Advertisement by Dr. Swift, in his Defence against Joshua,

lord Allen

471

LETTERS

MR. Hoare has a hundred and odd pounds of yours in his hands, which you may have whenever you please to draw upon me for it. I know I am more indebted to you (I mean, beside the South Sea bond of a hundred, that still subsists); but I cannot tell you exactly how your account stands till I go to town. I have money of my own too in Mr. Hoare's hands, which I know not at present how to dispose of. I believe I shall leave it without interest till I go to town, and shall then be at the same loss how to dispose of it as now. I have an intention to get more money next winter; but am prepared for disappointments, which I think it is very likely I shall meet with; yet as you think it convenient and necessary that I should have more than I have, you see I resolve to do what I can to oblige you. If my designs should not take effect, I desire you will be VOL. XIII.

B

as

7

as easy under it as I shall be; for I find you so so

cannot bear my disap

If I do not write intel

For

licitous about me, that you
pointments as well as I can.
ligibly to you, it is because I would not have the
clerks of the postoffice know every thing I am do-
ing. If you would come here this summer, you
might, with me, have helped to have drunk up the
duke's wine, and saved your money. I am growing
so saving of late, that I very often reproach myself
with being covetous; and I am very often afraid that
I shall have the trouble of having money, and never
have the pleasure of making use of it. I wish you
could live among us; but not unless it could be to
your ease and satisfaction. You insist upon your
being minister of Amesbury, Dawley, Twickenham,
Riskings, and prebendary of Westminster.
your being minister in those places, I cannot pro-
mise you; but I know you might have a good liv-
ing in every one of them. Gambadoes I have rid in,
and I think them a very fine and useful invention;
but I have not made use of them since I left Devon-
shire. I ride and walk every day to such excess,
that I am afraid I shall take a surfeit of it. I am
sure, if I am not better in health after it, it is not
worth the pains. I say this, though I have this sea-
son shot nineteen brace of partridges. I have very
little acquaintance with our vicar; he does not live
among us, but resides in another parish. And I
have not played at backgammon with any body
since I came to Amesbury, but lady Harold, and
lady Bateman. As Dr. Delany * has taken away a
fortune

* Dr. Delany married Mrs. Pendarves; but not till a few years after the date of-this letter. We have a letter with that lady's signature,

fortune from us, I expect to be recommended in Ireland. If authors of godly books are entitled to such fortunes, I desire you would recommend me as a'moral one; I mean, in Ireland, for that recommendation would not do in England.

THE DUCHESS BEGINS.

The duchess will not lend you two or three thousand pounds to keep up your dignity, for reasons to Strada dal Poe; but she had much rather give you that, or ten thousand pounds more, than lay it out in a fine petticoat, to make herself respected.

I believe, for all you give Mr. Gay much advice, that you are a very indiscreet person yourself, or else you would come here to take care of your own affairs; and not be so indiscreet as to send for your money over to a place where there is none. Mr. Gay is a very rich man; for I really think he does. not wish to be richer; but he will, for he is doing what you bid him; though, if it may not be allowed, he will acquire greater honour, and less trouble. His covetousness, at present, is for health, which he takes so much pains for, that he does not allow himself time to enjoy it. Neither does he allow himself time to be either absent or present. When he began to be a sportsman, he had like to have killed a dog; and now every day I expect he will kill himself, and then the bread and butter affair can never be brought before you. It is really an affair of too great consequence to be trusted in a letter; therefore pray come on purpose to decide it.

signature, September 2, 1736. Mr. Faulkner says, in 1735, "she was married some years after; and she was a lady of the "finest accomplishments and most universal genius."