thing to please you.

Your old friend Mrs. Floyd is perfectly recovered. I think I have not seen her so well this great while; but winter is always her bane, so I shall live in dread of that.

In your next, I desire to know what I am in your debt for my sister's monument. Adieu, my dear, good, old, and well-beloved friend.

SIR,

FROM MRS. PENDARVES.

Gloucester, July 21, 1733.

MAY I say, without offending you, that I was overjoyed at the honour you did me in answering my letter? and do not call me formal, when I assure you, that I think myself made happy by such a distinction. It was stupidity in me not to let you know where to address to me, but I do not repent of it; I have by that means tried your zeal; but I am afraid your good-breeding, more than your inclination, procured me that favour. I am resolved to be even with you for what you say about my writing, and will write henceforward to you as carelessly as I can; if it is not legible, thank yourself. I do not wonder at the envy of the ladies, when you are pleased to speak of me with some regard; I give them leave to exercise their malice on an occasion that does me so much honour. I protest I am not afraid of you, and would appear quite natural to you, in hopes of your rewarding my openness and sincerity by correcting what you disapprove of. And since I have not now an opportunity of receiving your favours of pinching and beating, make me

VOL. XVIII.

I

amends by chiding me for every word that is false spelt, and for my bad English; you see what you are like to suffer. If this promises you too much trouble, do not give me so much encouragement in your next letter; for upon something in your last, I have almost persuaded myself, that by your assistance, and my own earnest desire, I may in time become worthy of your care. Vanity stands at my elbow all this while, and animates me by a thousand agreeable promises; without her encouragement I should never have presumed to correspond with the Dean of St. Patrick's. Some say, she is a mischievous companion; I swear she is a pleasant one: you must not be angry with me for keeping her company; for I had for I had very little acquaintance with her till I had received some marks of your favour.

I received your letter but a little while before I left London: I attended Lord and Lady Weymouth down to Long-Leat, and left them with a prospect of as much happiness as matrimony can give; they are pleased with one another at present, and I hope that will continue. My Lord and Lady Carteret are both satisfied with the disposal of their daughter in so advantageous a station. Common report wrongs my Lord Weymouth; for which reason, as I am his friend, I must tell you his good qualities: he has honour and good nature, and does not want for sense; he loves the country, and inclines a little too much to his stable and dog-kennel; but he keeps a very hospitable good house, and is always ready to relieve those in distress; his lady Dr. Delany can give you a character of, and is what I believe you will approve of. I came from Long-Leat last Saturday, and am now at Gloucester with my mother and sister. My Lord Bathurst was here about a fortnight ago; I was sorry to miss him: I have a double reason for liking his company. He has made

me promise to pay him a visit at Oakly Wood, which I certainly will do; I shall with great resignation submit to any punishment you convey through his hands. I wish you could make your words good, and that I was a sorceress; I should then set all my charms to work to bring you to England, and should expect a general thanksgiving for employing my spells to so good a purpose. The syren has lately been at Oxford; we parted very unwillingly; she is extremely obliged to you for remembering her so favourably. I am glad Mr. Donnellan pleases you; I know he has a high value for you, and I agree with you in thinking him a most deserving young man. My Lord Lansdown is much at your service, laments the days that are past, and we constantly drink your health in champaign, clear as your thoughts, sparkling as your wit. Lord and Lady Carteret, and my Lady Worsley, all talk kindly of you, and join their wishes to mine for your coming among us. I request it of you to make my humble service acceptable to those friends of yours that are so good as to remember me. I am, Sir, your most obliged and faithful humble servant,

M. PENDARVES.

Be pleased to direct for me at Mrs. Granville's, Gloucester.

TO THE BISHOP OF CLOGHER.*

MY LORD,

July, 1733.

I HAVE been often told, by some of our common acquaintance, that you have sometimes expressed your wonder, that I never waited on you for some years past, as I used to do for many years before; and that you could not guess the reason, because, to your knowledge, you never once disobliged me. As nothing is more common than dropping acquaintance by the usual occurrences of life, without any fault on either side, I never intended to say or think anything of the matter, until a late proceeding of yours, which no way relates to me, put me upon a desire of finding matter to justify you to your friends here, as well as to myself; because I always wished you well, and because I have been more than once instrumental to your service. When I first came acquainted with you, we were both private clergymen in a neighbourhood; you were afterwards chancellor of St. Patrick's; then was chosen dean, in which election I was the most busy of all your solicitors. When the compromise was made between the government and you, to make you easy, and Dr. Synge chancellor, you absolutely and frequently promised to give me the curacy of St. Nicholas Without: but you thought fit, by concert with the archbishop, to hold it yourself, and apply the revenue to build

*

Dr. John Sterne. The Journal to Stella bears witness to the former intimacy between him and Swift, and indeed Sterne's promotion to the bishopric of Clogher took place in order to facilitate that of the latter to the deanery of St. Patrick's, as is hinted at in this letter.

another church; against which it became me to say nothing, being a party concerned and injured ; although it was generally thought by others, as well as myself, that it was an ill and dangerous precedent, to build a church with the revenue of the minister. I desire no thanks for being instrumental in your next promotion; because, as things then stood, I consulted my own advantage. However, upon the queen's death, when I had done for ever with courts, I returned to reside at my post, yet with some kind of hopes of getting some credit with you; very unwisely because, upon the affair of St. Nicholas, I had told you frankly, that I would always respect you, but never hope for the least friendship from you. But, trying to forget all former treatment, I came like others to your house; and since you were a bishop, have once or twice recommended persons to you, who were no relations or friends of mine, but merely for their general good character which availed so little, that those very persons had the greatest share of your neglect. I then gave over all thoughts of being instrumental to place merit and virtue under your protection by my recommendations; and, as I was ever averse from mingling with multitudes and strangers, I forebore by degrees to be a partaker of your hospitality, rather than purchase a share of it at so dear a rate. This is the history of my conduct with regard to your lordship: and it is now a great comfort to me, that I acted in this manner; for otherwise, when those two abominable bills, for enslaving and beggaring the clergy,* (which

* One of these two bills, respecting which the Dean expresses himself with such intemperate zeal, was intended to give the bishops power to oblige the country clergy to build mansion-houses upon the glebes; the other authorised the bishops to subdivide parishes into as many parcels as they should think fit. Swift considered both these bills as calculated to give the bishops an undue