t   I  !;e  duke  had  just  been  pro]
foreml  to  France,  and  wanted

Swift  to  go  with  him  as  secretary —
of  course  he  could  not  be  spared.
450


THE  LIFE  OF  JONATHAN  SWIFT.
[Book  VI.
1710-1713.
.Ki.  43-46.
12th  December,  1712.     Scott,  iii.,  G8.
Here  is  now  a  strange  thing;  a  letter  from  MD  unanswered.
Addressed  to
Mrs.  Ding-
ley.     In-
dorsed by
Mrs.  John-
sou,  "50.
Dec.  IS."


Li-.TTF.it  5G.  Why  could  it  not  be  sent  before,  pray  now  '{  .  .  .  I  will  renew  my
journal  method  next  time.  ...  O !  Ppt  I  remember  your  repri-
manding me  for  meddling  in  other  people's  affairs:  I  have  enough
of  it  now,  with  a  vengeance.  God  be  thanked  that  Ppt  is  better  of
It,  r  disorders.  God  keep  her  so.  .  .  .  Sir  Richard  Levinge,  stuff,  and
Pratt,  more  stuff.  .  .  .  Abel  Roper  tells  me  you  have  had  floods  in
Dublin;  no,  have  you?  Oh  ho!  Swanton  seized  Portraine,  now. I
understand  you.  Ay,  ay,  now  I  see  Portraine  at  the  top  of  your
letter.  .  .  .  Heigh!  do  you  write  by  candlelight!  naughty,  naughty,
naughty  dallah,  a  hundred  times  for  doing  so.  .  .  .  My  brother  Or-
mond  sent  me  some  chocolate  to-day.  I  wish  you  had  share  of  it,
they  say  it  is  good  for  me,  and  I  design  to  drink  some  in  the  morn-
ing. ..  .  -I  have  given  away  ten  shillings  to-day  to  servants.
