Have refolved to take time; and, in fpite of all misfortunes and demurs, which ficknefs, lamenefs, or difability of any kind can throw in my way, to write you (at intervals) a long letters. My two leaft fingers of one hand hang impediments to the others *, like useless dependents, who only take up room, and never are active or affiftant to our wants. I fhall never be much the better for them. I congratulate you firft upon what you call your coufin's wonderful book, which is publica trita manu at prefent, and I prophefy will be hereafter the admiration of all men. That countenance with which it is received by fome ftatefmen, is delightful; I wish I could tell you how every fingle man looks upon it, to obferve which has been my whole diverfion this fortnight. I've never been a night in London fince you left me, till now for this very end; and indeed it has fully anfwered my expectations. I find no confiderable man very angry at the This was occafioned by a bad accident as he was returning home in a friend's chariot: which in paffing a bridge was overturned, and thrown with the horfes into the river. The glaffes being up, and Mr. Pope unable to break them, he was in immediate danger of drowning; when the pottilion, who had juft recovered himself, beat the glass which lay uppermoft to pieces, a fragment of which cut one of Mr. Pope's hands very dangeroully. Warb. book book. Some indeed think it rather too bold, and too general a fatire: but none, that I hear of, accufe it of particular reflections; (I mean no perfons of confequence, or good judgement; the mob of critics, you know, always are defirous to apply fatire to those they envy for being above them): fo that you needed not to have been fo fecret upon this head. Motte received the copy, he tells me, he knew not from whence, nor from whom, dropped at his house in the dark, from a hackney-coach. By computing the time, I found it was after you left England: fo, for my part, I fufpend my judgement. I am pleased with the nature and quality of your prefent to the princefs. The Irifh ftuff you fent to Mrs. H. her R. H. laid hold of, and has made up for her own use. Are you determined to be national in every thing, even in your civilities? You are the greatest politician in Europe at this rate; but as you are a rational politician, there is no great fear of you, you will never fucceed. Another thing in which you have pleafed me, was what you fay to Mr. P.; by which it seems to me, that you value no man's civility above your own dignity, or your own reafon. Surely, without flattery, you are now above all parties of men ; and it is high time to be fo, after twenty or thirty years obfervation of the great world. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magiftri. I queftion not, many men would be of your intimacy, that you might be of their intereft: but God forbid any honeft or witty man fhould be of any but that of his country. They have fcoundrels enough to write for their paffions and their defigns; let us write for truth, for honour, and for pofterity. If you must needs write about politicks at all, (but perhaps 'tis full as wife to play the fool any o ther |