-Upon the whole, I am melancholy, which, to fay truth, is (all one) gets by pleasures themselves. Yet as I believe melancholy (burts) me as little as any one, so I sincerely wish much (rather to) be so myself, than that those I value fhould partake (of it). In particular, your ease and happiness would be a great part (of my) ftudy, were I your guardian angel: as I am, **, it is one of my most earnest wishes.

a poor *

Believe me, dear Madam,

Your most faithful humble fervant, etc.

Pray tell Mifs Patty, that, though she will not write to me, I hear fhe writes for me, which I ought to take as kindly: this I was informed of by Mr. Caryll.

LETTER VIII.

Tuesday the

I

HOPE this will find you both fettled in peace and joy at Bath; that your court is numerous enough to keep a court and town lady in spirits, and yet not so importunate as to deprive you of reft. Your health, nevertheless, is my chief concern; which to ladies or gentlewomen, young, or advancing into wisdom (but never above pleasures), is a most comfortable and neceffary thing, with or without admirers, even from Lady Wy, to her great granddaughter born last week.

I

I faw Dr. Arbuthnot, who was very cheerful. paffed a whole day with him at Hampftead; he is at the Long Room half the morning, and has parties at cards every night. Mrs. Lepell, and Mrs. Saggioni the finger, and his fon and his two daughters, are all with him. He told me he had given the best directions he could to yourself, and to Lady Suffolk separately; that fhe ought to bleed, and you not; that it is his opinion the waters will not be of fervice to you, and that there can be no ill confequence if they should heat you; it could only bring out the rafh* at worst, which he fays might be the means to free your blood from it a long time.

I hope by this time the pink-coloured ribband in your hat is pulled off, and the pink-coloured gown put on. I will not joke upon that, though I did upon the ribband, because, when people begin to fin, there may be hopes of amendment; but when the whole woman is become red as fcarlet, there's no good to be done.

Lady Suffolk has a ftrange power over me. She would not stir a day's journey either east or weft for me, though he had dying or languishing friends on each quarter, who wanted and wifhed to fee her. But I am following her chariot-wheels three days through rocks and waters, and fhall be at her feet

* As the mention of this diforder occurs in Dean Swift's Letter to Mifs Blount, it seems to fix the date of this Letter in 1727, or 1728.

C.

feet on Sunday night. I fuppofe fhe'll be at cards, and receive me as coldly as if I were archdeacon of the place. I hope I fhall be better with you, who will doubtless have been at mafs (whither Mr. Nash at my request shall carry you constantly when I come), and in a meek and christian-like way. I have no more to say to either of you, but that which we are all obliged to fay even to our enemies: The Lord have mercy on you! and have you in his keeping. Adieu,

I intended you this by the laft poft, but it was too late; fo that you'll hardly receive it sooner than we fhall come. I was willing juft to have told Lady Suffolk before, that one of my chief motives was to fee her in a place of liberty and health, and to advertise you, Madam, not to be difcouraged if the waters did heat you, but to lofe no time in them.

I

LETTER IX.

TO M. AND T. BLOUNT.

DEAR LADIES,

Sept. 17.

AM in the cafe which many a man is in with your sex, not knowing where to have you so I direct this with great respect to the most discreet of servitors, whom I dare hardly call George *, even within the folds of this Letter. I hope, if you are in London, that you find company; if you are in the country, that you don't want it. I heartily wish you luck at cards; not only as it is faid to be a token of luck in better things †, but as it doth really and effectually fave money, and fometimes get it. I also wish you good husbands, and think Mr. Caryll, who has the intereft of our Catholic religion at heart, ought, if poffible, to strengthen it, by allying to fome of the fupports thereof two fuch lovely branches as yourfelves. Pray tell him fo from me, and let me advise you in your ear. 'Tis full as well to marry in the country as in the town, provided you can bring your husbands up with you afterwards, and make them stay as long as you will. These two confiderations every wife virgin fhould have in her head, not forgetting the

third,

* Perhaps George Arbuthnot, the Solicitor, who was much in the confidence of Pope and M. Blount.

+ Modern believers in luck are of a different opinion.

C.

C.

third, which is, -a feparate allowance. O Pinmoney! dear, defirable Pin-money! in these are included all the bleffings of woman! In thee are comprised fine clothes, fine lodgings, fine operas, fine masquerades, fine fellows. Foh! fays Mrs. Teresa, at this laft article and fo I hold my tongue.

Are you really of opinion you are an inconvenient part at present of my friend's family? Do ye fancy the best man in England is fo very good, as not to be fond of ye? Why, St. Auftin himself would have kiffed ye-St. Jerome would have shaved against your coming-St. Peter would have dried his eyes at the fight of you-and St. Thomas would have been for touching and trying you. If you fancy yourselves troublesome at Grinstead, you are too humble indeed; you need not talk of wanting to be humbled. Every place will be proud of you; except Gotham, and the wife men of Gotham. May the Devil take every one that thinks you should be humbled. For me, I fincerely wish to fee you exalted, when it fhall please heaven, above the cherubims; but firft, upon earth, above fix horfes in a handfore coach.

After all, if it be wholesome for you both to bę humbled, Ladies, let me try to do it. I'll freely tell you two or three of your faults.

First, if you are handfome, you know it. This people have unluckily given you to understand, by praising you every day of your lives. The world

has

* West Grinstead in Suffex: Mr. Caryl's refidence was here. C.