Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 11.djvu/35

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DR. SWIFT.
23


SIR,
LONDON, APRIL 15, 1708.


I WONDER whether in the midst of your buildings, you ever consider that I have broke my shins, and have been a week confined, this charming weather, to my chamber, and cannot go abroad to hear the nightingales, or pun with my lord Pembroke. Pug is very well, and likes London wonderfully, but Greenwich better, where we could hardly keep him from hunting down the deer. I am told by some at court, that the bishop of Kildare is utterly bent upon a removal on this side, though it be to St. Asaph: and then the question must be, whether Dr. Pratt will be dean of St. Patrick's, minister of St. Catherine's, or provost? For I tell you a secret, that the queen is resolved the next promotion shall be to one of Dublin education: this she told the lord lieutenant. Your new Waterford bishop franks his letters, which no bishop does that writes to me; I suppose it is some peculiar privilege of that see. The dissenters have made very good use here of your frights in Ireland upon the intended invasion; and the archbishop writes me word, that the address of Dublin city will be to the same purpose, which I think the clergy ought to have done their best to prevent, and I hope they did so. Here has the Irish speaker been soliciting to get the test clause repealed by an act here; for which I hope he will be impeached when your parliament meets again, as well as for some other things I could mention. I hope

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you