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fubjects moral, useful, and more worthy his pen. Dr 's Book is what I can't commend fo much as Dean Berkley's, tho' it has many things ingenious in it, and is not deficient in the writing part: but the whole book, tho' he meant it ad Populum, is, I think, purely ad Clerum. Adieu.

* Call'd The Minute Philofopher.

LETTERS

O F.

Dr SWIFT to Mr GAY.

From the Year 1729 to 1732

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LETTER XLIX.

Dublin, March 19, 1729.

Deny it. I do write to you according to the old ftipulation, for, when you kept your old company, when I writ to one I writ to all. But I am ready to enter into a new bargain fince you are got into a new world, and will anfwer all your letters. You are first to prefent my most humble respects to the Duchefs of Queensbury, and let her know that I never dine without thinking of her, although it be with some difficulty that I can obey her when I dine with forks that have but two prongs, and when the fauce is not very confiftent. You must likewife tell her Grace that he is a general Toast among all honest folks

* Found among Mr Gay's papers, and return'd to Dr Swift by the Duke of Queensbury and Mr Pope.

here, and particularly at the Deanery, even in the face of my Whig fubjects.-I will leave my money in Lord Bathurst's hands, and the management of it (for want of better) in yours: and pray keep the intereftmoney in a bag wrapt up and fealed by itself, for fear of your own fingers under your careleffness. Mr Pope talks of you as a perfect stranger; but the different pursuits and manners and interefts of life, as fortune hath pleased to difpofe them, will never fuffer thofe to live together, who by their inclinations ought never to part. I hope when you are rich enough, you will have some little oeconomy of your own in town or country, and be able to give your friend a pint of Port; for the domestic season of life will come on. I had never much hopes of your vampt Play, although Mr Pope feem'd to have, and although it were ever so good: But you should have done like the Parfons, and changed your Text, I mean the Title, and the names of the perfons. After all, it was an effect of idleness, for you are in the prime of life, when invention and judgment go together. I wish you had 100l. a year more for horfes-I ride and walk whenever good weather invites, and am reputed the best walker in this town and five miles round. I writ lately to Mr Pope: I wish you had a little Villakin in his neighbourhood: but you are yet too volatile, and any Lady with a coach and fix horfes would carry you to Japan.

LETTER L.

Dublin, Nov. 10. 1730.

W

HEN my Lord Peterborow in the Queen's time went abroad upon his Ambaffies, the Ministry told me, that he was such a vagrant, they were forced to write at him by guess, because they knew not where to write to him. This is my cafe with you; fometimes in Scotland, fometimes at Hamwalks, fometimes God knows where. You are a man of bufinefs, and not at leifure for infignificant correfpondence. It was I got you the employment of being my Lord Duke's premier Miniftre: for his Grace having heard how good a manager you were of my revenue, thought you fit to be intrufted with ten talents. I have had twenty times a strong inclination to spend a fummer near Salisbury-downs, having rode over them more than once, and with a young parfon of Salisbury reckoned twice the ftones of Stonehenge, which are either ninety-two or ninety-three. I defire to prefent my moft humble acknowledgments to my Lady Duchefs in return of her civility. I hear an ill thing, that he is matre pulchra filia pulchrior: I never faw her fince fhe was a girl, and would be angry the fhould excel her mother, who was long my principal Goddess. I defire you will tell her Grace, that the ill management of forks is not to be help'd when they are only bidential, which happens in all

poor houses, especially those of Poets; upon which account a knife was abfolutely neceffary at Mr Pope's, where it was morally impoffible with a bidential fork to convey a morfel of beef, with the incumbrance of mustard and turnips, into your mouth at once. And her Grace hath cost me thirty pounds to provide Tridents for fear of offending her, which fum I defire fhe will please to return me.-I am fick enough to go to the Bath, but have not heard it will be good for my disorder. I have a trong mind to spend my 200%. 'next fummer in France: I am glad I have it; for there is hardly twice that fum left in this kingdom. You want no settlement (I call the family where you live, and the foot you are upon, a fettlement,) till you increase your fortune to what will fupport you with ease and plenty, a good house and a garden. The want of this I much dread for you: For I have often known a She-cousin of a good family and small fortune, paffing months among all her relations, living in plenty, and taking her circles, till fhe grew an old Maid, and every body weary of her. Mr. Pope complains of seldom seeing you; but the evil is unavoidable, for different circumstances of life have always feparated those whom friendship would join: God hath taken care of this, to prevent any progress towards real happiness here, which would make life more defirable, and death too dreadful. I hope you have now one advantage that you always wanted before,

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