Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 1.djvu/220

 knew him thoroughly from her earliest days, says to him, in a very frank letter, wherein she attacks him with a good deal of spirit on lady Suffolk's account — "It is you ought to be angry, and never forgive her, because you have been so much in the wrong, as to condemn her without show of justice; and I wish with all my heart, as a judgment upon you, that you had seen her as I did, when the news of your friend's death came; for though you are a proud person, yet give you devil your due, you are a sincere, good natured honest one." But this quality of his was discoverable only on a nearer acquaintance; for on this, as on all other occasions, he was at more pains to conceal his virtues, than others are to display them; and to effect this, often put on the appearance of qualities directly contrary to those he possessed. One of his intimates, writes thus to him: "You have an unlucky quality, which exposes you to the forwardness of those that love you, I mean good nature. From which, though I did not always suspect you guilty of it, I now promise myself an easy pardon."

Nor was his good nature merely of the common, kind; he had a tenderness of heart which made him feel with unusual sensibility the sufferings, misfortunes, or loss of friends, and sympathize with them in their afflictions. Nor were these feelings afterward diminished or blunted by years, till the faculties of his mind were impaired, and in a great degree they outlived even those; as may be seen in many instances during his latter correspondence, upon