disappoint it. As to one of your enquiries, I am easy enough in great matters, and have a thousand paltry vexations in my little station, and the more contemptible, the more vexatious. There might be a Lutrin writ upon the tricks used by my Chapter to teize me. I do not converfe 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 described them to you, but when you come, you fhall have the honours of the country as much as you please, and I shall on that account make a better figure as long as I live. Pray God preferve Mrs. Pope for your fake and ease ; I love and efteem her too much to wish it for her own: If I were five and twenty, I would wish to be of her age, to be as fecure as fhe is of a better life. Mrs. P. B. has writ to me, and is one of the best Letter-writers I know; very good fenfe, civility and friendship, without any ftiffness or constraint. The Dunciad has taken wind here, but if it had not, you are as much known here as in England, and the University-lads will crowd to kiss the hem of your garment. I am griev'd to hear that my Lord Bolingbroke's ill health forc'd him to the Bath. Tell me, is not Temperance a neceffary virtue for great men, fince it is the parent of Eafe and Liberty; fo neceffary for

the

the use and improvement of the mind, and which Philofophy allows to be the greatest felicities of life? I believe, had health been given fo liberally to you, it would have been better husbanded without shame to your parts.

I

LETTER XXXII.

my

Dawley, June 28, 1728. Now hold the pen for Lord Bolingbroke, who is reading your letter between two Haycocks; but his attention is fomewhat diverted by cafting his eyes on the clouds, not in admiration of what you fay, but for fear of a fhower. He is pleas'd with your placing him in the Triumvirate between your felf and me; tho' he fays that he doubts he shall fare like Lepidus, while one of us runs away with all the power like Auguftus, and another with all the pleasures like Anthony. It is upon a forefight of this, that he has fitted up his farm, and you will agree, that this scheme of retreat at least is not founded upon weak appearances. Upon his return from the Bath, all peccant humours, he finds, are purg'd out of him; and his great Temperance and Oeconomy are fo fignal, that the firft is fit for my conftitution, and the latter would enable you to lay up fo much money as

to buy a Bishoprick in England. As to the return of his health and vigour, were you here, you might enquire of his Hay-makers; but as to his temperance, I can answer that (for one whole day) we have had nothing for dinner but mutton-broth, beans and bacon, and a barndoor fowl.

Now his Lordship is run after his Cart, I have a moment left to myself to tell you, that I over-heard him yesterday agree with a Painter for 2007. to paint his country-hall with Trophies of Rakes, fpades, prongs, &c. and other ornaments, merely to countenance his calling this place a Farm-now turn over a new leaf

He bids me affure you, he should be forry not to have more fchemes of kindness for his friends, than of ambition for himself: There, tho' his schemes may be weak, the motives at leaft are strong; and he fays further, if you could bear as great a fall, and decrease of your revenues, as he knows by experience he can, you wou'd not live in Ireland an hour.

The Dunciad is going to be printed in all pomp, with the inscription, which makes me proudeft. It will be attended with Proeme, Prolegomena, Teftimonia Scriptorum, Index Authorum, and Notes Variorum. As to the latter, I defire you to read over the Text, and make a few

few in any way you like best a; whether dry raillery, upon the style and way of commenting of trivial Critics; or humourous, upon the authors in the poem; or hiftorical, of perfons, places, times; or explanatory; or collecting the parallel paffages of the Ancients. Adieu. I am pretty well, my Mother not ill, Dr. Arbuthnot vex'd with his fever by intervals; I am afraid he declines, and we shall lose a worthy man: I am troubled about him very much.

I am, &c.

LETTER XXXIII.

From Dr. SWIFT.

July 16, 1728.

I'

Have often run over the Dunciad in an Irish

edition (I fuppofe full of faults) which a gentleman fent me. The notes I could wish to be very large, in what relates to the perfons concern'd; for I have long obferved that twenty miles from London nobody understands hints, initial letters, or town-facts and paffages; and in a few years not even those who live in London. I would have the names of those scriblers printed indexically at the beginning or end of

the Poem, with an account of their works, for the reader to refer to. I would have all the Parodies (as they are call'd) referred to the author they imitate-When I began this long paper, I thought I fhould have fill'd it with fetting down the feveral paffages I had mark'd in the edition I had; but I find it unneceffary, fo many of them falling under the fame rule. After twenty times reading the whole, I never in my opinion faw fo much good fatire, or more good fenfe, in fo many lines. How it paffes in Dublin I know not yet; but I am fure it will be a great disadvantage to the Poem, that the perfons and facts will not be underflood, till an explanation comes out, and a very full one. I imagine it is not to be published till towards winter, when folks begin to gather in town. Again I infift, you must have your Afterisks fill'd up with fome real names of real Dunces,

I am now reading your preceding letter, of June 28, and find that all I have adyis'd above is mentioned there. I would be glad to know whether the quarto edition is to come out anonymously, as published by the Commentator, with all his pomp of prefaces, &c. and among many complaints of fpurious editions? I am thinking whether the Editor fhould not follow the old ftyle of, this excellent author, &c. and