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ness's wedding.* She has jewels bought for her, and clothes bespoke: and a gallery of communication is making between his apartment and St. James's; but as I do not love to pry into mysteries of state, I do not at all know when the lady will

come over.

Your friend Mrs. Floyd is grown fat and well, under the Duchess of Dorset's care and direction at Knowle; and my saucy niece is gone for a few days (and I verily believe as far as she can decently help) to her father's. Our friend Curll has again reprinted what he called our letters, as a proper third part of Mr. Pope's. He should have made those bitter silly verses on me to have been his too, instead of Sir William Trumbull's, whom they just as much belonged to. But you patriots are so afraid of suppressing the press, that everybody must suffer under that, and the lies of the newspapers, without hopes of redress. Adieu, my dear Dean.

TO DR. SHERIDAN.

September 12, 1735

HERE is a very ingenious observation upon the days of the week, and in rhyme, worth your observation, and very proper for the information of boys and girls, that they may not forget to reckon them: Sunday's a pun day, Monday's a dun day, Tuesday's a news day, Wednesday's a friend's day, Thursday's

* Frederick, then Prince of Wales.-D. S.

+ See Curli's pirated edition of Pope's Letters.

a cursed day, Friday's a dry day, Saturday's the latter day. I intend something of equal use upon the months as January, women vary. I shall likewise in due time make some observation upon each year as it passes. So for the present year :

One thousand seven hundred and thirty-five,
When only the d― and bps will thrive.

And for the next.

One thousand seven hundred and thirty-six,
When the d― will carry the b-

-ps to Styx.

Perge:

One thousand seven hundred and thirty-seven,

When the Whigs are so blind they mistake hell for heav'n.

I will carry these predictions no farther than to year 2001, when the learned think the world will be at an end, or the fine-all cat-a-strowe-fee.

The last is the period, two thousand and one,
When m

and b

to hell are all gone.

When that time comes, pray remember the discovery came from me.

It is now time I should begin my letter. I hope you got safe to Cavan, and have got no cold in those two terrible days. All your friends are well, and I as I used to be. I received yours. My humble service to your lady, and love to your children. I suppose you have all the news sent to you. I hear of no marriages going on. One Dean Cross, an eminent divine, we hear is to be Bishop of Cork. Stay till I ask a servant, what Patrick's bells ring for so late at night-You fellow, is it for joy or sorrow? I believe it some of our royal birthdays.-O, they tell me, it is for joy a new master is chosen for the corporation of butchers. So farewell.

FROM LORD BATHURST.

DEAR DEAN,

Cirencester, Sept. 13, 1733.

THOUGH YOU never answer any of my letters, and I can never have a line from you except in Parliament-time about an Irish cause, I do insist that without delay you give me, either by yourself or agents, immediate satisfaction in these points. First, whether that article which I read in the news about one Butler, a shooting parson, be true or not?* secondly, whether he has yet begged pardon, and attested upon oath that it was without design, and by accident that the gun went off? In case the fact be true, and that he has not yet made any sufficient or reasonable excuse, I require of you that you do immediately get some able painter to draw his picture, and send it over to me, and I will order a great number of prints to be made of it, which shall be dispersed over all parts of the known world, that such a worthless rascal may not go anywhere without being known. I make no doubt of his being immediately drove out of Ireland; such a brutal attempt upon the Drapier cannot be borne there; and he would not venture into England when these prints of his person are sent about, for he would certainly be knocked on the head in the first village he passes through. Perhaps he may think to skulk in Holland, the common refuge of all scoundrels; but he would soon find out, that Doctor Swuft (for so they pronounce the name) is in great esteem

* After a strict search through the journals of the day, no traces of the report here alluded to can be discovered.

there, for his learning and political writings. In France he would meet with worse reception; for his wit is relished there; and many of his tracts, though spoiled by translation, are yet more admired than what is writ by any among themselves. Should he go into Spain, he would find that Don Swifto is in the highest estimation, being thought to be lineally descended from Miguel de Cervantes, by a daughter of Quevedo's. Perhaps he may think to be safe in Poland during the time of these troubles : but I can assure him, from the mouth of a Polish lady, who was lately in London, by name Madam de Montmorency, (for she was married to a French gentleman of that great family,) that Dr. Swift is perfectly well known there; and she was very solicitous to know whether he were a Stanislaist or not, she being a zealous partizan for that cause.

Now if this brute of a parson should find no security in Europe, and therefore slip into the East Indies in some Dutch ship, for a Dutchman may be found who would carry the devil for a stiver or two extraordinary, he will be confoundedly surprised to find that Dr. Swift is known in China, and that next to Confucius his writings are in the greatest esteem. The missionaries have translated several European books into their language; but I am well informed that none of them have taken so well as his; and the Chinese, who are a very ingenious people, reckon Sif the only author worth reading. It is well known that in Persia Kouli Khan was at the pains to translate his works himself; being born a Scotchman, he understood them very well, and I am credibly informed that he read The Battle of the Books the night before he gave that great defeat to the Persian army. If he hears of this, he may imagine that he shall find good reception at Constantinople; but he will be bit there; for many

VOL. XVIII.

Y

years ago an English renegado slave translated Effendi Soif for them, and told them it was writ by an Englishman, with a design to introduce the Mahometan religion; this having got him his liberty, and although it is not believed by the effendi, the book and the author are in the greatest esteem among them. If he goes into America, he will not be received into any English, French, or Spanish settlement: so that in all probability he would be soon scalped by the wild Indians; and in truth there would be no manner of shame that a head should be uncovered that has so little brains in it. Brutality and ill nature proceed from the want of sense; therefore without having ever heard of him before, I can decide what he is, from this single action. Now I really believe no layman could have done such a thing. The wearing petticoats gives to most of the clergy (a few only excepted of superior understanding) certain feminine dispositions. They are commonly subject to malice and envy, and give more free vent to those passions: possibly for the same reason that women are observed to do so, because they cannot be called to account for it. When one of us does a brutal action to another, he may have his head broke, or be whipped through the lungs; but all who wear petticoats are secure from such accidents. Now, to avoid farther trouble, I hope by this time his gown is stripped off his back, and the boys of Dublin have drawn him through a horse-pond. Send me an account of this, and I shall be satisfied. Adieu, dear Dean; I am got to the end of my paper, but you may be assured that my regard for you will only end with the last breath of your faithful servant.

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