spirits to joke. I did not do so by your request, as you apprehended by my letter, for I spoke to the duke much sooner than I told you I should, and did so as soon as it was possible for me, or as soon as I could have sent it. But my answer was, that he had that moment received a letter from Lord Orrery, with the most pressing instances for a deserving friend of his, that the duke could not refuse; especially as my Lord Orrery has been most extremely obliging, and for this whole session, neglected no opportunity to endeavour to make his administration easy; though, at the same time, he assured me he would otherwise have been very glad to oblige you; and does agree, that the gentleman you recommended is a very deserving one also. All this you should have known before, had I been able to write; but I have been laid up with the gout in my hand and foot, and thought it not necessary to make use of a secretary, since I had nothing more pleasing to tell you. I shall always be extremely willing to be employed by you to him; nor do I make any question but you will always recommend the worthy, as it is for your own honour as well as his. No more will I agree, that you never did prevail, on any one occasion; because the very first you did employ me about, was instantly complied with, though against a rule he thought right, and I knew before he had set himself. Lady Suffolk is now at Spa, with my brother George, for her health; and as I shall go, for my own, to the Bath in September, I fear we shall not meet this great while. And now I must finish this long letter, which has not been quite easy to write, being still your gouty, but faithful humble servant. FROM DR. SHERIDAN. DEAR SIR, July 20, 1736. I RECEIVED yours some day or other this week, by the hands of Mrs. Donaldson, who has made affidavit before our town magistrate, that I never borrowed a fly of her in my life; and I have likewise deponed upon oath, that I caught the fly perched upon a rose tree in my own garden; and I would have you to know, that I have above four hundred thousand of the same species; for I counted them last Sunday. If you will not believe me, pray come down and see. Mr. Jones has your six hundred and sixty pounds ready, but can get no bills to remit it. I beseech you, lose no time; for he is uneasy about it. * * * * * * * If you put off the time of coming down longer, you will lose the best things our country can afford. The ladies are full of your coming, viz. * Who, by the by, hated Dr. Swift above all the human race. -D. S. VOL. XVIII. 2 G Colonel Nuburgh's fine arched market house, quite finished, with a grand cupola on the top, fell flat to the earth. It is now begun upon again. Sic transit gloria mundi. Grouse pouts, Fine trouts, Right venison, For my benison. Leave your stinking town in haste, For Let me know what day I shall meet you. Price and I will stretch to Virginia. That all happiness may for ever attend you, is the sincere wish of, dear Sir, your most obedient and very humble servant, THOMAS SHERIDAN. FROM DR. SHERIDAN. DEAR SIR, July 31, 1736. I WENT to Belturbet immediately upon the receipt of your letter, and found Mr. Jones ready for Mr. Henry's draught, and glad of it; and so am I-But you are a very fine lawyer in calling your deed of sale a mortgage- -Instead of cancelling, there is more to be done: you must not only cancel, but you must reconvey to me, in a formal manner, as if you sold to me-Pray ask advice, and do not do things hand over head, as you were going to do (observe my style*) like me. If I had not sworn never to set my foot in Dublin, except I were to pass through it *This was exactly Swift's style to Sheridan upon many occasions; and now Sheridan, in his pleasant manner, returns the compliment.-H. for England,* I would go thither next vacation; but I have sworn solemnly I will not-If I had my few friends out of it, I would not care that all the rest were petrified. Now you must know that I forbid you the town of Cavan as strenuously as I invited you to it; for the small-pox is the broom of death at present, and sweeps us off here by dozens †-I never had it, which gives me some little palpitations, but no great fear. As soon as I can get five hundred pounds in my pocket, to make a figure with, I may perhaps honour your metropolis with my presence; and that may be sooner than you imagine, for I have a guinea, a moidore, a cobb, and two Manks pence towards it already. You may think I swagger, but as I hope to be saved it is true. How grieved I am that I am out of the way while Doctor King is in Dublin! I wish with all my soul he would take a frolic to come thither, because he would cost me no wine, and I have the best water in Ireland. My collection of witty sayings, &c., is finished, if I had any friends to recommend them. The best wares of that kind will not go off otherwise. Doctor King promised me his friendship at Oxford. If you would speak a kind word to the public in their behalf, I know they would bring me in l'argent, which I now want as much as I formerly did the gift of retention, when I had enough. But-thatis-neither-here-nor there My son I can affirm, is thoroughly reformed; and as an argument of it, I must acquaint you that his mother finds fault with everything he does. * Sheridan never crossed the Channel to England in his whole life.-H. + Swift had always a deep horror for this disorder, which since his time has been so effectually disarmed. My son is so far poisoned by the serpent his mother, that I cannot get him home, although I sent horses for him. * * * * * * May all happiness attend you, is the sincere wish of, dear Sir, Your most obedient and very humble servant, THOMAS SHERIDAN. SIR, FROM LADY HOWTH. August 6, 1736. I Do not know how this letter may be received, since I never had the favour of an answer to my last. I impute it to the neglect of the post, or anything rather than to think I am forgot by my old friend. I am now in Connaught, where I assure you I spend the least of my time at cards. I am on horseback almost every day to view the beauties of Connaught, where I am told you have been. I live greatly under ground: for I view all the places under ground. I make nothing of going down sixty steps. I really think, could you lend me a little of your brains, I should be able to come nigh Addison in several of his descriptions of Italy; for upon my word I think there are several very remarkable things. As you took a journey last winter to Cavan, my lord and I hope you will take one to the county of Kilkenny this winter, where we assure you of a hearty welcome. I must now be troublesome to you; but Lord Athunry begged I would write to you in favour of a young gentleman, one Mr. Ireland, who was usher to Mr. Garnett, school-master of |