may find every friend you have there, in the state you wish him, or her; fo that your vifits to us may have no other effect, than the progrefs of a rich man to a remote eftate, which he finds greater than he expected; which knowledge only ferves to make him live happier where he is, with no disagreeable prospect if ever he fhould chufe to remove. May this be your state till it become what I wish. But indeed I cannot express the warmth, with which I wish you all things, and myself you. Indeed you are ingraved elsewhere than on the Cups you fent me, (with so kind an inscription) and I might throw them into the Thames without injury to the giver. I am not pleas'd with them, but take them very kindly too: And had I fuspected any such usage from you, I should have enjoyed your company less than I really did, for at this rate I may say

Nec tecum poffim vivere, nec fine te.

I will bring you over juft fuch another present, when I go to the Deanry of St. Patrick's; which I promife you to do, if ever I am enabled to return your kindness. Donarem Pateras, etc. 'Till then I'll drink (or Gay shall drink) daily healths to you, and I'll add to your infcription the old Roman Vow for years to come, VOTIS X. VOTIS XX. My mother's age gives me authority to hope it for yours. Adieu.

LETTER XVII.

Sept., 1726.

yCurs

Curs to Mr. Gay gave me greater fatisfaction than that to me (tho' that gave a great deal) for to hear you were fafe at your journey's end, exceeds the account

of your fatigues while in the way to it: otherwife believe me, every tittle of each is important to me, which feto any one thing before my eyes that happens to you. I writ you a long letter, which I guess reach'd you the day after your arrival. Since then I had a conference with Sir who exprefs'd his defire of having feen you again before you left us. He faid he observed a willingness in you to live among us; which I did not deny; but at the fame time told him, you had no fuch defign in your coming this time, which was merely to fee a few of those you loved: but that indeed all those wished it, and particularly Lord Peterborow and myself, who wished you loved Ireland lefs, had you any reason to love England more. I faid nothing but what I think would induce any man to be as fond of you as I, plain Truth, did they know either it, or you. I can't help thinking (when I confider the whole fhort Lift of our friends) that none of them except you and I are qualify'd for the Mountains of Wales. The Dr. goes to Cards, Gay to Court: one lofes money, one lofes his time: Another of our friends labours to be unambitious, but he labours in an unwilling foil. One Lady you like has too much of France to be fit for Wales: Another is too much a fubect to Princes and Potentates, to relish that wild Taste of liberty and poverty. Mr. Congreve is too fick to bear a thin air; and the that leads him too rich to enjoy any thing. Lord Peterborrow can go to any climate, but never stay in any. Lord Bathurst is too great an husbandman to like barren hills, except they are his own to improve. Mr. Bethel indeed is too good and too honeft to live in the world, but yet tis fit, for its example, he should. We are left to ourselves in my opinion, and may live where we please, in Wales, Dublin, or Bermudas: And for me, I affure you, I love the world fo well, and it loves me fo well, that I care

not in what part of it I pass the reft of my days.. I fee no funshine but in the face of a friend.

I had a glympfe of a letter of yours lately, by which I find you are (like the vulgar) apter to think well of people out of power, than of people in power; perhaps 'tis a mistake, but however there's fomething in it generous. Mr.** takes it extreme kindly, I can perceive, and he has a great mind to thank you for that good opinion, for which I believe he is only to thank his illfortune: if I am not in an error, he would rather be in power than out.

To fhew you how fit I am to live in the mountains, I will with great truth apply myself to an old fentence: "Thofe that are in, may abide in; and those that are

"out, may abide out: yet to me, thofe that are in "fhall be as thofe that are out, and those that are out "fhall be as thofe that are in."

I am indifferent as to all those matters, but I miss you as much as I did the first day, when (with a short figh) I parted. Wherever you are (on the mountains of Wales, or on the coaft of Dublin.

Tu mihi, feu magni superas jam saxa Timavi,
Sive oram illyrici legis aequoris-)

I am, and ever fhall be, Yours, etc,

LETTER XVIII.

Mr. GAY to Dr. SWIFT.

Nov. 17, 1726.

About ten days ago a Book was publish'd here of the

Travels of one Gulliver, which hath been the con

verfation of the whole town ever fince: The whole im

preffion fold in a week; and nothing is more diverting than to hear the different opinions people give of it, though all agree in liking it extremely. 'Tis generally faid that you are the Author; but I am told, the Bookfeller declares he knows not from what hand it came. From the higeft to the loweft it is univerfally read, from the Cabinet-council to the Nursery. The Politicians to a man agree, that it is free from particular reflections, but that the Satire on general Societies of men is too fevere. Not but we now and then meet with people of greater perfpicuity, who are in fearch of particular applications in every leaf; and 'tis highly probable we shall have keys publifh'd to give light into Gulliver's defign. Lord is the perfon who leaft approves it, blaming it as a defign of evil confequence to depreciate human nature, at which it cannot be wondered that he takes most offence, being himself the moft accomplish'd of his fpecies, and fo lofing more than any other of that praise which is due both to the dignity and virtue of a man*. Your friend, my Lord Harcourt, commends it very much, though he thinks in fome places the matter too far carried. The Duchefs Dowager of Marlborough is in raptures at it; fhe fays fhe can dream of nothing elfe fince fhe read it, fhe declares that fhe hath now found out, that her whole life hath been loft in careffing the worst part of mankind, and treating the best as her foes; and that if the knew' Gulliver, tho' he had been the worst enemy the ever had, he would give up her prefent acquaintance for his friendship. You may fee by this, that you are not

It is no wonder a man of worth fhould condemn a fatire on his fpecies; as it injures Virtue and violates Truth: And, as little, that a corrupt man fhould approve it, because it justifies his principles, and tends to excufe his practice.

much injur❜d by being fuppos'd the Author of this piece. If you are, you have disoblig'd us, and two or three of your best friends, in not giving us the leaft hint of it while you were with us; and in particular Dr. Arbuthnot, who fays it is ten thousand pities he had not known it, he could have added fuch abundance of things upon every fubject. Among Lady-critics, fome have found out that Mr. Gulliver had a particular malice to Maids of Honour. Thofe of them who frequent the Church, fay, his defign is impious, and that it is depreciating the works of the Creator. Notwithstanding, I am told the Princess hath read it with great pleasure. As to other Critics, they think the flying island is the least entertaining; and fo great an opinion the town have of the impoffibility of Gulliver's writing at all below himself, 'tis agreed that part was not writ by the fame hand, tho' this hath its defenders too. It hath pafs'd Lords and Commons nemine contradicente; and the whole town, men, women, and children are quite full of it.

Perhaps I may all this time be talking to you of a Book you have never seen, and which hath not yet reached Ireland; if it hath not, I believe what we have faid will be fufficient to recommend it to your reading, and that you will order me to fend it to you.

But it will be much better to come over yourself, and read it here, where you will have the pleasure of variety of Commentators, to explain the difficult paffages to you.

We all rejoice that you have fixed the precise time of your coming to be cum hirundine prima; which we modern naturalifts pronunce, ought to be reckon'd, contrary to Pliny, in this northern latitude of fifty-two degrees, from the end of February, Styl. Greg. at fartheft. But to us your friends, the coming of fuch a black fwallow