MISCELLANEOUS LETTERS. LETTER I. DR. JONATHAN SWIFT TO MARTHA BLOUNT*. IAM Dublin, Feb. 29, 1727-8. DEAR PATTY, AM told you have a mind to receive a letter from me, which is a very undecent declaration in a young lady, and almost a confeffion that you have a mind to write to me; for as to the fancy of looking on me as a man fans confequence, it is what I will never understand. I am told likewife you grow every day younger, and more a fool, which is directly contrary to me, who grow wifer and older, and at this rate we shall never agree. I long to see you a London lady, where you are forced to wear whole clothes, and vifit in a chair, for which you must ftarve next fummer at Peterfham, with a mantua out at the fides; and spunge once a week at our house, without ever inviting us in a whole season to a cowheel at home. I wish you would bring Mr. Pope over with you when you come, but we will leave Mr. The direction is fimply, "To Patty Blount." Gay 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 fo many a set-down, is wheeled off to St. James's. You must be forced to get a horse, and gallop with Mrs. Janfen and Mifs Bedier. Your greatest happiness is, that you are out of the chiding of Mrs. Howard and the Dean; but I fuppofe Mr. Pope is so just 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 Kensington, 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, muft take up with an antiquated Dean, an old gentlewoman of fourfcore, and a fickly poet. I will stand 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 fo I must fend this by the post. 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 rash and other little diforders, and that I fhall fee 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 halfdozen 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 should not be worn out at the right fide; and a chair cofts |