God blefs you with ease, if not with pleasure; with a tolerable state of health, if not with its full enjoy. ment; with a refigned temper of mind, if not a very chearful one. It is upon these terms I live myself, though younger than you, and I repine not at my lot, could but the prefence of a few that I love be added to these. Adieu.

LETTER LXXVIII.

FROM DR. SWIFT.

October 21, 1735.

I

ANSWERED your letter relating to Curl, etc. I be lieve my letters have escaped being published, because I writ nothing but Nature and Friendship, and particular incidents which could make no figure in writing. I have obferved, that not only Voiture, but likewise Tully and Pliny writ their letters for the public view, more than for the fake of their correfpondents; and I am glad of it, on account of the Entertainment they have given me. Balfac did the fame thing, but with more stiffness, and confequently lefs diverting. Now I must tell you, that you are to look upon me as one going very faft out of the world; but my flesh and bones are to be carried to Holy-head, for I will not lie in a Country of flaves. It pleaseth me to find that you begin to dislike things

in

in spite of your Philofophy; your Mufe cannot for
bear her hints to that purpofe. I cannot travel to
fee you; otherwise, I folemnly proteft I would do it.
I have an intention to pass this winter in the country
with a friend forty miles off, and to ride only ten
miles a day; yet is my health fo uncertain that I fear
it will not be in my power. I often ride a dozen
miles, but I come to my own bed at night: my best
way would be to marry, for in that cafe: any bed
would be better than my own. I found you a very
young man, and I left you a middle-aged one; you
knew me a middle-aged man, and now I am an old
one. Where is my Lord? methinks, I am en-
quiring after a Tulip of laft year:You need not
"apprehend any Curls meddling with
Curls meddling with your letters to
me; I will not destroy them, but have ordered
66 my Executors to do that office." I have a thousand
things more to fay, longavitas eft garrula, but I must
remember I have other letters to write if I have time,
which I spend to tell you

66

fo..

LETTER

LXXIX.

FROM DR. SWIFT.

February 9, 1735-6.

I

CANNOT properly call you my best friend, because

I have not another left who deferves the name, fuch a havock have Time*, Death, Exile, and Oblivion made. Perhaps you would have fewer complaints of my ill health and lowness of spirits, if they were not fome excufe for my delay of writing even to you. It is perfectly right what you fay of the indifference in common friends, whether we are fick or well, happy or miferable. The very maid fervants in a family have the fame notion: I have heard them often say, Oh, I am very fick, if any body cared for it! I am vexed when my vifitors come with the compliment ufual here, Mr. Dean I hope you are very well. My popularity that you mention, is wholly confined to the common people, who are more conftant than those we mif-call their betters. I walk the streets, and fo do my lower friends, from whom, and from whom alone, I have a thousand hats and bleffings

* All these laft letters of Swift are curious and interesting, as they give us an account of the gradual decay of his intellect, and temper, and strength of mind and body; and fill us with many melancholy but useful reflexions. We fee the fteps by which this great genius funk into discontent, into peevishness, into indignation, into torpor, into infanity!

VOL. IX.

T

upon

upon old scores, which those we call the Gentry have forgot. But I have not the love, or hardly the civility, of any one man in power or ftation; and I can boast that I neither vifit nor am acquainted with any Lord Temporal or Spiritual in the whole kingdom; nor am able to do the least good office to the most deserving man, except what I can difpofe of in my own Cathedral upon a vacancy. What hath funk my spirits more than even years and fickness, is reflecting on the most execrable Corruptions thať run through every branch of public management.

I heartily thank you for thofe lines tranflated, Singula de nobis anni, etc. You have put them in a ftrong and admirable light; but however I am fo partial, as to be more delighted with those which are to do me the greatest honour I fhall ever receive from posterity, and will outweigh the malignity of ten thousand enemies. I never faw them before, by which it is plain that the letter you fent me mifcarried I do not doubt that you have choice of new acquaintance, and fome of them may be deferving; for youth is the season of Virtue; Corruptions grow with years, and I believe the oldest rogue in England is the greatest. You have years enough before you to watch whether these new acquaintance will keep their Virtue, when they leave you and go into the world; how long will their spirit of independency last against the temptations of future Ministers, and future Kings.-As to the new Lord Lieutenant,

2

Lieutenant, I never knew any of the family; fo that I shall not be able to get any jobb done by him for any deferving friend.

LETTER

LXXX.

FROM DR. SWIFT.

February 7, 1735-6.

T is fome time fince I dined at the Bishop of Derry's, where Mr. Secretary Cary told me with great concern, that you were taken very ill. I have heard nothing fince, only I have continued in great pain of mind, yet for my own fake and the world's more than for yours; because I well know how little you value life both as a Philofopher and a Christian, particularly the latter, wherein hardly one in a million of us heretics can equal you. If you are well recovered, you ought to be reproached for not putting me especially out of pain, who could not bear the lofs of you; although we must be for ever diftant as much as if I were in the grave, for which my years and continual indifpofition are preparing me every season. I have ftaid too long from preffing you to give me some ease by an account of your health; do not use me fo ill any more. I look upon pray you as an estate from which I receive my best annual rents, although I am never to fee it. Mr. Tickel