say to 'em. But the Opera fucceeds extremely, to yours and my extreme fatisfaction, of which he promises this post to give you a full account. I have been in a worse condition of health than ever, and think my immortality is very near out of my enjoyment: fo it must be in you, and in posterity, to make me what amends you can for dying young. Adieu. While I am, I am yours. Pray love me, and take care of yourself.

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LETTER XXIX.

March 23. 1727-8.

Send you a very odd thing, a paper printed in Boston in New-England, wherein you'll find a real perfon a member of their Parliament, of the name of Jonathan Gulliver. If the fame of that Traveller has travell❜d thither, it has travell'd very quick, to have folks chriften'd already by the name of the fuppofed Author. But if you object, that no child fo lately chriften'd could be arrived at years of maturity to be elected into Parliament, I reply (to folve the Riddle) that the perfon is an Anabaptift, and not chiftn'd till full age, which fets all right. However it be, the accident is very fingular, that these two names fhould be united.

Mr Gay's Opera has been acted near forty days running, and will certainly continue the whole feafon. So he has more than a fence about his thousand pound: he'll foon be thinking of a fence about his two thoufand. Shall no one of us live as we would wish each other to live? Shall he have no annuity, you no fet

tlement on this fide, and I no prospect of getting to you on the other? This world is made for Cæfar as Cato faid, for ambitious, falfe, or flattering people to domineer in: Nay they would not, by their good will, leave us our very books, thoughts, or words, in quiet. I defpife the world yet, I affure you, more than either Gay or you, and the Court more than all the reft of the world. As for those Scriblers for whom you apprehend I would fupprefs my Dulness (which by way, for the future, you are to call by a more pompous name, The Dunceiad) how much that neft of Hornets are my regard, will easily appear to you when you read the Treatife of the Bathos.

the

At all adventures, yours and my name shall stand linked as friends to posterity, both in verse and profe, and (as Tully calls it) in confuetudine Studiorum. Would to God our Perfons could but as well, and as furely be infeparable! I find my other Tyes dropping from me: fome worn off, fome torn off, others relaxing daily: My greatest, both by duty, gratitude, and humanity, Time is fhaking every moment, and it now hangs but by a thread! I am many years the older, for living fo much with one so old, much the more helpless, for having been fo long help'd and tended by her; much the more confiderate and tender, for a daily commerce with one who requir'd me justly to be both to her; and confequently the more melancholy and thoughtful; and the lefs fit for others, who want only in a companion or a friend, to be amused

or entertained. My conftitution too has had its share of decay, as well as my fpirits, and I am as much in the decline at forty as you at fixty. I believe we fhould be fit to live together, cou'd I get a little more health, which might make me not quite infupportable: Your Deafnefs wou'd agree with my Dulness; you would not want me to speak when you could not hear. But God forbid you shou'd be as deftitute of the focial comforts of life, as I must when I lose my mother; or that ever you thou'd lofe your more useful acquaintance fo utterly, as to turn your thoughts to fuch a broken reed as I am, who could fo ill fupply your wants. I am extremely troubled at the returns of your deafness; you cannot be too particular in the accounts of your health to me; every thing you do or fay in this kind obliges me, nay delights me, to see the juftice you do me in thinking me concern'd in all your concerns; fo that though the pleasanteft thing you can tell me be, that you are better or easier; next to that it pleases me, that you make me the perfon you would complain to.

As the obtaining the love of valuable men is the happiest end I know of this life, fo the next felicity is to get rid of fools and scoundrels; which I can't but own to you was one part of my design in falling upon thefe Authors, whofe incapacity is not greater than their infincerity, and of whom I have always found (if may quote myself)

I

That each bad Author is as bad a Friend.

This Poem will rid me of those infects,

Cedite, Romani Scriptores, cediti, Graïi;
Nefcio quid majus nafcitur Iliade.

I mean than my Iliad; and I call it Nefcio quid, which is a degree of modefty; but however, if it filence thefe fellows, it must be fomething greater than any liad in Chriftendom.

Adieu.

LETTER XXX.

From Dr SWIFT.

Dublin, May 10. 1728.

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Have with great pleasure fhewn the New-England News-paper with the two names Jonathan Gulliver, and I remember Mr Fortescue fent you an account from the affizes, of one Lemuel Gulliver who had a Cause there, and loft it on his ill reputation of being a liar. These are not the only observations I have made upon odd ftrange accidents in trifles, which in things of great importance would have been matter for historians. Mr Gay's Opera hath been acted here twenty times, and my Lord Lieutenant tells me, it is very well perform'd; he hath feen it often, and approves it much.

You give a moft melancholy account of yourself, and which I do not approve. I reckon that a man fubject like us to bodily infirmities, Thould only occafionally converfe with great people, notwithstanding all

*It did, in a little time, effectually filence them. VOL. VI.

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their good qualities, eafineffes, and kindneffes.

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is another race which I prefer before them, as Beef and Mutton for conftant diet before Partridges: I mean a middle kind both for understanding and fortune, who are perfectly easy, never impertinent, complying in every thing, ready to do a hundred little offices that you and I may often want, who dine and fit with me five times for once that I go to them, and whom I can tell without offence, that I am otherwife engaged at prefent. This you cannot expect from any of those that either you or I or both are acquainted with on your fide; who are only fit for our healthy feasons, and have much business of their own. God forbid I fhould condemn you to Ireland (Quanquam O!) and for England I despair: and indeed a change of affairs would come too late at my season of life, and might probably, produce nothing on my behalf. You have kept Mrs Pope longer, and have had her care beyond what from nature you could expect; not but her loss will be very sensible, whenever it shall happen. I say one thing, that both summers and winters are milder here than with you; all things for life in general better for a middling fortune: you will have an absolute command of your company, with whatever obfequioufnefs or freedom you may expect or allow. I have an elderly houfe-keeper, who hath been my W-lp-le above thirty years, whenever I liv'd in this kingdom. I have the command of one or two villa's near this town: You have a warm apartment in this houfe, and two gardens for amufement. I have faid enough, yet not