mouth what I now give under my hand, that I am, with the highest respect and esteem, dear sir, your most obliged and most obedient humble servant, MARTHA WHITEWAY. My most obedient respects to alderman Barber. Mr. Swift and his wife beg you will acccept of theirs. ROBERT NUGENT*, ESQ., TO MRS. MADAM, BATH, APRIL 2, 1740. I HAD not until very lately an opportunity of letting Mr. Pope know his obligations to you; of which he is very sensible, and has desired me to beg that you will remit to me, by a safe hand, whatever letters of his are now in your possession. I shall be in town next week; so that you may be pleased to direct to me, by the first convenient opportunity, at my house in Dover strect, London. I am, madam, with great esteem, your most humble and obedient servant, R. N. My compliments to Mr. and Mrs. Swift. I shall say nothing of the picture, because I am sure you remember it. I must beg that you will let Mr. Bindon know I would have the picture no more than a head upon a three quarter cloth, to match one which I now have of Mr. Pope. MRS. Afterward lord Clare. + Of Dr. Swift. The greatest painter and architect of his time in these king 6 doms. MRS. WHITEWAY TO MR. RICHARDSON. DEAR SIR, MAY 13, 1740. By the time this kisses your hand, I believe Mrs. Richardson will not blush to be wished joy by a person you have done the honour to call a friend, and whose ambition it is to deserve some place in her esteem; and now that all insinuations in your favour are as needless as the formal ceremony between lovers, I shall take the liberty to tell her, it will be her own fault if she is not one of the happiest women in the world. This is an unusual way of recommending myself to a bride; nor should I do it to any but yours: yet surely when a lady is married to a gentleman with an easy fortune, good nature, and a man of honour, how little is required of her side toward mutual felicity, which can be comprised in two words, love and obey? About a fortnight ago I dined at the dean of St. Patrick's in a mixed company; where one of the gentlemen told him you were married, or just going to be so, to a lady of fifteen, with a hundred thousand pound fortune, and a perfect beauty. I asked the person whether he had not that account from a woman? He said he had. The dean inquired if I knew any thing of the affair. I answered yes; only with this difference, that she was at least fifty, and a most ungenteel disagreeable woman. The whole company looked upon me with contempt; and their doms. See vol. VIII, page 240. On account of his age, and some little failure in his sight, he threw aside his pencil soon after the year 1750; and afterward lived to a good old age, greatly beloved and respected by all who had the happiness either of his friendship or acquaintance. He died June 2, 1765. countenances countenances expressed, they thought I drew my own picture whilst I enviously endeavoured to paint the lady's. The dean only understood me; and, smiling, said he believed I was in the right. When we were alone, I let him know that you had commanded me to acquaint him with the affair; and I hoped, when I wrote to you next, he would add a postscript in my letter. He promised me to do it; and this day I intend to put him in mind of it. I waited on Mr. Hamilton yesterday, to consult with him if it would not be proper to allow the servants board wages from this time; and it was diverting enough to see us both keeping our distance about a secret the whole town has known these two months. However, at last we understood each other; and have agreed to give the coachman four shillings a week, and the maid three, until they go a shipboard. There would have been no occasion to be so formal with a friend as to desire Mr. Hamilton to give the servants money when you might have ordered me to do it, although I had not been in your debt; which, to my shame be it spoken, would be scandalous so long a time, if the fault were entirely mine. My son and daughter Swift present you and your lady their most obedient respects, and sincerest wishes. I am at a loss to express my obligations to her for the compliment she was pleased to remit to me; and I believe, when we meet, she will not be jealous that I dare give it under my hand to her, that I honour and esteem you more than any woman does except herself. I am, dear sir, your most humble and most obedient servant, MARTHA WHITEWAY. AD ADDITIONAL POEMS. ODE TO DR. WILLIAM SANCROFT, LATE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY *. WRITTEN MAY 1689, AT THE DESIRE OF THE LATE LORD BISHOP Of Ely. I. TRUTH is eternal, and the Son of Heav'n, Chief cherub, and chief lamp of that high sacred Seven, Which guard the throne by night, and are its light by day: First of God's darling attributes, Thou daily seest Him face to face, Nor does thy essence fix'd depend on giddy circum stance Of time or place, Two foolish guides in ev'ry sublunary dance : How shall we find Thee then in dark disputes? * This Poem, with that addressed to Mr. Congreve, and the one on Sir William Temple's Illness and Recovery, were first published in 1789, from an authentick manuscript, fairly and correctly written out as if intended for the press, and from the dates, it is supposed that these were among the first, if not the carliest productions of his Muse. How How shall we search Thee in a battle gain'd, Or a weak argument by force maintain'd? In dagger contests, and th' artillery of words, (For swords are madmen's tongues, and tongues are madmen's swords) Contriv'd to tire all patience out, II. But where is ev'n thy Image on our earth? For of the person much I fear, Since Heaven will claim its residence as well as birth, And God himself has said, He shall not find it here. For this inferiour world is but Heaven's dusky shade, By dark reverted rays from its reflection made; Whence the weak shapes wild and imperfect pass, Like sunbeams shot at too far distance from a glass; Which all the mimick forms express, Though in strange uncouth postures, and uncomely dress; So when Cartesian artists try To solve appearances of sight In its reception to the eye, And catch the living landscape through a scanty light*, The figures all inverted shew, And colours of a faded hue; Here a pale shape with upward footstep treads, And men seem walking on their heads; There whole herds suspended lie Ready to tumble down into the sky; To judge of things above by things below. * The experiment of the dark chamber, to demonstrate light to be by reception of the object, and not by emission. Disjointing |