Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 13.djvu/105

Rh my duty to my mother, and the conversation of a country girl my sister, to all the pomp and splendour of the court. Is this virtue or stupidity! If I can help it, I will not go to town till after Christmas. I shall spend one month in my way to London at Long Leat : I hear that the young people there are very happy.

It is a little unreasonable of me to begin a fourth page; but it is a hard task to retire from the company one likes best. I am, sir, your most obliged and faithful humble servant,

M. PENDARVES.

DEAR SIR,

WAS mightily pleased to receive a letter from you last post; yet I am so ungrateful, I will not thank you for it, and it may be you do not deserve. The cruellest revenge that one can possibly inflict (without hurting one's self) is, that of being doubly diligent to those who neglect one, in order to shock them into better behaviour. As I have tried this trick myself, and that strong appearances are against me, I must defend myself, and then you will own I do not quite deserve chastisement. The post before I left this place, I received a letter from you, which I designed to have answered before I left London and England; but was hindered from both,