Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 18.djvu/334

320 one; when you go that way, tell her of this, with my service, and that I will write to her soon. Your letters have been so friendly, so frequent, and so entertaining, and oblige me so much, that I am afraid in a little time they will make me forget you are a cousin, and treat you as a friend. If Apollo has entirely neglected my head, can you think he will descend to take care of my shin? Earthly ladies forsake us at forty, and the muses at fifty-five. I have mentioned that rascal to Dr. Delany, who defended him as well as he could, but very weakly; if the doctor will not cast him off, he will justly expose himself to censure.

I wish you would speak to your dearly beloved monster Mr., when he comes to town, about my Laracor agent, to pay me some money, and to reproach for his infamous neglect of my affairs. He is one of your favourites, and another; I hope I am not the third.

I have just spoken about the thread to Mrs. Sheridan, who tells me, that what you desire is to be had here every market day; and that Mrs. Donaldson understands it very well. "To carry on the thread of the discourse, I discovered the little dirty b— h, the firemaker, to be the opener of the doors, and the leaver of them so; for which the dean had her lugged this evening by the cook maid; for which he paid her a threepence, and gave the little girl a penny for being lugged; and because " the