of any one man in power or station; and I can boaft that I neither vifit nor am acquainted with any Lord Temporal or Spiritual in the whole kingdom; nor am able to do the leaft good office to the most deserving man, except what I can difpofe of in my own Cathedral upon a vacancy. What hath funk my spirits more than even years and fickness, is reflecting on the most execrable Corruptions that run through every branch of public management.

I heartily thank you for thofe lines tranflated, Singula de nobis anni, &c. You have put them in a strong and admirable light; but however, I am so partial, as to be more delighted with those which are to do me the greatest honour I fhall ever receive from pofterity, and will outweigh the malignity of ten-thousand enemies. I never faw them before, by which it is plain that the letter you fent me mifcarry'd. ----I do not doubt that you have choice of new acquaintance, and fome of them may be deferving: For youth is the season of Virtue; Corruptions grow with years, and I believe the oldeft rogue in England is the greatest. You have years enough before you to watch whether thefe new acquaintance will keep their Virtue, when they leave you and go into the world; how long will their spirit of indepen

dency

dency last against the temptations of future Minifters, and future Kings.--As to the new Lord Lieutenant, I never knew any of the family; fo that I fhall not be able to get any jobb done. by him for any deferving friend.

LETTER LXXIX.

From Dr. SWIFT.

Feb. 7, 1735-6.

T is fome time fince I dined at the bishop

IT

of Derry's, where Mr. Secretary Cary told me with great concern, that you were taken very ill. I have heard nothing fince, only I have continued in great pain of mind, yet for my own fake and the world's more than for yours; because I well know how little you value life both as a Philofopher and a Christian, particularly the latter, wherein hardly one in a million of us heretics can equal you. If you are well recover'd, you ought to be reproached for not putting me efpecially out of pain, who could not bear the lofs of you; although we must be for ever diftant as much as if I were in the grave, for which my years and continual indifpofition are preparing me every feafon. I have ftaid too long from preffing you to give

pray

me fome ease by an account of your health; do not use me fo ill any more. I look upon you as an estate from which I receive my best annual rents, although I am never to see it. Mr. Tickel was at the fame meeting under the fame real concern; and fo were a hundred others of this town who had never feen you.

I read to the Bishop of Derry the paragraph in your letter which concern'd him, and his Lordship exprefs'd his thankfulness in a manner that became him. He is esteemed here as a person of learning and conversation and humanity, but he is beloved by all people.

I have no-body now left but you: Pray be fo kind to out-live me, and then die as foon as you please, but without pain; and let us meet in a better place, if my Religion will permit, but rather my Virtue, although much unequal to yours. Pray, let my Lord Bathurst know how much I love him; I still infift on his remembring me, although he is too much in the world to honour an abfent friend with his letters. My state of health is not to boast of; my giddiness is more or lefs too conftant; I fleep ill, and have a poor appetite. I can as eafily write a Poem in the Chinese-language as my own: I am as fit for Matrimony as invention; and yet I have daily schemes for innu

merable Effays in profe, and proceed sometimes to no less than half a dozen lines, which the next morning become wafte paper. What vexes me most is, that my female friends, who could bear me very well a dozen years ago, have now forfaken me, although I am not fo old in proportion to them, as I formerly was: which I can prove by Arithmetic, for then I was double their age, which now I am not. Pray, put me out of fear as foon as you can, about that ugly report of your illness; and let me know who this Chefelden is, that hath so lately sprung up in your favour? Give me alfo fome account your neighbour who writ to me from Bath: I hear he refolves to be ftrenuous for taking off the Teft; which grieves me extremely, from all the unprejudiced Reasons I ever was able to form, and against the maxims of all wife Christian governments, which always had some establish'd Religion, leaving at best a toleration to others.

of

Farewel, my

dearest friend! ever, and upon every account that can create friendship and esteem.

a The Author of the Differtation on parties appears to be of the fame opinion.

LETTER

T 4

IF

LETTER LXXX.

March 25, 1736.

F ever I write more Epiftles in Verse, one of them shall be addrefs'd to you. I have long concerted it, and begun it, but I would make what bears your name as finished as my laft work ought to be, that is to say, more finished than any of the reft. The subject is large, and will divide into four Epistles, which naturally follow the Effay on Man, viz. 1. Of the Extent and Limits of Human Reason and Science. 2. A view of the useful and therefore attainable, and of the un-useful and therefore un-attainable, Arts. 3. Of the Nature, Ends, Application, and Ufe of different Capacities. 4. Of the Ufe of Learning, of the Science of the World, and of Wit. It will conclude with a Satire against the mif-application of all these, exemplify'd by pictures, characters, and examples.

But alas! the task is great, and non fum qualis eram! My understanding indeed, such as it is, is extended rather than diminifh'd: I fee things more in the whole, more confiftent, and more clearly deduced from, and related to, each other. But what I gain on the fide of philofophy, I lose on the fide of poetry: the flowers are gone, when the fruits begin to ripen, and

the