What I have said to your grace is only meant as a poor endeavour to preserve myself in your good opinion, and in the continuance of your favour.

I am, with the highest respect, &c.

JON. SWIFT.

FROM LADY BETTY GERMAIN.

MARCH 2, 1733-4.

I AM extreme glad to hear you are got well again; and I do assure you, it was no point of ceremony made me forbear writing, but the downright fear of being troublesome. If If you have got off your deafness, that is a happiness I doubt poor lady Suffolk will never have; for she does not mend, if she does not grow rather worse. But we ladies are famous for straining our voices upon the bad occasion of anger: and sure then it is hard if it is not more agreeable to do it for the sake of friendship. By the histories I hear from Ireland, Bettesworth, in the midst of your illness, did not think your pen lay idle *; but this good you had

About this time an attempt was made to repeal the Test .Act in Ireland; and the Dissenters, on this occasion, affected to call themselres" Brother Protestants, and Fellow Christians,” with the members of the Established Church. This the Dean made the subject of a short copy of verses, in which there is a passage, that so provoked one Bettesworth, a lawyer, and member of the Irish parliament, that he swore to revenge himself, either by maiming or murdering the author; and for this purpose, he engaged his footman, with two ruffians, to ecure the Dean wherever he could be found. As soon as this path and attempt of Bettesworth were known, thirty of the

nobility

from it, that such a troublesome fellow made your
friends and neighbours show they could exert them-
selves for your sake. Mrs. Floyd has passed this
winter rather better than the last; but cold weather
is a great enemy of hers; and when you see her, I
fear you will find, that though the goodness of the
"composition *" will always hold, yet so many
writers have taken the beauty of it entirely off. It
grows now near the time, that I have hopes you
will soon part with my duke and duchess. I always
used to be her doctor; I wish you would allow me to
be yours, and take my advice, and try how the change
of air would mend your constitution; but, I fear
you will not. However, God bless you; and adieu.

FROM THE DUCHESS OF QUEENSBERRY.

IF e

DEAR SIR,

LONDON, MARCH 4, 1733-4.

ever lying was necessary, I fear it is so at pre-
sent; for no truth can furnish me with sufficient
excuse for not having writ long ago; therefore I
have been strongly tempted to disown having re-
ceived any return to my letters, which I wrote to
you since my return to these parts; but upon more

nobility and gentry of St. Patrick's waited upon the Dean in form;
and presented a paper, subscribed with their names, in which
they solemnly engaged, in behalf of themselves and the rest of
the liberty, to defend his person and fortune, as the friend and
benefactor of his country. H.

* " And call'd the happy composition Floyd."

See (in vol. XVI, p. 64) Swift's " Receipt to form a Beauty." N.

mature

!

mature deliberation, I have convinced myself, that it is better rather to confess my fault, than to give you any handle to suspect my truth for the future. I wish every body was as timorous as myself, and then lying and deceit would never be so much in the fashion, as it has and will be for many ages past and to come. I remember you once told me, always to sit down to write when I was in good health, and good humour; neither of them have been perfect of some time. The first has been interrupted by perpetual colds, and pains in my face and teeth. My temper, by these trying truths which I am about to tell you, viz. a journey to Scotland, where we have been going every week, and every day since Christmas; the uncertainty of which, and being consequently unsettled, is even worse than the thing itself. This is not all; by these means I have been obliged to send a little boy (who has been my constant companion ever since he was born, and who is not seven years old till next July) to school, a full year before it was necessary or proper. The doing this, I own, has damped my spirits more than was reasonable, though it was by his own desire; and that I am persuaded he is well taken care of, both by the master and his own brother, who is fond of him, and so would you be, if you knew him; for he has more sense than above half the world. The other is a fine boy, and grown very strong and healthy. I am much obliged to you for reproving me, that I did not tell you so before. I am in great hopes to live to see them both men ; therefore pray advise me what to do with them after they have gone through the school; for I imagine

VOL. XIII.

G

that

that just then is the most difficult part of their education. Mr. Locke, with whom I cannot help differing in some things, makes a full stop there; and I never heard of any other that ever mentioned, or at least published, any helps for children at that time of life, which I apprehend to be the most material.

There is a good deal of impertinence in filling two sides of paper about me and mine; but I own, at present, my whole thoughts are so much employed on the latter, that I involuntarily think and talk of little else. To morrow will be acted a new play of our friend Mr. Gay's *; we stay on purpose now for that, and shall go on Thursday for Edinburgh, where the greatest good I can expect, or hope for, is a line from you. Mrs. Barber has met with a good deal of trouble; I have not seen her, I fancy, for that reason; but we shall leave our guineas for her with Mr. Pope, or my brother. I wish you all health and prosperity. I will not wish you devoid of all trouble and vexation, because I think a moderate share is a great encouragement to good spirits; but may you never meet with more than is absolutely necessary to be. pleasant.

Adieu, dear sir. If you will oblige me, you must do me the justice to believe I am

Your most faithful friend, &c.

*The Distrest Wife;" which was acted at the theatre royal in Covent Garden, with indifferent success. Several years after, it was published by Mr. Jacob Astley the bookseller; but no notice was taken in the title of its having ever been acted. "Achilles," an opera, by the same author, had been performed the winter before, with some applause. N.

FROM MR. GRANT *.

VERY REVEREND SIR,

LONDON,

MARCH 14, 1733-4

THOUGH I have been long an admirer of your

wit and learning, I have not less valued and esteemed your publick spirit, and great affection to your native country. These valuable ingredients in your character, persuade me to propose to you what I apprehend may be for your country's benefit, and that you will excuse my taking the liberty to do it. As good principles dispose you, your real merit happily united with them, gives you weight and influence to promote the publick good; to which I am well assured your country owes not only the escaping many evils, but the establishment of many valuable articles for the increase of their wealth and strength. Though I am not a native of Ireland, I have always regarded it as so connected with this country, that the natives of both islands ought mutually to study and advance the advantage of each other. And it is in consequence of this principle, that I offer to your consideration, that your countrymen should heartily engage in and pursue the white herring and cod fishing. This is a branch of trade which Providence has given opportunity to follow in both countries; neither can they prejudice one another, as there may be consumption for all that may be caught on both islands. There is nothing that would so effectually employ your

* Francis Grant, a merchant in London. N.