20 For “poo Ppt’s.”  Mr. Ryland reads, “people’s.”

21 See Letter 57, 21 Dec. 1712.

22 See Letter 57, note 23.

23 See Letter 14, note 9.

24 Obliterated; Forster’s reading.

25 Writing in October 1713, Lord Berkeley of Stratton told Lord Strafford of “a fine prank of the widow Lady Jersey” (see Letter 29, note 3).  “It is well known her lord died much in debt, and she, after taking upon her the administration, sold everything and made what money she could, and is run away into France without paying a farthing of the debts, with only one servant and unknown to all her friends, and hath taken her youngest son, as ’tis supposed to make herself a merit in breeding him a papist.  My Lord Bolingbroke sent after her, but too late, and they say the Queen hath writ a letter with her own hand to the King of France to send back the boy” (Wentworth Papers, p. 357).  See also Letter 63, note 8.  I am not sure whether in the present passage Swift is referring to the widow or the younger Lady Jersey (see Letter 33, note 10).

26 Sir Thomas Clarges, Bart. (died 1759), M.P. for Lostwithiel, married Barbara, youngest daughter of John Berkeley, fourth Viscount Fitz-Hardinge, and of Barbara Villiers (see Letter 54, note 11), daughter of Sir Edward Villiers.

27 See Letter 43, Mar. 21, 1711-12 and Letter 49, Jul. 1, 1712.

28 Altered from “11” in the Ms. It is not certain where the error in the dates began; but the entry of the 6th must be correctly dated, because the Feb. 6 was the Queen’s Birthday.

29 See Letter 43, note 11 and Letter 57, note 12.

Letter 60.

1 Addressed to “Mrs. Dingley,” etc.  Endorsed “Mar. 7.”

2 See Letter 5, note 23.

3 Sedan chairs were then comparatively novel (see Gay’s Trivia).

4 Some words obliterated.  Forster reads, “Nite MD, My own deelest MD.”

5 Peter Wentworth wrote to Lord Strafford, on Feb. 17, 1713, “Poor Mr. Harrison is very much lamented; he died last Saturday.  Dr. Swift told me that he had told him. . . he owed about 300 pounds, and the Queen owed him 500 pounds, and that if you or some of your people could send an account of his debts, that I might give it to him, he would undertake to solicit Lord Treasurer and get this 500 pounds, and give the remainder to his mother and sister” (Wentworth Papers, 320).

6 George St. John (eldest son of Sir Harry St. John by his second marriage) was Secretary to the English Plenipotentiaries at Utrecht.  He died at Venice in 1716 (Lady Cowper’s Diary, 65).

7 Forster wrongly reads, “poor.”

8 “Putt” (Ms.).

9 See Letter 59, note 26.

10 Montagu Bertie, second Earl of Abingdon (died 1743), was a strong Tory.

11 See Letter 11, note 61.  These friends were together again on an expedition to Bath in 1715, when Jervas wrote to Pope (Aug. 12, 1715) that Arbuthnot, Disney, and he were to meet at Hyde Park Corner, proceed to Mr. Hill’s at Egham, meet Pope next day, and then go to Lord Stawell’s to lodge the night.  Lord Stawell’s seat, Aldermaston, was seventeen miles from Binfield.