MR. PILKINGTON TO MR. BOWYER.

SIR,

DUBLIN, AUGUST 17, 1732.

I RECEIVED your last letter, with the note to Mr.

North. I am extremely obliged to you for the favour of such a present, and shall be glad to have an opportunity to express my gratitude to you.

I would send with this letter two or three of those papers which I design for your volume; but the dean is reading them over, to try if there be any alteration requisite in any of them. I showed him your note to Mr. North; and I believe he was at least as much pleased as the person who was to receive it. We have thoughts of preparing a preface to your edition, in the name of the editor. Let me know whether I shall send the pamphlets by post, and whether you have the Journal of a Dublin Lady, the Ballad on the English Dean, and Rochford's Journal, because you shall have the copies sent to you, and the property effectually secured. I mentioned your request to the dean; and I shall get you the right of printing the Proposal for Eating Children. I mentioned the alteration of the titles; and he thinks it will be most proper to give them both the Irish and English titles; for instance, the Soldier and the Scholar, or Hamilton's Bawn, &c. I have some hope of being able to send all these in about a week or fortnight's time; and shall venture to send them by post, though it will be expensive. The

The dean says, he thinks the assignment* as full as it is possible for him to write; but that he will comply with any alterations we think proper. I shall expect to hear from you as soon as possible; because I have some schemes to transact, which probably I shall acquaint you with in my next letter.

I am, sir,

Your most obliged servant,

MATT. PILKINGTON.

MR. PILKINGTON TO MR. BOWYER.

I

SIR,

AUGUST 28, 1732.

HAVE sent you some of the pamphlets I promised, in as large a parcel as I could venture. The dean has, with his own hand, made some alterations in some of them. I will, by next post, or next but one, send you another pamphlet at least, and a new assignment from the dean. He received a letter from Mr. Pope and Mr. Motte; but neither have been of the least disadvantage to my request. I cannot say but I am proud of his friendship to me.

I desire that you will insist upon your right by the assignment I formerly sent; and let Mr. Motte show you any thing under the dean's hand which will invalidate it! Our affair is a Our affair is a point where the dean's honour is concerned; and that very consideration

* See this assignment in vol. II, page xxiii.

may

may convince you that your interests will be secured. You shall hear from me more particularly in a post

or two.

I send you a catalogue of some of those pieces which you are entitled to print; and if you would add any of the Intelligencers, I can inform you which are the dean's, and which not.

"A catalogue of pieces which you are empowered to print, by the dean's assignment: The Barrack. An Ode to Ireland, from Horace. A Libel on Dr. Delany and Lord Carteret. To Dr. Delany, on the Libels against him. O'Rourk. The Dressing Room. The Defence of it. The Journal at Rochford's. The Thorn. City Cries. Project, Bishops' Lands. On Bishops' Leases. Arguments against repealing the Test Act. Considerations on the Bishops' Bills. Vindication of Lord Carteret. Proposal for Eating Children. Poem on the English Dean. Journal of a Dublin Lady.

MATT. PILKINGTON.

TO MR. ALDERMAN BARBER.

I

MY LORD ELECT,

DUBLIN,

SEPTEMBER 11, 1732.

ANTICIPATE your title, because perhaps it may be your due before your chaplain, Mr. Pilkington, can attend you. And, besides, I have a mind to be the first person who gives it to you. heartily acknowledge your goodness

And, first, I

in favouring

a young

a young gentleman who has well answered all the recommendations that have been given me of him, and I have some years watched all opportunities to do him a good office, but none of the few things in my own gift that would be proper for him have fallen in my way since I knew him; and power with others, you know, or may believe, I have none. I value Mr. Pilkington as much for his modesty, as his learning and sense, or any good quality he has. And it would be hard, after your sending us over so many worthless bishops, all bedangled with their pert illiterate relations and flatterers, if you would not suffer us to lend you, at least for one year, one sample of modesty, virtue, and good sense; and I am glad it falls to your lordship to give the first precedent. I will write to Dr. Trap in Mr. Pilkington's favour, but whether I have any credit with him I cannot tell, although, perhaps, you will think, I may pretend to some. It is by my advice that Mr. Pilkington goes over somewhat sooner; for I would have him know a little of your end of the town, and what he is to do; but he will not give you any trouble or care till you please to command him, which I suppose will not be till you are settled in your office.

Nothing but this cruel accident of a lameness could have hindered me from attending your ceremonial as a spectator, and I should have forwarded, to the utmost, Mr. Pope's scheme, for I never approved the omission of those shows. And I think I saw, in my youth, a lord mayor's show with all that pomp, when sir Thomas Pilkington, of your chaplain's name and family, made his procession.

I have advised your chaplain to send you this let

ter,

ter, and not present it, that you may be in no pain about him, for he shall wait on you the next morning, when he has taken a lodging for himself, till you come into your mayoralty.

I cannot conclude without repeating my acknowledgments for your kind remembrance of me. We were both followers of the same court and the same cause, and exiles, after a sort, you a voluntary one and I a necessary; but you have outthrown me many a hundred bars lengths. I heartily wish the continuance of your good success, and am, with great truth, your most constant friend and most obedient humble servant,

t

- JONATH. SWIFT.

TO THE RIGHT HON. JOHN BARBER, ESQ., LORD MAYOR OF LONDON.

MY LORD,

DUBLIN, DEC. 14, 1732.

AFTER obtaining FTER obtaining one favour from your lordship, I am under the necessity of requesting another; which, however, I hope will not give you much trouble. I know that it depends upon chance what employments you may have in your disposal during your mayoralty; but some I presume you will have. It is therefore my request, and will be so likewise of some others among your friends, that if any employment should fall vacant, during your government, which Mr. Barber would be allowed capable of executing well, your lordship would please that

he