Page images
PDF
EPUB

Had I lost her, I would have been no where else but with you during your confinement. I have now past five weeks, without once going from home, and without any company but for three or four of the days. Friends rarely stretch their kindness so far as ten miles. My Lord Bolingbroke and Mr. Bethel have not forgotten to vifit me: the reft (except Mrs. Blount once) were contented to fend meffages. I never pas, fed fo melancholy a time, and now Mr. Congreve's death touches me nearly. It was twenty years and more that I have known him; Every year carries away fomething dear with it, till we outlive all tendernesses, and become wretched individuals again as we begun. Adieu! This is my birth-day, and this is my reflection upon it.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

With added days if life give nothing new,

But, like a Sieve, let ev'ry Pleasure thro';
Some Foy still loft, as each vain Year runs o'er,

And all we gain, fome fad Reflection more?
nd all we

,ཝཱ

V

Is this a Birth-day?

'Tis, alas! too clear,

'Tis but the Fun'ral of the former Year.

[blocks in formation]

LETTER

XIV.

To the Honourable Mrs.

WR

June 20.

cannot omit taking this occafion to congratu late you upon the increase of your family, for your Cow is this morning very happily deliver'd of the better fort, I mean a female calf; fhe is as like her mother as she can stare. All Knights Errants Pal. freys were diftinguifh'd by lofty names: we fee no reason why a Paftoral Lady's fheep and calves fhould want names of the fofter found, we have therefore given her the name of Cæfar's wife, Calfurnia: imagi ning, that as Romulus and Reinus were fuckled by a wolf, this Roman lady was fuckled by a cow, from whence she took that name. In order to celebrate this birthday, we had a cold dinner at Marble hill, 8 Mrs. Sufan offered us wine upon the occafion, and upon fuch an occafion we could not refufe it. Our entertainment confifted of flesh and fifh, and the lettice of a greek Ifland called Cos. We have fome thoughts of dining there to-morrow, to celebrate the day after the birthday, and on Friday to celebrate the day after that, where we intend to entertain Dean Swift; because we think your 'hall the most delightful room in the world except that where you are. If it was not for you, we would forfwear all courts; and really it is the moft mortifying thing in nature, that

[ocr errors][merged small]

we can neither get into the court to live with you, nor you get into the, country to live with us; so we will take up with what we can get that belongs to you, and make ourselves as happy as we can, in your house.

I hope we fhall be brought into no worfe compa ny, when you all come to Richmond: for whatever our friend Gay may wifh as to getting into Court, I difclaim it, and defire to fee nothing of the court but yourself, being wholly and folely

Your, &c.

LETTER XV.

ου have the fame Chare in

July 21. my memory that

good things generally have; I always know (whenever I reflect) that you should be in my mind; only I reflect too feldom. However, you ought to allow me the indulgence I allow all my friends (and if I did not, they would take it) in confideration that they have other avocations, which may prevent the proofs of their remembring me, tho' they preferve for me all the friendship and good will which I deferve from them. In like manner I expect from you, that my paft life of twenty years may be fet against the omiffion of (perhaps) one month: and if you com plain of this to any other, 'tis you are in the spleen, and not I in the wrong If you think this letter fplenetic, confider I have just receiv'd the news of the death of a friend, whom I efteem'd almoft as many

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

years as you; poor Fenton. He died at Easthamstead,

of indolence and inactivity; let it not be your fate, but use exercise. I hope the Duchess 9 will take care of you in this refpect, and either make you gallop after her, or reize you enough at home to serve inftead of exercise abroad. Mrs. Howard is fo concern'd about you, and fo angry at me for not writing to you, and at Mrs. Blount for not doing the faine, that I am piqu'd with jealoufy and envy at you, and hate you as much as if you had a great place at court; which you will confess a proper cause of envy and hatred, in any Poet militant, or unpension'd. But to fet matters even, I own I love you; and own, ever was and just as I ever shall be,

I am

si as 1

Your, &c.

LETTER XVI.

DEAR SIR,

Oct. 6, 1727.

Have many years ago magnify'd in my own mind, and repeated to you, a ninth Beatitude, added to the eighth in the Scripture;,, Bleffed is he who expects nothing, for he fhall never be defappointed." I could find in my heart to congratulate you on this happy difmiffion from all Court- dependance; I dare fay I fhall find you the better and the honefter man for it, many years hence: very probably the healthfuller, and the chearfuller into the bargain. You are happily rid of many curfed Ceremonies, as well as of many ill, and vicious Habits, of which few or no

9-Of Queensberry.

[ocr errors]

men escape the infection, who are hackney'd and tramelled in the ways of a court. Princes indeed, and Peers (the lackies of Princes) and Ladies (the fools of Peers) will fmile on you the lefs; but men of worth, and real friends will look on you the better. There is a thing, the only thing which Kings and Queens cannot give you (for they have it not to give) Liberty, and which is worth all they have; which, as yet, I thank God, Englishinen need not ask from their hands. You will enjoy that, and your own integrity, and the fatisfactory consciousness of having not merited fuch graces from courts as are beftow'd only on the mean, fervile, Battering, interested, and undeferving. The only fteps to the favour of the Great are fuch compliances, fuch diftant decorums, as delude them in their vanities, or engage them in their paffions. He is their greatest favourite, who is the falfest: and when a man, by fuch vile gradations, arrives at the height of grandeur and power, he is then at beft but in a circumftance to be hated, and in a condition to be hanged, for ferving their ends: So many a Minifter has found it!

I believe you did not want advice, in the letter' you fent by my Lord Grantham; I prefume you writ it not, without: and you could not have better, if I guefs right at the person who agreed to your doing it, in respect to any Decency you ought to obferve: for I take that perfon to be a perfect judge of decencies and forms. I am not without fears even on that per fon's account: I think it a bad omen: but what have I to do with Court-omens? Dear Gay, adieu.

I can only add a plain uncourtly speech: While you

« EelmineJätka »