But  first  he  had  gone  to  see  a  very  old  friend  and  fa-
vorite, the  author  of  the  Old  Bachelor  and  Way  of  the
World.  Congreve  was  now  almost  blind,  had  two  cata-
ract- growing  on  his  eyes,  and  wTas  never  rid  of  gout ;  yet
Swift  found  him  looking  young  and  fresh,  and  as  cheerful
as  ever,  though  Congreve  gave  his  visitor  a  pain  in  the
great  toe  by  merely  mentioning  the  gout.  "I  find  such
suspicions  frequently,  but  they  go  off  again."  Swift  was
older  than  his  school-fellow  by  three  years  or  more,  but
felt  as  if  he  were  twenty  years  younger;  and  his  dinners
and  wines  have  not  yet  the  danger  for  him  he  was  soon  to
feel.  lie  had  yet  no  misgiving  in  dining  at  Stratford's  in
the  city,  with  Burgundy  and  Tokay;  coming  "back  afoot
like  a  scoundrel;"  then  going  to  Addison;  and  afterward
making  himself  sick  all  night  by  supping  with  Lord  Mount-
joy.  Xot  the  less  was  he  ready  next  day  for  a  dinner
with  an  Irish  friend  of  Ppt's,  Mr.  Enoch  Sterne,  collector
of  Wicklow  and  clerk  to  the  House  of  Lords,  from  which
he  was  driven  away  early  by  a  ••prince  of  puppies,  Col.
Edgeworth ;"  then  on  the  morrow  he  would  dine  again
with  Stratford  at  a  young  city  merchant's,  with  Hermit-
age and  Tokay  ;  and  the  following  day,  the  19th,  when  his
letter  was  to  go,  he  had  dined  in  the  city  with  Addison.
20thOctober.  ]S~or  should  another  city  entertainment  be  forgotten,  when",
in  what  he  called  plaguy  twelvepenny  weather  (had  cost
him  ten  shillings  in  coach  and  chair  hire  that  last  week).
Citv  feasts.
§  II.  I  OLD  FRIENDS  and  m;\V.
