times can be expected. Come, and quicken him; for age, indolence, and contempt of the world, grow up. on men apace, and may often make the wifeft, indifferent whether posterity be any wiser than we. To a man in years, Health and Quiet become fuch rari. ties, and confequently fo valuable, that he is apt to think of nothing more than of enjoying them when. ever he can for the remainder of life; and this, I doubt not, has caus'd fo many great men to die without leaving a fcrap to pofterity.

I am fincerely troubled for the bad account you give me of your own health. I wish every day to hear a better, as much as I do to enjoy my own, I faithfully affure you.

LETTER LXVIII.

From Dr SWIFT.

Dublin, July 8. 1733.

I

Muft condole with you for the loss of Mrs Pope, of whofe death the papers have been full. But I would rather rejoice with you, becaufe, if any circum. ftances can make the death of a dear Parent and Friend a fubject for joy, you have them all. She died in an extreme old age, without pain, under the care of the moft dutiful Son that I have ever known or heard of, which is a felicity not happening to one in a million. The worst effect of her death falls upon me, and fo much the worse, because I expected aliquis damno ufus

in illo, that it would be followed by making me and this kingdom happy with your prefence. But I am told, to my great misfortune, that a very convenient of fer happening, you waved the invitation preffed on you, alledging the fear you had of being killed here with eating and drinking. By which I find that you have given some credit to a notion of our great plenty and hospitality. It is true, our meat and wine is cheaper here, as it is always in the poorest countries, because there is no money to pay for them: I believe there are not in this whole city three Gentlemen out of Employment, who are able to give entertainments once a month. Those who are in Employments of church or state, are three parts in four from England, and amount to little more than a dozen: Thofe indeed may once or twice invite their friends, or any person of distinction that makes a voyage hither. All my acquaintance tell me, they know not above three families where they can occafionally dine in a whole year: Dr Delany is the only gentleman I know, who keeps one certain day in the week to entertain seven or eight friends at dinner, and to pass the evening, where there is nothing of excefs, either in eating or drinking. Our old friend Southern (who hath juft left us) was invited to dinner once or twice by a judge, a bishop, or a commiffioner of the revenues, but most frequented a few particular friends, and chiefly the Doctor, who is eafy in his fortune, and very hofpitable. The conveniencies of taking the air, winter or fummer, do fir exceed thofe in London.

For the two large ftrands just at two ends of the town are as firm and dry in winter as in fummer. There are at least fix or eight gentlemen of fenfe, learning, good-humour and tafte, able and defirous to please you; and orderly females, fome of the better fort, to take care of you. These were the motives that I have frequently made ufe of to entice you hither. And there would be no failure among the best people here, of any honours that could be done you. As to myself, I declare, my health is so uncertain, that I dare not venture amongst you at present. I hate the thoughts of London, where I am not rich enough to live otherwise than by shifting, which is now too late. Neither can I have conveniencies in the country for three horfes and two fervants, and many others, which I have here at hand. I am one of the governors of all the hackney-coaches, carts, and carriages round this town, who dare not infult me, like your rafcally waggoners or coach-men, but give me the way; nor is there one Lord or Squire for a hundred of yours, to turn me out of the road, or run over me with their coaches and fix. Thus, I make fome advantage of the public poverty, and give you the reasons for what I once writ, why I chufe to be a freeman among flaves, rather than a flave among freemen. Then, I walk the streets in peace without being juftled, nor ever without a thousand blesfings from my friends the vulgar. I am Lord Mayor of 120 houfes, I am abfolute Lord of the greatest Cathedral in the kingdom, am at peace with the neigh

bouring Princes, the Lord Mayor of the city, and the Archbishop of Dublin, only the latter, like the K. of France, fometimes attempts encroachments on my dominions, as old Lewis did upon Lorrain. In the midft of this raillery, I can tell you with serioufnefs, that these advantages contribute to my ease, and therefore I value them. And in one part of your letter relating to my Lord B and yourself, you agree with me entirely, about the indifference, the love of quiet, the care of health, &c. that grow upon men in years. And if you difcover thofe inclinations in my Lord and yourself, what can you expect from me, whofe health is fo precarious? and yet, at your or his time of life, I could have leap'd over the moon.

LETTER LXIX.

Sept. 1. 1733.

I

Have

every day wish'd to write to you, to say a thousand things; and yet, I think, I should not have writ to you now, if I was not fick of writing any thing, fick of myself, and (what is worse) fick of my friends too. The world is become too busy for me; every body is fo concerned for the public, that all private enjoyments are loft, or dif-relifh'd. I write more to show you I am tired of to tell you any thing relating to it. I think as I did, I love you as I did;

this life, than I live as I did,

but all these

are to no purpose: the world will not live, think, or love, as I do. I am troubled for, and vexed at, all my friends by turns. Here are some whom you love, and who love you: yet they receive no proofs of that affection from you, and they give none of it to you. There is a great gulph between. In earnest, I would go a thousand miles by land to see you, but the sea I dread. My ailments are such, that I really believe a fea-fickness (confidering the oppreffion of colical pains, and the great weakness of my breast) would kill me: and if I did not die of that, I must of the exceffive eating and drinking of your hofpitable town, and the exceffive flattery of your most poetical country. I hate to be cramm'd, either way. Let your hungry Poets, and your rhyming Poets digeft it, I cannot. I like much better to be abufed and half starved, than to be fo over praised and over-fed. Drown Ireland! for having caught you, and for having kept you: I only referve a little charity for her, for knowing your value, and efteeming you: You are the only Patriot I know, who is not hated for serving his country. The man who drew your Character and printed it here, was not much in the wrong in many things he faid of you: yet he was a very impertinent fellow, for faying them in words quite different from thofe you had yourfelf employed before on the fame fubject: for furely to alter your words, is to prejudice them; and I have been told, that a man himself can hardly fay the fame thing twice over with equal happi. nefs; Nature is fo much a better tl ing than artifice.