which in things of great importance would have been matter for Hiftorians. Mr. Gay's Opera hath been acted here twenty times, and my Lord Lieutenant tells me, it is very well performed; he hath seen it often, and approves it much.

You give a most melancholy account of yourself, and which I do not approve. I reckon that a man fubject like us to bodily infirmities, fhould only occafionally converfe with great people, notwithstanding all their good qualities, eafineffes, and kindneffes. There is another race which I prefer before them, as Beef and Mutton for conftant diet before Partridges : I mean a middle kind both for understanding and fortune, who are perfectly eafy, never impertinent, complying in every thing, ready to do a hundred little offices that you and I may often want, who dine and fit with me five times for once that I go with them, and whom I can tell without offence, that I am otherwise engaged at prefent. This you cannot expect from any of those that either you or I or both are acquainted with on your fide; who are only fit for our healthy feafons, and have much bufinefs of their own. God forbid I fhould condemn you to Ireland (Quanquam O!) and for England I despair; and indeed a change of affairs would come too late at my season of life, and might probably produce nothing on my behalf. You have kept Mrs. Pope longer, and have had her care beyond what from nature you could expect; not but her lofs will be very fenfible, whenever it shall happen. I fay one thing, that both

fummers

fummers and winters are milder here than with you; all things for life in general better for a middling fortune: you will have an absolute command of your company, with whatever obfequioufnefs or freedom you may expect or allow. I have an elderly houfekeeper, who hath been my W-Ip-le above thirty years, whenever I lived in this kingdom. I have the command of one or two villas near this town: you have a warm apartment in this houfe, and two gardens for amusement. I have faid enough, yet not half. Except abfence from friends, I confefs freely that I have no discontent at living here; befides what arifes from a filly fpirit of Liberty, which as it neither fours my drink, nor hurts my meat, nor fpoils my stomach farther than in imagination, so I resolve to throw it off.

You talk of this Dunciad, but I am impatient to have it volare per ora-there is now a vacancy for fame; the Beggar's Opera hath done its task, difcedat uti conviva fatur.

Adieu.

I

LETTER XXXI.

FROM DR. SWIFT.

June 1, 1728.

LOOK upon my Lord Bolingbroke and us two, as a peculiar Triumvirate, who have nothing to expect, or to fear; and fo far fitteft to converfe with one another only he and I are a little fubject to schemes, and one of us (I won't fay which) upon very weak appearances, and this you have nothing to do with. I do profefs without affectation, that your kind opinion of me as a Patriot (fince you call it fo) is what I do not deserve; because what I do is owing to perfect rage and refentment, and the mortifying fight of flavery, folly, and baseness about me, among which I am forced to live. And I will take my oath that you have more Virtue in an hour, than I in seven years; for you defpife the follies, and hate the vices of mankind, without the least ill effect on your temper and with regard to particular men, you are inclined always rather to think the better, whereas with me it is always directly contrary. I hope, however, this is not in you from a fuperior principle of virtue, but from your fituation, which hath made all parties and interests indifferent to you, who can be under no concern about high and low church, Whig and Tory, or who is firft Minister-Your long letter was the last I received, till this by Dr. Delany,

although

although you mention another fince. The Dr. told me your fecret about the Dunciad, which does not please me, because it defers gratifying my vanity in the most tender point, and perhaps may wholly dif appoint it. As to one of your enquiries, I am easy enough in great matters, and have a thousand paltry vexations in my little station, and the more contemptible, the more vexatious. There might be a Lutrin writ upon the tricks used by my Chapter to teize me. I do not converse with one creature of Station or Title, but I have a set of eafy people whom I entertain when I have a mind; I have formerly described them to you, but when you come, you fhall have the honours of the country as much as you please, and I fhall on that account make a better figure as long as I live. Pray God preserve Mrs. Pope for your fake and ease; I love and esteem her too much to wifh it for her own: if I were five-and-twenty, I would wish to be of her age, to be as fecure as fhe is of a better life. Mrs. P. B. has writ to me, and is one of the best Letter-writers I know; very good fenfe, civility and friendship, without any stiffness or restraint. The Dunciad has taken wind here, but if it had not, you are as much known here as in England, and the Univerfity-lads will crowd to kifs the hem of your garment. I am grieved to hear that my Lord Bolingbroke's ill health forced him to the Bath. Tell me, is not Temperance a neceffary virtue for great men, fince it is the parent of Ease and Liberty; fo neceffary

for the use and improvement of the mind, and which Philofophy allows to be the greatest felicities of life? I believe, had health been given fo liberally to you, it would have been better husbanded without shame to your parts.

LETTER XXXII.

Dawley, June 28, 1728.

I

NOW hold the pen for my Lord Bolingbroke, who is reading your letter between two Haycocks; but his attention is somewhat diverted by cafting his eyes on the clouds, not in admiration of what you say, but for fear of a fhower. He is pleased with your placing him in the Triumvirate between yourself and me; though he fays that he doubts he shall fare like Lepidus, while one of us runs away with all the power like Auguftus, and another with all the pleafures like Anthony. It is upon a forefight of this, that he has fitted up his farm, and you will agree, that his scheme of retreat at least is not founded upon weak appearances. Upon his return from the Bath, all peccant humours, he finds, are purged out of him; and his great Temperance and Oeconomy are fo fignal, that the first is fit for my constitution, and the latter would enable you to lay up fo much money as to buy a Bishoprick in England. As to the return of