a few others whofe fame I have forgot; Tools, in my opinion as neceffary for a good writer, as pen, ink, and paper. And befides, I would fain know whether every Draper doth not shew you three or four damn'd pieces of ftuff to fet off his good one? However I will grant, that one thorough Bookfelling-Rogue is better qualified to vex an author, than all his cotemporary fcriblers in Critic or Satire, not only by stolen Copies of what was incorrect or unfit for the public, but by downright laying other mens dulnefs at your door. I had a long design upon the Ears of that Curl, when I was in credit, but the Rogue would never allow me a fair ftroke at them, although my penknife was reaidy drawn and sharp. I can hardly believe the relation of his being poifoned, although the historian pretends to have been an eye-witness: But I beg pardon, Sack might do it, although Rats-bane would not. I never faw the thing you mention as falfely imputed to you; but I think the frolicks of merry hours, even when we are guilty, fhould not be left to the mercy of our best friends, until Curl and his refemblers are hanged.

With fubmiffion to the better judgment of you and your friends, I take your project of an employment under the Turks to be idle and unneceffary. Have a little patience, and you

will find more merit and encouragement at home by the same methods. You are ungrateful to your country; quit but your own Religion, and ridicule ours, and that will allow you a free choice for any other, or for none at all, and pay you well into the bargain. Therefore pray do not run and difgrace us among the 'Turks, by telling them you were forced to leave your native home, because we would oblige you to be a Christian; whereas we will make it appear, to all the world, that we only compelled you to be a Whig.

There is a young ingenious Quaker in this town, who writes verses to his mistress, not very correct, but in a strain purely what a poetical Quaker should do, commending her look and habit, &c. It gave me a hint that a set of Quaker pastorals might fucceed, if your friend Gayb could fancy it, and I think it a fruitful subject; pray hear what he fays. I believe further, the paftoral ridicule is not exhausted; and that a porter, footman, or chairman's pastoral might do well. Or what think you of a Newgate pastoral, among the whores and thieves there.

Laftly, to conclude, I love you never the worfe for feldom writing to you. I am in an

b Gay did write a pasto- | ral of this kind, which is published in his works.

c Swift himself wrote one of this kind, intitled Dermot and Sheelah.

obfcure

obfcure scene, where you know neither thing nor perfon. I can only anfwer yours, which I promise to do after a fort whenever you think fit to employ me. But I can affure you, the fcene and the times have depreffed me wonderfully, for I will impute no defect to those two paltry years which have flipped by fince I had the happiness to fee you. I am with the trueft esteem,

Your's, &c.

aLETTER V.

From Dr. SwIFT to Mr. POPE.

Dublin, Jan. 10, 1721.

A

Thousand things have vexed me of late years, upon which I am determined to lay open my mind to you. I rather chufe to appeal to you than to my Lord Chief Juftice Whitfhed, under the fituation I am in. For, I take this caufe properly to lie before You are you: a much fitter Judge of what concerns the credit of a Writer, the injuries that are done him, and the reparations he ought to receive. Befides, I doubt whether the arguments I could

* This Letter Mr. Pope never received. P. nor did he believe it was ever fent.

fuggeft

fuggeft to prove my own innocence would be of much weight from the gentlemen of the Long-robe to thofe in Furs, upon whofe decifion about the difference of Style or Sentiments, I should be very unwilling to leave the merits of my Caufe.

Give me leave then to put you in mind (although you cannot eafily forget it) that about ten weeks before the Queen's death, I left the town, upon occafion of that incurable breach among the great men at Court, and went down to Berkshire, where you may remember that you gave me the favour of a vifit. While I was in that retirement, I writ a difcourfe which I thought might be useful in such a juncture of affairs, and fent it up to London; but, upon fome difference in opinion between me and a certain great Minister now abroad, the publishing of it was deferred fo long, that the Queen died, and I recalled my copy, which hath been. ever fince in fafe hands. In a few weeks after the lofs of that excellent Princess, I came to my station here; where I have continued ever fince in the greatest privacy, and utter ignorance of those events, which are most commonly talked of in the world. I neither know the names nor number of the Royal Family which now reigns, further than the Prayer-book informs me. I cannot tell who is Chancellor, who are SecreVOL. IX. C taries

1

taries, nor with what nations we are in peace or war. And this manner of life was not taken up out of any fort of Affectation, but merely to avoid giving offence, and for fear of provoking Party-zeal.

I had indeed written fome Memorials of the four laft years of the Queen's reign, with fome other informations, which I receiv'd, as neceffary materials to qualify me for doing fomething in an employment then defigned mea; But, as it was at the difpofal of a perfon, who had not the smallest share of fteadiness or fincerity, I difdained to accept it. Thefe papers at my few hours of health and leisure, I have been digesting b into order by one fheet at a time, for I dare not venture any further, left the humour of fearching and feizing

ftory. It is to be obferved that the Treafurer Oxford was the Hero of the story. The Dean would do nothing againft his friend's judg ment, yet it extremely chahim. And he told a common friend, that fince L. B. did not approve his hiftory, he would caft it into the fire, tho' it was the best work he had ever written. However it did not undergo this fate, and is faid to be yet in being.-It has been fince published.

a Hiftoriographer. P.
b Thefe papers fome years
after were brought finished
by the Dean into England,
with an intention to publifh
them. But L. Bol, on whose
judgment he relied, diffuad-grined
ed him from that defign.
He told the Dean, there
were feveral facts he knew to
be falfe, and that the whole
was fo much in the fpirit of
party writing, that, though
it might have made a fea-
fonable pamphlet in the time
of their Adminiftration, it
was a difhonour to just hi-

papers