"merce that hath fo long paffed between us; although "I never deftroy'd one of your letters. But my Execu"tors are men of honour and virtue, who have strict or ders in my will to burn every letter left behind me." Neither did our letters contain any Turns of Wit, or Fancy, or Politics, or Satire, but mere innocent Friendfhip: yet I am loth that any letters, from you and a very few other friends, fhould die before me; I believe we neither of us ever leaned our head upon our left hand to study what we should write next; yet we have held a conftant intercourfe from your youth and my middle age, and from your middle age it must be continued till my death, which my bad ftate of health makes me expect every month. I have the ambition, and it is very earneft as well as in hafte, to have one Epiftle infcribed to me while I am alive, and you juft in the time when wit and wifdomn are in the height. I must once more repeat Cicero's defire to a friend; Orna me. A month ago were fent me over by a friend of mine, the works of John Hughes, Efq. The are in verfe and profe. I never heard of the man in my life, yet I find your name as a fubfcriber too. He is too grave a Poet for me, and, I think, among the mediccribus in profe as well as verfe. I have the honour to know Dr. Rundle; he is indeed worth all the reft you ever fent us, but that is faying nothing, for he answers your character; I have dined thrice in his company. He brought over a worthy clergyman of this kingdom as his chaplain, which was a very wife and popular action. His only fault is, that he drinks no wine, and I drink nothing else.

This kingdom is now abfolutely ftarving, by the means of every oppreffion that can be inflicted on mankindShall I not vifit for these things faith the Lord. You advise me right, not to trouble myfelf about the world: But oppreflion tortures me, and I cannot live without meat and drink, nor get either without money? ant money is not be had, except they will make me a Bilhop, or a Judge, or a Colonel, or a Commiffioner of the R Adieu.

venues.

O answer your queftion as to Mr. Hughes, what he wanted as to genius he made up as an honest man : but he was of the clafs

VOL. IV.

think him.

you
D d d

I am glad you think of Dr. Rundle as I do. He wilt be an honour to the Bishops and a difgrace to one Bishop, two things you will like: But what you will like more particularly, he will be a friend and benefactor even to your un-friended, un-benefited Nation; he will be a friend to human race, wherever he goes. Pray tell him my best wishes for his health and long life; I with you and he came over together, or that I were with you. I never faw a man fo feldom whom I liked fo much as Dr. Rundle.

Lord Peterborow I went to take a laft leave of at his fetting fail for Lifbon: No Body can be more wafted, no Soul can be more alive. Immediately after the fevereft operation of being cut into the bladder for a fuppreffion of urine, he took coach, and got from Bristol to Southampton. This is a man that will neither live nor die like any

other mortal.

Poor Lord Peterborow! there is another ftring loft, that wou'd have help'd to draw you hither! He order'd on his death-bed his Watch to be given me (that which had accompanied him in all his travels) with this reason, "That I might have fomething to put me every day in "mind of him." It was a prefent to him from the King of Sicily, whofe arms and Infignia are graved on the inner cafe; on the outer, I have put this infcription, Victor Amadeus, Rex Siciliae, Dux Sabaudiae, etc. etc. Carolo Mordaunt, Comiti de Peterborow, D. D. Car, Mor. Com, de Pet. Alexandro Pope moriens legavit, 1735.

*

Pray write to me a little oftner; and if there be a thing left in the world that pleafes you, tell it one who will partake of it. I hear with approbation and pleasure, that your prefent care is to relieve the moft helpless of this world, thofe objects which moft want our compaffion, tho' generally made the fcorn of their fellow-creatures, 1uch as are lefs innocent than they. You always think generoufly; and of all charities, this is the most difinterefted, and leaft vain-glorious, done to fuch as never will thank you or praife you for it.

God bless you with eafe, if not with pleafure; with a tolerable state of health, if not with its full enjoyment; with a refign'd temper of mind, if not a very chearful one. It is upon thefe terms I live myfelf, tho' younger than you, and I repine not at my lot, could but the prefence of a few that I love be added to thefe. Adieu.

* Idiots.

LETTER

LETTER LXXVII.

From Dr. SWIFT.

O&. 21, 1735.

Balfac

Anfwer'd your letter relating to Curl, etc. I believe my letters have efcap'd being publifh'd, because I writ nothing but Nature and Friendship, and particular incidents which could make no figure in writing. I have obferv'd that not only Voiture, but likewife Tully and Pliny wrote their letters for the public view, more than for the fake of their correfpondents; and I am glad of it, on account of the entertainment they have given me. did the fame thing, but with more ftiffness, and confe'quently lefs diverting: Now I muft tell you, that you are to look upon me as one going very faft out of the world; but my flesh and bones are to be carried to Holy-head, for I will not lie in a Country of flaves. It pleafeth me to find that you begin to diflike things in fpite of your Philofophy; your Mufe cannot forbear her hints to that purpofe. I cannot travel to fee you; otherwise I folemnly proteft I would do it. I have an intention to pafs this winter in the country with a Friend forty miles off, and to ride only ten miles a day; yet is my health fo uncertain, that I fear it will not be in my power. I often ride a dozen miles, but come to my own bed at night: My best way would be to marry, for in that cafe any bed would be better than my own. I found you a very young man, and I left you a middle-aged one; you knew me a middle-aged man, and now I am an old one. Where is my Lord? methinks I am enquiring after a Tulip of laft year. You need not apprehend any Curls meddling with your letters to me; I will not deftroy them, but have order'd my Executors to do that office." I have a thousand things more to fay, longevitas eft garula, but I remember I have other letters to write if I have time, which I spend to tell you fo. I am ever, deareft Sir,

LETTER LXXVIII.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Feb. 9, 1735-6,

Cannot properly call you my best friend, becaufe I have not another left who deferves the name, fuch a havock have Time, Death, Exile, and Obliyion made. Perhaps. you would have fewer complaints of my ill health and lownels of fpirits, if they were not fome excufe for my delay of writing even to you. It is perfectly right what you fay of the indifference in common friends, whether we are fick or well, happy or miferable. The very maid-fervants in a family have the fame notion: I have heard them often fay, Oh, I am very fick, if any body cared for it? I am vexed when my viitors come with the compliments ufual here, Mr. Dean, I hope you are very well. My popularity that you mention, is wholly confined to the common people, who are more conftant than those we mif-call their betters. I walk the streets, and fo do my lower friends, from whom, and from whom alone, I have a thousand hats and bleffings upon old fcores, which those we call the Gentry have forgot, But I have not the love, or hardly the civility of any one man in power or station; and I can boaft that I neither vifit nor am acquainted with any Lord, Temporal or Spiritual, in the whole kingdom; nor am able to do the leaft good office to the most deferving man, except what I can difpofe of in my own Cathe, dral upon a vacancy. What hath funk my fpirits more than even years and fickness, is reflecting on the most execrable Corruptions that run through every branch of pub, lic management.

I heartily thank you for thofe lines tranflated, Singula de nobis anni, etc. You have them in a ftrong and admirable light; but however, I am so partial, as to be more delighted with thofe which are to do me the greatest honour I fhall ever receive from pofterity, and will outweigh the malignity of ten thousand enemies. I never faw them before, by which it is plain that the letter you fent me mifcarry'd I do not doubt that you have choice of new acquaintance, and fome of them may be deferving: For youth is the feafon of Virtue; Corruptions grow with years, and I believe the oldeft rogue in England is the greateft. You have years enough before you to watch whether thefe new acquaintance will keep their Virtue,

when

when they leave you and go into the world; how long will their fpirit of independency laft against the temptations of future Minifters, and Future Kings.-As to the new Lord Lieutenant I never knew any of the family; fo that I fhall not be able to get any jobb done by him for deferving friend.

any

LETTER LXXIX.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Feb. 7, 1735-6.

IT Tis fome time fince I dined at the Bifhop of Derry's, where Mr. Secretary Cary told me with great concern, that you were taken very ill. I have heard nothing fince, only I have continued in great pain of mind, yet for my own fake and the worlds more than for yours; because I well know how little you value life both as a Philofopher and a Chriftian, particularly the latter, wherein hardly one in a million of us heretics can equal you. If you are well recover'd, you ought to be reproached for not putting me especially out of pain, who could not bear the lofs of you; although we must be for ever diftant as much as if I were in the grave, for which my years and continual indifpofition are preparing me every season. I have ftaid too long from preffing you to give me fome ease by an account of your health: pray do not use me fo ill any more. I look upon you as an eftate from which I receive my beft annual rents, although I am never to fee it. Mr. Tickel was at the fame meeting under the fame real concern; and fo were a hundred others of this town who had never feen you.

I read to the Bishop of Derry the paragraph in your letter which concern'd him, and his Lordthip exprefs'd his thankfulness in a manner that became him. He is efteemed here as a perfon of learning and converfation and humanity, but he is beloved by all people.

I have nobody now left but you: Pray be fo kind to cut-live me, and then die as foon as you pleafe, but without pain; and let us meet in a better place, if my Religion will permit, but rather my Virtue, altho' much unequal to yours. Pray, let my Lord Bathurst know how much I love him; Iftill infift on his remembering me, although he is too much in the world to honour an absent friend with his letters. My ftate of health is not to boast

of;