with beggars; but dearths are common in better climates, and our evils here lie much deeper. Imagine a nation the two thirds of whose revenues are spent out of it, and who are not permitted to trade with the other third, and where the pride of women will not fuffer them to wear their own manufactures even where they excel what come from abroad: This is the true state of Ireland in a very few words. These evils operate more every day, and the kingdom is abfolutely undone, as I have been telling often in print these ten years past.

What I have faid requires forgiveness, but I had a mind for once to let you know the fate of our affairs, and my reafon for being more moved than perhaps becomes a Clergyman, and a piece of a Philofopher: and perhaps the increase of years and disorders may hope for fome allowance to complaints, especially when I may call myself a stranger in a ftrange land. As to poor Mrs. Pope (if he be still alive) I heartily pitý you and pity her: her great piety and virtue will infallibly make her happy in a better life, and her great age hath made her fully ripe for heaven and the grave, and her best friends will moft with her eafed of her labours, when the hath fo many good works to follow them. The lofs you will feel by the want of her care and kindness, I know very well; but fhe has amply done her part, as you have yours. One reason why I would have you in Ireland when you fhall be at your own difpofal, is that you may be master of two or three years revenues, provifa frugis in annos copia, fo as not to be pinch'd in the least when years increase, and perhaps your health impairs: And when this kingdom. is utterly at an end, you may fupport me for the few years I fhall happen to live; and who knows but you may pay me exorbitant intereft for the fpoonful of

1

wine, and fcraps of a chicken it will cost me to feed you? I am confident you have too much reafon to complain of ingratitude; for I never yet knew any perfon, one tenth part, fo heartily difpofed as you are, to do good offices to others, without the leaft private view.

Was it a Gasconade to please me, that you faid your fortune was increased 100 1. a year fince I left you; you should have told me how. Thofe fubfidid fenectuti are extremely defirable, if they could be got with juftice, and without avarice; of which vice tho I cannot charge myself yet, nor feel any approaches towards it, yet no ufurer more wishes to be richer (or rather to be furer of his rents.) But I am not half fo moderate as you, for I declare I cannot live éafily under double to what you are fatisfied with.

I hope Mr. Gay will keep his 3000 1. and live on the intereft without decreasing the principal one pénny; but I do not like your feldom feeing him. I hope he is grown more difengaged from his intentnefs on his own affairs, which I ever difliked, and is quite the reverfe to you, unless you are very dextrous difguifer. I defire my humble fervice to Lord Oxford, Lord Bathurft, and particularly to Mrs. B, but to no Lady at court. God bless you for being a greater Dupe than I; I love that character too myself, but I want your charity.

Adieu,

T

LETTER XXXIX.

Oftob. 9, 1729.

It pleases me that you received my books at laft

but you have never once told me if you approve the whole, or difapprove not of fome parts, of the Commentary, &c. It was my principal aim in the entire work to perpetuate the friendship between us, and to fhew that the friends or the enemies of one were the friends or enemies of the other: If in any particular, any thing be stated or mention'd in a different manner from what you like, pray tell me freely, that the new Editions now coming out here, may have it rectify'd. You'll find the octavo rather more correct than the quarto, with fome additions to the Notes and Epigrams cast in, which I wish had been encreas'd by your acquaintance in Ireland. I rejoice in hearing that Drapier's - Hill is to emulate Parnaffus; I fear the country about it is as much impoverish'd. I truly share in all that troubles you, and wish you remov'd from a scene of distress, which I know works your compaffionate temper too strongly. But if we are not to fee you here, I believe I fhall once in my life fee you there. You think more for me, and about me, than any friend I have, and you think better for me. Perhaps you'll not be contented, tho' I am, that the additional 100 1. a year is only for my life. My mother is yet living, and I thank God for it: fhe will never be troublefome to me, if fhe be not fo to herfelf: but a melancholy object it is, to obferve the gradual decays both of body and mind, in a perfon to whom one is tyed by the links of both. I can't tell whether her death itfelf would be fo afflicting.

You are too careful of my worldly affairs; I am rich enough, and I can afford to give away a 100 l. a year. Don't be angry: I will not live to be very old; I have Revelations to the contrary, I would not crawl upon the earth without doing a little good when I have a mind to do it: I will enjoy the pleafure of what I give, by giving it, alive, and feeing another enjoy it. When I die, I should be afham'd to leave enough to build me a monument, if there were a wanting friend above ground.

Mr. Gay affures me his 3000 l. is kept entire and facred; he feems to languifh after a line from you, and complains tenderly. Lord Bolingbroke has told me ten times over he was going to write to you. Has he, or not? The Dr. is unalterable, both in friendship and Quadrille: his wife has been very near death laft week: his two brothers buried their wives within these fix weeks. Gay is fixty miles off, and has been so all this fummer, with the Duke and Duchess of Queensbury. He is the fame man So is every one here that you know: mankind is -unamendable. Optimus ille Qui minimis urgetur Poor Mrs is like the reft, fhe cries at the thorn in her foot, but will fuffer no-body to pull it out. The Court-lady I have a good opinion of, yet I have treated her more negligently than you wou'd do, because you like to see the infide of a court, which I do not. I have feen her but twice. You have a defperate hand at dafhing out a character by great ftrokes, and at the fame time a delicate one at fine touches. God forbid you fhou'd draw mine, if I were conscious of any guilt: But if I were conscious only of folly, God send it! for as no-body would fo well hide a small one.. But after all, that Lady means to do good, and does no harm, which is a vaft deal for a Courtier. I can affure you that Lord.

Peterborow always fpeaks kindly of you, and certainly has as great a mind to be your friend as any one. I must throw away my pen; itfcannot, it will never tell you, what I inwardly am to you. Quod Requeo monftrare, et sentio tantum.

LETTER XL.

Lord BÓLIN

ÓLING BROKE to Dr. SWIFT,

Bruffels, Sept. 27, 1729.

I Have brought your French acquaintance thus far

on her way into her own country, and confiderably better in health than fhe was when she went to Aix. I begin to entertain hopes that she will recover fuch a degree of health as may render old age fupportable. Both of us have closed the tenth Lufter, and it is high time to determine how we shall play the last act of the Farce. Might not my life be entituled much more properly a What-d' yecall-it than a Farce? fome Comedy, a great deal of Tragedy, and the whole interfperfed with fcenes of Harlequin, Scaramouch, and Dr. Baloardo, the prototype of your Hero I used to think fometimes formerly of old age and of death: enough to prepare my mind; not enough to anticipate forrow, to dafh the joys of youth, and to be all my life a dying. I find the benefit of this practice now, and find it more as I proceed on my journey: little regret when I look backwards, little apprehenfion when I look forward. You complain grievously of your fituation in Ireland: I would complain of mine too in England: but I will not, nay, I ought not; for I find by long.