health augment as faft as I fear it pleases God hers muft decline: I believe that would be very faft may the Life that is added to you be past in good fortune and tranquillity, rather of your own giving to your felf, than from any Expectations or Truft in others. May you and I live together, without wifhing more felicity or acquifitions than Friendship can give and receive without obligations to Greatness God keep you, and three or four more of those I have known as long, that I may have something worth the furviving my Mother. Adieu, dear Gay, and believe me (while you live, and while I live)

Your, &c.

in my

laft letter, I repeat

As I told you it in this: Do not think of writing to me. The Doctor, Mrs.Howard, and Mrs. Blount give me daily accounts of you.

Dear Sir,

Truly rejoyc'd to fee

I ting

Sunday Night.

your

hand-wri

ting, tho' I fear'd the trouble it might give you. I wish I had not known that you are ftill fo exceffively weak. Every day for

a week

a week paft I had hopes of being able in a day or two more to fee you. But my poor Mother advances not at all, gains no ftrength, and feems but upon the whole to wait for the next cold Day to throw her into a Diarrhoea that muft, if it return, carry her off. This being daily to be fear'd, makes me not dare to go a day from her, left that fhould prove to be her Laft. God fend you a fpeedy recovery, and fuch a total one as at your time of Life may be expected. You need not all the few Words I writ to you either kind, or good; That was, and is, nothing. But whatever I have in my Nature of Kindness, I really have for you, and whatever Good I could do, I wou'd

among the very firft be glad to do to you. In your circumftance the old Roman farewell is proper. Vive! memor noftri.

Your, &c.

Ifend you a very kind letter of Mr. Digby, between whom and me two letters have pafs'd concerning you.

was not, and is not leffen'd, by the immediate apprehenfion I have now every day lain under of lofing my Mother. Be af fur'd, no Duty less than that, should have kept me one day from attending your condition: I would come and take a Room by you at Hampstead, to be with you daily, were the not still in danger of death. I have conftantly had particular accounts of you from the Doctor, which have not ceas'd to alarm me yet. God preferve your life, and restore your health. I really beg it for my own fake, for I feel I love you more than I thought, in health, tho' I always lov'd you a great deal. If I am fo unfortunate as to bury my poor Mother, and yet have the good fortune to have my prayers heard for you, I hope we may live most of our remaining days together. If, as I believe, the air of a better clime as the Southern Part of France, may be thought ufeful for your recovery, thither I would go with you infallibly; and it is very probable we might get the Dean with us, who is in that abandon'd ftate already in which I shall shortly be, as to other Cares and Duties. Dear Gay, be as chearful as your Sufferings will permit: God is a better friend than a Court: Even any honeft man is a better. I promise you my entire friendship

in

in all events, heartily praying for your

recovery.

Your, &c.

Do not write, if you are ever fo able: The Doctor tells me all.

I

Dear Sir,

AM glad to hear of the progrefs of

your recovery, and the oftner I hear it the better, when it becomes easy to you to give it me. I fo well remember the Confolation you were to me in my Mother's Former Illness, that it doubles my Concern at this time not to be able to be with you, or you able to be with me. Had I loft her, I wou'd have been no where elfe but with you during your confinement. I have now paft five weeks without once going from home, and without any company but for three or four of the days. Friends rarely ftretch their kindness fo far as ten miles. My Lord Bolingbroke and Mr. Bethel have not forgotten to vifit me: the reft (except Mrs. Blount once) were contented to fend meffages. I never pass'd fo melancholy a time, and now Mr. Congreve's death touches me nearly. It is twenty years that I have known him. Every year carries away fome

thing

thing dear with it, till we out-live all tenderneffes, and become wretched Individuals again as we begun. Birth-day, and this is

it :

Adieu! This is my my Reflection upon

With added Days if life give nothing new, But, like a Sieve, let ev'ry Pleafure thro Some Foy ftill loft, as each vain Year runs o'er, And all we gain, Jome fad Reflection more! Is this a Birth-day? Tis, alas! too clear, 'Tis but the Funeral of the former Year.

Dear Gay,

I am Yours, &c.

Twick'nam, July 21.

OU have the fame fhare in my me

Ymory that good things generally have,

I always know (whenever I reflect) that you should be in my mind; only I reflect too feldom. However, you ought to allow me the Indulgence I allow all my Friends, (and if I did not, They would take it) in confideration that they have other avocations; which may prevent the Proofs of their remembring me, tho' they preferve for me all the friendship, and good-will which I deferve from them. In like manner I expect from you, that my paft life

of