I have five old small silver medals of Cæsar's, very plain, with the inscription: they were found in an old churchyard. Would my Lord Oxford think them worth taking,

FROM MR ALDERMAN BARBER.

London, March 13, 1737-8.

MOST DEAR AND HONOURED FRIEND, It was with great pleasure I received yours of the 9th of March, with the state of your health, which was the more agreeable, as it contradicted the various reports we had of you; for you remember that our newspapers take the privilege of killing all persons they do not like as often as they please. I have had the honour to be decently interred about six times in their weekly memoirs, which I have always read with great satisfaction.

am very well satisfied with your character of Mr Dunkin, and desire that he would immediately draw up a petition in form, directed to the governor, &c. which petition I desire that you only would underwrite, with your recommendation, and a character of him, which you will please to send to me, to be made use of at my discretion. He need not come over, but inform me, as soon as possible, of Dr Squire's death.

I have made your compliments to Lord and Lady Oxford, who are both well, and rejoiced to hear of your health. They give you their thanks for your remembrance, and are your faithful friends.

His lordship is very well pleased with your present of the medals, and desires you would send them by the first safe hand that comes over. Is it not shocking that that noble lord, who has no vices (except buying manuscripts and curiosities may be called so) has not a guinea in his pocket, and is selling a great part of his estate to pay his debts? and that estate of his produces near 20,000l. a-year. I say is it not shocking! But indeed most of our nobility with great estates are in the same way. My Lord Burlington is now selling in one article, 90001. a-year in Ireland, for 200,000l. which wont pay his debts.

Dr Mead is proud of your compliments,* and returns his thanks and service.

Mr Lewis I have not seen, but hear he is pretty well.

Mr Ford, I am told, is the most regular man living; for from his lodgings to the Mall-to the Cocoa-to the tavern-to bed, is his constant

course.

These cold winds of late have affected me; but as the warm weather is coming on, I hope to be better than I am, though, I thank God, I am now in better health than I have been in for many years. Among the other blessings I enjoy, I am of a cheerful disposition, and I laugh, and am laughed at in my turn, which helps off the tedious hours.

I hope the spring will have a good effect upon you, and will help your hearing and other infirmities, and that I shall have the pleasure to hear so from your own hand.

You will please to observe that I am proud of every occasion of showing my gratitude to you, Sir, to whom I must ever own the greatest obliga

tions.

Pray God bless you and preserve you, and be

lieve me always, dear Sir, your most faithful and most obedient humble servant,

JOHN BARBER.

FROM DR KING TO MR DEANE SWIFT. *

SIR,

St Mary Hall, Oxon, March 15, 1737.

I DID not receive your letter of the 4th till yesterday. It was sent after me to London, and from thence returned to Oxford.

I am much concerned that I cannot see you before you go to Ireland, because I intended to have sent by you a packet for the Dean. It has been no fault of mine that he has not heard from me. I have written two letters for him (both enclosed to Mrs Whiteway) since I received the manuscript from Lord Orrery. I wrote again to Mrs Whiteway, when I was last week in London, to acquaint her, that I would write to the Dean by a friend of mine, who is going for Ireland in a few days. I do not wonder my letters by the post have been intercepted, since they wholly related to the publication of, † which, I am assured, is a matter by no means agreeable to some of our great men, nor indeed to some of the Dean's particular friends in London. In short, I

*Then at Monmouth...-D. S.

+ Swift's "History of the four last years of the Queen."D. S.

I have been obliged to defer this publication till I can have the Dean's answer to satisfy the objections which have been made by some of his friends. I had likewise a particular reason of my own for deferring this work a few months which I have acquainted the Dean with.

I must beg the favour of you to leave behind you the copy of the Toast, at least to show it to nobody in Ireland for as I am upon the point of accommodating my suit, the publication of the book would greatly prejudice my affairs at this juncture. But this is a caution I believe I needed not have given you.

Your friends in the Hall are all well. We are now very full.

Believe me to be, Sir, your most affectionate and most humble servant,

WILLIAM KING.

Notwithstanding your letter, I am still in some hopes of seeing you before you go for Ireland.

TO MR ALDERMAN BARBER.

Dublin, March 31, 1738.

MY DEAR GOOD OLD FRIEND IN THE

BEST AND WORST TIMES;

MR RICHARDSON is come to town, and stays only for a wind to take shipping for Chester, from whence he will hasten to attend you as his governor in London. I have told you that he is a very discreet, prudent gentleman, and I believe your society can

never have a better for the station he is in. I shall see him some time to-day or to-morrow morning, and shall desire, with all his modesty, that he press you to write me a long letter, if your health will permit; which I believe is better than mine, for I have a constant giddiness in my head, and what is more vexatious, as constant a deafness. I forget every thing but old friendship and old opinions. I did desire you, that you would at your leisure visit the few friends I have left, I mean those of them with whom you have any acquaintance, as my Lord and Lady Oxford, my Lord Bathurst, the Countess of Granville, my Lord and Lady Carteret, my Lord Worsley, my dear friend Mr Pope, and Mr Lewis, who always loved both you and me. My Lord Mashain, and some others, have quite dropped and forgot me. Is Lord Masham's son good for any thing? I did never like his disposition or education. Have you quite forgot your frequent promises of coming over hither, and pass a summer in attending your government in Derry and Colrane, as well as your visitation at the deanery? the last must be for half the months of your stay. Let me know what is become of my Lord Bolingbrokehow and where he lives, and whether you ever expect he will come home. Here has run about a report, that the Duke of Ormond has an intention, and some countenance, to come from his banishinent, which I would be extremely glad to find confirmed. That glorious exile has suffered more for his virtues, than ever the greatest villain did from the cruellest tyrant. I desire and insist that Mr Dunkin may have the church living upon Doctor Squire's decease, who I am still assured cannot long hold out, and I take it for granted that Mr Richardson will have no objection against him. God