own sakes, not for his. Sure if innocence and integrity can deserve happiness, it must be his. Adieu. I can add nothing to what you will feel, and diminish nothing from it. Yet write to me, and soon. Believe no man now living loves you better, I believe no man ever did, than A. POPE. Dr. Arbuthnot, whose humanity you know, heartily commends himself to you. All possible diligence and affection has been shewn, and continued attendance on this melancholy occasion. Once more adieu, and write to one who is truly disconsolate. DEAR SIR, P.S. BY DR. ARBUTHNOT. I AM Sorry that the renewal of our correspondence should be upon such a melancholy occasion. Poor Mr. Gay died of an inflammation, and, I believe, at last a mortification of the bowels; it was the most precipitate case I ever knew, having cut him off in three days. He was attended by two physicians beside myself. I believed the distemper mortal from the beginning. I have not had the pleasure of a line from you these two years; wrote one about your health, to which I had no answer. I wish you all health and happiness, being with great affection and respect, Sir, your, &c. I TO THE RIGHT HON. THE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON.* MY LORD, Dublin, Dec. 14, 1732. AFTER obtaining one favour from your lordship, I am under the necessity of requesting another; which, however, I hope will not give you much trouble. I know that it depends upon chance what employments you may have in your disposal during your mayoralty; but some I presume you will have. It is therefore my request, and will be so likewise of some others among your friends, that if any employment should fall vacant, during your government, which Mr. Barber would be allowed capable of executing well, your lordship would please that he may have the refusal, with as much favour as will consist with your own generous disposition, adding the friendship you are pleased to profess to me, which I throw heartily into the balance. He is of English birth; a very upright honest man, and his wife has abundance of merit in all respects; they design to settle among you, having turned what fortune they had here into money. And now, my lord, I heartily give you joy of governing the noblest city in the world, where I know you are desirous, and able, to do so much good, and to set a worthy pattern for the imitation of those who shall come after you. If my health, and the bad situation of my private affairs, will permit, I shall hope to have the honour of being one among your guests next summer. Mr. Pilkington * John Barber, Esq. is, in his letters, perpetually full of your great favours to him, and says you will be his voucher that he still continues his modest behaviour, which I always pressed upon him as the best quality in a young man, although I never observed the least want of it in him. I hope you will take care of your health, which in our city of Dublin is a difficult task for a lord-mayor to perform; and if your lordship be under the necessity of drinking as many healths in proportion on public days as are done here, you will be in great danger of ruining your own. I am, with entire friendship and true respect, my lord, Your lordship's most obedient and most humble servant, JON. SWIFT. FROM CHARLES FORD, Esq. London, Dec. 23, 1732. YESTERDAY I received your letter of the 9th, and am infinitely obliged to you for the constant concern you shew for me. I am ashamed to trouble you so much, and so often in my own affairs; and your great kindness makes me almost ashamed to ask pardon for it. * * * * * * * I am very glad to hear the character you give of Lord Orrery. He was extremely applauded for a speech he made against the army bill. There is no danger of repealing the test. The court has taken the usual method of gaining the fanatic leaders, much against the grain of the body. It is said the Bishop of Salisbury* is the chief encourager of them; that the queen spoke to him, and that he answered, He can be besmeared, although they would not suffer him to go the dirty road to Durham. That was the excuse they made him upon the last vacancy of that see. I am extremely proud that Lady Acheson does me the honour to remember her humble servant. I heartily wish she could be persuaded to keep good hours, having observed, by many of my acquaintance, that nothing impairs health so much as sitting up late. I often hear from my sister she writes in quite another strain than she talked, with cheerfulness and good-nature. I fancy Arsaliat has cured the lady of her spleen. I heartily wish you many new years, with health and happiness, and am, most entirely, &c. I am told poor Gay's play is now in rehearsal, and will please. It was that brought him to town a little before he died; though, without his fever, he could not probably have held out long anywhere. TO MRS. PILKINGTON. MADAM, Deanery-House, Jan. 1, 1732-3. I SEND you your bit of a newspaper, with the verses, than which I never saw better in their kind. * Dr. Benjamin Hoadly. †The seat of Peter Ludlow, Esq., father to the first Earl of Ludlow.-F. Mrs. Pilkington, when she was about sixteen, having been teazed by her brother to write some verses as a school exercise for I have the same opinion of those you were pleased to write upon me,* as have also some particular friends of genius and taste, to whom I ventured to communicate them, who universally agree with me. But as I cannot with decency shew them, except to a very few, I hope, for both our sakes, others will do it for me. I can only assure you, I value your present, as much as either of the others, only you must permit it to be turned into a pen; which office I will perform with my own hand, and never permit any other to use it. I heartily wish you many happy new years; and am, with true esteem, Madam, Your most obliged friend and servant, JON. SWIFT. him, asked him what she should write upon: "Why," said he pertly, "what should you write upon but paper?" So taking it for her subject, she wrote the following lines; which, four years after, were printed in one of the London newspapers. See Pilkington's Memoirs, vol. I. p. 88. "O spotless paper, fair and white! On whom, by force constrain'd, I write, No floods can wash thy stains away; Yet this small comfort I can give, That which destroy'd, shall make thee live."-D. S. * Mrs. Pilkington having heard that Dr. Swift had received a paper book, richly bound and gilt, from the Earl of Orrery, and a silver standish from Dr. Delany, sent him an eagle-quill with the verses upon his birth-day. See her verses, vol. XIV. p. 280. |