That each bad Author is as bad a Friend. This poem will rid me of those infects, Cedite, Romani Scriptores, cedite, Graii; 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 Christendom. Adieu. LETTER XXX. From Dr. SWIFT. Dublin, May 10, 1728. I 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 caufe there, and loft it on his ill reputation of being a liar. These are not the only observations 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 most melancholy account of yourself, and which I do not approve. I reckon that a man, fubject like us to bodily infirmities, fhould only occafionally converfe with great people, notwithstanding all their *It did, in a little time, effectually filence them. 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 often 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 can. not 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 despair ; and indeed a change of affairs would come too late at my feafon 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 fhall 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 Wlp le above thirty years, whenever I liv'd in this kingdom. I have the command of one or two villas near this town: You have a warm apartment in this house, and two gardens for amufement. I have faid enough, yet not half. Except abfence from friends, I confefs freely that I have no discontent at living here; befides what arifes from a filly spirit of Liberty, which as it neither fours my drink, nor hurts my meat, nor spoils my stomach 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 Beggars Opera hath done its talk, difcedit uti conviva fatur. Adieu. LETTER XXXI. From Dr. SWIFT. June 1, 1728. 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 fay 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; because what I do is owing to perfect rage and refentment, and the mortifying fight of flavery, folly, and bafenefs about. me, among which I'm forc'd to live. And I will take my oath that you have more Virtue in an hour, than I in seven 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 areinclined 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 interests indifferent to you, who can be under no concern about high and low-church, Whig and Tory, or who is firft Minifter-Your long letter was the laft I received till this by Dr. Delany, although you mention another fince. The Dr. told me your fecret about the Dunciad, which does not please me, because it defers gratifying my vanity in the most tender point, and perhaps may wholly disappoint it. As to one of your inquiries, I am eafy enough in great matters, and have a thousand paltry vexations in my lit tle 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 set of easy people whom I entertain when I have a mind; I have formerly defcrib'd them to you, but, when you come, you shall have the honours of the country as much as you please, and I fhall on that account make a better figure as long as I live. Pray God preferve Mrs. Pope for your fake and eafe; I love and esteem 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 she is of a better life. Mrs. P. B. has writ to me, and is one of the best Letter-writers I know; very good fense, 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 Univerfity-lads will crowd to kifs 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 ufe and improvement of the mind, and which Philofophy allows to be the greateft felicities of life? I believe, had health been given fo liberally to you, it would have been better husbanded without fhame to your parts. 4 1 LETTER XXXII. Dawley, June 28, 1718. Now hold the pen for my Lord Bolingbroke, who is reading your Letter between two Hay-cocks; 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 shower. He is pleafed with your placing him in the Triumvirate, between yourself and me; tho' he fays that he doubts he fhall fare like Lepidus, while one of us runs away with all the power, like Auguftus, and another with all the pleafures, 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 first 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 barn-door 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 2004, to paint his country-hall with Trophies of rakes, fpades, prongs, etc. 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 schemes of kindnefs for his friends, than of ambition for himself: There, tho' his schemes may be weak, |