Well, when will you come down, or will you come at all? I think you may, can, might, could, 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 enliven ing 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, FROM MR. DONNELLAN. CORKE, JULY 2, 1736. I HAD the favour of your commands with relation to Mr. Dunkin *; and, in pursuance of them, have * A female relation of Mr. Dunkin had bequeathed an estate in land, for ever, to the college and fellows of Trinity College, Dublin, upon condition that they should take care of his education, and afterward assist to advance him in the world. The college, in consequence of this request, allowed him, at this time, an annuity, which he was now soliciting to get increased to 100l. He succeeded in his application; and the earl of Chesterfield, when he had the government of Ireland, in the year 1746, gave him the school of Enniskilling, which is very richly endowed, and was founded by king Charles I. writ to two of my friends among the senior fellows, and recommended his petition, and your request, in the best and strongest manner I was able. I am, upon many accounts, obliged to execute whatever orders you are pleased to give me, with the greatest readiness and cheerfulness possible: which, I assure you, I do on this occasion, and shall think myself very happy if I can any way promote the success of an affair which you wish well to. But, beside the right that you have to command me, I think, Mr. Dunkin's case, as Mrs. Sican has represented it, really very worthy of compassion, and on that account likewise should be very glad I could be of some service to him. To be sure, he acted a very silly and wrong part in marrying, and in the affair of Dr. Cope's daughter; and I fear he has hurt himself very considerably in the opinion of the college by his strange behaviour at the board, without occasion. But I hope all this will be got over, by your appearance in his favour, and that your request will have all that weight with the college that it ought. I reminded my friends (though I hope they had not forgot it) of the considerable services you had done their house at different times, and let them know how much their compliance in this point would oblige you. After this, I think they must be very beasts, if they do not show their gratitude, when they have so fair an opportunity; and idiots, if they neglect purchasing the dean's favour at so cheap a rate. My sister and I were very sorry we had not the pleasure of seeing you the morning we called at the deanery house. We were just then going out of town, and had not another opportunity of taking our leave of you. She desires me to make her compliments to you you in a very particular manner. We are both exceedingly busy in getting our little house ready, and hope to remove into it next week. I shall not trouble you, sir, with a description of it, but, in a few words, it is really a very sweet little spot, and, though so near a great town, has all the advantages of a complete retirement. Though I am come among a people that I think you are not very fond of, yet, this I must say in their favour, that they are not such brutes as to be insensible of the dean's merit. Ever since we came down, this town and country rung of your praises, for opposing the reduction of the coin; and they look upon the stop that is likely to be put to that affair, as a second deliverance they owe you. I hope the late fine weather has contributed to the recovery of your health: I am sure it is what we have all reason to desire the continuance of; and what I beg you will believe, no one more truly and sincerely wishes, with all other happiness, than, sir, your most obedient and obliged humble servant, CHR. DONNELLAN. ΤΟ TO THE PROVOST AND SENIOR FELLOWS OF TRINITY COLLEGE, DUBLIN *. DEANERY HOUSE, REV. AND WORTHY SIRS, JULY 5, 1736. As I had the honour of receiving some part of my education in your university, and the good fortune to be of some service to it while I had a share of 'credit at court, as well as since, when I had very little or none, I may hope to be excused for laying a case before you, and offering my opinion upon it. Mr. Dunkin, whom you all know, sent me some time ago a memorial intended to be laid before you, which perhaps he hath already done. His request is, that you would be pleased to enlarge his annuity at present, and that he may have the same right in his turn, to the first church preferment, vacant in your gift, as if he had been made a fellow, according to the scheme of his aunt's will; because the absurdity of the condition in it ought to be imputed to the old woman's ignorance, although her intention be very manifest and the intention of the testator in all wills is chiefly regarded by the law. What I would therefore humbly propose is this, that you would increase his pension to one hundred pounds a year, and make him a firm promise of the first *This letter plainly shows the author's friendship to gentlemen of genius and learning, although unacquainted with them; but, soon after this, Mr. Dunkin was introduced to the dean, who did him farther services, by recommending him to Dr. Bolton, archbishop of Cashel, who ordained him. church church living in your disposal, to the value of two hundred pounds a year, or somewhat more. This I take to be a reasonable medium between what he hath proposed in his memorial, and what you allow him at present. I am almost a perfect stranger to Mr. Dunkin, having never seen him above twice, and then in mixed company, nor should I know his person if I met him in the streets. But I know he is a man of wit and parts; which, if applied properly to the business of his function, instead of poetry (wherein it must be owned he sometimes excels *), might be of great use and service to him. I hope you will please to remember, that, since your body hath received no inconsiderable benefaction from the aunt, it will much increase your reputation, rather to err on the generous side toward the nephew. These are my thoughts, after frequently reflecting on the case under all its circunstances; and so I leave it to your wiser judgments. I am, with true respect and esteem, your most obedient and most humble servant, J. SWIFT. * See the translation of "Carberia Rupes," vol. VII, p. 248. FROM |