again to finish this letter, which must be short or long accordingly. I write this post to Mrs. Wesley*, and will tell her, that I have taken care she may have her bill of one hundred and fifteen pounds whenever she pleases to send for it; and in that case I desire you will send it her enclosed and sealed. God Almighty bless you; and, for God's sake, be merry and get your health. I am perfectly resolved to return as soon as I have done my commission, whether it succeeds or not. I never went to England with so little desire in my life. If Mrs. Curry makes any difficulty about the lodgings, I will quit them. The post is just come from London, and just going out, so I have only time to pray to God to bless you, &c. LETTER II. London, Sept. 9, Saturday 1710. I GOT here last Thursday, after five days travelling, weary the first, almost dead the second, tolerable the third, and well enough the rest; and am now glad of the fatigue, which has served for exercise and I am at present well enough. The whigs were ; * Elizabeth, lady of Garret Wesley, esq., one of the daughters of sir Dudley Colley. + This commission was, to solicit the queen to remit the firstfruits and twentieth parts, payable to the crown by the clergy of Ireland. avished to see me, and would lay hold on me as a twig while they are drowning, and the great men making me their clumsy apologies, &c. But my lord treasurer* received me with a great deal of coldness, which has enraged me so, I am almost yowing revenge. I have not yet gone half my circle; but I find all my acquaintance just as I left them. I hear my lady Giffard is much at court, and lady Wharton was ridiculing it the other day; so I have lost a friend there. I have not yet seen her, nor intend it; but I will contrive to see Stella's mother some other way. I writ to the bishop of Clogher from Chester; and I now write to the archbishop of Dublin. Every thing is turning upside down; every whig in great office will, to a man, be infallibly put out; and we shall have such a winter as has not been seen in England. Every body asks me, how I came to be so long in Ireland, as naturally as if here were my being; but no soul offers to make it so and I protest I shall return to Dublin, and the canal at Laracor§, with more satisfaction than I ever did in my life. The Tatler || expects every day to be turned out of his employment; and the duke of Ormond, they say, will be lieutenant of Ireland. I hope you are now peaceably in Presto's¶ lodgings: The earl of Godolphin. + Lady Giffard was sister to sir William Temple. She was at that time in lady Giffard's family. The Doctor's benefice in the diocese of Meath. || Richard Steele, esq. but ¶ In these letters Pdfr, tands for Dr. Swift; Ppt, for Stella ; D. for Dingley; D.D. generally for Dingley, but sometimes for both Stella and Dingley; and MD generally stands for both these ladies; yet sometimes only for Stella. But, to avoid perplexing the reader, but I resolve to turn you out by Christmas in which time I shall either do my business, or find it not to be done. Pray be at Trim by the time this letter comes to you, and ride little Johnson, who must needs be now in good case. I have begun this letter unusually on the postnight, and have already written to the archbishop; and cannot lengthen this. Henceforth I will write something every day to MD, and make it a sort of journal: and when it is full, I will send it whether MD writes or not: and so that will be pretty and I shall always be in conversation with MD, and MD with Presto. Pray make Parvisol* pay you the ten pounds immediately; so I ordered him. They tell me I am grown fatter, and look better; and, on Monday, Jervas is to retouch my picture. I thought I saw Jack Temple and his wife pass by me to day in their coach; but I took no notice of them. I am glad I have wholly shaken off that family. Tell the provost I have obeyed his commands to the duke of Ormond; or let it alone, if you please. I saw Jemmy Leigh || just now at the coffeehouse, who asked after you with great kindness: he talks of going in a fortnight to Ireland. My reader, it was thought more advisable to use the word Presto for Swift, which is borrowed from the duchess of Shrewsbury, who, whimsically called him Dr. Presto, which is the Italian for Swift. * The doctor's agent at Laracor, + Nephew to sir William. This coldness between the Temple family and Dr. Swift has been variously accounted for, but never satisfactorily cleared up. § Dr. Pratt, afterward dean of Downe. A gentleman of fortune in the county of Westmeath, in Ireland, whose name often occurs in these letters. He was well acquainted with Stella, and seems to have had a great esteem for her merit and accomplishments. 0 3 service service to the dean*, and Mrs. Walls and her archdeacon. Will Frankland's wife is near bringing to bed, and I have promised to christen the child. I fancy you had my Chester letter the Tuesday after I writ. I presented Dr. Raymond to lord Wharton at Chester. Pray let me know when Joe gets his money. It is near ten, and I hate to send by the bellman. MD shall have a longer letter in a week, but I send this only to tell I am safe in London; and so farewell, &c. LETTER III. London, Sept. 9, 1710. AFTER seeing the duke of Ormond, dining with Dr. Cockburn, passing some part of the afternoon with sir Matthew Dudley and Will Frankland, the rest at St. James's coffeehouse, I came home and writ to the archbishop of Dublin and MD, and am going to bed. I forgot to tell you, that I begged Will Frankland to stand Manley's friend with his father in this shaking season for places. He told me his father was in danger to be out; that several were now soliciting for Manley's place; that he was, * Dr. Sterne, dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin. This money was a premium of a hundred pounds the government had promised him for his mathematical sleaing tables, calcu lated for the inprovement of the linen manufactory, which were afterward printed, and are still highly regarded. Manley was postmaster general of Ireland. accused accused of opening letters; that sir Thomas Frankland would sacrifice every thing to save himself; and in that I fear Manley is undone, &c. 10. To day I dined with lord Mountjoy at Kensington; saw my mistress, Ophy Butler's wife, who is grown a little charmless. I sat till ten in the evening with Addison and Steele: Steele will certainly lose his Gazetteer's place, all the world detesting his engaging in parties*. At ten I went to the coffeehouse, hoping to find lord Radnor, whom I had not seen. He was there; for an hour and a half we talked treason heartily against the whigs, their baseness and ingratitude. And I am come home rolling resentments in my mind, and framing schemes of revenge: full of which (having written down some hints) I go to bed. I am afraid MD dined at home, because it is Sunday; and there was the little halfpint of wine: for God's sake be good girls, and all will be well, Ben Tooke + was with me this morning. 11. Seven morning. I am rising to go to Jervas to finish my picture, and it is shaving day, so good morrow MD; but do not keep me now, for I cannot stay; and pray dine with the dean, but do not lose your money. I long to hear from you, &c.-Ten at night. I sat four hours this morning to Jervas, who has given my picture quite another turn, and now approves it entirely but we must have the approbation of the town. If I were rich enough, I would get a copy of it and bring it over, Mr. Addison and I dined together at his lodgings, and I sat with him part of this evening; and I am now come home to write an hour. Patrick observes that the rabble here See Tatler, No. 193. + The doctor's bookseller. 0 4 are |