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ing, myself a stewing, my boys a teaching, my webs a bleaching, my daughter's reading, my garden weeding, my lime a burning, my milk a churning.

In short, all nature seems to be at work,
Busy as Kouly Kan against the Turk.

I do not wonder that Mr. Towers has discarded that graceless whelp; but I wonder more he kept him above a week. He has a genius for mischief would jade even the devil to attend him. If Mrs. Whiteway will prove false, I have willows enough to crown me, and ladies enough here to pick and choose, where I like best. The summer has brought them and the flies in great abundance into our country; the latter I think, indeed, less troublesome. All of them long for your coming; but I know not whether you long for them. I am grieved to hear you have lost so much flesh, which indeed is my present case. If my skin were dry, my bones would rattle like a bag of bobbins. However, I make no doubt but to plump us both up by help of some housewife's remedies. My poor dear wife has run mad for joy of

your coming: Sure I have a gravel walk finished twelve perches in length, eight gradations of pease, which will last you to October. You cannot imagine what a good housewife I am grown; my garden is well stocked; I have every thing but money: but that is neither here nor there. Mr. Jones will order the money by first opportunity. May all happiness attend you.

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FROM DR. SHERIDAN.

DEAR SIR,

JULY 6, 1736.

I SUSPECT that some secret villain has prevented the lord chancellor to sign my commission; and therefore I entreat the favour of you to know the meaning of it from his excellency; for I had his consent by a recommendation from my lord chief baron Marley, and Mr. justice Ward. The summer is going off fast, so are my best fowl; and you are not yet come. Will you not come for your six hundred and sixty pounds? We have no way to carry it except you come for it yourself: and do not forget to bring the deed of sale with you for the Marahills and Drumcor. I wish you could sail with them hither to save you the trouble of riding, which I would rather see than fifty pounds which I would set my hand and seal to. Mr. Jones, as I told you before, will not pay any body but yourself; so that you must inevitably come nolens volens, right or wrong, whether you can or not. Our venison is plenty our weather too hot for its carriage. : have not had two hundred drops of rain these six weeks past.

Our river is dry,

And fiery the sky;
I fret and I fry
Just ready to die :
Oh, where shall I fly
From Phoebus's eye?

We

In

In bed, when I lie,

I soak like a pie ;

And I sweat, oh, I sweat, like a hog in a sty.

I know you love Alexandrines; for which reason I closed the above madrigal with one. I think it is of a very good proportion, which I hope you will set to musick; and pray let me have a base, and second treble, with what other decorations and graces, you can better design than I can direct. To let you see you can want for nothing, if you come to Cavan, the following catalogue:

I write

you

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A LONG GRAVEL WALK

I must trouble your reverence with a small sample of some things, to let you see that all I have said is truth.

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I would send you some of my canal, but the paper could not hold it.

I have nothing more to send but my best wishes, which you can only see in my face, when you come down.

Present my love 9678946846734056789897324 times to my dear Mrs. Whiteway, and all her chickens. I am, dear sir, as I ever must be, your most obedient and very humble servant to command, Dumb Spur it us hose rage it art us.

FROM DR. SHERIDAN.

DEAR SIR,

JULY 20, 1736.

I RECEIVED yours some day or other this week,

by the hands of Mrs. Donaldson, who has made affidavit before our town magistrate, that I never borrowed a fly of her in my life; and I have likewise

1

deposed

deposed upon oath, that I caught the fly perched upon a rose tree in my own garden; and I would have you to know, that I have above four hundred thousand of the same species; for I counted them last Sunday. If you will not believe me, pray come down and see. Mr. Jones has your six hundred and sixty pounds ready, but can get no bills to remit it. I beseech you lose no time; for he is uneasy about

it.

*

*

If you put off the time of coming down longer, you will lose the best things our country can afford.

The ladies are full of your coming; viz.

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* Who, by the by, hated Dr. Swift above all the human race.

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