open to the whole Tribe of Informers, the most accurfed, and prostitute, and abandoned race, that God ever permitted to plague mankind. It is true the Romans had a custom of chufing a Dictator, during whofe adminiftration the Power of other Magiftrates was fufpended; but this was done upon the greatest emergencies; a War near their doors, or fome civil Diffention: For Armies must be governed by arbitrary power. But when the Virtue of that Commonwealth gave place to luxury and ambition, this very office of Dictator became perpetual in the perfons of the Cæfars and their Succeffors, the most infamous Tyrants that have.. any where appeared in story. These are some of the fentiments I had, relating to public affairs, while I was in the world: what they are at present, is of little importance either to that or myself; neither can I truly fay I have any at all, or, if I had, I dare not venture to publish them: For however orthodox they may be while I am now writing, thay may become criminal enough to bring me into trouble before midfummer. And indeed I have often wished for fome time past, that a political Catechifm might be published by authority four times a year, in order to instruct us how we are to speak, write, and act during the current quarter. I have by expe rience felt the want of fuch an inftructer: For, intending to make my court to fome people on the prevailing fide, by advancing certain old whiggish principles, which, it seems, had been exploded about a month before, I have paffed for a difaffected perfon. I am not ignorant how idle a thing it is, for a man in obfcurity to attempt defending his reputation as a Writer, while the fpirit of Faction hath fo univerfally poffeffed the minds of men, that they are not at leisure to attend to any thing elfe. They will just give themselves time to libel and accuse me, but cannot spare a minute to hear my defence. So in a plot-discovering age, I have often known an innocent man feized and imprifoned, and forced to lie feveral months in chains, while the Minifters were not at leifure to hear his petition, until they had profecuted and hanged the number they proposed. All I can reasonably hope for by this letter, is to convince my friends, and others who are pleased to wish me well, that I have neither been fo ill a Subject nor fo ftupid an Author, as I have been represented by the virulence of Libellers, whofe malice hath taken the fame train in both, by fathering dangerous Principles in government upon me, which I never maintained, and infipid Productions, which I am not capable of writing. For, however I may may have been foured by perfonal ill treatment, or by melancholy profpects for the public, I am too much a politician to expofe my own fafety by offenfive words. And, if my genius and spirit be funk by encreasing years, I have at least enough discretion left, not to miftake the measure of my own abilities, by attempting fubjects where thofe Talents are neceffary, which perhaps I may have loft with my youth. LETTER VI. Dr. SWIFT to Mr. GAY. Dublin, Jan. 8, 1722-3. Oming home after a short Christmas ramble, I found a letter upon my table, and little expected when I opened it to read your name at the bottom. The best and greatest part of my life, until these laft eight years, I fpent in England; there I made my friendships, and there I left my defires. I am condemned for ever to another country; what is in prudence to be done? I think, to be oblitufque meorum, oblivifcendus & iliis. What can be the defign of your letter but malice, to wake me out of a scurvy fleep, which however is better VOL. IX, D than than none? I am towards nine years older fince I left you, yet that is the leaft of my alterations; my business, my diverfions, my converfations, are all entirely changed for the worse, and fo are my ftudies and my amusements in writing; yet, after all, this humdrum way of life might be passable enough, if you would let me alone. I shall not be able to relish my wine, my parfons, my horfes, nor my garden for three months, until the fpirit you have raised fhall be difpoffeffed. I have fometimes wondered that I have not visited you, but I have been ftopt by too many reafons, befides years and lazinefs, and yet thefe are very good ones. Upon my return after half a year amongst you, there would be to me Defiderio nec pudor nec modus. I was three years reconciling myself to the scene, and the business, to which fortune hath condemned me, and stupidity was what I had recourfe to. Befides, what a figure fhould I make in London, while my friends. are in poverty, exile, diftrefs, or imprisonment, and my enemies with rods of iron? Yet I often threaten myself with the journey, and am every fummer practising to get health to bear it: The only inconvenience is, that I grow old in the experiment. Although I care not to talk to you as a Divine, yet I hope you have not been author colic: do you drink bad wine, or keep of your bad bad company? Are you not as many years older as I? It will not be always Et tibi quos mibi dempferit Apponet annos. I am heartily forry you have any dealings with that ugly diftemper, and I believe our friend Arbuthnot will recommend you to temperance and exercise. I wish they could have as good an effect upon the giddinefs I am fubject to, and which this moment I am not free from. I fhould have been glad if you had lengthened your letter by telling me the present condition of many of my old acquaintance, Congreve, Arbuthnot, Lewis, &c. but you mention only mr. Pope, who I believe is lazy, or else he might have added three lines of his own. I am extremely glad he is not in your cafe of needing great mens favour, and could heartily wish that you were in his. I have been confidering why Poets have fuch ill fuccess in making their Court, fince they are allowed to be the greatest and best of all flatterers: The defect is, that they flatter only in print or in writing, but not by word of mouth: They will give things under their hand which they make a confcience of speaking. Befides, they are too libertine to haunt antichambers, too poor to bribe Porters and footmen, and too proud to cringe to fecond-hand favourites in a great family. Tell me, are you not under Original fin by the dedication of your Eclogues D 2 |
