A SERIOUS AND USEFUL SCHEME ΤΟ ΜΑΚΕ ΑΝ HOSPITAL FOR INCURABLES, Of universal Benefit to all his Majesty's Subjects. Humbly addressed to the Right Honourable Lord ****, the Right Honourable Sir ****, and to the Right Honourable ******, Esq. Fœcunda culpæ secula.—HOR. THE following Treatise is indisputably written by Swift, though not hitherto received among his works. The pamphlet from which it is taken, contains also "The Petition of the Footmen in and about Dublin," both printed by George Faulkner, 1733: and to the tracts there is subjoined the original advertisement concerning Faulkner's edition of the Dean's Works, which we subjoin as there given.* There Dublin, Nov. 21, 1733. * The writings of the Reverend Dr J. S. D. S. P. D. were published six years ago in London, in three volumes, mingled with those of some other gentlemen his friends. Neither is it easy to distinguish the authors of several pieces contained in them. But, besides those three volumes, there are several treatises relating to Ireland, that were first published in this kingdom, many of which are not contained in the Drapier's Letters. It hath been long wished, by several persons of quality and distinction, that a new complete edition of this author's works should be printed by itself. But this can nowhere be done so conveniently as in Ireland, where booksellers cannot pretend to any property in what they publish, either by law or custom. This is, therefore, to give notice, that the undertaker, George Faulkner, printer, in Essex Street, is now printing, by subscription, all the works that are generally allowed to have been written by the said Dr S. in four volumes; which are now in the press, at 17s. and 4d. bound, beautifully printed on a fine paper, in octavo, and can be no doubt that, under such circumstances, the bookseller dared not have placed the initials of Swift before a work which was not genuine. It remains to account for the tract's having been afterwards suppressed, though possessing so much of the Dean's peculiar humour. Dr Barrett believes the reason to have been, lest the jeu d'esprit might be interpreted as casting a slur on an hospital erected upon Lazors-Hill, now on the Donny-Brook road near Dublin, for the reception of persons afflicted with incurable maladies. THERE is not anything which contributes more to the reputation of particular persons, or to the honour of a nation in general, than erecting and endowing proper edifices for the reception of those who labour under dif shall be delivered to the subscribers by the 25th of March next; eight English shillings to be paid at the time of subscribing, and the remainder at the delivery of a complete set. Whoever subscribes for six copies, shall have a seventh gratis. The first volume shall contain the prose part of the author's Miscellanies, printed many years ago in London and Dublin; together with several other Treatises since published in small papers, or in the three volumes set out and signed Jonathan Swift, and Alexander Pope. The second volume shall contain the author's Poetical Works, all joined together; with many Original Poems, that have hitherto only gone about in manuscript. The third volume shall contain the Travels of Captain Lemuel Gulliver, in four parts, wherein many alterations made by the London printers will be set right, and several omissions inserted. Which alterations and omissions were without the author's knowledge, and much to his displeasure, as we have learned from an intimate friend of the author's, who, in his own copy, transcribed in blank paper the several paragraphs omitted, and settled the alterations and changes according to the original copy. The last volume shall contain the author's Letters, written under the name of M. B. Drapier; with two additional ones never printed before; and likewise several papers relating to Ireland, acknowledged to be of the same author.„. In this edition, the gross errors committed by the printers, both here and in London, shall be faithfully corrected; the true original, in the author's own hand, having been communicated to us by a friend in whom the author much confided, and who had leave to correct his own printed copies from the author's most finished manuscript, where several changes were made, not only in the style, but in other ma terial circumstances. N. B. A complete edition of the author's works can never be printed in Eng ferent kinds of distress. The diseased and unfortunate are thereby delivered from the misery of wanting assistance, and others are delivered from the misery of beholding them. It is certain, that the genius of the people of England is strongly turned to public charities, and to so noble a degree, that almost in every part of this great and opulent city, and also in many of the adjacent villages, we meet with a great variety of hospitals, supported by the generous contributions of private families, as well as by the liberality of the public. Some for seamen worn out in the service of their country, and others for infirm disabled soldiers; some for the maintenance of tradesmen decayed, and others for their widows and orphans; some for the service of those who linger under tedious distempers, and others for such as are deprived of their reason. But I find, upon nice inspection, that there is one kind of charity almost totally disregarded, which, nevertheless, appears to me of so excellent a nature, as to be at present more wanted, and better calculated for the ease, quietness, and felicity of this whole kingdom, than any other can possibly be. I mean an hospital for incurables. I must indeed confess, that an endowment of this nature would prove a very large and perpetual expense. land; because some of them were published without his knowledge or liking, and consequently belong to different proprietors; and likewise, because, as they now stand, they are mingled with those of other gentlemen his friends. The author's Effigies, curiously engraven by Mr Vertue, shall be prefixed to each volume. There will also be several other cuts, proper to the work. Subscriptions will be taken till the latter end of December, and no longer. N. B. After the subscribers are served, no other persons shall have the works for less than a guinea. However, I have not the least diffidence, that I shall be able effectually to convince the world that my present scheme for such an hospital is very practicable, and must be very desirable by every one who hath the interest of his country, or his fellow-creatures, really at heart. It is observable, that, although the bodies of human creatures be affected with an infinite variety of disorders, which elude the power of medicine, and are often found to be incurable, yet their minds are also overrun with an equal variety, which no skill, no power, no medicine, can alter or amend. And I think, that, out of regard to the public peace and emolument, as well as the repose of many pious and valuable families, this latter species of incurables ought principally to engage our attention and beneficence. I believe an hospital for such incurables will be universally allowed necessary, if we only consider what numbers of absolute incurables every profession, rank, and degree, would perpetually produce, which, at present, are only national grievances, and of which we can have no other effectual method to purge the kingdom. For instance, let any man seriously consider what numbers there are of incurable fools, incurable knaves, incurable scolds, incurable scribblers, (besides myself,) incurable coxcombs, incurable infidels, incurable liars, incurable whores, in all places of public resort ;-not to mention the incurably vain, incurably envious, incurably proud, incurably affected, incurably impertinent, and ten thousand other incurables, which I must of necessity pass over in silence, lest I should swell this essay into a volume. And, without doubt, every unprejudiced person will agree, that, out of mere Christian charity, the pub lic ought to be eased as much as possible of this troublesome and intolerable variety of incurables. And, first, Under the denomination of incurable fools, we may reasonably expect, that such an hospital would be furnished with considerable numbers of the growth of our own universities, who, at present, appear in various professions in the world, under the venerable titles of physicians, barristers, and ecclesiastics. And as those ancient seminaries have been, for some years past, accounted little better than nurseries of such sort of incurables, it should seem highly commendable to make some kind of provision for them, because it is more than probable, that, if they are to be supported by their own particular merit in their several callings, they must necessarily acquire but a very indifferent mainte nance. I would not, willingly, be here suspected to cast reflections on any order of men, as if I thought that small gains from the profession of any art or science, were always an undoubted sign of an equally small degree of understanding; for I profess myself to be somewhat inclined to a very opposite opinion, having frequently observed, that at the bar, the pulse, and the pulpit, those who have the least learning or sense to plead, meet generally with the largest share of promotions and profit: of which many instances might be produced; but the public seems to want no conviction in this particular. Under the same denominations we may further expect a large and ridiculous quantity of old rich widows, whose eager and impatient appetites inflame them with extravagant passions for fellows of a very different age and complexion from themselves, who purchase contempt and aversion with good jointures, and being loaded with |