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of that Commonwealth gave place to luxury and ambition, this very office of Dictator became perpetual iņ in the perfons of the Cæfars and their Succeffors, the moft infamous Tyrants that have any where appeared in ftory.

These are some of the sentiments. I had, relating to public affairs, while I was in the world: what they are at prefent, is of little importance either to that or myfelf; neither can I truly say I have any at all, or, if I had, I dare not venture to publish them: For however orthodox they may be while I am now writing, they may become criminal enough to bring me into trouble before Midfummer. And indeed I have often wished for some time past, that a political Catechifm might be published by authority four times a year, in order to inftruct us how we are to speak, write, and act during the current quarter. I have by experience felt the want of fuch an inftructor: For, intending to make my court to fome people on the prevailing fide, by advancing certain old whiggifh principles, which, it seems, had been exploded about a month before, I have paffed for a difaffected perfon. I am not igno. rant how idle a thing it is, for a man in obfcurity to attempt defending his reputation as a Writer, while the spirit of Faction hath fo univerfally poffeffed the minds of men, that they are not at leifure to attend to any thing else. They will juft give themselves time to libel and accufe me, but cannot fpare a minute to hear my defence. So in a plot-difcovering age, I have often known an innocent man feized and impri

foned, and forced to lie feveral months in chains, while the Minifters were not at leifure to hear his petition, until they had prosecuted and hanged the number they propofed,

All I can reasonably hope for by this letter, is to convince my friends, and others who are pleased to wish me well, that I have neither been so ill a Subject nor so stupid an Author, as I have been reprefented by the virulence of Libellers, whofe malice hath taken the fame train in both, by fathering dangerous Principles in government upon me, which I never maintained, and infipid Productions which I am not capable of writing. For however I may have been foured by perfonal ill treatment, or by melancholy profpects for the public, I am too much a politician to expofe my own fafety by offenfive words. And, if my genius and fpirit be funk by encreafing years, I have at least enough discretion left, not to mistake the measure of my own abilities, by attempting fubjects where thofe Talents are neceffary, which perhaps I may have loft with my youth.

LETTER VI. 1

Dr SWIFT to Mr GAY.

Dublin, Jan. 8. 1722-3.

Oming home after a fhort Christmas-ramble, I

C found a letter upon my table, and little expect

a

ed when I opened it to read your name at the bottom. The best and greatest part of my life, until these laft eight years, I spent in England: there I made my

friendships, and there I left my defires. I am condemned for ever to another country; What is in prudence to be done? I think to be oblitufque meorum, oblivifcendus & illis. What can be the design of your letter but malice, to wake me out of as fcurvy fleep, which however is better than none? I am towards nine years older fince I left you, yet that is the least of my alterations; my business, my diversions, my converfations, are all entirely changed for the worse, and fo are my studies and my amusements in writing; yet, after all, this humdrum way of life might be paffable enough, if you would let me alone. I shall not be able to relish my wine, my parfons, my horfes, nor my garden for three months, until the fpirit you have raifed fhall be difpoffeffed. I have fometimes wondered that I have not visited you; but I have been stopt by too many reasons, befides years and laziness, and yet thefe are very good ones. Upon my return after half a year amongst you, there would be to me Defiderio nec pudor nec modus. I was three years reconciling myself to the scene, and the bufinefs, to which fortune hath condemned me, and ftupidity was what I had recourse to. Befides, what a figure fhould I make in London, while my friends are in poverty, exile, diftrefs, or imprifonment, and my enemies with rods of iron? Yet I often threaten myself with the journey, and am every fummer practising to get health to bear it: The only inconvenience is, that I grow old in the experiment. Although I care not to talk to you as a Divine, yet I hope you have not been author of your colic: do you

drink bad wine, or keep bad company? Are you not as many years old as I? It will not be always Et tibi quos mihi dempferit Apponet annos. I am heartily-forry you have any dealings with that ugly distemper, and I believe our friend Arbuthnot will recommend you to temperance and exercise. I wish they could have as good an effect upon the giddiness I am fubject to, and which this moment I am not free from. I fhould have been glad if you had lengthened your letter, by telling me the prefent condition of many of my old acquaintances, Congreve, Arbuthnot, Lewis, &c. but you mention only Mr Pope, who I believe, is lazy, or else he might have added three lines of his own. I am extremely glad he is not in your cafe of needing great mens favour, and could heartily wish that you were in his. I have been confidering why Poets have. fuch ill fuccefs in making their Court, fince they are allowed to be the greatest and best of all flatterers: The defect is, that they flatter only in print or in wri ting, but not by word of mouth: They will give things under their hand which they make a confcience of speaking. Befides, they are too libertine to haunt anti-chambers, too poor to bribe Porters and footmen, and too proud to cringe to fecond-hand favourites in a great family. Tell me, are you not under Original fin by the dedication of your Eclogues to Lord Bolingbroke? I am an ill judge at this distance; and besides, am, for my eafe, utterly ignorant of the commoneft things that pafs in the world; but if all Courts have a fameness in them (as the Parfons phrafe it) things

may be as they were in my time, when all employ ments went to Parliament-mens Friends, who had been useful in Elections, and there was always a huge List of names in arrears at the Treasury, which would at least take up your seven years expedient to dif charge even one half.. I am of opinion, if you will not be offended, that the surest course would be to get your Friend who lodgeth in your house to recommend you to the next chief Governor who comes over here for a good civil employment, or to be one of his. Secretaries, which your Parliament-inen are fond enough of, when there is no room at home. The wine is good and reasonable; you may dine twice a-week at the Deanry-houfe; there is a fett of company in this town fufficient for one man; folks will admire you, because they have read you, and read of you; and a good employment will make you live tolerably in London, or fumptuously here; or if you divide between both places, it will be for your health.

I wish I could do more than fay I love you. I left you in a good way both for the late Court, and the fucceffors; and by the force of too much honefty or too little fublunary wisdom, you fell between two ftools. Take care of your health and money; be lefs modeft and more active; or else turn Parfon and get a Bishoprick here: Would to God they would fend us as good ones from your fide!

I am ever, &c.

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