a month in my grave." A great man in England was blaming me for despising somebody or other; I assured him I did not at all despise the man he mentioned: that I was not so liberal of my contempt; nor would bestow it where there was not some degree of merit. Upon this principle, I can see no proper ground of opposition between your grace, and that wretch of Bangor. I have read indeed, that a dog was once made king of Norway, but I forgot who was his predecessor; and therefore am at a loss for the other part of the comparison. I am afraid the clatter of ladies tongues is no very good cure for a giddiness in the head. When your grace (as you say) was young, as I am not, the ladies were better company, or you more easily pleased. I am perpetually reproaching them for their ignorance, affectation, impertinence (but my paper will not hold all) except Lady Betty Rochfort, your old acquaintance. I own my head and your grace's feet would be ill joined; but give me your head and take my feet, and match us in the kingdom if you can. My lord, I row after health like a waterman, and ride after it like a post-boy, and find some little success; but subeunt morbi tristisque senectus. I have a receipt to which you are a stranger; my Lord Oxford and Mr Prior used to join with me in taking it; to whom I often said, when we were two hours diverting ourselves with trifles, vive la bagatelle. I am so deep among the workmen at Rochfort's canals and lakes, so dextrous at the oar, such an alderman after the hare See the lively poem entitled "The Country Life," describing the pastimes of Gallstown, Vol. XIV. p. 168. I am just now told from some newspapers, that one of the king's enemies, and my excellent friend, Mr Prior,* is dead; I pray God deliver me from many such trials. I am neither old nor philosopher enough to be indifferent at so great a loss; and therefore I abruptly conclude, but with the greatest respect, my Lord, Your grace's most dutiful, TO THE REV. MR JACKSON, AT GALLSTOWN.† Dublin, Oct. 6, 1721. I HAD no mind to load you with the secret of my going, because you should bear none of the blame. I fell upon a supposition that Mr Rochfort had a mind to keep me longer, which I will allow in him and you, but not one of the family besides, who I confess had reason enough to be weary of a man, He died Sept. 18, 1721. + Copied from the original in the possession of two Irish ladies of the name of Shenton (daughters of a late precentor of Christ-church, Dublin.)-N. From this curious letter, it appears that Swift had decamped as suddenly from Gallstown, as he afterwards did from Pope's house in England. In the latter case his excuse was too legitimate, being the dangerous illness of Stella. In the former it can only be traced to a sudden fit of humour or spleen, which was misrepresented into disrespect for the family in which he had been so hospitably entertained. See the introductory note to the "Country Life." I who entered into none of their tastes, nor pleasures, nor fancies, nor opinions, nor talk. I baited at Clencurry, and got to Leslip between three and four, saw the curiosities there, and the next morning came to Dublin by eight o'clock, and was at prayers in my cathedral. There's a traveller. forgot a long treatise copied by my Irish secretary, which I lent Clem. Barry.-Pray get it from him, and seal it up, and keep it, till you get a convenience of sending it. Desire Lady Betty to give you the old silver box that I carried the comfits in; it belongs to poor Mrs Brent, and she asked me for it with a sigh. You may trust it with Arthur. You are now happy, and have nobody to tease you to the oar or the saddle. You can sit in your nightgown till noon without any reproaches. I left a note for you with James Doyl, with commissions which I hope you will fulfil, though you borrow the money; I will certainly be out of your debt in all articles between us when you come to town, or before, if you draw a bill upon me, for now I have money and value no man. I am told your tribe here is all well, though I have seen none but Jack Jackson. Farewell, go to cards, and lose your money with great gravity. My service to all your girls. I gave James Doyl two crowns, and a strict order to take care of [my] gray-colt, which I desire you will second. our I had a perfect summer journey, and if I had staid much longer, I should have certainly had a winter one, which, with weak horses and bad roads, would have been a very unpleasant thing. JON. SWIFT. SIR, TO THE REV. MR WALLIS. Dublin, Nov. 3, 1721. You stole in and out of town without seeing either the ladies or me; which was very ungratefully done, considering the obligations you have to us, for lodging and dieting with you so long. Why did you not call in the morning at the deanery? Besides, we reckoned for certain that you came to stay a month or two, as you told us you intended. I hear you were so kind as to be at Laracor, where I hope you planted something; and I intend to be down after Christmas, when you must continue a week. As for your plan, it is very pretty, too pretty for the use I intend to make of Laracor. All I would desire is, what I mention in the paper I left you, except a walk down to the canal. I suppose your project would cost me ten pounds and a constant gardener. Pray come to town, and stay some time, and repay yourself some of your dinners. I wonder how a mischief you came to miss us. Why did you not set out a Monday, like a true country parson? Besides, you lay a load on us, in saying one chief end of your journey was to see us: but I suppose there might be another motive, and you are like the man that died of love and the colic. Let us know whether you are more or less monkish, how long you found yourself better by our company, and how long before you recovered the charges we put you to? The ladies assure you of their hearty services; and I am with great truth and sincerity, Your most faithful humble servant, JON. SWIFT. FROM LORD BOLINGBROKE. Jan. 1, 1721-2. I RECEIVED your letter of the twenty-ninth of September, above a fortnight ago; and should have set you an example, by answering it immediately, (which I do not remember you ever set me) if I had not been obliged to abandon the silence and quiet of this beloved retreat, and to thrust myself into the hurry and babble of an impertinent town. In less than ten days which I spent at Paris, I was more than ten times on the point of leaving my business there undone; and yet this business was to save four-fifths of four hundred thousand livres, which I have on the town-house; restes misérables du naufrage de ma fortune. Luckily I had the fear of you before my eyes and though I cannot hope to deserve your esteem by growing rich, I have endeavoured to avoid your contempt by growing poor. The expression is equivocal; a fault which our language often betrays those, who scribble hastily, into; but your own conscience will serve for a comment, and fix the sense. Let me thank you for remembering me in your prayers, and for using your credit above so generously in my behalf. To despise riches with Seneca's purse, is to have at once all the advantages of fortune and philosophy. Quid voveat dulci nutricula majus alumno ? You are not like H. Guy,* who, among other ex *Henry Guy, who had been secretary to the treasury during three successive reigns, died February 23, 1710, and left to Wil 1 |