copy was bafely mangled, and abufed, and added to, and blotted out by the Printer; for fo to me it seems, in the fecond volume particularly.

Adieu.

LETTER XXI.

FROM DR. SWIFT.

December 5, 1726.

I

BELIEVE the hurt in your hand affects me more than it does yourself, and with reason, because I may probably be a greater lofer by it. What have accidents to do with those who are neither jockeys, nor fox-hunters, nor bullies, nor drunkards? And yet a rafcally Groom shall gallop a foundred horse ten miles upon a causeway, and get home fafe.

I am very much pleased that you approve what was fent, because I remember to have heard a great man fay, that nothing required more judgment than making a prefent; which when it is done to those of high rank, ought to be of something that is not readily got for money. You oblige me, and at the fame time do me justice in what you obferve as to Mr. P. Besides, it is too late in life for me to act otherwise, and therefore I follow a very easy road to virtue, and purchafe it cheap. If you will give me leave to join us, is not your life and mine a state of power, and depend

G 2

dependence a state of flavery? We care not three pence whether a Prince or Minister will fee us or no: we are not afraid of having ill offices done us, nor are at the trouble of guarding our words for fear of giving offence. I do agree that Riches are Liberty, but then we are to put into the balance how long our apprenticeship is to laft in acquiring them.

Since you have received the verses *, I most earnestly intreat you to burn those which you do not approve, and in those few where you may not diflike fome parts, blot out the reft, and fometimes (though it be against the lazinefs of your nature) be fo kind to make a few corrections, if the matter will bear them. I have fome few of those things I call Thoughts moral and diverting; if you please, I will fend the best I can pick from them, to add to the new volume. I have reafon to chufe the method you mention of mixing the feveral verfes, and I hope thereby among the bad Critics to be entitled to more merit than is my due.

This moment I am fo happy to have a letter from my Lord Peterborow, for which I entreat you will prefent him with my humble respects and thanks, though he all-to-be Gullivers me by very strong infinuations. Though you defpife Riddles, I am ftrong

ly

* A juft character of Swift's poetry, as well as his profe, is, that it "confifts of proper words in proper places." Johnfon faid once to me, fpeaking of the fimplicity of Swift's style, "The Rogue never hazards a figure.”

ly tempted to fend a parcel to be printed by themselves, and make a nine-penny jobb for the bookfeller. There are fome of my own, wherein I exceed mankind, Mira Poemata! the most folemn that ever were feen; and fome writ by others, admirable indeed, but far inferior to mine; but I will not praise myself. You approve that writer who laughs and makes others laugh; but why fhould I who hate the world, or you who do not love it, make it fo happy? therefore I refolve from henceforth to handle only ferious fubjects, nifi quid tu, docte Trebati, Diffentis. : Yours, etc.

LETTER XXII.

March 8, 1726-7.

MR. R. Stopford will be the bearer of this letter, for whofe acquaintance I am, among many other favours, obliged to you: and I think the acquaintance of fo valuable, ingenious, and unaffected a man, to be none of the least obligations.

Our Miscellany is now quite printed. I am prodigiously pleased with this joint-volume, in which, methinks, we look like friends, fide by fide, ferious and merry by turns, converfing interchangeably and walking down hand in hand to pofterity; not in the stiff forms of learned Authors, flattering each other,

and fetting the rest of mankind at nought; but in a free, unimportant, natural, easy manner; diverting others juft as we diverted ourselves. The third volume confifts of Verses, but I would chufe to print none but fuch as have fome peculiarity, and may be diftinguished for ours, from other writers. There's no end of making Books, Solomon faid, and above all of making Miscellanies, which all men can make. For unless there be a character in every piece, like the mark of the Elect, I fhould not care to be one of the Twelve-thousand figned.

You received, I hope, fome commendatory verses from a Horse and a Lilliputian, to Gulliver; and an heroic Epiftle of Mrs. Gulliver. The Bookfeller would fain have printed them before the fecond Edition of the Book, but I would not permit it without your approbation: nor do I much like them. You fee how much like a Poet I write, and yet if you were with us, you'd be deep in Politics. People are very warm, and very angry, very little to the purpose, but therefore the more warm and the more angry; Non noftrum eft, Tantas componere lites. I ftay at Twit'nam, without fo much as reading news-papers, votes, or any other paltry Pamphlets: Mr. Stopford will carry you a whole parcel of them, which are fent for your diverfion, but not imitation. For my own part, methinks I am at Glubdubdrib with none but ancients and fpirits about me.

I am rather better than I use to be at this season, but my hand (though, as you fee, it has not loft its cunning) is frequently in very aukward fenfations rather than pain. But to convince you it is pretty well, it has done fome mischief already, and just been strong enough to cut the other hand, while it was aiming to prune a fruit-tree.

Lady Bolingbroke has writ you a long, lively letter, which will attend this: fhe has very bad health, he very good. Lord Peterborow has writ twice to you; we fancy fome letters have been intercepted, or loft by accident. About ten thoufand things I want to tell you: I wish you were as impatient to hear them, for if so, you would, you muft come early this fpring. Adieu. Let me have a line from you. I am vext at lofing Mr. Stopford as foon as I knew him: but I thank God I have known him no longer. If every man one begins to value must settle in Ireland, pray make me know no more of them, and I forgive you this one.