will be scandalous for a free Briton to drag two chains at once.

1

Do

I presume, you have the liberty of Paris and fifty miles round, and have a very light pair of fetters, contrived to ride or dance in, and see Versailles and every place else except St. Germain. I hear the ladies call you already notre prisonnier Hunter, le plus honnête garçon du monde. Will you French yet own us Britons to be a brave people? Will they allow the Duke of Marlborough to be a great general? Or, are they all as partial as their Gazetteers? Have you yet met any French Colonel whom you remember to have formerly knocked from his horse, or shivered, at least, a lance against his breastplate? Do you know the wounds you have given, when you see the scars? Do you salute your old enemies with "Stetimus tela aspera contra, Contulimusque manus"? Vous savez que Monsieur d'Addison, nôtre bon ami, est fait Sécrétaire d'Etat d'Irlande; and, unless you make haste over and get me my Virginian bishopric, he will persuade me to go with him, for the Vienna project is off; 3 which is a great disappointment to the design I had of displaying my politics at the Emperor's Court. I do not like the subject you have assigned me to entertain you with. Crowder is sick, to the comfort of all quiet people, and Frowde is rêveur à peindre. Mr. Addison and I often drink your health, and this day I did it with Will Pate, a certain adorer of yours, who is both a bel esprit and a woollendraper. The Whigs carry all before them, and how far they will pursue their victories we underrate Whigs can hardly tell. I have not yet observed the Tories' noses-their number is not to be learnt by telling of noses; for every Tory has not a

nose.

4

1 Then the palace of the Queen Dowager of James II, and the Pretender. 2 Eneis XI., 283.

8 See Life of Swift.

4 Philip Frowde held an inferior cfficial post under the Government. He wrote a couple of tragedies. He was a friend of Addison's,

'Tis a loss, you are not here to partake of three weeks' frost, and eat gingerbread in a booth by a fire on the Thames. Mrs. Floyd looked out with both her eyes, and we had one day's thaw: but she drew in her head, and it now freezes as hard as ever. As for the Convocation, the Queen thought fit to prorogue it, though at the expense of Dr. Atterbury's displeasure, who was designed their Prolocutor, and is now raving at the disappointment.

I amuse myself sometimes with writing verses to Mrs. Finch, 2 and sometimes with projects for the uniting of Parties, which I perfect over night, and burn in the morning. Sometimes Mr. Addison and I steal to a pint of bad wine, and wish for no third person but you, who, if you were with us, would never be satisfied without three more. You know, I believe, that poor Dr. Gregory is dead, and Keil solicits to be his successor; but Party reaches even to lines and circles, and he will hardly carry it, being reputed a Tory, which yet he utterly denies. We are here nine times madder after operas than ever; and have got a new castrato from Italy called Nicolini, who exceeds Valentini I know not how many bars' length.

3

Lords Somers and Halifax are as well as busy statesmen can be in Parliament time. Lord Dorset is nobody's favourite but yours and Mr. Prior's, who has lately dedicated his book of poems to him, which is all the Press has furnished us of any value since you went. Mr. Pringle, a gentleman of Scotland, succeeds Mr. Addison in the Secretary's office; Mr. Shute, 5 a

1 The Biddy Floyd of his lively verses.-See Vol. xiv., page 73 [of Scott's Edition]-S.

2 Afterwards Lady Winchelsea. A set of verses under the title of Apollo Outwitted, addressed to her as Ardelia, are printed in Scott, Vol. xiv.

3 Two Mathematicians, who published several treatises on Mathematics and Astronomy.

4 The father of Lady M. W. Montagu, afterwards Duke of Kingston. 3 In a letter to Archbishop King, of November 30, 1708, Swift informs his correspondent that "Mr. Shute is named for secretary to Lord Wharton [Viceroy of Ireland]; he is a young man, but reckoned the shrewdest head in Europe; and the person in whom the Presbyterians chiefly confide. . . As to his principles, he is truly a moderate man, frequenting the Church and the Meeting indifferently."

notable young Presbyterian gentleman under thirty years old, is made a Commissioner of the Customs. This is all I can think of, either public or private, worth telling you.

P.S.-Mr. Steele presents his most humble service to you; and I cannot forbear telling you of your méchanceté, to impute the Letter on Enthusiasm1 to me, when I have some good reasons to think the author is now at Paris.

TO DEAN STERNE. 2

Laracor, April 17, 1710.

You have put me under the necessity of writing you a very scurvy letter, and in a very scurvy manner. It is the want of horses, and not of inclination, that hinders me from attending on you at the Chapter. But I would do it on foot to see you visit in your own right; but, if I must be visited by proxy, by proxy I will appear. The ladies of St. Mary's delivered me your commands; but Mrs. Johnson had dropped half of them by the shaking of her horse. I have made a shift, by the assistance of two civilians and a book of precedents, to send you the jargon annexed, with a blank for the name and title of any Prebendary, who will have the charity

1 The Letter on Enthusiasm, written by the third Earl of Shaftesbury, and published in 1708, was for a time pertinaciously ascribed to Swift, of which he complains in the Apology to the Tale of a Tub. It appears from what follows, that he suspected Colonel Hunter to be the author.-S.

2 With a proxy for his appearance as Prebendary of Dunlavan, at the Archbishop's visitation. Sterne was Swift's predecessor in the Deanery of St. Patrick's.

3 Dr. Sterne was then Vicar-General of the Diocese of Dublin, and was to visit the Clergy in the absence of the Archbishop.-S. The ladies of St. Mary's are Esther Johnson and Mrs. Dingley.

HIS PARISHIONERS' OCCUPATIONS.

89

to answer for me. Those words gravi incommodo are to be translated, the want of a horse. In a few days I expect to hear the two ladies lamenting the flesh-pots of Cavan Street. I advise them, since they have given up their title and lodgings of St. Mary, to buy each of them a palfrey, and take a squire and seek adventures.

I am here quarrelling with the frosty weather for spoiling my poor half-dozen of blossoms. Spes anni collapsa ruit. Whether these words be mine or Virgil's, I cannot determine. I am this minute very busy, being to preach to-day before an audience of, at least, fifteen people-most of them gentle, and all simple. I can send you no news; only the employment of my parishioners may, for memory-sake, be reduced under these heads Mr. Perceval is ditching; Mrs. Perceval in her kitchen; Mr. Wesley switching; Mrs. Wesley stitching; Sir Arthur Longford riching, which is a new word for heaping up riches. I know no other rhyme but bitching, and that I hope we are all past. Well, Sir, long may you live the hospitable owner of good Bits, good Books, and good Buildings. The Bishop of Clogher would envy me for these three B's. I am your most obedient, humble servant.

ADDISON.1

Dublin, Aug. 22, 1710.

I looked long enough at the wind to set you safe at the

other side, and then

fear you 2

up to a post-horse, and hazard your limbs to

1 Published by Scott, from a letter communicated to him by Major Tickell, a descendant from the poet. Addison had just returned from Ireland to England.

Two or three lines here effaced.

I

be made a member. I believe you had the displeasure of much ill news as soon as you landed. Even the moderate Tories are in pain at these revolutions, being what will certainly affect the Duke of Marlborough, and, consequently, the success of the war. My Lord Lieutenant asked me yesterday when I intended for England. I said I had no business there now, since I suppose in a little time I should not have one friend left that had any credit, and his Excellency was of my opinion. I never once began your [task?] since [you left?] this, being perpetually prevented by all the company I kept, and especially Captain Pratt, to whom I am almost a domestic upon your account. am convinced that, what Government come over, you will find all marks of kindness from any Parliament here, with respect to your employment, the Tories contending with the Whigs which should speak best of you. Mr. Pratt says he has received such marks of your sincerity and friendship as he never can forget; and, in short, if you will come over again, when you are at leisure, we will raise an army, and make you King of Ireland. Can you think so meanly of a kingdom, as not to be pleased that every creature in it, who hath one grain of worth, has a veneration for you? I know there is nothing in this to make you add any value to yourself; but it ought to put you on valuing them, and to convince you that they are not an undistinguishing people

On Thursday, the Bishop of Clogher, the two Pratts, and I are to be as happy as Ireland will give us leave. We are to dine with Mr. Paget at the Castle, and drink your health. The Bishop shewed me the first volume of the small edition of the Tatler, where there is a very handsome compliment to me. But I can never pardon the printing the news of every Tatler. I think he might as well have printed the advertisements. I know it was a bookseller's piece of craft, to increase the bulk and price of what he was sure would sell; but I utterly disapprove it.

I beg you would tell me freely whether it would be of any