LETTER LXXXIV. FROM DR. SWIFT. December 2, 1736. I THINK you owe me a letter, but whether you do or not. I have not been in a condition to write. Years and Infirmities have quite broke me; I mean that odious continual disorder in my head. I neither read, nor write, nor remember, nor converfe. All I have left is to walk and ride; the first I can do tolerably; but the latter, for want of good weather at this feafon, is feldom in my power; and having not an ounce of flesh about me, my fkin come off in ten miles riding, becaufe my fkin and bone cannot agree together. But I am angry, becaufe you will not fuppofe me as fick as I am, and write to me out of perfect charity, although I fhould not be able to answer. I have too many vexations by my station and the impertinence of people, to be able to bear the mortification of not hearing from a very few diftant friends that are left; and, confidering how time and fortune have ordered matters, I have hardly one friend left but yourfelf. What Horace fays, Singula de nobis anni prædantur, I feel every month, at fartheft; and by this computation, if I hold out two years, I fhall think it a miracle. My comfort is, you begun to diftinguifh fo confounded early, early, that your acquaintance with distinguished men of all kinds was almoft as ancient as mine. I mean Wycherley, Rowe, Prior, Congreve, Addifon, Parnel, etc. and in spite of your heart, you have owned me a Cotemporary. Not to mention Lords Oxford, Bolingbroke, Harcourt, Peterborow: in fhort, I was t'other day recollecting twenty-feven great Minifters, or Men of Wit and Learning, who are all dead, and all of my acquaintance, within twenty years paft; neither have I the grace to be forry, that the present times are drawn to the dregs as well as my own life.-May my friends be happy in this and a better life, but I value not what becomes of Pofterity when I confider from what Monsters they are to fpring. My Lord Orrery writes to you to-morrow, and you fee I fend this under his cover, or at least franked by him. He has 3000l. a-year about Cork, and the neighbourhood, and has more than thres years' rent unpaid: this is our condition, in thefe bleffed times. I writ to your neighbour about a month ago, and fubfcribed my name: I fear he hath not received my letter, and wish you would ask him. but perhaps he is ftill a-rambling; for we hear of him at Newmarket, and that Boerhaave hath restored his health. How my fervices are leffened of late with the number of my friends on your fide! yet, my Lord Bathurft and Lord Mafham and Mr. Lewis remain, and being your acquaintance, I defire when you fee them to deliver my compliments; but chiefly to Mrs. P. B. * and let me know whether she be as young and agreeable as when I faw her laft? Have you got a supply of new friends to make up for those who are gone? and are they equal to the firft? I am afraid it is with friends as with times; and that the laudator temporis acti fe puero, is equally appli cable to both. I am lefs grieved for living here, because it is a perfect retirement, and confequently fitteft for those who are grown good for nothing: for this town and kingdom are as much out of the world as North-Wales.My head is fo ill that I cannot write a paper full as I ufed to do; and yet I will not forgive a blank of half an inch from you. -I had reason to expect from fome of your letters, that we were to hope for more Epiftles of Morality; and, I affure you, my acquaintance resent that they have not feen my name at the head of one. fubjects of fuch Epiftles are are more useful to the public, by your manner of handling them, than any of all your writings: and although, in fo profligate a world as ours, they may poffibly not much mend our manners, yet pofterity will enjoy the benefit, whenever a Court happens to have the leaft relish for Virtue and Religion. *Patty Blount. The LETTER LXXXV. TO DR. SWIFT. December 30, 1736. YOUR very kind letter has made me more melan choly, than almost any thing in this world now can do. For I can bear every thing in it, bad as it is, better than the complaints of my friends. Though others tell me you are in pretty good health and in good fpirits, I find the contrary when you open your mind to me and indeed it is but a prudent part, to feem not fo concerned about others, nor fo crazy ourselves. as we really are: for we shall neither be beloved nor esteemed the more, by our common acquaintance, for any affliction or any infirmity. But to our true friend we may, we must complain, of what ('tis a thousand to one) he complains with us; for if we have known him long, he is old, and if he has known the world long, he is out of humour at it. If you have but as much more health than others at your age, as you have more wit and good temper, you fhall not have much of my Pity but if you ever live to have lefs, you shall not have lefs of my Affection. A whole people will rejoice at every year that shall be added to you, of which you have had a late inftance in the public rejoicings on your birth. day. day. I can affure you, fomething better and greater than high birth and quality muft go toward acquiring thofe demonftrations of public esteem and love. I have seen a royal birth-day uncelebrated, but by one vile Ode, and one hired bonfire. Whatever years may take away from you, they will not take away the general esteem, for your Senfe, Virtue, and Charity. The most melancholy effect of years is that you mention, the catalogue of thofe we loved and have loft, perpetually increafing. How much that Reflection ftruck me, you'll fee from the Motto I have prefixed to my Book of Letters which so much against my inclination has been drawn from me. It is from Catullus: Quo defiderio veteres revocamus Amores, Atque olim amiffas flemus Amicitias! I detain this letter till I can find fome fafe conveyance; innocent as it is, and as all letters of mine must be, of any thing to offend my fuperiors, except the reverence I bear to true merit and virtue. "I have much reafon to fear, thofe which you have "too partially kept in your hands will get out in "fome very difagreeable shape, in cafe of our mor "But tality and the more reafon to fear it, fince this laft month Curl has obtained from Ireland two "letters (one of Lord Bolingbroke and one of mine, "to you, which we wrote in the year 1723); and he "has |
