a deanery of small value; it was a hedge deanery, my lord duke will tell you what I mean; we have many of them in Ireland: but, as it does not require living there, except a month or two in the year, although it be but of forty or fifty pounds yearly rent, it will be a great ease to him. He is no party man, but a loyal subject. 'It is the Deanery of Cloyne he is well acquainted with the bishop, who is Dr. Berkeley. I have reasons enough to complain of my lord duke, who absolutely refused to provide for a most worthy man, whom he had made one of his chaplains before he came over and therefore, if he will not consent to give this poor deanery to Mr. John Jackson, I will fall out with him for ever. I desire your ladyship to let the duke know all this. Somebody read a part of a newspaper to me the other day, wherein your saucy niece is mentioned as married, with five and forty thousand pounds to her fortune. I desire to present her with my most humble service, and that we may be friends for the future. I hope your ladyship still preserves your health and good humour. Your virtues I am in no pain about; for you are confirmed in them by your education and birth, as well as by constant practice. I pray God preserve you long, for the good you do to the world, and for your happiness hereafter. I will (notwithstanding your commands to the contrary) be so bold to tell you, that I am, with the greatest respect and esteem, Madam, Your ladyship's most obedient and obliged humble servant, FROM LADY BETTY GERMAIN. June 23, 1736. I OUGHT to begin with begging pardon for not answering yours of the 1st of May, before I thank you for that of the 15th of June: but I do not question the newspapers have informed you of the great loss I have had in my brother Henry Berkeley. And what is an addition to the grief for the best-natured, honest, sincere, disinterested, friendly brother, is the having left a wife, three daughters, and two sons, literally without bread to eat though perhaps that part might soon be made easy, if those of his relations were as willing, as they are able, to help to take care of them, which hitherto they have only the benefit of from my two nieces. She that you call the saucy one, has bestowed her very great fortune (much more than you mention) on Lord Vere Beauclerk, and had my approbation of her own choice, for I think him a very deserving gentleman; and all that know him give him a great character. I am now with them in the country; but shall go in about a fortnight to Knowle; and when I am there, will certainly obey your commands to the Duke of Dorset. My brother George and Lady Suffolk are gone to France to make a visit to Lord Berkeley; which I am glad of, as I hope it will induce her to go to Spa and Aix-la-Chapelle, for her health, which I am afraid is very necessary for her, and truly believe is all she wants to make her easy and happy; or else my brother George is not the honest good-natured man I really take him to be; and she dissembles well, if she is not so happy as she makes me believe, and I heartily wish her. You order me to write long letters; but you may see by the nothingness of this, I am yet more unfit than ever to observe your orders, though in all things, and at all times, that we I IF you can believe me, I can assure you, have a great plenty of flies at Cavan; and let me whisper you in this letter, nec desunt pediculi nec pulices; but I beseech you not to speak of it. Si me non fallit observatio, we shall have more of the Egyptian plagues, quippe multitudo militum die crastino adventura est in Cavanniam nostram. do not know what the devil they will do for meat. De nostro cibo, nisi furtim, aut vi abripiant, uxor me capiat, si gustaverint. The ladies are already bespeaking seats in my field upon the hill, Spectatum veniunt, veniunt spectentur ut ipsæ. Ho, brave colonels, captains, lieutenants, and cornets, adeo hic splendentes congregantur ut ipsis pavonibus pudorem incutiunt, of which I am an eye-witness, dejectis capitibus caudas demittunt. Our bakers are all so busy upon this occasion, that they double the heat of the weather, atque urunt officinas. But when the army fires on Friday, proh Jupiter! infernum VOL. XVIII. 2 F redolebunt et spirabunt. The noise of guns, the neighing of the horses, and the women's tongues, cœlum atque terras miscebunt. Grouse pouts are come in, I've some in my bin, To butter your chin; We'll walk out and in, And care not a pin Who thinks it a sin. We make some folks grin, I could not mention troop-horses, quin Pegasus noster lusit exultim ut vides; sed jam stabulo inclusus de versibus nihil amplius. You may be surprised at this motley epistle; but you must know that I fell upon my head the other day, and the fall shook away half my English and Latin, cum omnia lingua Gallica, Hispanica, necnon Italica. I would rather indeed my wife had lost her one tongue, totaliter, quoniam equidem nullus dubito nisi radicitus evelleretur tonitrui superaret. I wish your reverence were here to hear the trumpets; Well, when will you come down, or will you come at all? I think you may, can, could, might, would, or ought to come. My house is enlarging, and you may now venture to bring your own company with you; namely, the provost, Archdeacon Wall, the Bishop of Clogher, and, by way of enlivening the rest. Do not let my Lord Orrery come with them; for I know they will not be pleased with his company. My love to my sweetheart Mrs. Whiteway, if she continues constant; if not, my hatred and my gall. Excuse my haste. I hope by the next post to make up for this short epistle. I am, dear Sir, with all affection and respect, your most obedient humble servant, THOMAS SHERIDAN. I send you a letter from Mr. Carte.* SIR, TO MR. NICHOLLS.+ THERE is a lady, a cousin of mine, Mrs. Whiteway, who hath been scolding me several weeks for my ingratitude to you, who having sent me two or more vessels of ale of your own brewing, without any claim of merit of mine, had never the civility either to get out of your debt, or to thank you, or invite you to eat with me, and drink some of your own ale. She says, that she invites you to-morrow to dine with her at the deanery, and there take the opportunity of exposing me for my ill treatment of you. This is a misfortune I cannot help, but must endure it patiently; and therefore, if you be not otherwise engaged, I entreat the favour of you, which she commands, and that you will let me know to-morrow morning. I writ this at her house in fear and dread, therefore take pity of me. I am, Sir, Your most obedient humble servant, Dated at Mrs. Whiteway's house, JONATH. SWIFT. * The historian; see p. 469.-N. + This letter, and two others, to Mr. Nicholls, surgeon-general of Ireland, are now for the first time published in the Dean's correspondence. |