dent, from a late parliamentary inquiry, that I have as much ready money, as much in the funds, and as great a perfonal eftate, as Sir Robert S-tt-n. IF the tranflator of Homer find fault with this unheroic difpofition; or, what I more fear, if the drapier of Ireland accuse the Englishman of want of fpirit; I filence you both with one line out of your own Horace : Quid te exempta juvat fpinis è pluribus una? For I take the whole to be fo corrupted, that a cure in any part would be of little avail. Yours, &c. LETTER XCV. Dr SWIFT to the Earl of PETERBOROW. My LORD, Never knew or heard of any perfon fo volatile, and fo fixed as your Lordship. You, while your imagi I to ixed as your Lordship nation is carrying you thro' every corner of the world, where you have or have not been, can at the fame time remember to do offices of favour and kindness to the meaneft of your friends; and, in all the scenes you have paffed, have not been able to attain that one quality peculiar to a great man, of forgetting every thing but injuries. Of this I am a living witnefs against you. For being the most infignificant of all your old humble fervants, you were fo cruel as never to give me time to afk a favour, but prevented me in doing whatever you thought I defired, or could be for my credit or advantage. I have often admired at the capriciousness of Fortune in regard to your Lordship. She hath forced courts to act against their oldest and most constant maxims; to make you a general, because you had courage and conduct; an ambaffador, because you had wisdom, and knowledge in the interefts of Europe; and an admiral, or account your skill in maritime affairs. Whereas, according to the afual method of court-proceedings, I fhould have been at the head of the army, and you of VOL. IV. S the LETTER XCIV. The Earl of PETERBOROW to Mr POPE. 1732. AM under the greatest impatience to see Dr Swift at Bevis Mount, and muft fignify my mind to him by another hand; it not being permitted me to hold correfpondence with the faid Dean, for no letter of mine can come to his hands. AND whereas it is apparent, in this Proteftant land, most especially under the care of divine providence, that nothing can fucceed, or come to a happy iffue, but by bribery; therefore let me know what he expects to comply with my desires, and it shall be remitted unto him. gra FOR tho' I would not corrupt any man for the whole world, yet a benevolence may be given without any offence to confcience. Every one must confefs, that tification and corruption are two diftinct terms; nay, at worft, many good men hold, that, for a good end, fome very naughty measures may be made ufe of. BUT, Sir, I muft give you fome good news in relation to myself, because I know you wish me well. I am cured of fome diseases in my old age, which tormented me very much in my youth. I was poffeffed with violent and uneafy paffions, fuch as a peevish concern for truth *, and a faucy love for my country. WHEN a Chriftian prieft preached against the spirit of the gofpel, when an English judge determined against Magna Charta, when the minister acted against common fenfe, I used to fret. Now, Sir, let what will happen, I keep myself in temper. As I have no flattering hopes, so I banish all ufelefs fears. But as to the things of this world, I find myself in a condition beyond expectation; it being evi det, This and the following letter are taken from the ad volume of Pope's letters. As may be feen from his tranfactions with Fenwick in the year 1696-7. Warb. dent, from a late parliamentary inquiry, that I have as much ready money, as much in the funds, and as great a perfonal estate, as Sir Robert S-tt-n. IF the tranflator of Homer find fault with this unhe roic difpofition; or, what I more fear, if the drapier of Ireland accufe the Englishman of want of fpirit; I filence you both with one line out of your own Horace: Quid te exempta juvat fpinis è pluribus una? For I take the whole to be fo corrupted, that a cure in any part would be of little avail. Yours, &c. LETTER XCV. Dr SWIFT to the Earl of PETERBOROW. My LORD, Never knew or heard of any perfon fo volatile, and fo fixed as your Lordship. You, while your imagination is carrying you thro' every corner of the world, where you have or have not been, can at the fame time remember to do offices of favour and kindness to the meanest of your friends; and, in all the scenes you have paffed, have not been able to attain that one quality peculiar to a great man, of forgetting every thing but injuries. Of this I am a living witness against you. For being the most infignificant of all your old humble fervants, you were fo cruel as never to give me time to afk a favour, but prevented me in doing whatever you thought I defired, or could be for my credit or advantage. I have often admired at the capricioufnefs of Fortunein regard to your Lordship. She hath forced courts to act against their oldest and most constant maxims; to make you a general, because you had courage and conduct; an ambaffador, because you had wisdom, and knowledge in the interests of Europe; and an admiral, or account your skill in maritime affairs. Whereas, according to the afual method of court-proceedings, I fhould have been at the head of the army, and you of VOL. IV. S the the church, or rather a curate under the Dean of St Patrick's. THE Archbishop of Dublin laments, that he did not fee your Lordship till he was juft upon the point of leaving the Bath. Î pray God you may have found fuccefs in that journey, elfe I fhall continue to think there is a fatality in all your Lordship's undertakings, which only terminate in your own honour, and the good of the blic, without the least advantage to your health or for tune. pu I remember Lord Oxford's miniftry used to tell me, that not knowing where to write to you, they were forced to write at you. It is fo with me ; for you are in one thing an evangelical man, that you know not where to lay your head, and, I thỉnk, you have no houfe. Pray, my Lord, write to me, that I may have the pleafure, in this fcoundrel country, of going about, and fhewing my depending parfons a letter from the Earl of Peterborow. I am, &c. A Monfieur Monfieur HUNTER, gentilhomme Anglois, à Paris t. I SIR, London, Jan. 12. 1708-9. Know no people fo ill used by your men of bufinefs, as their intimate friends. About a fortnight after Mr Addison had received the letter you were pleafed to send me, he first told me of it with an air of recollection, and, after ten further of grace, thought fit to give, it me; fo you know where to fix the whole blame, that it was no fooner acknowledged. It is a delicate expedient you prifoners have of divefting yourselves in an enemy's Hawkefworth marks this letter No 1. He has inferted l thofe that follow, but none of the preceding. Col. Hunter, Governor of Virginia, who had been taken rifoner by the French. enemy's country, for which other men would be hanged. I am confidering, whether there be no way of disturbing your quiet, by writing fome dark matter, that may give the French court a jealoufy of you. I fuppofe Monsieur Chamillard, or fome of his commiffaries, muft have this letter interpreted to them, before it comes to your hands; and therefore I here think good to warn them, that, if they exchange you under fix of their lieutenant-generals, they will be lofers by the bargain. But that they may not mittake me, I do not mean as Viceroy de Virginia, mais comme le Colonel Hunter, I would advife you to be very tender of your honour, and not fall in love: becaufe I have a fcruple, whether you can keep your parole, if you become a prifoner to the ladies; at least it will be a scandal for a free Briton to drag two chains at once. I prefume 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 fee Versailles, and every place elfe, except St Germains I hear the ladies call you already notre prifonnier Hunter, le plus bonnéte 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 horfe, or fhivered at least a launce against his breastplate? Do you know the wounds you have given, when you fee the fears? Do you falute your old enemies, with Stetimus tela affera contra, contulimufque manus. Vos faves que-Monfieur d' Addifon, notre bon ami, eft fait fecretaire d'état d'Irelande. And unless you make haste over, and get me my Virginian bishoprick, he will perfuade me to go with him; for the Vienna project is off; which is a great difappointment to the defign I had, of displaying my politigs at the Emperor's court. I do not like the fubject you have affigned me to entertain you with. Grauder is fick, to the comfort of all quiet people, and Fraud is rebeur à pendre. Mr Addifon 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 efprit, and a woollendraper. The Whigs carry all before them; and how S 2 far |