LETTER CLXVIII.

DR. SWIFT TO MR. POPE.

May 10, 1739.

You are to suppose, for the little time I shall live, that my memory is entirely gone, and especially of any thing that was told me last night or this morning. I have one favour to entreat from you. I know the high esteem and friendship you bear to your friend, Mr. Lyttelton, whom you call "the rising genius of this age." His fame, his virtue, honour, and courage, have been early spread, even among us. I find he is Secretary to the Prince of Wales; and his royal highness has been for several years chancellor of the University in Dublin. All this is a prelude to a request I am going to make to you. There is in this city one Alexander M'Aulay, a lawyer of great distinction for skill and honesty, zealous for the liberty of the subject, and loyal to the house of Hanover, and particularly to the Prince of Wales, for his highness's love to both kingdoms.

Mr. M'Aulay is now soliciting for a seat in parliament here, vacant by the death of Dr. Coghill, a civilian, who was one of the persons chosen for this university: and, as his royal highness continues still chancellor of it, there is no person so proper to nominate the representative as himself. If this favour can be procured by your good-will, and Mr. Lyttelton's interest, it will be a particular ob

ligation to me, and grateful to the people of Ireland, in giving them one of their own nation to represent this university.

There is a man in my choir, one Mr. Lamb; he has at present but half a vicarship; the value of it is not quite fifty pounds per annum. You writ to

me in his favour some months ago; and, if I outlive any one vicar-choral, Mr. Lamb shall certainly have a full place, because he very well deserves it; and I am obliged to you very much for recommending him.

LETTER CLXIX.

MR. SECRETARY LYTTELTON TO DR. SWIFT.

London, May 16, 1739.

I CANNOT let Mr. Swift return to Ireland without my acknowledgments to you for the favour you have done Mr. Lamb. I know that I ought to ascribe it wholly to Mr. Pope's recommendation, as I have not the happiness to be known to you myself; but give me leave to take this occasion of assuring you how much I wish to be in the number of your friends. I think I can be so even at this distance, and though we should never come to a nearer acquaintance: for the reputation of some men is amiable, and one can love their characters without knowing their persons.

* See the last letter.

If it could ever be in my power to do you any service in this country, the employing me in it would be a new favour to, Sir, your obliged humble

servant.

LETTER CLXX.

MR. POPE TO DR. SWIFT.

DEAREST SIR,

May 17, 1739.

EVERY time I see your hand, it is the greatest satisfaction that any writing can give me; and I am in proportion grieved to find that several of my letters to testify it to you miscarry ; and you ask me the same questions again, which I prolixly have answered before. Your last, which was delivered me by Mr. Swift, inquires where and how is Lord Bolingbroke; who, in a paragraph in my last, under his own hand, gave you an account of himself; and I employed almost a whole letter on his affairs afterwards. He has sold Dawley for twenty-six thousand pounds, much to his own satisfaction. His plan of life is now a very agreeable one, in the finest country of France, divided between study and exercise; for he still

* In Coxe's Memoirs the circumstance is mentioned of Bolingbroke's introduction to George the Second. It was supposed that Walpole was obliged to retire, and that Bolingbroke at last had succeeded to that station, for which all his life he had panted. This was his last effort. He retired soon after to France again.

Bowles.

reads or writes five or six hours a day, and gene'rally hunts twice a week. He has the whole forest of Fontainbleau at his command, with the king's stables and dogs, &c., his lady's son-in-law being governor of that place. She resides most part of the year with my lord, at a large house they have hired, and the rest with her daughter, who is abbess of a royal convent in the neighbourhood.

I never saw him in stronger health, or in better humour with his friends, or more indifferent and dispassionate to his enemies. He is seriously set upon writing some parts of the history of his times, which he has begun by a noble introduction, presenting a view of the whole state of Europe, from the Pyrenean treaty. He has hence deduced a summary sketch of the natural and incidental interests of each kingdom, and how they have varied from, or approached to, the true politics of each, in the several administrations to this time. The history itself will be particular only on such facts and anecdotes as he personally knew, or produces vouchers for, both from home and abroad. This puts into my mind to tell you a fear he expressed lately to me, that some facts in your history of the queen's last years (which he read here with me in 1727) are not exactly stated, and that he may be obliged to vary from them, in relation, I believe, to the conduct of the Earl of Oxford, of which great care surely should be taken.* And he told

*It may be easily supposed that Swift and Bolingbroke would have differed widely in their account of that statesman's conduct;

me, that when he saw you in 1727, he made you observe them, and that you promised you would take care.

We very often commemorated you during the five months we lived together at Twickenham. At which place could I see you again, as I may hope to see him, I would envy no country in the world; and think not Dublin only, but France and Italy, not worth the visiting once more in my life. The mention of travelling introduces your old acquaintance Mr. Jervas, who went to Rome and Naples purely in search of health. An asthma has reduced his body, but his spirit retains all its vigour and he is returned, declaring life itself not worth a day's journey, at the expense of parting from one's friends.

Mr. Lewis every day remembers you. I lie at his house in town. Dr. Arbuthnot's daughter does not degenerate from the humour and goodness of her father. I love her much. She is like Gay, very idle, very ingenious, and inflexibly honest. Mrs. Patty Blount is one of the most considerate and mindful women in the world towards others, the least so in regard to herself. She speaks of you constantly. I scarce know two more women worth naming to you; the rest are ladies, run after music, and play at cards.

I always make your compliments to Lord Oxford and Lord Masham, when I see them. I see

whom the former honoured, and the latter detested beyond all men living. Sir W. Scott.