cough and her fpirits, that fhe will meet me at Oxford, where she will fee the place, and return with me.

I could be glad to know certainly, whether you will have the coach I bought, or not? that I may either dispose of it, or keep it accordingly. If your objection be to the standing, or care of it, this fummer, you shall not be troubled with any thought of it till winter. Upon this, and all other fuch occafions, I can fay but just this,-Either you would have me your friend, or you would not. you would, why fervice I can do you? If you

do you

refuse any

If

would not, why do you ever receive any?

I have nothing to add, but to wish you all happi

nefs, and to affure you

I am, etc.

LETTER XXXI.

TO MARTHA BLOUNT.

MADAM,

THIS

HIS is purely to give you the fatisfaction of know. ing, that I have not been unmindful of your affairs, and that I fhall omit no occafion of doing what order me. you I find, from those whofe judg ment I myself moft depend upon, that it is thought the South Sea will rather fall than rife, toward the

fitting

fitting of the parliament; and upon this belief I have myself kept a thousand five hundred pounds lying by me, to buy at fuch a juncture. The general opinion is, that the parliament will tax the funds; and if so, one may certainly make advantages of money then in one's hands, which will more than anfwer its lying dead these two months.

However, I have given orders to buy 500l. for myfelf, as foon as South Sea falls to 103, which you shall have if you have a mind to it. It will amount to near fix per cent.: and my broker tells me he thinks it will fall to that.

But if you order me to do otherwise, with part or all of the fum I have of yours, I will obey you. Hitherto I have only acted in your affair as I have done in my own.

I hope you had the Grand Cyrus by the Reading coach, above a week ago. I am in London almost conftantly, and every hour in company; have renewed all my idle and evil haunts; am not very well; fit up very late, etc. I have lately been told, my perfon is in fome danger; and (in any such case) the fum of 11211. will be left for you in Mr. Gay's hands. I have made that matter secure against accidents.

Gay is well at court, and more in the way of being ferved than ever. However, not to truft too much to hopes, he will have a play acted in four or five weeks, which we have driven a bargain for.

I long to see you both and love you fo very well, that I wish I were the handfomeft fellow in England, for your fakes. I dined yesterday with Jacky Campbell, at the Duke of Argyle's. Gay dines daily with the Maids of Honour. Adieu. I am melancholy,

and drunk *.

Tuesday night.

LETTER XXXII.

TO THE SAME.

MADAM,

Sunday.

THIS is just to let you know, that being again in the

city yesterday, I was obliged to stay so late, that I could not go home: fo that, if you have any thing to say to me, here I am; and here shall stay, till the matter of your annuities is decided, on purpose to do as you commiffion me. I expected fome answer to my last.

Your other business is at laft brought about. I have borrowed money upon ours and Mr. Eckerfal's orders, and bought 500l. ftock S. Sea at 180.

* See Note, Vol. VI. p. 39.

It

The Eckerfhals probably mentioned in Gay's Poems, vol. ii.

P. 404.

"Lo! Tooker, Eckershall, Sykes, Rawlinson."

C.

It is fince rifen to 184. I wish us all good luck in it,

and am very glad to have done what you seemed so defirous of.

I am, etc.

My faithful fervices to your mother and fifter.

I

LETTER XXXIII.

TO THE SAME.

DEAR MADAM,

FIND, upon coming to town, that Mrs. Robinson's* tickets are not given out till to-morrow. I hope this notice will arrive in time, before you are engaged otherwise.

If you'll give this bearer your Exchequer orders for 500l. I'll get them registered, and the interest received; this being a proper time to fend them to the Exchequer.

I heartily wish you all the amusements and pleasures I must be (for a time at least) deprived of. I beg you to think me not the worst of your friends, who, after fo many mistakes, and fo many misfortunes, am refolved to continue unalterably, Madam,

Yours.

Mrs. Anastasia Robinfon, the celebrated finger, afterwards Lady Peterborough.

C.

MADAM,

LETTER XXXIV.

TO TERESA BLOUNT.

Feb. 21.

I

IAM too much out of order to trouble you with a long letter. But I defire to know what is your meaning, to resent my complying with your request, and endeavouring to ferve you in the way you propofed, as if I had done you fome great injury? You told me, if such a thing was the fecret of my heart, you should entirely forgive, and think well of me. told it, and find the contrary. You pretended fo much generofity, as to offer your service in my behalf. The minute after, you did me as ill an office as you could, in telling the party concerned, it was all but an amusement, occafioned by my lofs of another lady.

You express yourself defirous of increasing your present income upon life. I propofed the only method I then could find, and you encouraged me to proceed in it. When it was done, you received it as if it were an affront; fince, when I find the very thing in the very manner you wished, and mention it to you, you don't think it worth an answer.

If your meaning be, that the very things you ask, and wish, become odious to you, when it is I that comply with them, or bring them about; pray own

VOL. X.

it,