ftare. All Knights Errants Palfreys were diftinguifh'd by lofty names: we fee no reason why a Paftoral Lady's fheep and calves fhould want names of the fofter found; we have therefore given her the name of Cæfar's wife, Calfurnia: imagining, that as Romulus and Remus were fuckled by a wolf, this Roman lady was fuckled by a cow, from whence fhe took that name. In order to celebrate this birth-day, we had a cold dinner at Marblehill*, Mrs. Sufan offered us wine upon the occafion, and upon fuch an occafion we could not refufe it. Our entertainment confifted of flesh and fifh, and the lettice of a greek Island called Cos. We have fome thoughts of dining there to-morrow, to celebrate the day after the birth-day, and on friday to celebrate the day after that, where we intend to entertain Dean Swift; because we think your hall the most delightful room in the world except that where you are. If it was not for you, we would forfwear all courts; and really it is the most mortifying thing in nature, that we can neither get into the court to live with you, nor you get into the country to live with us; fo we will take up with what we can get that belongs to you, and make ourselves as happy as we can, in your house.

I hope we fhall be brought into no worse company, when you all come to Richmond: for whatever our friend Gay may wifh as to getting into Court, I disclaim it, and defire to fee nothing of the court but yourself, being wholly and solely

Your, &c.

*Mrs. Howard's houfe.

LET

You

LETTER XV.

July 21.

U have the fame fhare in my memory that good things generally have; I always know (whenever I reflect) that you should be in my mind; only I reflect too feldom. However, you ought to allow me the indulgence I allow all my friends (and if I did not, they would take it) in confideration that they have other avocations, which may prevent the proofs of their remembring me, tho' they preferve for me all the friendship and good-will which I deferve from them. In like manner I expect from you, that my paft life of twenty years may be fet against the omiffion of (perhaps) one month: and if you complain of this to any other, 'tis you are in the spleen, and not I in the wrong. If you think this letter fplenetic, confider I have just receiv'd the news of the death of a friend, whom I esteem'd almost as many years as you; poor Fenton. He died at Easthamstead, of indolence and inactivity; let it not be your fate, but use exercise. I hope the Duchefs will take care of you in this refpect, and either make you gallop after her, or teize you enough at home to ferve inftead of exercise abroad. Mrs. Howard is fo concern'd about you, and fo angry at me for not writing to you, and at Mrs. Blount for not doing the fame, that I am piqu'd with jealoufy and envy at you, and hate you as much as if you had a great place at court; which you will confefs a proper caufe of envy and hatred, in any Poet militant, or unpenfion'd. But to fet matters even, I own I love you; and own, I am, as I ever was and just as I ever fhall be,

* Of Queensberry.

Your, &c.

LET

LETTER XVI.

DEAR SIR,

Oct. 6, 1727.

Have many years ago magnify'd in my own mind, and repeated to you, a ninth Beatitude," added to the eighth in the Scripture; "Bleffed is "he who expects nothing, for he fhall never be "difappointed." I could find in my heart to congratulate you on this happy difmiffion from all Courtdependance; I dare fay I fhall find you the better and the honefter man for it, many years hence: very probably the healthfuller, and the chearfuller into the bargain. You are happily rid of many curfed ceremonies, as well as of many ill, and vicious Habits, of which few or no men efcape the infection, who are hackney'd and tramelled in the ways of a court. Princes indeed, and Peers (the lackies of Princes) and Ladies (the fools of peers) will fmile on you the lefs; but men of worth, and real friends will look on you the better. There is a thing, the only thing which Kings and Queens cannot give you (for they have it not to give) Liberty, and which is worth all they have; which, as yet, I thank God, Englishmen need not afk from their hands. You will enjoy that, and your own integrity, and the fatisfactory consciousness of having not merited fuch graces from courts as are bestow'd only on the mean, fervile, flattering, interested, and undeferving. The only steps to the favour of the Great are fuch complacencies, fuch compliances, fuch distant decorums, as delude them in their vanities, or engage them in their paffions. He is their greatest favourite, who is the falfeft: and when a man, by fuch vile gradations, arrives at the height of grandeur and power, he is then at best but in a circumstance to be hated, and in a

con

condition to be hanged, for ferving their ends: So many a Minifter has found it!..

I believe you did not want advice, in the letter you fent by my Lord Grantham; I prefume you writ it not, without and you could not have better, if I guefs right at the perfon, who agreed to. your doing it, in refpect to any Decency you ought to obferver for I take that perfon to be a perfect judge of decencies and forms. I am not without fears even on that perfon's account: I think it a bad omen: but what have I to do with Courtomens?Dear Gay, adieu. I can only add a plain uncourtly fpeech: While you are no body's fervant, you may be any one's friend; and as fuch I embrace you, in all conditions of life. While I have a fhilling, you fhall have fix-pence, nay. eight pence, if I can contrive to live upon a groat. I am faithfully.

T

WAS two or three weeks ago that I writ you a letter; I might indeed have done it fooner; I thought of you every poft-day upon that account, and every other day upon fome account or other. I must beg you to give Mrs. B. my fincere thanks for her kind way of thinking of me, which I have heard of more than once from our friend at court, who feem'd in the letter fhe writ to be in high health and fpirits. Confidering the multiplicity of pleafures and delights that one is over-run with in thofe places, I wonder how any

body

body hath health and fpirits enough to fupport them: I am heartily glad fhe has, and whenever I hear fo, I find it contributes to mine. You fee I am not free from dependance, tho' I have lefs attendance than I had formerly; for a great deal of my own welfare ftill depends upon hers. Is the widow's house to be difpos'd of yet? I have not given up my pretenfions to the Dean; if it was to be parted with, I wifh one of us had it; I hope you wish so too, and that Mrs. Blount and Mrs. Howard with the fame, and for the very fame reafon that I wish it. All I could hear of you of late hath been by advertisements in news-papers, by which one would think the race of Curls was multiplied; and, by the indignation fuch fellows fhow against you, that you have more merit than any body alive could have. Homer himfelf hath not been worfe us'd by the French. I am to tell you that the Duchefs makes you her compliments, and is always inclin'd to like any thing you do; that Mr. Congreve admires, with me, your fortitude: and loves, not envies your performance, for we are not Dunces. Adieu.

LETTER XVIII.

April 18, 1730.

F my friendship were as effectual as it is fincere, you would be one of those people who would be vaftly advantag'd and enrich'd by it. I' ever honour'd thofe Popes who were moft famous for Nepotifm, 'tis a fign that the old fellows loved Somebody, which is not ufual in fuch advanced years. And I now honour Sir Robert Walpole for his extenfive bounty and goodness to his private friends and relations. But it vexes me to the heart

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