I think Lady Dun's burning would be an admirable fubject, to fhew how hateful an animal a human creature is, that is known to have never done any good the rabble all rejoicing, &c. which they would not have done at any misfortune to a man known to be charitable. I wish you could get in with the Primate, on the account of fome discourse about you here to-day, with Whaley and Walmfley. Whaley goes to Dublin on Monday next, in order for England. I would have you fee him. I fancy you may do fome good with the Primate, as to the first good vacant school, if you wheedle him, and talk a little Wiggishly. in SIR, LETTER CXXVII. Mr. POPE to Dr. SHERIDAN.. I Thank you kindly for your news of the Dean of St. Patrick's, for your Perfius, for every thing your letter. I will ufe my warmest endeavours to ferve Dr. Whaley *. Befides his own merit, the demerit of his antagonist goes into the fcale, and the Dean tells me he is a coadjutant of that fool Smedley +. You must have feen, but you cannot have read, what he has lately published against our friend and me. The only pleasure a bad writer can give me, he has given, that of being abufed with my betters and my friends I am much pleafed with moft of the Intelligencers ‡; but I am a lit An eminent clergyman of the diocese of Armagh. + Dean of Fernes. See An excellent new ballad, &c. in vol. 7. Though this letter is not dated, it appears, by the mention here made of the Intelligencers, to be written in 1728; and by the Dean's libell ng the lady, to be while he was at Sir Arthur's, where he wrote Hamilton's Bawn, tle tle piqued at the author of them, for not once. doing me the honour of a mention upon fo honourable an occafion as being flandered by the dunces, together with my friend the Dean, who is properly the author of the Dunciad. It had never been writ but at his request, and for his deafnefs ||: for had he been able to converfe with me, do you think I had amufed my time fo ill? I will not trouble you with amendments to fo imperfect an edition as is now published: you'll foon fee a better, with a full and true commentary, fetting all' mistakes right, and branding none but our own cattle. Some very good epigrams on the gentlemen of the Dunciad, have been fent me from Oxford, and others of the London authors. If I had an amanuenfis, (which is a thing neither I nor my common trifles are worth), you fhould have them with this If your univerfity or town have produced any on this subject pray send them me,. or keep them at least together, for another day they may all meet. I have writ to the Dean just now by Mr. Elrington, who charges himself with this; and have inferted a hint or two of his libelling the lady of the family; in as innocent a manner as he does it, he will hardly fufpect I had any information of it. Though I am a very ill correfpondent, I fhall at all times be glad to have the favour of a line from you. My eye-fight is bad, my head often in pain, my time ftrangely taken up. Were I my own mafter (which, I thank God, I am yet in all points but one, where humanity only conftrains me), I would infallibly fee Ireland before I die. But whe ther that, or many other of my little, tho' warm defigns, will ever take effect, See this compliment elegantly returned in a poem addreffed to Mr. Pope, vol. 7. P. 339. Caliginofa nocte premit Deus! I am (where ever I am) the Dean's, and the Dean's friends, and confequently faithfully, SIR, Your affectionate humble fervant, A. POPE. I LETTER CXXVIII. Dr. SWIFT to Dr. SHERIDAN. Dublin, March 27. 1733. Received your. letter with fome pleasure, and a good deal of concern. The condition you are in requires the greatest hafte hither, although your fchool did not, and when you arrive, I will force Dr. Helfham * to fee and direct you. Your fcheme of riding and country-air, you find, hath not answered; and therefore you have nothing to truft to, but the affiftance of a friendly, skilful doctor. For whether they can do any good or no, it is all we have for it; and you cannot afford to die at prefent, because the public, and all your. family, have occafion for you. Befides, I do not like the place you are in †, from your account, fince you fay people are dying there fo faft You can not afford to lofe daily blood; but, I fuppofe you A very eminent physician, of great learning, The free fchool of Cavan, in the gift of the crown; for which Dr. Shridan exchanged his living at Dunboyne, and in which he hath been fince fucceeded by Mr. Moore.. are are no more regular than you have been in your whole life. I like the article very much which you propofe in your will; and if that takes place forty years hence, and God, for the fins of men, fhould continue that life fo long, I would have it be still inferted; unless you could make it a little fharper. I own you have too much reafon to complain of fome friends, who, next to yourself, have done you most hurt; whom still I esteem and frequent, tho' I confels I cannot heartily forgive. Yet certainly the cafe was not merely perfonal malice to you, falthough it had the fame effect), but a kind of I know not what job, which one of them hath often heartily repented, however it came to be patched up. I am confident your collection of Bons mots and Contes à rire, will be much the beft extant; but you are apt to be terribly fanguine about the profits of publishing: however it fhall have all the pufhing can give. I have been much out of order with a fpice of my giddinefs, which began before you left us. I am better of late days, but not right yet, though I take daily drops and bitters. I muft do the best I can, but fhall never more be a night-walker. You hear they have in England paffed the excife on tobacco; and by their votes it appears they intend it on more articles. And care is taken by fome fpecial friends here, to have it the fame way here. We are flaves already, and from my youth upwards, the great wife men whom I ufed to be among, taught me, that a general excife (which they now by degrees intend) is the most direct and infallible way to flavery. Pray Gfend it them in his juftice; for they well deferve it. All friends and the town, are just as you left it. I humdrum it on, either on horseback, or dining and fitting the evening at home; endea your Perhaps Bons mots de Stella, and Thoughts on various fubjects, are part of this collection. They are both in this volume. Youring vouring to write, but write nothing, merely out of indolence, and want of fpirits. No foul has broke his neck, or is hanged, or married; only Cancerina + is dead, and I let her go to her grave without a coffin, and without fees. So I am going to take my evening-walk after five, having not been out of doors yet. I wish you well and fafe at home. Pray call on me on Sunday night. I am your's &c. P. S. I believe there are a hundred literal blunders, but I cannot stay to mend them.-So pick as you are able. I am not fo frank a writer as you. Sept. 12. 1735. HEre is a very ingenious obfervation upon the days of the week, and in rhyme, worth your obfervation, and very proper for the information of boys and girls, that they may not forget to reckon them. Sunday's a pun-day, Monday's a dunday, Tuesday's a news-day, Wednesday's a friend's day, Thursday's a curs'd-day, Friday's a dry-day, Saturday's the latter day. I intend fomething of equal ufe upon the months; as, January, women vary. I fhall likewife in due time make some obfervations + One of thofe poor people to whom the Dean ufed to give money, when he met them in his walks. Some of them he named thus, partly for diftinction, and pa.tly for humour; Cancerina, Stumpanympa, Pull-a-gown-a, Frilerilla, Flora, Stumpantka. I upon |