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mediately to be engrav'd, and therefore I made lefs fcruple to give a Copy to Lord Orrery, who earnestly defir'd it, but to no body elfe; and, he tells me, he gave only two, which he will recall. I have a fhort Epigram of his upon it, wherein I would correct a line or two at most, and then I will fend it you (with his permiffion.) I have nothing against yours, but the laft line, Striking their aching; the two participles, as they are fo near, feem to found too like. I thall write to the Duchefs, who hath lately honoured me with a very friendly letter, and I will tell her my opinion freely about our friend's papers. I want health, and my affairs are enlarged: but I will break through the latter, if the other mends. I can use a course of medicines, lame and giddy. My chief design, next to feeing you, is to be a fevere Critic on you and your neighbour; but first kill his father, that he may be able to maintain me in my own way of living, and particularly my horfes. It coft me near 600 1. for a wall to keep mine, and I never ride without two fervants for fear of accidents; hic vivimus ambitiofa paupertate. You are both too poor for my acquaintance, but he much the poorer. With you I will find grafs, and wine, and fervants, but with him not.The collection you fpeak of is this. A Printer came to me to defire he might print my works (as he call'd them) in four volumes, by fubfcription. I faid I would give no leave, and fhould be sorry to see them

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printed here. He faid they could not be printed in London. I anfwer'd, they could, if the Partners agreed. He faid he would be glad of my """ permiffion, but as he could print them without it,

and was advis'd that it could do me no harm, and "having been affur'd of numerous fubfcriptions, he "hoped I would not be angry at his pursuing his own "intereft, &c." Much of this difcourfe paft, and he goes on with the matter, wherein I determine not to intermeddle, though it be much to my discontent ; and I wish it could be done in England rather than here, although I am grown pretty indifferent in every thing of that kind. This is the truth of the story.

My Vanity turns at prefent on being perfonated in your Que Virtus, &c. You will observe in this letter many marks of an ill head and a low spirit; but a Heart wholly turned to love you with the greatest Earneftness and Truth.

I

LETTER LXVII.

May 28. 1733.

Have begun two or three letters to you by fnatches, and been prevented from finishing them by a thousand avocations and diffipations. I must first acknowledge the honour done me by Lord Orrery, whose praises are that precious ointment Solomon fpeaks of, which can be given only by men of Virtue: all other praife, whether from Poets or Peers, is contemptible alike: and I am old enough and experienced enough to know, that the only praises

worth having are those bestowed by Virtue for Virtue. My Poetry I abandon to the critics, my Morals I commit to the testimony of those who know me; and therefore I was more pleas'd with your Libel, than with any Verfes I ever receiv'd. I wish fuch a collection of your writings could be printed here, as. you mention going on in Ireland. I was furpriz'd to receive from the Printer that fpurious piece, call'd The Life and Character of Dr Swift, with a letter, telling me the perfon, "who publish'd it, had affur'd "him the Dedication to me was what I would not "take ill, or else he would not have printed it." I can't tell who the man is, who took fo far upon him as to answer for my way of thinking; tho', had the thing been genuine, I should have been greatly difpleas'd at the publisher's part, in doing it without your knowledge.

I am as earnest as you can be, in doing my beft to prevent the publishing of any thing unworthy of Mr Gay; but I fear his friends partiality. I wish you would come over. All the mysteries of my philofophical work shall then be clear'd to you, will not think that I am not merry enough,

and you

nor augry enough: It will not want for Satire, but as for Anger I know it not; or at least only that fort of which the Apostle speaks, "Be ye angry and fin "not."

My Neighbour's writings have been metaphyfical, and will next be hiftorical. It is certainly from him only that a valuable Hiftory of Europe in thefe latter

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times can be expected. Come, and quicken him; for age, indolence, and contempt of the world, grow upon men apace, and may often make the wifeft indifferent whether pofterity be any wiser than we. a man in years, Health and Quiet become fuch rarities, and confequently fo valuable, that he is apt to think of nothing more than of enjoying them whenever he can for the remainder of life; and this, I doubt not, has caus'd fo many great men to die without leaving a scrap to pofterity.

I am fincerely troubled for the bad account you give me of your own health. I with every day to hear a better, as much as I do to enjoy my own, faithfully affure you.

LETTER LXVIII.

From Dr SWIFT.

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Dublin, July 8. 1733.

I

Muft condole with for the lofs of Mrs Pope, of

you

whofe death the papers have been full. But I would rather rejoice with you, becaufe, if any circumftances can make the death of a dear Parent and Friend a fubject for joy, you have them all. She died in an extreme old age, without pain, under the care of the most dutiful Son that I have ever known or heard of, which is a felicity not happening to one in a million. The worst effect of her death falls upon me, and fo much the worse, because I expected aliquis damno ufus

in illo, that it would be followed by making me and this kingdom happy with your prefence. But I am told, to my great misfortune, that a very convenient offer happening, you waved the invitation preffed on you, alledging the fear you had of being killed here with eating and drinking. By which I find that you have given fome credit to a notion of our great plenty and hospitality. It is true, our meat and wine is cheaper here, as it is always in the poorest countries, because there is no money to pay for them: I believe there are not in this whole city three Gentlemen out of Employment, who are able to give entertainments once a month. Thofe who are in Employments of church or state, are three parts in four from England, and amount to little more than a dozen: Thofe indeed may once or twice invite their friends, or any perfon of diftinction that makes a voyage hither. All my acquaintance tell me, they know not above three families where they can occafionally dine in a whole year: Dr Delany is the only gentleman I know, who keeps one certain day in the week to entertain feven or eight friends at dinner, and to pass the evening, where there is nothing of excefs, either in eating or drinking. Our old friend Southern (who hath just left us) was invited to dinner once or twice by a judge, a bishop, or a commiffioner of the revenues, but most frequented a few particular friends, and chiefly the Doctor, who is eafy in his fortune, and very hofpitable. The conveniencies of taking the air, winter or fummer, do far exceed thofe in London.

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