-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, fo I fincerely wish much (rather to) be fo 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, a poor * **, it is one of my most earnest wishes. Believe me, dear Madam,

Your most faithful humble fervant, etc.

Pray tell Mifs Patty, that, though fhe will not write to me, I hear she 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 fo importunate as to deprive you of rest. 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 necessary thing, with or without admirers, even from Lady W―y, to her great granddaughter born laft week.

7

I faw

I faw Dr. Arbuthnot, who was very cheerful. I paffed a whole day with him at Hampstead; 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 beft directions he could to yourself, and to Lady Suffolk feparately; that the 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 fhould heat you; it could only bring out the rash * 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 fhe had dying or languifhing 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 disorder occurs in Dean Swift's Letter to Mifs Blount, it feems 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 mass (whither Mr. Nash at my request shall carry you conftantly when I come), and in a meek and chriftian-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 last poft, but it was too late; fo that you'll hardly receive it fooner 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 discouraged if the waters did heat you, but to lofe no time in them.

LETTER IX.

TO M. AND T. BLOUNT.

DEAR LADIES,

Sept. 17.

I AM in the case which many a man is in with your

sex, not knowing where to have you : fo I direct this with great refpect to the most difcreet of fervitors, 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 wifh 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 wifh 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 supports thereof two fuch lovely branches as yourfelves. Pray tell him fo from me, and let me advise you in 'Tis full as well to marry in the your ear. 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. Austin himself would have kiffed ye-St. Jerome would have fhaved 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 first, upon earth, above fix horfes in a handfome coach.

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

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

has

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