s: being the Second Part of Law
is a Bottomless Pit.

29 See Letter 36, note 6.

30 Cf. note 9 above. Forster reads "nautyas," when the words would mean
"as naughty as nine," apparently.

31 See note 19 above.

32 In 1549, James, second Earl of Arran, was made Duke of Chatelherault
by Henry II. of France. His eldest son died without issue; the second,
John, became first Marquis of Hamilton, and was great-grandfather of
Lady Anne Hamilton (Duchess of Hamilton), mother of the Duke of Swift's
Journal. The Earl of Abercorn, on the other hand, was descended from
Claud, third son of the Earl of Arran, but in the male line; and
his claim was therefore the stronger, according to the French law of
inheritance.

33 Madams.

34 This word is doubtful. Forster reads "cobbled."

35 A mistake, apparently, for "writing." The letter was begun on March
8.

36 Silly jade.

37 O Lord, what a clutter.

38 On the death of Dr. William Graham, Dean of Wells, it was reported
that Swift was to be his successor. Dr. Brailsford, however, received
the appointment.

39 Abel Roper (1665-1726), a Tory journalist, published, thrice weekly,
the Postboy, to which Swift sometimes sent paragraphs. Boyer (Political
State, 1711, p. 678) said that Roper was only the tool of a party;
"there are men of figure and distinction behind the curtain, who furnish
him with such scandalous reflections as they think proper to cast upon
their antagonists."

40 Joe Beaumont.

41 Beg your pardon, Madams, I'm glad you like your apron (see Letter 41,
note 18).

42 This word was smudged by Swift.

43 I cannot find Somers in contemporary lists of officials. Cf. Letter
30, note 16 and Letter 17, note 3.

44 Obliterated and doubtful.

45 Words obliterated and illegible. Forster reads, conjecturally, "Pray
send Pdfr the ME account that I may have time to write to Parvisol."

LETTER 44.

1 Addressed to "Mrs. Dingley," etc. Endorsed "Apr. 14."

2 "Is" (MS.).

3 The words after "yet" are partially obliterated.

4 See Letter 7, note 35.

5 John Cecil, sixth Earl of Exeter (died 1721).

6 See Letter 22, note 5.

7 Arbuthnot.

8 A resort of the Tories.

9 Deane Swift, a son of Swift's uncle Godwin, was a merchant in Lisbon.

10 Winces. Lyly says, "Rubbe there no more, least I winch."

11 Probably William Whiston, who was deprived of the Lucasian
professorship at Cambridge in 1710 for his heterodox views. Parliament
having offered a reward