Gay to his Beggars and his Operas till he is able to pay his club. How will you pass this fummer, for want of a fquire to Ham-Common and Walpole's Lodge; for as to Richmond Lodge and Marble-hill, they are abandoned as much as Sir Spencer Compton: and Mr. Schabe's coach, that used to give you so many a fet-down, is wheeled off to St. James's. You must be forced to get a horse, and gallop with Mrs. Janfen and Miss Bedier. Your greatest happiness is, that you are out of the chiding of Mrs. Howard and the Dean; but I fuppofe Mr. Pope is fo juft as to pay our arrears, and that you edify as much by him as by us, unless you are fo happy that he now looks upon you as reprobate and a caft-away, of which I think he hath given me fome hints. However, I would advise you to pass this fummer at Kenfington, where you will be near the Court, and out of his jurifdiction; where you will be teazed with no lectures of gravity and morality, and where you will have no other trouble than to get into the mercer's books, and take up a hundred pounds of your principal for quadrille. Monftrous, indeed, that a fine lady, in the prime of life and gaiety, muít take up with an antiquated Dean, an old gentlewoman of fourscore, and a fickly poet. I will ftand by my dear Patty against the world, if Teresa beats you for your good, and I will buy her a fine whip for the purpose. Tell me, have you been confined to your lodging this winter for want of chair-hire? [Do you know that this unlucky Dr.

Delany

Delany came last night to the Deanry, and being denied, without my knowledge, is gone to England this morning, and so I must fend this by the poft. I bought your Opera to-day for fixpence, fo fmall printed, that it will spoil my eyes. I ordered you to fend me your edition, but now you may keep it till you get an opportunity.] Patty, I will tell you a blunder: I am writing to Mr. Gay, and had almost finished the letter; but by mistake I took up this instead of it, and fo the fix lines in a hook are all to him, and therefore you must read them to him, for I will not be at the trouble to write them over again. My greatest concern in the matter is, that I am afraid I continue in love with you, which is hard after near fix months' abfence. I hope you have done with your rafh and other little diforders, and that I fhall see you a fine young, healthy, plump lady; and if Mr. Pope chides you, threaten him that you will turn heretic. Adieu, dear Patty, and believe me to be one of your trueft friends and humbleft fervants; and that, fince I can never live in England, my greatest happiness would be to have you and Mr. Pope condemned, during my life, to live in Ireland, he at the Deanery, and you, for reputation's fake, just at next door, and I will give you eight dinners a-week, and a whole half dozen of pint bottles of good French wine at your lodgings, a thing you could never expect to arrive at, and every year a fuit of fourteen-penny ftuff, that fhould not be worn out at the right fide; and a chair

cofts

cofts but fixpence a jobb; and you shall have Catholicity as much as you pleafe, and the Catholic Dean of St. Patrick's, as old again as I, for your Confeffor. Adieu again, dear Patty.

THE ANSWER*.

TO DR. SWIFT.

SİR,

May 7, 1728. AM very much pleafed with your letter: but I fhould have thought myfelf much more obliged, had you been lefs fincere, and not told me I did not owe the favour entirely to your inclination, but to an information that I had a mind to hear from you; and I mistrust you think even that as much as I deferve. If fo, you really are not deferving of my repeated inquiries after you, and my constant good wishes and concern for your welfare; which merit fome remembrance, without the help of another. I cannot fay I have a great inclination to write to you; for I have no great vanity that way, at leaft not enough to fupport me above the fear of writing ill: but I would fain have you know how truly well I wish you.

I am forry to hear no good account of your health: mine has been, fince Christmas (at which time I had

my

* We have but few fpecimens of Mifs Blount's Letters. This is here reprinted as one of the most favourable: it was first published by Deane Swift, Efq. in 1775.

C.

my fever and rafh) neither well nor ill enough to be taken notice of: but within these three weeks I have been fick in form, and kept my bed for a week, and my chamber to this day.

This confinement, together with the Mourning has enabled me to be very eafy in my chair-hire: for a dyed black gown and a fcoured white one have done my business very well; and they are now just fit for Petersham, where we talk of going in three weeks and I am not without hopes I fhall have the fame squire that I had last year. I am very unwilling to change; and, moreover, I begin to fear I have no great prospect of getting any new danglers; and therefore, in order to make a tolerable figure, I shall endeavour to behave myself well, that I may keep my old ones.

As a proof that I continue to be well received at Court, I will tell you where the Royal Family design to pass their fummer: two months at Richmond Lodge, the fame time at Hampton-Court, and fix weeks at Windfor. Mrs. Howard is well, and happier than ever you saw her; for her whole affair with her husband is ended to her fatisfaction †.

* General mourning for the death of George I.

Dr.

C.

This fhameful intrigue is minutely detailed by Lord Orford, in his "Reminifcences ;" and the event alluded to in this Letter is, that "during the fummer a negociation was commenced with the obftreperous husband, and he fold his own noify honour, and the poffeffion of his wife, for a penfion of twelve hundred a year."

C1

Dr. Arbuthnot I am very angry with he neglects me for those he thinks finer ladies. continues, but his riches are in a fair

Mr. Gay's fame

way of diminish

you were ordered

ing he is gone to the Bath. I wish there; for I believe that would carry Mr. Pope, who is always inclined to do more for his friends than himfelf. He is much out of order, and is told nothing is fo likely to do him good.

My illness has prevented my writing to you fooner. If I was a favourite at Court, I would foon convince you that I am, very fincerely,

Your faithful friend, and very humble fervant,

ou are commanded by Mr. Pope to read that part

You

of the inclofed which relates to Mr. Gay and yourfelf, and to fend a direct anfwer to your humble fervant by my humble fervant the bearer. Being at an end of all my fhoes and ftockings, I am not able

to