LETTER XIII.

FROM THE SAME.

WHENEVER You apply as a good Papist to your female Mediatrix *, you are fure of fuccefs; but there is not a full affurance of your entire fubmiffion 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 escape examination.

Your Idea of the Golden age is, that every fhepherd might pipe where he pleased. As I have lived longer, I am more moderate in my wifhes, 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 Shepherdefst in voluntary flavery? why must our Dean submit 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 journies before hand, because I take refolutions of going to

London,

*Lady Peterborow, a rigid Papist.

WARTON.

†The Shepherdefs was Mrs. Howard, whom Swift, Gay, Pope, &c. used to think, from her connection with the Court, fomething like a Nightingale, among Bats and Owls.

London, and keep them no better than quarrelling lovers do theirs. But the devil will drive me thither about the middle of next month, and I will call upon you, to be sprinkled with holy water before I enter the place of Corruption.

LETTER XIV.

FROM THE SAME.

Your, etc.

1732.

I 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 proteftant land, most 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

*This year Lord Peterborow and Pope paid a vifit from Southampton to Winchester College, and gave prizes to the scholars for the beft copy of verfes that should be written, on a subject proposed to them by Mr. Pope himself-The Campaign of Valentia.— The prizes were fets of Pine's Horace. Hampton, the excellent Tranflator of Polybius, at that time very young, gained one of thefe prizes; Mr. Whitehead, another.

WARTON.

For though I would not corrupt any man for the whole world, yet a benevolence may be given without any offence to confcience; every one muft con. fefs, that gratification and corruption are two diftinct 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 fome good news in relation to myfelf, because I know you wish me well; I am cured of fome diseases in my old age, which tormented me very much in my youth.

I was poffeffed with violent and uneafy paffions, fuch as a peevish concern for Truth, and a faucy love for my Country.

When a christian Prieft preached against the Spirit of the Gofpel, when an English Judge determined against Magna Charta, when the Minister acted against Common Senfe, I ufed to fret.

Now, Sir, let what will happen, I keep myself in temper: As I have no flattering hopes, fo I banifh all ufelefs fears; but as to the things of this world, I find myself 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 eftate, as Sir Robert S-tt-n.

If

As may be feen from his tranfactions with Fenwick in the year 1696-7. WARBURTON.

The parliamentary inquiry was, concerning the Charitable Corporation already spoken of; and Sir Robert Sutton was expelled the Houfe, in confequence.

If the Tranflator of Homer find fault with this unheroic difpofition, or (what I more fear) if the Draper of Ireland accuse the Englishman of want of spirit: I filence you both with one line out of your own Horace: Quid 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.

Your, etc.

I

LETTER XV.

DR. SWIFT TO THE EARL OF PETERBOROW.

My Lord,

NEVER knew or heard of any person so volatile, and fo fixed 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 kindness to the meaneft of your friends; and in all the Scenes 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 fervants, 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. 8

I have

I have often admired at the capriciousness of Fortune in regard to your Lordship. She hath forced Courts to act against their oldeft, and most conftant maxims; to make you a General, because you had courage and conduct; an Ambassador, because you had wisdom and knowledge in the interefts of Europe; and an Admiral, on account of your skill in maritime affairs whereas, according to the ufual method of Court proceedings, I fhould have been at the head of the Army, and you of the Church, or rather a Curate, under the Dean of St. Patrick's.

The Archbishop of Dublin laments that he did not fee your Lordship till he was juft upon the point of leaving the Bath: I pray God you may have found fuccefs in that journey, else I shall continue to think there is a fatality in all your Lordship's undertakings, which only terminate in your own honour, and the good of the public, without the least advantage to your health or fortune.

I remember Lord Oxford's miniftry used to tell me, that not knowing where to write to you, they were forced to write at you. It is fo with me, for you are in one thing an Evangelical man, that you

know

*After his glorious fucceffes in Spain, he was appointed. Ambaffador Extraordinary, with full powers for adjusting all matters of state; but was haftily recalled, when he appealed to Parliament, and afterwards had the thanks of the Houfe of Lords for "the many great and eminent fervices he had performed."

I fuppofe Swift calls him "an Admiral," because he was appointed General of the Marine Forces by George I. and was continued in that commiffion by George II.