Now, Sir, let what will happen, I keep myself in temper: As I have no flattering hopes, fo I banish all useless fears; but as to the things of this world, I find myself 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 unheroic difpofition, or (what I more fear) if the Draper of Ireland accuse the Englishman of want of spirit: I filence you both with one line out of your own Horace. Quid te exempta juvat spinis e pluribus una? For I take the whole to be fo corrupted, that a cure in any part would be of little avail. Your, &c.

I

LETTER XXXIX.

Dr. SWIFT to the E. of PETERBOROW.

MY LORD,

sa

Never knew or heard of any perfon fo volatile, and fo fix'd as your Lordfhip: 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 paffed, 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 witnefs against you; for being the most infignificant of all your old humble fervants, you were fo cruel as uel as never to give me time to afk a favour, but prevented me in doing what:

ever

1

ever you thought I defired, or could be for my credit or advantage.

I have often admired at the capriciousness of Fortune in regard to your Lordship. She hath forced Courts to act against their oldest, and most constant maxims; to make you a General because you had courage and conduct; an Ambaffador, because you had wisdom and knowledge 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 Archbishop of Dublin laments that he did not fee your Lordship till he was just 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 Lordfhip's undertakings, which only terminate in your own honour, and the good of the public, without the leaft advantage to your health or fortune.

I remember Lord Oxford's Ministry 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 houfe. Pray, my Lord, write to me, that I may have the pleasure in this fcoundrel country, of going about, and fhewing my depending Par fons a letter from the Earl of Peterborow.

I

*

Believe you are by this time immers'd in you vaft wood; and one may addrefs to you as to a very abstracted perfon, like Alexander Selkirk, or the Self-taught Philofopher. 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 celeftial bodies. I don't think it at all impoffible that Mr. L* may be far advanced in that exercise, by frequent turns towards the several aspects of the heavens, to which you may have been pleased to direct him in search of profpects and new avenues. He will be tractable in time, as birds are tamed by being whirl'd about; and doubtlefs come not to defpife the meaneft fhrubs or coppice-wood, tho' naturally he seems more inclined to admire God, in his greater works, the tall timber: for, as Virgil has it, Non omnes arbufta juvant, humilefque myrica. I wifh myfelf 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 Lordfhip has à lofs of me; for generally after the

+ Lord Bathurst.

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

debate

debate of a whole day, we acquiefced at night in the best conclufion of which human Reason seems capable in all great matters, to fall faft afleep! And fo we ended, unless immediate Revelation (which ever muft overcome human reafon) fuggefted fome new lights to us, by 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 fet up, you must maintain it in all the forms, and with all the inconveniencies; then cease the pleasant luminous days of inspiration, and there is 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 Critics 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 fweeping Nature*: Another told them that Gravel walks were not of a good tafte, for all the finest abroad were of loose sand: 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 affirmed not to be Trees, but Weeds: Dutch Elms were condemn'd by a fifth; and thus about half the Trees were profcribed, contrary to the Paradife of God's own planting, which is exprefly faid to be planted with all trees. There were fome who could not bear Ever-greens, and call'd them Never-greens; fome, who were angry at them only when cut into fhapes, and gave the modern Gardeners the name of Ever-green Tay

*An expreffion of Sir T. H.
M 4

lors;

lors; fome, who had no diflike to Cones and Cubes, but would have them cut in Foreft-trees; and fome who were in a paffion against any thing in fhape, even against clipt-hedges, which they call'd green walls. Thefe (my Lord) are our Men of Taste, who pretend to prove it by tafting little or nothing, Sure fuch a Tafte is like fuch a ftomach, not a good one, but a weak one. We have the fame fort of Critics in poetry; one is fond of nothing but Heroics, another cannot relifh Tragedies, another hates Paftorals, all little Wits delight in Epigrams. Will you give me leave to add, there are the fame in Divinity; where many leading Critics are for rooting up more than they plant, and would leave the Lord's Vineyard either very thinly fur, nifh'd, or very oddly trimm'd,

I have lately been with my Lord * who is a zealous, yet a charitable Planter, and has fo bad a Tafte, as to like all that is good. He has a difpofition to wait on you in his way to the Bath, and, if he can go and return to London in eight or ten days, I am not without a hope of seeing your Lordship with the delight I always fee you, Every where I think of you, and every where I wish for you,

I am, &c.

I

LETTER XLI.

To Mr. C,

Sept. 2, 1732,

Affure you I am glad of your letter, and have long wanted nothing but the permiffion you now give me, to be plain and unreserved upon