.

get both together, or neither. I'm forry I could not have a Glympfe either of you, or of the Sun, (your Father) before you went for Bath. But now it pleases me to fee him, and hear of you. Pray put Mr Congreve in mind, that he has one on this fide of the World who loves him; and that there are more Men and Women in the Universe, than Mr Gay and my Lady Duchefs of M. There are Ladies in about Richmond that pretend to value him and yourself; and one of 'em at least may be thought to do it without Affectation, namely Mrs Howard. As for Mrs Blounts (whom you mercifully make mention of) they are gone, or going to Suffex. I hope Mrs Pulteney is the better for the Bath, tho' I have little Charity and few good Wishes for the Ladies, the Deftroyers of their beft Friends the Men. Pray tell her, fhe has forgot the first Commiffion I ever troubled her with, and therefore it fhall be the laft (the very thing I fear fhe defires). Dr Arbuthnot is a ftrange Creature; he goes out of Town, and leaves his Baftards at other Folks Doors. I have long been fo ́far mistaken in him as to think him a Man of Morals as well as of Politics. Pray let him know I made a very unfashionable Enquiry t'other day of the Welfare of his Wife and Family Things that (I prefume) are below. the Confideration of a Wit and an Ombre-player. They are in perfect Health. Tho' Mrs A's Navel has been burnt, I hope the Doctor's own Belly is in abfolute Eafe and Contentment. Now I fpeak of thofe Regions about the Abdomen, pray, dear Gay, confult with him and Dr Cheyne to what exact pitch your's may be fuffer'd to fwell, not to outgrow theirs, who are, yet, your Betters. Pray tell Dr Arbuthnot, that even Pigeon-pyes, and Hogspuddings are thought dangerous by our Governours; for thofe that have been fent to the Bishop of Roche

fter,

fter, are open'd and prophanely pry'd into at the Tower: 'Tis the first time dead Pigeons have been fufpected of carrying Intelligence. To be ferious, you, and Mr Congreve (nay and the Doctor, if he has not dined) will be fenfible of my Concern and Surprize at the Commitment of that Gentleman, whose Welfare is as much my Concern as any Friends I have. I think myfelf a moft unfortunate Wretch; I no fooner love, and, upon Knowledge, Efteem to any Man; but he either dies like Mr Craggs, or is fent to Imprifonment like the Bifhop. God fend him as well as I wifh him, manifeft him to be as innocent as I believe him, and make all his Enemies' know him as well as I do, that they may love him and think of as well!

fix my

If you apprehend this Period to be of any Danger in being addrefs'd to you; tell Mr Congreve or the Doctor, it is writ to them. I am

i

Your, &c.

I

Dear Sir,

July 13, 1723.

W AS very much pleas'd, not to fay oblig'd, by your kind Letter, which fufficiently warm'd my Heart to have anfwer'd it fooner, had I not been deceiv'd (a way one often is deceiv'd) by hearkening to Women; who told me that both Lady Burlington and your felf were immediately to return from Tunbridge, and that my Lord was gone to bring you back. The World furnishes us with too many Examples of what you complain of in your's, and I affure you, none of them touch and grieve me fo much as what relates to you. I think your Sentiments upon it are the very fame I fhould entertain: I

with those we call Great Men had the fame Notions, but they are really the most little Creatures in the world; and the most interested, in all but one Point; which is, that they want Judgment to know their greatest Intereft, to encourage and chufe honeft Men for their Friends.

I have not once feen the Perfon you complain of, whom I have of late thought to be, as the Apoftle admonisheth, one Flesh with his Wife.

Pray make my fincere Compliments to Lord Burlington, whom I have long known to have more mind to be a good and honourable Man, than almost any one of his rank.

I have not forgot your's to Lord Bolingbroke, (tho' I hope to have speedily a fuller Opportunity) he returns for Flanders and France next Month.

Mrs Howard has writ you fomething or other in a Letter which fhe fays fhe repents. She has as much Good-nature as if fhe had never feen any Ill-nature, and had been bred among Lambs and Turtle-doves, inftead of Princes and Court-Ladies.

By the end of this Week, Fortefeue will pafs a few Days with me. We shall remember you in our Pótations, and wifh you a Fisher with us, on my Glafs-plat. In the mean time we wish you Succefs as a Fisher of Women, at the Wells, a Rejoycer of the Comfortless and Widow, an Impregnator of the Barren, and a Playfellow of the Maiden.

Dear Sir,

Faithfully affure you, in the midft of that melanlancholy with which I have been fo long encompaffed, in an hourly Expectation almoft of my Mother's

1 Mother's death; there was no Circumftance that render'd it more infupportable to me, than that I could not leave her to fee you. Your own prefent Efcape from fo imminent Danger, I pray God may prove lefs precarious than my poor Mother's can be; whofe Life at her age can at best be but a fhort Reprieve, or a longer Dying. But I fear, even that is more than God will please to grant me; for, these two days paft, her moft dangerous Symptoms are returned upon her; and unless there be a fudden change, I must in a few Days, if not in a few Hours, be depriv'd of her. In the afflicting Prospect before me, I know nothing that can fo much alleviate it as the View now given me (Heaven grant it may encrease!) of your Recovery. In the fincerity of my Heart, I am exceffively concern'd, not to be able to pay you, dear Gay, any part of the Debt I very gratefully remember I owe you, on a like fad Occafion, when you was here comforting me in her laft great Illnefs. May your Health augment as faft as I fear it pleafes God her's must decline: I believe that would be very faft may the Life that is added to you be paffed 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 wishing more Felicity or Acquifitions than Friendship can give and receive without Obligations to Greatnefs God keep you, and three or four more of those I have known as long, that I may have fomething worth the furviving my Mother. Adieu, dear Gay, and believe me (while you live, and while I live)

Your, &c.

As I told you in my laft Letter, I repeat it in this Do not think of writing to me. The

Doctor,

Doctor, Mrs Howard, and Mrs Blount give me daily Accounts of you.

Dear Sir,

Sunday Night.

ITRULY rejoyc'd to fee your Hand-writing, 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 paft I had hopes of being able in a day or two more to see you. But my poor Mother advances not at all, gains no Strength, 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 should 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 call the few Words I writ to you either kind, or good; that was, and is, nothing. But whatever I have in my Nature of Kindnefs, I really have for you, and whatever Good I could do, I wou'd among the very first be glad to do to you. In your Circumftance the old Roman farewel is proper. Vive! memor noftri.

I fend you a very kind Letter of Mr Digby, between whom and me two. Letters have pass'd concerning you.

Dear