trouver un autre occasion. Je sçais, que j'aye perdâ beaucoup, et je suis très sensible à cette perte. L'unique consolation, qui me reste, c'est de songer, que j'en supporterai mieux le pays, auquel la fortune m'a condamne. MADAM, TO MRS HOWARD. Twickenham, July 9, 1727, between church and dinner-time. MR GAY, by your cominands, as he says, shewed me a letter to you from an unfortunate lady, one Mrs Pratt, whose case I know very well, and pity very much; but I wonder she would make any mention of me, who am almost a stranger to you, further than your goodness led you a little to distinguish me. I have often told Mrs Pratt, that I had not the least interest with the friend's friend's friend of anybody in power; on the contrary, I have been used like a dog for a dozen years, by every soul who was able to do it, and were but sweepers about a court. I believe you will allow that I know courts well enough, to remember, that a man must have got many degrees above the power of recom mending himself, before he should presume to recommend another, even his nearest relation; and, for my own part, you may be sure that I will never venture to recommend a mouse to Mrs Cole's cat, or a shoe-cleaner to your meanest domestic. But you know too well already how very injudicious the general tribe of wanters are. I told Mrs Pratt, that if she had friends, it were best to solicit a pension; but it seems she had mentioned a place. I can only say, that when I was about courts, the best lady there had some cousin, or near dependant, whom she would be glad to recommend for an employment, and therefore would hardly think of strangers: For I take the matter thus; that a pension may possibly be got by commiseration, but great personal favour is required for an employment. There are, madam, thousands in the world, who, if they saw your dog use me kindly, would, the next day, in a letter, tell me of the delight they heard I had in doing good; and being assured that a word of mine to you would do any thing, desire my interest to speak to you, to speak to the speaker, to speak to Sir Robert Walpole, to speak to the king, &c. Thus wanting people are like drowning people, who lay hold of every reed or bulrush in their way. One place I humbly beg for myself, which is in your gift, if it be not disposed of; I mean the perquisite of all the letters and petitions you receive, which, being generally of fair, large, strong paper, I can sell to good advantage to the band-box and trunk-makers, and I hope will annually make a pretty comfortable penny. I hear, while I was at church, Mr Pope wrote to you upon the occasion of Mrs Pratt's letter; but they will not shew me what is writ: therefore I will not trust them, but resolved to justify myself; and they shall not see this. I pray God grant you patience, and preserve your eye-sight; but confine your memory to the service of your royal mistress, and the happiness of your truest friends, and give you a double portion of your own spirit to distinguish them. I am, with the truest respect, Madam, your most obedient and most obliged humble servant, JONATH. SWIFT. TO MRS MARTHA BLOUNT. MADAM PATT, Twitenham Garret, Thursday morning, at nine. You are commanded by Mr Pope to read that part of the enclosed which relates to Mr Gay and yourself, and to send a direct answer to your humble servant by my humble servant the bearer. Being at an end of all my shoes and stockings, I am not able to wait on you to-day, after so rainy a night and so suspicious a morning. Mrs Pope is yours; but I, with the greatest respect, Madam, Your most obedient and devoted servant, Pray do not give a copy of this letter to Curll the bookseller. FROM LORD BOLINGBROKE. [August 1727.] Tuesday. I RETURN you the papers, which I have read twice over since you was here. They are extremely well; but the Craftsman has not only advertised the public, that he intended to turn newswriter, he has begun, and for some weeks continued to appear under that new character. This consideration inclines me to think, that another turn might be given to the introduction; and perhaps this would naturally t call for a fourth letter from the Occasional Writer, to account for his silence, to prosecute your argument, to state the present disputes about political affairs, and, in short, to revive and animate the paper war. When we meet next, I will explain myself better than I can do by a letter writ in haste, with mowers and haymakers about me. Adieu. Let Pope share my embraces with you. TO DR SWIFT.* Thursday. LORD B. is so ill, and so much alone, the common fate of those who are out of power, that I have not left him one day since my return from London. Let me know how you are. Say something kind from me to Pope. Toss John Gay over the water to Richmond, if he is with you. Adieu. 7 MR PULTENEY TO MR POPE. Eleven o'clock, Tuesday morning. IAM obliged to you all for your compliments, and when the Dean is well enough, I hope to see you in town. You will probably find me a much happier man than when you saw me last; for I flatter my *It does not appear who was the writer of this short letter. Perhaps Mr Pulteney. self, that in an hour or two I shall be once more blessed with a son. Mrs Pulteney is now in labour; if she does well and brings me a boy, I shall not care one sixpence how much longer Sir Robert governs England, or Horace governs France. I am ever yours. W. P. FROM CHEVALIER RAMSAY.* REVEREND SIR, Paris, August 1, 1727. MR HOOK having acquainted me with what goodness and patience you have been pleased to examine a performance of mine, † I take this occasion to make my acknowledgments. Nothing could flatter me more sensibly than your approbation. To acquire the esteem of persons of your merit, is the principal advantage I could wish for by becoming an author, and more than I could flatter myself with. I should be proud of receiving your commands, if I could be any way useful to you in this part of the world; where, I assure you, your reputation is as well established as in your own country. I am, with the utmost regard and esteem, reverend Sir, your most humble, and most obliged, obedient servant, A. RAMSAY. *Endorsed by the Dean, "Scotch author in France." |