Poets the most miferable. I'm alfo forry for another reafon; if they don't promote him, they'll fpoil the conclufion of one of my Satires, where having endeavoured to correct the Taste of the town in wit and criticism, I end thus,

But what avails to lay down rules for fenfe? In's Reign thefe fruitless lines were writ, When Ambrofe Philips was preferr❜d for Wit! Our friend Gay is ufed as the friends of Tories are by Whigs (and generally by Tories too). Because he had humour, he was fuppofed to have dealt with Dr. Swift; in like manner as when any one had learning formerly, he was thought to have dealt with the Devil. He puts his whole truft at Court in that Lady whom I described to you; and whom you take to be an allegorical creature of fancy: I wifh fhe really were Riches for his fake; though as for yours, I question whether (if you knew her) you would change her for the other?

Lord Bolingbroke had not the least harm by his fall; I wish he had received no more by his other fall; Lord Oxford had none by his. But Lord Bolingbroke is the most improved Mind fince you faw him, that ever was improved without fhifting into a new body, or being: paullo minus ab angelis. I have often imagined to myfelf, that if ever all of us meet again, after so many varieties and changes, after fo much of the old world and of the old man in each of us has been altered, that scarce a single thought of the one,

one, any more than a fingle atom of the other, remains just the fame; I've fancied, I fay, that we should meet like the righteous in the Millennium, quit in peace, divested of all our former Paffions, fmiling at our past follies, and content to enjoy the kingdom of the Just, in tranquillity. But I find you would rather be employed as an avenging Angel of wrath, to break your Vial of Indignation over the heads of the wretched creatures of this world: nay, would make them Eat your Book, which you have made (I doubt not) as bitter a pill for them as poffible.

I won't tell you what defigns I have in my head (befides writing a set of Maxims in oppofition to all Rochefoucault's principles *) till I fee you here, face to face. Then you shall have no reason to complain of me for want of a generous disdain of this world, though I have not loft my Ears in yours and their fervice. Lord Oxford too (whom I have now the third time mentioned in this letter, and he deserves to be always mentioned in every thing that is addreffed to you, or comes from you) expects you: that ought to be enough to bring you hither; 'tis a better reason than if the nation expected you. For I really enter as fully as you can defire, into your principle of love

of

This was only faid as an oblique reproof of the horrid mifanthropy in the foregoing Letter; and which he supposed, might be chiefly occafioned by the Dean's fondness for Rochefoucault, whofe Maxims are founded on the principle of an universal selfishness in human nature.

W.

"Who is the great Philofopher," says Addifon, " for adminiftering of confolation to the idle, the envious, and worthless part of mankind."

of Individuals and I think the way to have a public spirit is first to have a private one; for who can believe (faid a friend of mine) that any man can care for a hundred thousand people, who never cared for one? ill-humoured man can ever be a Patriot, any more than a Friend.

No

I defigned to have left the following page for Dr. Arbuthnot to fill, but he is fo touched with the period in yours to me concerning him, that he in. tends to answer it by a whole letter. He too is bufy about a book, which I guess he will tell you of. So adieu what remains worth telling you? Dean Berkley is well, and happy in the prosecution of his Scheme. Lord Oxford and Lord Bolingbroke in health, Duke Difney fo alfo; Sir William Wyndham better, Lord Bathurst well. These, and fome others, preferve their ancient honour and ancient friendship. Those who do neither, if they were d-d, what is it to a Proteftant priest, who has nothing to do with the dead? I answer for my own part as a Papift, I would not pray them out of Purgatory.

My name is as bad an one as yours, and hated by all bad Poets, from Hopkins and Sternhold to Gildon and Cibber. The firft prayed against me with the Turk; and a modern Imitator of theirs (whom I leave you to find out) has added the Chriftian to

'em, with proper definitions of each in this manner,

The Pope's the Whore of Babylon,

The Turk he is a Jew:

The Chriftian is an Infidel

That fitteth in a Pew.

LETTER XIII.

FROM DR. SWIFT.

Nov. 26, 1725.

I SHOULD fooner have acknowledged yours, if a feverish disorder and the relics of it had not difabled me for a fortnight. I now begin to make excuses, because I hope I am pretty near seeing you, and therefore I would cultivate an acquaintance; because if you do not know me when we meet, you need only keep one of my letters, and compare it with my face, for my face and letters are counterparts of my heart. I fear I have not expreffed that right, but I mean well, and I hate blots: I look in your letter, and in my conscience you say the fame thing, but in a better manner. Pray tell my Lord Bolingbroke that I wish he were banished again, for then I should hear from him, when he was full of philofophy, and talked de contemptu mundi. My Lord Oxford was fo extremely kind as to write to me immediately an account of his fon's birth; which I immediately acknowledged, but before the letter could reach him, I wished it in the sea : I hope I was more afflicted than his Lordship. "Tis hard that Parfons and Beggars fhould be over-run with brats, while fo great and good a family wants an heir to continue it. I have received his father's picture, but I lament (fub figillo confeffionis) that it

is

is not fo true a refemblance as I could wifh.

Drown the world! I am not content with defpifing it, but I would anger it, if I could with fafety. I wish there were an Hospital built for its Defpifers, where one might act with safety, and it need not be a large building, only I would have it well endowed. P** is fort chancellant whether he shall turn Parson or no. But all employments here are engaged, or in reverfion. Caft Wits and caft Beaux have a proper fanctuary in the church: yet we think it a fevere judgement, that a fine gentleman, and so much the finer for hating Ecclefiaftics, should be a domestic humble retainer to an Irish Prelate. He is neither Secretary nor Gentleman-ufher, yet ferves in both capacities. He hath published several reasons why he never came to fee me, but the best is, that I have not waited on his Lordship. We have had a Poem fent from London in imitation of that on Mifs Carteret. It is on Miss Harvey, of a day old; and we say and think it is yours. I wish it were not, because I am against monopolies. You might have spared me a few more lines of your Satire, but I hope in a few months to fee it all. To hear boys, like you, talk of Millenniums and tranquillity! I am older by thirty years, Lord Bo lingbroke by twenty, and you but by ten, than when we last were together; and we should differ more than ever, you coquetting a maid of honour, my Lord looking on to fee how the gamesters play, and I railing at you both. I defire you and all my friends