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body-Is not this the true happy man? I was defcribing him to my Lady A-, who knows him too, but The hates him mortally by my character, and will not drink his health: 1 would give half my fortune for the fame temper, and yet I cannot say I love it; for I do not love my Lord -who is much of the Doctor's nature. I hear Mr Gay's fecond Opera, which you mention, is forbid; and then he will be once more fit to be advised, and reject your advice. Adieu.

LETTER XXXVI.

Dr SWIFT to Lord BOLINGBROKE.

Dublin, March 21. 1729.

OU tell me you have not quitted the defign of

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collecting, writing, &c. This is the answer of every finner who defers his repentance. I with Mr Pope were as great an urger as I, who long for nothing more than to fee truth under your hands, laying all detraction in the duft -I find myfelf disposed every year, or rather every month, to be more angry and revengeful; and my rage is fo ignoble, that it defcends even to resent the folly and bafenefs of the enslaved people among whom I live. I knew an old Lord in Leicestershire, who amused himself with mending pitchforks and fpades for his Tenants gratis. Yet I have higher ideas left, if I were nearer to objects on which I might employ them; and contemning my private fortune, would gadly cross the channel and stand by, while my betters were driving the Boars out of the gar

den, if there be any probable expectation of such an endeavour. When I was of your age I often thought of death, but now, after a dozen years more, it is never out of my mind, and terrifies me lefs. I conclude that that Providence hath order'd our fears to decrease with our fpirits; and yet I love la bagatelle better than ever: for finding it troublesome to read at night, and the company here growing tastelefs, I am always writing bad profe, or worse verses, either of rage or raillery, whereof some few escape to give offence or mirth, and the reft are burnt.

They print fome Irish trash in London, and charge it on me, which you will clear me of to my friends, for all are fpurious except one * paper, for which Mr Pope very lately chid me. I remember your Lordship us'd to fay, that a few good speakers would in time carry any point that was right; and that the common method of a majority, by calling, To the question, would never hold long when reafon was on the other fide. Whether politics do not change like gaming by the invention of new tricks, I am ignorant; but I believe your time would you never, as a Minister, have fuffer'd an act to pass thro' the H. of Cs, only because you were fure of a majority in the H. of L-ds to throw it out; because it would be unpopular, and confequently a loss of reputation. Yet this we are told hath been the cafe in the qualification-bill relating to Penfioners. It should feem to me that Corruption, like avarice, hath no bonnds. I had opportunities to

in

*Intitled, A Libel on Dr Delany, and a certain great Lord.

know the proceedings of your miniftry better than any other man of my rank; and having not much to do, I have often compar'd it with thefe laft fixteen years of a profound peace all over Europe, and we running feven millions in debt. I am forc'd to play at small game, to fet the beafts here a madding, meerly for want of better game, Tentanda via eft qua me quoque poffim, &c.-The D― take thofe politics, where a Dunce might govern for a dozen years together. I will come in perfon to England, if I am provok'd, and fend for the Dictator from the plough. I difdain to say, O mihi præteritos— but cruda deo viridifque fenectus. Pray, my Lord, how are the Gardens? have you taken down the mount, and remov'd the yew hedges? Have you not bad weather for the springcorn? Has Mr Pope gone farther in his Ethic Poems? and is the head-land fown with wheat? and what says Polybius? and how does my Lord St John? which last queftion is very material to me, because I love Burgundy, and riding between Twickenham and Dawley.I built a wall five years ago, and when the masons play'd the knaves, nothing delighted me so much as to stand by, while my fervants threw down what was amifs: I have likewise seen a Monkey overthrow all the dishes and plates in a kitchen, merely for the pleasure of feeing them tumble and hearing the clatter they made in their fall. I wish you would invite me to fuch another entertainment; but you think, as I ought to think, that it is time for me to have done with the world, and so I would if I could get into a better be

fore I was called into the best, and not die here in a rage, like a poison'd rat in a hole. I wonder you are not ashamed to let me pine away in this kingdom while you are out of power.

1 come from looking over the Melange above written, and declare it be a true copy of my prefent difpofition, which must needs please you, fince nothing was ever more difpleafing to myself. I defire you to prefent my most humble respects to my Lady.

LETTER

XXXVII.

Dr SWIFT to Lord BOLINGBROKE.

Dublin, April 5. 1729.

I

Do not think it could be poffible for me to hear

better news than that of your getting over your fcurvy fuit, which always hung as a dead weight on my heart; I hated it in all its circumftances, as it affected your fortune and quiet, and in fituation of life that must make it every way vexatious. And as I an infinitely obliged to you for the juftice you do me in fuppofing your affairs do at least concern me as much as my own; fo I would never have pardoned your omitting it. But before I go on, I cannot forbear mentioning what I read laft fummer in a news-paper, that you were writing the hiftory of your own times. I fuppofe fuch a report might arise from what was not fecret among your friends, of your intention to write another kind of hiftory; which you often promifed Mr Pope and me to do; I know he defires it very much, and I am fure I defire nothing more,

for the honour and love I bear you, and the perfect knowledge I have of your public virtue. My Lord, I have no other notion of Oeconomy than that it is the parent of Liberty and Eafe, and I am not the only friend you have who hath chid you in his heart for the neglect of it, though not with his mouth, as I have done. For there is a filly error in the world, even among friends otherwife very good, not to intermeddle with mens affairs in fuch nice matters. And, my Lord, I have made a maxim, that should be writ in letters of diamonds, That a wife man ought to have money in his head, but not in his heart. Pray, my Lord, inquire whether your Prototype, my Lord Digby, after the Restoration when he was at Bristol, did not take fome care of his fortune, notwithstanding that quotation I once sent you out of his speech to the H. of Commons? In my confcience, I believe Fortune, like other drabbs, values a man gradually lefs for every year he lives. I have demonstration for it; because if I play at picquet for fixpence with a man or a woman two years younger than myself, I always lofe; and there is a young girl of twenty, who never fails of winning my money at Back-gammon, though she is a bungler, and the game be Ecclefiaftic. As to the public, I confefs nothing could cure my itch of meddling with it but these frequent returns of deafnefs, which have hindered me from passing last winter in London; yet I cannot but confider the perfidiousness of fome people, who I thought, when I was last there, upon a change that happened, were the most impudent in forgetting their profeffions that I have ever known. Pray, will VOL. VI. Ee

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