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LETTER LXI.

Dublin, Q. 3. 1731.

Ufually write to friends after a paufe of a few weeks, that I may not interrupt them in better company, better thoughts, and better diver. fions. I believe I have told you of a great man, who faid to me, that he never once in his life received a good letter from Ireland: for which there are reafons enough, without affronting our understandings. For there is not one perfon out of this country, who regards any events that pafs here, uplefs he hath an eftate or employment.. -I cannot tell, that you or I ever gave the leaft provoca. tion to the prefent miniftry, much lefs to the court; and yet I am ten times more out of favour than you. For my own part, I do not fee the politic of opening common letters, directed to perfons generally known; for a man's understanding would be very weak to convey fecrets by the poft, if he knew any; which I declare I do not :: and, befides, I think the world is already fo well informed by plain events, that I quftion whether the minifters have any fecrets at all. Neither

would I be under any apprehenfion if a letter fhould be sent me full of treafon; because I cannot hinder people from writing what they please, nor fending it to me; and although it fhould be dif covered to have been opened before it came to my hand, I would only burn it, and think no further. I approve of the fcheme you have to grow fome. what richer, though, I agree, you will meet with difcouragements; and it is reafonable you should, confidering

confidering what kind of pens are at this time only employed and encouraged. For you must allow, that the bad painter was in the right, who, having painted a cock, drove away all the cocks and hens, and even the chickens, for fear those who paffed by his fhop might make a comparifon with his work. And I will fay one thing in fpite of the 'poft-officers, that fince wit and learning began to be made ufe of in our kingdoms, they were never profeffedly thrown afide, contemned, and punished, till within your own memory; nor dulnefs and ignorance ever fo openly encouraged and promoted. In answer to what you fay of my living among you, if I could do it to my cafe; perhaps you have heard of a scheme for an exchange in Berkfhire propofed by two of our friends; but, befides the difficulty of adjufting certain circumftances, it would not answer. I am at a time of life that feeks cafe and independence; you will hear my reasons when you fee those friends;. and I concluded them with faying, that I would rather be a freeman among flaves than a flave among freeman. The dignity of my prefent ftation damps the pertnefs of inferior puppies and "fquires, which, without plenty and eafe on your fide the channel, would break my heart in a month..

MADAM,

SEE what it is to live where I do. I am utterly ignorant of that fame Strado del Poe; and yet, if that author be against lending or giving money, I cannot but think him a good courtier: which I am fure your Grace is not, no not fo much as to be a maid of honour. For I am certainly informed, that you are neither a freethinker, nor can fell bargains; that you can neither fpell, nor talk, nor write, nor think like a courtier; that you pretend to be refpected for qualities which have been out of fashion ever fince you were almost in your cradle;

cradle; that your contempt for a fine petticoat is an infallible mark of difaffection; which is further confirmed by your ill tafte for wit, in preferring two old fashioned poets before Duck or Cibber, Befides, you spell in fuch a manner as no court lady can read, and write in fuch an old fashioned style as none of them can understand.-You need not be in pain about Mr. Gay's ftock of health. I promife you he will spend it all upon laziness, and run deep in debt by a winter's repofe in town; therefore I intreat your Grace will order him to move his chops lefs and his legs more the fix cold. months, elfe he will spend all his money in phyfic and coach-hire. I am in much perplexity, about your Grace's declaration, of the manner in which you difpofe what you call your love and refpect, which you fay are not paid to merit, but to your own humour. Now, Madam, my misfortune is, that I have nothing to plead but abundance of merit : and there goes an ugly obfervation, that the humour of ladies is apt to change. Now, Madam, if I fhould go to Aimsbury, with a great load of merit and your Grace happen to be out of humour, and will not purchase my merchandise at the price of your refpect, the goods may be damaged, and no body elfe will take them off my hands. Befides, you have declared Mr. Gay to hold the first part, and I but the fecond; which is hard treatment, fince I fhall be the newest acquaintance by fome years; and I will appeal to all the reft of your fex, whether fuch an innovation ought to be allowed. I should be ready to fay in the common forms, that I was much obliged to the lady who wished fhe could give me the best living, &c. if I did not vehemently fufpect it was the very fame lady who fpoke many things to me in the fame ftyle; and also with regard to the gentleman at your elbow when you writ, whofe dupe he was, as well as of her waiting-woman: but they were both

arrant

arrant knaves, as I told him and a third friend, though they will not believe it to this day. I defire to prefent my moft humble refpects to my Lord Duke; and with my heartieft prayer for the profperity of the whole family, remain your Grace's, &c.

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LETTER LXII.

To Mr. POPE.

Dublin, June 12. 1732. Doubt, habit hath little power to reconcile us with fickness attended by pain. With me, the lowness of fpirits hath a moft unhappy effect; I am grown lefs patient with folitude, and harder to be pleafed with company; which I could formerly better digeft, when I could be easier without it than at prefent. As to fending you any thing that I have written fince I left you, (either verfe or profe), I can only fay, that I have ordered by my will, that all my papers of any kind fhall be delivered you to difpofe of as you pleafe. I have feveral things that I have had schemes to finish, or to attempt; but I very foolishly put off the trouble, as finners do their repentance: for I grow every day more averse from writing, which is very natural; and when I take a pen, fay to myself a thousand times, Non eft tanti. As to thofe papers of four or five years paft, that you are pleafed to require foon; they confift of little accidental things writ in the country; family amusements never intended further than to divert ourselves and fome neighbours; or fome effects of anger on public grievances here, which would be infignificant out of this kingdom. Two or three of us had a fancy, three years ago,

to

to write a weekly paper, and called it an Intelligencer: but it continued not long; for the whole volume (it was reprinted in London, and I find you have seen it) was the work only of two, myself and Dr. Sheridan. If we could have got fome ingeni. ous young man to have been the manager, who fhould have published all that might be fent to him, it might have continued longer, for there were hints enough. But the printer here* could not afford fuch a young man one farthing for his trou ble, the fale being fo fmall, and the price one halfpenny; and fo it dropt. In the volume you saw, (to answer your questions), the 1st, 3d, 5th, and 7th, were mine. Of the 8th I writ only the verses, (very uncorrect, but against a fellow we all hated); the oth mine; the 10th only the verfes, and of thofe not the four laft flovenly lines. The 15th is a pamphlet of mine, printed before with Dr. S-'s preface, merely for lazinefs not to disappoint the town; and fo was the 19th, which contains only a parcel of facts relating purely to the miferies of Ireland, and wholly ufelefs and unentertaining †. As to other things of mine fince I left you; there are, in profe, a view of the ftate of Ireland; a project for eating children; and a defence of Lord Carteret in verfe, a libel on Dr. D- and Lord Carteret; a letter to Dr. Don the libels writ against him; the barrack, (a stolen copy); the lady's journal; the lady's drefling-room, (a ftolen copy); the place of the damned ‡, (a ftolen copy). All these have been printed in London. (I forgot to tell you, that the tale of Sir Ralph was fent from England). Befides thefe, there are five or fix (perhaps more) papers of verfes writ in the north; but perfect family-things, two

* John Harding.

+ See vol. 4. p. 280. note on the Intelligencer, No. 1.

See vol. 8. p. 193.

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