and condoling with the public, upon your lordship's leaving the admiralty; and I thought I could never choose a better time, than when I am in the country with my Lord Bishop of Clogher,* and his brother the doctor; † for we pretend to a triumvirate of as humble servants and true admirers of your lordship, as any you have in both islands. You may call them a triumvirate; for, if you please to try-um, they will vie with the best, and are of the first rate, though they are not men of war, but men of the church. To say the truth, it was a pity your lordship should be confined to the Fleet, when you are not in debt. Though your lordship is cast away, you are not sunk; nor ever will be, since nothing is out of you lordship's depth. Dr Ashe says, it is but justice that your lordship, who is a man of letters, should be placed upon the postoffice; and my lord bishop adds, that he hopes to see your lordship tossed from that post to be a pillar of state again; which he desired I would put in by way of postscript. I am, my lord, &c.

JON. SWIFT.

SIR,

FROM MR ADDISON.

St James's Place, April 11, 1710.

I HAVE run so much in debt with you, that I do not know how to excuse myself, and therefore shall throw myself wholly upon your good nature; and

*Dr St George Ashe.

+ The Rev. Dillon Ashe.

promise, if you will pardon what is past, to be more punctual with you for the future. I hope to have the happiness of waiting on you very suddenly at Dublin, and do not at all regret the leaving of England, while I am going to a place, where I shall have the satisfaction and honour of Dr Swift's conversation. I shall not trouble you with any occurrences here, because I hope to have the pleasure of talking over all affairs with you very suddenly. We hope to be at Holyhead by the 30th instant. Lady Wharton stays in England. I suppose you know, that I obeyed your's, and the Bishop of Clogher's commands, in relation to Mr Smith; for I desired Mr Dawson to acquaint you with it. I must beg my most humble duty to the Bishop of Clogher. I heartily long to eat a dish of bacon and beans in the best company in the world. Mr Steele and I often drink your health.

I am forced to give myself airs of a punctual correspondence with you in discourse with your friends at St James's coffeehouse, who are always asking me questions about you when they have a mind to pay their court to me, if I may use so magnificent a phrase. Pray, dear doctor, continue your friendship toward me, who love and esteem you, if possible, as much as you deserve. I am ever, dear Sir, Yours entirely,

J. ADDISON.

1

TO DEAN STERNE.

(WITH A PROXY FOR HIS APPEARANCE AS PREBENDARY OF DUNLAVAN, AT THE ARCHBISHOP'S VISITATION.)

SIR,

Laracor, April 17, 1710.

ner.

You have put me under the necessity of writing you a very scurvy letter, and in a very scurvy manIt is the want of horses, and not of inclination, that hinders me from attending on you at the chapter. But I would do it on foot to see you* visit in your own right; but if I must be visited by proxy, by proxy I will appear. The ladies † of St Mary's delivered me your commands; but Mrs Johnson had dropped half of them by the shaking of her horse. I have made a shift, by the assistance of two civilians, and a book of precedents, to send you the jargon annexed, with a blank for the name and title of any prebendary, who will have the charity to answer for me. Those words, gravi incommodo, are to be translated, the want of a horse. In a few days I expect to hear the two ladies lamenting the fleshpots of Cavan Street. I advise them since they have given up their title and lodgings of St Mary, to buy each of them a palfrey, and take a squire and seek adventures. I am here quarrelling with the frosty weather, for

* Dr Sterne was then vicar-general of the diocese of Dublin, and was to visit the clergy in the absence of the archbishop.-H. + Mrs Johnson and Mrs Dingley."

Spes

spoiling my poor half-dozen of blossoms. anni collapsa rui: Whether these words be mine or Virgil's, I cannot determine. I am this minute very busy, being to preach to-day before an audience of at least fifteen people, most of them gentle, and all simple.

I can send you no news; only the employment of my parishioners may, for memory-sake, be reduced under these heads: Mr Percivall is ditching; Mrs Percivall in her kitchen; Mr Wesley switching; Mrs Wesley stitching; Sir Arthur Langford riching, which is a new word for heaping up riches. I know no other rhyme but bitching, and that I hope we are all past. Well, Sir, long may you live the hospitable owner of good Bits, good Books, and good Buildings. The Bishop of Clogher would envy me for these three Bes. most obedient humble servant,

I am your

JON. SWIFT.

DR SWIFT'S ACCOUNT OF HIS MOTHER'S DEATH, 1710.*

MEM. On Wednesday, between seven and eight, in the evening, May 10, 1710, I received a letter in my chamber at Laracor, (Mr Percivall and John Beaumont being by) from Mrs Fenton, dated May 9th, with one enclosed, sent from Mrs Wor

* Copied by Mr Nicol from Swift's yearly Memorandum.

Book for 1710.

VOL. XV.

X

rall at Leicester to Mrs Fenton, giving an account, that my dear mother, Mrs Abigail Swift, died that morning, Monday, April 24, 1710, * about ten o'clock, after a long sickness, being ill all winter, and lame, and extremely ill a month or six weeks before her death. I have now lost my barrier between me and death; God grant I may live to be as well prepared for it, as I confidently believe her to have been! If the way to Heaven be through piety, truth, justice, and charity, she is

there.

FROM MR ADDISON.

Dublin, June 3, 1710.

DEAR SIR,

I AM just now come from Finglas, where I have been drinking your health, and talking of you, with one who loves and admires you better than any man in the world, except your humble servant. We both agree in a request, that you will set out for Dublin as soon as possible. To tell you truly, I find the place disagreeable, and cannot imagine why it should appear so now more than it did last year. You know I look upon every thing that is like a compliment as a breach of friendship; and therefore shall only tell you that I long to see you; without assuring you that I love your company and value your conversation more than any man's, or that I

*1710, April 27, Abigail Swift, widow, aged 70 years, buried." Register of St Martin's, Leicester.