SIR, FROM MRS. PENDARVES. ST. MARY'S Square, I AM truly concerned at your having been so much out of order: I most heartily wish you constant health and happiness, though that is of little use to you, and only serves to do honour to myself, by showing I know how to prize what is valuable. I should have returned you thanks much sooner for the favour of your last letter; but when I received it I was preparing for my journey hither, and have ever since had so great a disorder in one of my eyes, that till this moment I have not been able to make my acknowledgments to you. I wonder you should be at a loss for a reason for my writing to you; we all love honcur and pleasure: were your letters dull, do you imagine my vanity would not be fond of corresponding with the dean of St. Patrick's? But the last reason you give I like best, and will stick by, which is, that I am a more constant nymph than all your goddesses of much longer acquaintance; and farthermore I venture to promise you are in no danger of receiving a boutade, if that depends on my will. As for those fastingdays you talk of *, they are, I confess, alluring baits, and I should certainly have been with you in three packets according to your commands, could I either fly or swim: but I am a * That is, dining upon two or three dishes at the deanery; which, in comparison of magnificent tables, the doctor used to call fasting. L4 heavy heavy lump, destined for a few years to this earthly element, and cannot move about, without the concurrent assistance of several animals that are very expensive. Now for business: As soon as I received your letter, I went to your brother Lansdown, and spoke to him about the duke of Chandos. He desired me to make his compliments to you, and to tell you he was very sorry he could be of no service to you in that affair; but he has had no manner of correspondence or even acquaintance with the duke these fifteen years. I have put it however into hands that will pursue it diligently, and I hope obtain for you what you desire; if they do not succeed, you must not call me negligent; for whatever lies in my power to serve you, is of too much consequence for me to neglect. I have left my good friend, and your humble servant, Mrs. Donnellan, behind me in London, where she meets with little entertainment suitable to her understanding; and she is a much fitter companion for the Dublin Thursday Society, than for the trifling company she is now engaged in ; and I wish you had her with you (since I cannot have her) because I know she would be happier than where she is, and my wish I think no bad one for you. Neither my eyes nor paper will hold out any longer. I am, sir, your most faithful humble servant, FROM MR. JARVIS *. DEAR MR. DEAN, HAMPTON, NOV. 24, 1734. YOU can hardly imagine how rejoiced I am at so finding my old friend the bishop of Worcester hale at 83-4! No complaint; he does but begin to stoop, and I am forced myself, every now and then, to awaken myself to walk tolerably upright, famous as I was lately for a wight of uncommon vigour, and consequently spirits to spare. If ever I see Dublin again, and your Teague escapes hanging so long, I will myself truss him up for nonadmittance when you were in a conversable condition. I am sure the lady will send you Mr. Conolly's picture with pleasure, when I tell her you expect it. Our friend Pope is off and on, here and there, every where and no where, à son ordinaire, and therefore as well as we can hope, for a carcass so crazy. He assures me, he has done his duty in writing frequently to the dean, because he is sure it gives you some amusement, as he is rejoiced at all yours; therefore you must write away. Upon inquiry, I learn, that exercise is the best medicine for your giddinesses. Penny made Mrs. Pendarves happy with a print of yours, and I do not fail to distribute them to all your well-wishers. I am, dear dean, yours most affectionately, CHA. JARVIS. * A celebrated painter, and contemporary with sir Godfrey Kneller. + Dr. John Hough, bishop of Worcester. Speaker of the house of commons, one of the lords justices, and a commissioner of the revenue in Ireland. I held out bravely the three weeks fogs, &c. and am very well. TO THE DUKE OF DORSET. MY LORD, JAN. 14, 1734-5. I AM assured, that your grace will have several representations of an affair relating to the university here, from some very considerable persons in this kingdom. However, I could not refuse the application made me by a very worthy person of that society, who was commissioned by some principal members of the body to desire my good offices to your grace; because they believed you thought me an honest man, and because I had the honour to be known to you from your early youth. The matter of their request related wholly to a dreadful apprehension they lie under, of Dr. [John] Whetcombe's endeavour to procure a dispensation for holding his fellowship along with that church preferment bestowed on him by your grace *. The person sent to me on this message gave me a written paper, containing the reasons why they hope your grace will not be prevailed upon to grant such a dispensation. I presume. to send you an abstract of these reasons; because I may boldly assure your grace, that party or faction have not the least concern in the whole affair; and * He had a higher preferment Dec. 23 following, being raised to the united sees of Clonfert and Kilmarduagh. He was translated to the archbishoprick of Cashel, Aug. 25, 1752; and died in 1754 as as to myself, it happens that I am an entire stranger to Dr. Whetcombe. It is alleged, "That this preferment given to the "doctor consists of a very large parish, worth near "six hundred pounds a year, in a very fine country, thirty miles from Dublin; that it abounds very "much with papists, and consequently a most important cure, requiring the rector's residence, be"side some other assistant; which, being so rich, it might well afford. 66 1 "That, as to such dispensations, they find in their "college books but three or four instances since the “revolution, and these in cases very different from "the present: for those few livings which had dis"pensations to be held with a fellowship were sine-` "cures of small value, not sufficient to induce a fel"low to leave his college; and, in the body of those dispensations, is inserted a reason for granting "them, That they were such livings as could be no "hindrance in the discharge of a fellow's duty. 66 "That dispensations are very hurtful to their so"ciety; because they put a stop to the succession of fellowships, and thereby give a check to that emulation, industry, and improvement in learning, "which the hopes of gaining a fellowship will best "incite young students with. "That, if this dispensation should take place, it "may prove a precedent for the like practice in "future times; which will be very injurious to the 66 66 society, by encouraging fellows to apply for dis"pensations, when they have interest enough to get preferments, by which the senior fellows will "be settled in the college for life; and thus, for "want of a succession any other way than by death |