and if, as I have a great deal of affection for him, I have with it some judgment at least, I presume my conduct herein might be better confided in. Indeed, this silence is so remarkable, it surprises me: I hope in God it is not to be attributed to what he complains of, a want of memory. I would rather suffer from any other cause, than what would be so unhappy to him. My sincere love for this valuable, indeed, incomparable man, will accompany him through life, and pursue his memory, were I to live a hundred lives, as many as his works will live: which are absolutely original, unequalled, unexampled. His humanity, his charity, his condescension, his candour, are equal to his wit; and require as good and true a taste to be equally valued. When all this must die, (this last I mean) I would gladly have been the recorder of so great a part of it as shines in his letters to me, and of which my own are but as so many acknowledgments. But, perhaps, before this reaches your hands, my cares may be over; and Curll, and every body else, may say and lie of me as they will: the dean, old as he is, may have the task to defend me. SIR, FROM LORD CARTERET. ARLINGTON STREET, MARCH 24, 1736-7. I THIS day attended the cause * recommended to me in your letter of the 3d of January: the decree you * An appeal of Dennis Delane, gentleman, complaining of an order was affirmed most unanimously, the appeal adjudged frivolous, and 100l. costs given to the respondent. Lord Bathurst attended likewise. The other lords you mention, I am very little acquainted with; so I cannot deliver your messages, though I pity them in being out of your favour. Since you mention Greek, I must tell you, that my son, not sixteen, understands it better than I did at twenty, and I tell him, « Study Greek;” καὶ ἀδὲν ἐδέποτε ταπεινὸν ἐνθυμηθήση ἔτε ἄγαν ἔπιθυμήσεις τινός. He knows how to construe this, and I have the satisfaction to believe he will fall into the sentiment; and then, if he makes no figure, he will yet be a happy man. Your late lord lieutenant told me, some time ago, he thought he was not in your favour. I told him I was of that opinion, and showed him the article of your letter relating to himself: I believe I did wrong not that you care a farthing for princes or ministers; but because it was vanity in me, to produce your acknowledgments to me for providing for people of learning, some of which I had the honour to promote at your desire, for which I still think myself obliged to you. And I have not heard that since they have disturbed the peace of the kingdom, or been jacobites, in disgrace to you and me. I desire you will make my sincere respects acceptable to Dr. Delany. He sent me potted woodcocks in perfection, which lady Granville, my wife, and children, have eat, though I have not yet answered order or decree of dismission of the court of chancery in Ireland, the 28th of February, 1731, made in a cause wherein the appellant was plaintiff, and another Dennis Delane, son of George Delane, and several others, were defendants. + The duke of Dorset. his letter. My lady Granville reading your postscript, bids me tell you, that she will send you a present; and if she knew what you liked, she would do it forthwith. Let me know, and it shall be done, that the first of the family may no longer be postponed by you to the third place. My wife and lady Worseley desire their respects should be mentioned to you rhetorically; but as I am a plain peer, I shall say nothing, but that I am, for ever, sir, your most humble and obedient servant, CARTERET. When people ask me, how I governed Ireland? I say, that I pleased Dr. Swift. Quæsitam meritis sume superbiam. TO MR. ALDERMAN BARBER. DEAR MR. ALDERMAN, MARCH 30, 1737. YOU OU will read the character of the bearer, Mr. Lloyd, which he will deliver to you, signed by the magistrates and chief inhabitants of Coleraine. It seems, your society has raised the rents in that town, and of your lands about it, within three years past, to four times the value of what the tenants formerly paid; which is beyond what I have ever heard, even among the most screwing landlords of this kingdom: and the consequence has already been, that many of your tenants in that town, and the lands about it, are preparing for the plantations of America, for the same same reasons that are driving some thousands of families in the north to the same plantations: I mean, the oppression of landlords. My dear friend, you. are to consider, that no society can, or ought, in prudence or justice, let their lands at so high a rate as a squire, who lives upon his estate, and is able to distrain at an hour's warning. All bodies corporate must give easy bargains, so as to be ready to pay all the incident charges to which they are subject. Thus bishops, deans, and chapters, as well as other corporations, seldom or never let their lands even so high as half the value and when they raise those rents which are unreasonably low, it is by degrees. I have instances of this conduct in my own practice, as well as that of my chapter; although my own lands, as dean, are let four-fifths under their value. On the other side, there is no reason why an honourable society should rent their estate for a trifle. And therefore I told Mr. Lloyd my opinion, "That, if you could be prevailed on just to double the rent, " and no more, I hoped the tenants might be able to live in a tolerable manner." For, I am as much convinced as I can be of any thing human, that this wretched oppressed country must necessarily decline for ever. If, by a miracle, things should mend, you may, in a future renewal, make a moderate increase of rent; but not by such leaps as you are now taking for, you ought to remember the fable of the hen, who laid every second day a golden egg; upon which, her mistress killed her, to get the whole lump together. I am told, that one condition in your charter is, to plant a colony of English in those parts. If that be so, you are too wise to let it be a colony of Irish beggars. I would not have said thus much in an affair, and about persons to whom I am a stranger, if I had not been long assured of the poor condition those people in and about Coleraine have lain under, since that enormous raising of their rents. The bearer, whom I never saw until yesterday, seems to be a gentleman of truth and good sense: yet, if he has misrepresented this matter to me, I shall never be his advocate again. My health is very indifferent: spirits I have none left. I decline every day. I hope and hear it is better with you. May you live as long as you desire! for I have lost so many friends without getting any new, that I must keep you as a sample of the former. I am, my dear friend, Yours, &c. FROM THE EARL OF ORRERY. DEAR SIR, CORK, APRIL 3, 1737. I AM Intus opaca, ingens, ipse arduus, altaque pulsat Nec visu facilis, nec dictu affabilis ulli: 4 Remember |