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LETTER CLXXVIII.

From the Earl of PETERBOROw.

Henever you apply as a good Papift to your female Mediatrix, you are fure of fuccefs; but there is not a full affurance of your entire fubmiffion to Mother-church, and that abates a little of your authority. However if will accept of country letters, she will correfpond from the haycock and I will write to you upon the fide of my wheelbarrow: furely fuch letters might escape examination!

you

Your Idea of the Golden Age is, that every fhepherd might pipe where he pleased. As I have lived longer, I am more moderate in my wishes, and would be content with the liberty of not piping where I am not pleased.

Oh how I wish, to my felf and my friends, a freedom which Fate feldom allows, and which we often refuse our selves! why is our Shepherdefs in voluntary flavery? why muft our Dean fubmit to the Colour of his coat, and live abfent from us? and why are you confined to what you cannot relieve?

I seldom venture to give accounts of my journeys before-hand, because I take refolutions of going to London, and keep them no better than quarrelling lovers do theirs. But the devil will drive me thither about the middle of next month, and I will call upon You, to be fprinkled with holy water, before I enter the place of Corruption. Your, &c.

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Am under the greatest impatience to fee Dr. Swift at Bevis Mount, and muft fignify my mind to him by another hand,

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it not being permitted me to hold correfpondence with the faid Dean, for no letter of mine can come to his hands.

And whereas it is apparent, in this protestant land most especially under the care of divine providence, that nothing can fucceed or come to a happy iffue but by Bribery; therefore let me know what he expects to comply with my defires, and it shall be remitted unto him.

For tho' I would not corrupt any man for the whole world, yet a benevolence may be given without any offence to confcience; every one must confefs that gratification and corruption are two diftinct terms; nay at worst many good men hold, that for a good end fome very naughty meafures may be made use of.

But Sir, I must give you fome good news in relation to my self, because I know you wish me well; I am cur'd of fome diseases in my old age, which tormented me very much in my youth.

I was poffeft with violent and uneafy paffions, fuch as a peevish concern for Truth, and a faucy love for my Country.

When a Chriftian Prieft preached against the Spirit of the Gofpel, when an English Judge determined againft Magna Charta, when the Minister acted against common-Senfe, I used to fret.

Now Sir, let what will happen, I keep my felf in temper: As I have no flattering hopes, fo I banish all useless fears: but as to the things of this world, I find my self in a condition beyond expectation; it being evident from a late Parliamentary inquiry, that I have as much ready money, as much in the funds, and as great a perfonal eftate, as Sir Robert S-tt-n.

If the Tranflator of Homer find fault with this unheroick difpofition, or what I more fear, if the Draper of Ireland accuse the English-man of want of spirit; I filence you both with one line out of your own Horace, Quid te exempta juvat fpinis e pluribus una? For I take the whole to be fo corrupted, that a cure in any part would be of little avail. Yours, &c.

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LETTER CLXXX.

From Dr. SWIFT to the Earl of PETERBOROW.

My Lord,

Never knew or heard of any perfon fo volatile and fo fixt as your Lordship: You, while your imagination is carrying you through every corner of the world where you have, or have not been, can at the fame time remember to do offices of favour and kindness to the meaneft of your friends; and in all the scenes you have passed, have not been able to attain that one quality peculiar to a great man, of forgetting every thing but injuries. Of this I am a living witness against you, for being the most infignificant of all your old humble fervants, you were so cruel as never to give me time to ask a favour, but prevented me in doing whatever you thought I desired, or could be for my credit or advantage.

I have often admir'd at the capriciousness of fortune, in regard to your Lordship. She hath forced Courts to act against their oldeft, and most conftant maxims; to make you a General, because you had courage and conduct; an Ambassador, because you had wisdom and knowlege in the interefts of Europe; and an Admiral, on account of your skill in maritime affairs whereas according to the ufual method of Court proceedings, I fhould have been at the head of the Army, and you of the Church, or rather a Curate under the Dean of St. Patrick's.

The Arch-Bishop of Dublin laments that he did not see your Lordship till he was juft upon the point of leaving the Bath; I pray God you may have found fuccefs in that journey, elfe I fhall continue to think there is a fatality in all your Lordship's undertakings,

which only terminate in your own honour, and the good of the publick, without the least advantage to your health or fortune.

I remember Lord Oxford's Miniftry us'd to tell me, that not knowing where to write to you, they were forced to write at you. It is fo with me, for you are in one thing an Evangelical man, that you know not where to lay your head, and I think you have no house. Pray my Lord write to me, that I may have the pleasure in this fcoundrel country, of going about, and fhewing my depending Parfons a letter from the Earl of Peterborow. I am, &c.

LETTER CLXXXI.

To

Sept. 23.

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Believe you are by this time immers'd in your vaft Wood; and one may address to you as to a very abftracted person, like Alexander Selkirk, or the * Self-taught Philosopher. I fhould be very curious to know what fort of contemplations employ you? I remember the latter of those I mention'd, gave himself up to a devout exercise of making his head giddy with various circumrotations, to imitate the motions of the cœleftial bodies. I don't think it at all impoffible that Mr. L✶ may be far advanced in that exercife, by frequent turns toward the feveral afpects of the heavens, to which you may have been pleas'd to direct him in fearch of profpects and new avenues. He will be tractable in time as birds are tam'd by being whirl'd about; and doubtless come no to despise the meaneft fhrubs or coppice-wood, (tho' naturally he feems more inclin'd to admire God in his greater works, the tall

*

The Title of an Arabic Treatife of the Life of Hai Ebn Yocktan.

timber: for as Virgil has it, Non omnes arbusta juvant, humilef que myrica.) I wish my self with you both, whether you are in peace or at war, in violent argumentation or fmooth confent, over Gazettes in the morning, or over Plans in the evening. In that laft article, I am of opinion your Lordship has a loss of me; for generally after the debate of a whole day, we acquiefc'd at night in the best conclufion of which human reafon feems capable in all great matters, to fall faft afleep! And fo we ended, unless immediate Revelation (which ever muft overcome human reason) fuggefted fome new lights to us, in a Vision in Bed. But laying afide Theory, I am told you are going directly to Practice. Alas, what a Fall will that be? A new Building is like a new Church, when once it is set up, you must maintain it in all the forms, and with all the inconveniences; then cease the pleasant luminous days of inspiration, and there's an end of miracles at once.

That this Letter may be all of a piece, I'll fill the reft with an account of a confultation lately held in my neighbourhood, about defigning a princely garden. Several Criticks were of feveral opinions: One declar'd he would not have too much Art in it; for my notion (faid he) of gardening is, that it is only sweeping Nature: Another told them that Gravel walks were not of a good tafte, for all the fineft abroad were of loofe fand: A third advis'd peremptorily there should not be one Lyme-tree in the whole plantation; a fourth made the fame exclufive claufe extend to Horse-chefnuts, which he affirm'd not to be Trees, but Weeds; Dutch Elms were condemn'd by a fifth; and thus about half the Trees were profcrib'd, contrary to the Paradife of God's own planting, which is exprefsly faid to be planted with all trees. There were fome who cou'd not bear Ever-greens, and call'd them Never-greens; some, who were angry at them only when cut into Shapes, and gave the modern Gard'ners the name of Ever-green Taylors; fome who had no diflike to Cones and Cubes, but wou'd no dislik

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