Adieu, my Lord, and may as many years attend you, be happy and honourable!

as may

Y

LETTER XXXVI.

From the Earl of PETERBOROW.

OU must receive my letters with a juft impartiality, and give grains of allowance for a gloomy or rainy day; I fink grievously with the weather-glass, and am quite fpiritless when oppress'd with the thoughts of a Birth-day or a Return.

Dutiful affection was bringing me to town, but undutiful laziness, and being much out of order, keep me in the country; however, if alive, I must make my appearance at the Birth-day. Where shewed one you letter, you may fhew the other; fhe that never was wanting in any good office in her power, will make a proper excufe, where a fin of Omiffion, I fear, is not reckoned as a venial fin.

I confent you fhall call me polemic, or affociate me to any fect or Corporation, provided you do not join me to the Charitable Rogues, or to the Pacific Politicians of the prefent age. I have read over Barkley in vain, and find, after a stroke given on the left, I cannot offer the right cheek for another blow: all I can bring myself to, is to bear mortification from the Fair-fex with patience.

you

You feem to think it vexatious that I fhall allow but one woman at a time, either to praise, or love. If I difpute with you upon this point, I doubt Barkley's apology for the Quakers.

every jury will give a verdict against me. So, Sir, with a Mahometan indulgence, I allow you pluralities, the favourite privilege of our church.

I find you do not mend upon correction; again I tell you, you must not think of women in a reasonable way you know we always make Goddeffes of those we adore upon earth; and do not all the good men tell us, we must lay aside Reason in what relates to the Deity?

'Tis well the Poets are preparing fongs of joy : 'tis well to lay in antidotes of foft rhyme, against the rough profe they may chance to meet with at Westminfter. I fhould have been glad of any thing of Swift's: pray, when you write to him next, tell him I expect him with impatience, in a place as odd and as much out of the way, as himself.

Yours.

W

LETTER XXXVII.

From the fame.

Henever you apply as a good Papift to your female Mediatrix, you are fure of fuccefs; but there is not a full affurance of your entire submission to Mother-church, and that abates a little of your authority. However, if you will accept of country-letters, she will correfpond from the hay-cock, and I will write to you upon the fide of my wheelbarrow: furely fuch letters might efcape examination.

Your idea of the Golden Age is, that every shepherd might pipe where he pleafed. As I have lived

longer, I am more moderate in my wishes, and would be content with the liberty of not piping where I am not pleased.

Oh how I wish, to myself and my friends, a freedom which fate feldom allows, and which we often refuse ourselves! why is our Shepherdefs * in voluntary flavery? why muft our Dean fubmit to the Colour of his coat, and live abfent from us? and why are you confined to what you cannot relieve?

I feldom venture to give accounts of my journeys before-hand, because I take resolutions of going to London, and keep them no better than quarreling lovers do theirs. But the devil will drive me thither about the middle of next month, and I will call upon you, to be fprinkled with holy water, before I enter the place of Corruption.

Your, &c.

I

LETTER XXXVIII.

From the fame.

Am under the greatest impatience to see Dr Swift at Bevis-Mount, and muft fignify my mind to him by another hand, it not being permitted me to hold correfpondence with the faid Dean, for no letter of mine can come to his hands.

And whereas it is apparent, in this protestant land, moft especially under the care of divine providence,

that nothing can fucceed or come to a happy iffue but by Bribery; therefore let me know what he expects to comply with my defires, and it fhall be remitted unto him.

For tho' I would not corrupt any man for the whole world, yet a benevolence may be given without any offence to confcience; every one must confefs, that gratification and corruption are two distinct terms; nay, at worst many good men hold, that for a good end, fome very naughty measures may be made ufe of.

But, Sir, I must give you some good news in relation to myself, because, I know, you wish me well; I am cur'd of fome difeafes in my old age, which tormented me very much in my youth.

I was poffefs'd with violent and uneafy paffions, such as a peevish concern for Truth, and a faucy love for my Country.

When a Christian Priest preached against the Spirit of the Gospel, when an English Judge determined against Magna Charta, when the Minister acted against common Senfe, I used to fret.

Now, Sir, let what will happen, I keep myself in temper: As I have no flattering hopes, fo I banish all ufelefs fears; but as to the things of this world, I find myfelf in a condition beyond expectation: it being evident from a late Parliamentary inquiry, that I have as much ready money, as much in the funds, and as great a perfonal estate as Sir Robert S-tt-n.

If the Tranflator of Homer find fault with this unheroic difpofition, or (what I more fear) if the Draper of Ireland accufe the Englishman of want of fpirit; I filence you both with one line out of your own HoQuid te exempta juvat fpinis e pluribus una? For I take the whole to be fo corrupted, that a cure in any part would be of little avail.

race.

Your, &c.

I

LETTER XXXIX.

Dr SWIFT to the E. of PETERBOROW.

MY LORD,

Never knew or heard of any perfon fo volatile, and

fo fix'd as your Lordship: You, while your imagination is carrying you through every corner of the

world, where you have or have not been, can at the fame time remember to do offices of favour and kind

ness to the meanest of your friends; and in all the fcenes you have paffed, have not been able to attain that one quality peculiar to a great man, of forgetting every thing but injuries. Of this I am a living witness against you; for being the most infignificant of all your old humble servants, you were fo cruel as never to give me time to ask a favour, but prevented me in doing whatever you thought I defired, or could be for my credit or advantage.

I have often admired at the capriciousness of Fortune in regard to your Lordship. She hath forced Courts to act against their oldeft, and moft conftant maxims;