fome I cannot compafs, I mean merry fellows. Mr J. R-never fails. I did within two days paft ring him fuch a peal in relation to you, that he must be the d-1 not to confider it. I will ufe him the fame way, if he comes to-morrow (which I do not doubt) for a pint of wine. I like your project of a fatire on Fairbrother*, who is an arrant rafcal in every circumstance. Every fyllable that is worth reading in this letter, you are to fuppofe I writ it; the Dean only took the hints from me ; but he has put them fo ill together, that I am forced to tell you this in my own juflification. Had you been worth hanging, you would have come to town this vacation, and I would have fhewn you a poem on the legion-club. I do not doubt but that a certain person will pretend he writ it, because there is a copy of it in his hand, lying on his table ; but do not mind that, for there are fome people in the world will fay any thing. I wish you could give fome account of poor Dr Sheridan. I hear the reafon he did not come to town this Eafter, is, that he waited to fee a neighbour of his banged. WHATEVER is faid in this page by Goody Whiteway, I have not read, nor will read; but affure you, if it relates to me, it is all a lie for fhe fays you have taught her that art; and, as the world goes, and fhe takes you for a wife man, fhe ought to follow your practice. be ferious, I am forry you faid fo little of your own affairs, and of your health; and when will you pay me any money? for, upon my confcience, you have half-ftarved me. Το The plover eggs were admirable, and the worsted for the Dean's fockings fo fine, that not one knitter here can knit them We neither of us know what the other hath writ; fo one answer will ferve, if you write to us both, provided you justly give us both our fhare, and each of us will read our own part. Pray tell us how you breathe, and whether that disorder be better. If the Dean fhould give you any hint about money, you need not mind him; for, to my knowledge, he borrowed twenty pounds a month ago, to keep himself alive. See the next lettter. L I am forry to tell you, that poor Mrs Whiteway is to be hanged on Tuesday next for stealing a piece of Indian filk out of Bradshaw's shop, and did not set the houfe on fire, as I advifed her. I have wrote a very mafterly poem on the legion-club; which, if the printer fhould be condemned to be hanged for it, you will fee in a three-penny book; for it is 240 lines. Mrs Whiteway is to have half the profit, and half the hanging. . The Drapier went this day to the Tholfel as a merchant, to fign a petition to the government against lowering the gold; where we hear he made a long speech, for which he will be reckoned a Jacobite. God fend banging does not go round. Yours, &c. MRS LETTER CXXXII. Dr SWIFT to Dr SHERIDAN. Dublin, May 15. 1736. [RS Whiteway and I were fretting, raging, ftorming, and fuming that you had not sent a letter fince you got to your Caban, (for the V confonant was anciently a B), I mean Cavan: but however, we mingled pity; for we feared you had run away from school, and left the key under the door. We were much difap. pointed, that the fpring and beginning of summer had not introduced the mufes, and that your now walkable roads had not roufed your fpirits. We are here the happiest people in the universe. We have a year and a half before the club will meet, to be revenged further on the clergy, who never offended them and in England their parliament are following our fteps, only with two or three fteps for our one. It is well you have done with the church+; but pray take care to get money, elfe in a year or two more they will forbid all Greek and Latin fchools, as Popish and Jacobite. I took leave of the Duke and Duchefs to-day. He has prevailed on us to make a promise to bestow upon England 25,000l. ayear + Dr Sheridan exchanged his living at Dunboyne, for the fchool of Cavan. year for ever, by lowering the gold coin, against the petition of all the merchants, fhopkeepers, &c. to a man. May his own eftate be lowered the other forty parts, for we now lofe by all gold two and a half per cent. He will be a better (that is to fay, a worse) man. by 60,000l. than he was when he came over, and the nation better (that is to fay, worfe) by above half a million; befides the worthy method he hath taken in difpofal of employments in church and ftate. Here is a curfed long libel running about in manufcript on the legion club. It is in verfe, and the foolish town imputes There were not above thirteen abused (as it is faid) in the original; but others have added more, which I never faw; tho' I have once read the true one: I have often given my opinion, that an honest man never wished himself to be younger. My fentiment, I find, ought not to have been univerfal, because to my forrow, I have lived to change. I have feen fince the death of the late Queen (who had few equals before her in every virtue, fince monarchy began) fo great a contempt of religion, morality, liberty, learning, and common fenfe, among us in this kingdom; a hundred degrees beyond what I ever met with in any writer ancient or modern. I am very it to me. confident, that a complete history of the foolish, wicked, weak, malicious, ruinous, factious, unaccountable, ridiculous, abfurd proceedings in this kingdom, would contain twelve large volumes in folio, of the smallest letter in the largest paper. What has Fowibrother + done to provoke you? I either never heard, or have forgot your provocations; but he was a fellow I have never been able to endure. If it can be done, I will have it printed; and the title fhall be, Upon a certain bookfeller (or printer) in Utopia-Mrs Whiteway will be here to-morrow, and fhe will answer your fincere, open-hearted letter, very particularly; for which I will now leave room. So adieu for one night. SIR, AM mof fincerely obliged to you for all the civil things you have faid to me, and of me to the Dean. I found the good effects of them this day: when I waited on him, he Z 3 received airbrother. See the last letter, and the fubfequent part of this. I am forry to tell you, that poor Mrs Whiteway is to be hanged on Tuesday next for stealing a piece of Indian filk out of Bradshaw's fhop, and did not set the houfe on fire, as I advised her. I have wrote a very masterly poem on the legion-club; which, if the printer fhould be condemned to be hanged for it, you will fee in a three-penny book; for it is 240 lines. . Mrs Whiteway is to have half the profit, and half the hanging. The Drapier went this day to the Tholfel as a merchant, to fign a petition to the government against lowering the gold; where we hear he made a long fpeech, for which he will be reckoned a Jacobite. God fend banging does not go round. Yours, &c. LETTER CXXXII. Dr SWIFT to Dr SHERIDAN. Dublin, May 15. 1736. RS Whiteway and I were fretting, raging, forming, and fuming, that you had not fent a letter fince you got to your Caban, (for the V confonant was anciently a B), I mean Cavan: but however, we mingled pity; for we feared you had run away from school, and left the key under the door. We were much difappointed, that the fpring and beginning of summer had not introduced the mufes, and that your now walkable roads had not roufed your fpirits. We are here the happiest people in the universe. We have a year and a half before the club will meet, to be revenged further on the clergy, who never offended them: and in England their parliament are following our steps, only with two or three fteps for our one. It is well you have done with the churcht; but pray take care to get money, elfe in a year or two more they will forbid all Greek and Latin fchools, as Popish and Jacobite. I took leave of the Duke and Duchefs to-day. He has prevailed on us to make a promise to bestow upon England 25,000l. ayear + Dr Sheridan exchanged his living at Dunboyne, for the fchool of Cavan. year for ever, by lowering the gold coin, against the petition of all the merchants, fhopkeepers, &c. to a man. May his own eftate be lowered the other forty parts, for we now lofe by all gold two and a half per cent. He will be a better (that is to fay, a worfe) man. by 60,000l. than he was when he came over, and the nation better (that is to fay, worfe) by above half a million; befides the worthy method he hath taken in difpofal of employments in church and ftate. Here is a curfed long libel running about in manufcript on the legion club. It is in verfe, and the foolish town imputes it to me. There were not above thirteen abused (as it is faid) in the original; but others have added more, which I never faw; tho' I have once read the true one: I have often given my opinion, that an honeft man never wished himself to be younger. My fentiment, I find, ought not to have been univerfal, because to my forrow, I have lived to change. I have feen fince the death of the late Queen (who had few equals before her in every virtue, fince monarchy began) fo great a contempt of religion, morality, liberty, learning, and common fenfe, among us in this kingdom; a hundred degrees beyond what I ever met with in any writer ancient or modern. I am very confident, that a complete hiftory of the foolish, wicked, weak, malicious, ruinous, fa&tious, unaccountable, ridiculous, abfurd proceedings in this kingdom, would contain twelve large volumes in folio, of the smallest letter in the largest paper. What has Fowlbrother + done to provoke you? I either never heard, or have forgot your provocations; but he was a fellow I have never been able to endure. If it can be done, I will have it printed; and the title fhall be, Upon a certain bookfeller (or printer) in Utopia-Mrs Whiteway will be here to-morrow, and fhe will answer your fincere, open-hearted letter, very particularly; for which I will now leave room. So adieu for one night. I SIR, AM moft fincerely obliged to you for all the civil things you have faid to me, and of me to the Dean. I found the good effects of them this day: when I waited on him, he Z 3 received airbrother. See the last letter, and the fubfequent part of this. |