eight, and then came home, and Patrick desired leave to go abroad, and by and by comes up the girl to tell me, a gentleman was below in a coach who had a bill to pay me; so I let him come up, and who should it be but Mr Addison and Sam Dopping, to haul me out to supper, where I have staid till twelve. If Patrick had been at home I should have escaped this; for I have taught him to deny me almost as well as Mr Harley's porter. -Where did I leave off in MD's letter? let me see. So, now I have it. You are pleased to say, Madam Dingley, that those that go for England can never tell when to come back. Do you mean this as a reflection upon Presto, madam ? Sauceboxes, I will come back as soon as I can, this is his common phrase, and I hope with some advantage, unless all ministries be alike, as perhaps they may. I hope Hawkshaw is in Dublin before now, and that you have your things, and like your spectacles; if you did not, you shall have better. I hope Dingley's tobacco did not spoil Stella's chocolate, and that all is safe; pray let me know. Mr Addison and I are different as black and white, and I believe our friendship will go off, by this damned business of party he cannot bear seeing me fall in so with this ministry; but I love him still as well as ever, though we seldom meet.-Hussy, Stella, you jest about poor Congreve's eyes; you do so, hussy, but I will bang your bones, faith.-Yes, Steele was a little while in prison, or at least in a spunging-house, some time before I came, but not since. *-Pox on your convocation, and your Lamberts; † they write with a ven * Poor Steele's pecuniary embarrassments, and total improvidence, often led him into misfortunes of this kind. + Dr Lambert was chaplain to Lord Wharton. He was cen geance! I suppose you think it a piece of affectation in me to wish your Irish folks would not like my Shower; but you are mistaken. I should be glad to have the general applause there as I have here, (though I say it,) but I have only that of one or two, and therefore I would have none at all, but let you all be in the wrong. I do not know, that is not what I would say; but I am so tosticated with supper and stuff that I cannot express myself. What you say of Sid Hamet is well enough; that an enemy should like it, and a friend not; and that telling the author would make both change their opinions. Why did not you tell Griffyth that you fancied there was something in it of my manner? but first spur up his commendation to the height, as we served my poor uncle about the sconce that I mended. Well, I desired you to give what I intended for an answer to Mrs Fenton, to save her postage, and myself trouble; and I hope I have done it if you have not. 15. Lord, what a long day's writing was yesterday's answer to your letter, sirrahs. I dined to-day with Lewis and Ford, whom I have brought acquainted. Lewis told me a pure thing. I had been hankering with Mr Harley to save Steele his other employment, and have a little mercy on him, and I had been saying the same thing to Lewis, who is Mr Harley's chief favourite. Lewis tells Mr Harley how kindly I should take it, if he would be reconciled to Steele, &c. Harley, on my account, falls in with it, and appoints Steele a time to let him attend him, which Steele ac Mr sured in the lower house of convocation of Ireland as author of a libelling letter. cepts with great submission, but never comes, nor sends any excuse. Whether it was blundering, sullenness, insolence, or rancour of party, I cannot tell; but I shall trouble myself no more about him. * I believe Addison hindered him out of mere spite, being grated to the soul to think he should ever want my help to save his friend; yet now he is soliciting me to make another of his friends queen's secretary at Geneva: and I will do it if I can; it is poor Pastoral Philips. † 16. O, why did you leave my picture behind you at the other lodgings; forgot it? well; but pray remember it now, and do not roll it up, do you hear, but hang it carefully in some part of your room, where chairs and candles, and mopsticks, will not spoil it, sirrahs. No truly, I will not be godfather to Goody Walls this bout, and I hope she will have no more. There will be no quiet nor cards for this child. I hope it will die the day after the christening. Mr Harley gave me a paper, with an account of the sentence you speak of against the lads that defaced the statue, and that Ingoldsby * This occasioned a mortal quarrel between Steele and Swift. See their correspondence in Vol. III. + Ambrose Philips, a zealous Whig. Swift's application in his favour was unsuccessful; or rather, was not prosecuted, for they soon afterwards quarrelled upon the score of party. The equestrian statue of King William, erected after the battle of the Boyne, in the College Green, Dublin, was worshipped with public honours, or defaced and insulted, as the wind of party chanced to blow among the youth of Ireland. The dishonour here alluded to took place on the 25th of June, when some disorderly young students wrenched the sword or truncheon from its hand, daubed the face with dirt, and offered it many other indignities. The House of Commons, in their address to Lord Wharton, previous to his resigning the office of Lord-Lieutenant, took reprieved that part of it standing before the statue. I hope it was never executed. We have got your Broderick out; Doyne is to succeed him, and Cox Doyne. And so there is an end of your letter; it is all answered, and now I must go on about my own stock; go on, did I say? why I have written enough; but this is too soon to send it yet, young women; faith I dare not use you to it, you will always expect it; what remains shall be only short journals of a day, and so I will rise, for this morning.-At night. I dined with my opposite neighbour, Darteneuf, * and I was soliciting this day, to present the Bishop of Clogher + vice chancellor ; + but it will not do; they are all set against him, and the Duke of Ormond, they say, has resolved to dispose of it somewhere else. Well; little saucy rogues, do not stay out too late to-night, because it is Saturday night, and young women should come home soon then. 17. I went to court to seek a dinner, but the queen was not at church, she has got a touch of the gout; so very warm notice of the outrage, as the work of the enemies of their happy establishment, who envied their late glorious sovereign the honour of a statue, erected as a testimony how much was owing to their deliverer from popery and slavery. The city of Dublin was at the expence of repairing the damaged statue. It was alleged as one reason of this affront, that the figure was erected with its face to the city, and its back to the entrance of the College. Swift, who had no personal reason to love King William, seems anxious that the performers of this freak should punished. escape un * The celebrated epicure. His proper name was Dartqueneuf, which, being neither easy to spell or pronounce, sunk into Darteneuf. + Dr St George Ashe. Of the University of Dublin. the court was thin, and I went to the coffeehouse; and Sir Thomas Frankland and his eldest son and I went and dined with his son William. I talked a great deal to Sir Thomas about Manley, and find he is his good friend, and so has Ned Southwell been, and I hope he will be safe though all the Irish folks here are his mortal enemies. There was a devilish bite to-day. They had it, I know not how, that I was to preach this morning at St James's Church, and abundance went, among the rest Lord Radnor, who never is abroad till three in the afternoon. I walked all the way home from Hatton Garden at six, by moonlight, a delicate night. Raymond called at nine, but I was denied, and now I am in bed between eleven and twelve, just going to sleep, and dream of my own dear roguish impudent pretty MD. 18. You will now have short days works, just a few lines to tell you where I am, and what I am doing; only I will keep room for the last day to tell you news, if there be any worth sending. I have been sometimes like to do it at the top of my letter, until I remark it would be old before it reached you. I was hunting to dine with Mr Harley to-day, but could not find him; and so I dined with honest Dr Cockburn, and came home at six, and was taken out to next door by Dopping and Ford, to drink bad claret and oranges, and we let Raymond come to us, who talks of leaving the town tomorrow, but I believe will stay a day or two longer. It is now late, and I will say no more, but end this line with bidding my own dear saucy MD good night, &c. 19. I am come down proud stomach in one instance, |
