t with great sincerity, I respect wit with judgment, and beauty
with humility, whenever I meet it.

"I have sent the enclosed[11] and desire an answer. I make no more
apologies, for I take you to be in earnest; but if you can talk of
sincerity without having it, I am glad it is in my power to punish
you, for sincerity is not only the favourite expression of my
knight-errant, but it is my darling virtue.

"If I agree with you, that wit is very seldom to be found in
sincerity, it is because I think neither wit nor sincerity is often
found; but daily experience shows us it is want of wit, and not too
much, makes people insincere."

[Footnote 1: Paul Methuen (1672-1757), diplomatist; Comptroller of the
Household 1720-1725; K.B., 1725.]

[Footnote 2: _Lives of the Poets_ (ed. Hill), III, p. 273.]

[Footnote 3: _B.M._, Add. MSS., 28275, f. 8.]

[Footnote 4: Swift: _Works_ (ed. Scott), XVI, p. 385.]

[Footnote 5: George William, born November 2nd, 1717, died February 6th,
1722.]

[Footnote 6: _Works_ (ed. Elwin and Courthope), VII, p. 422.]

[Footnote 7: Swift: _Works_ (ed. Scott), XVI, 390.]

[Footnote 8: Swift: _Works_ (ed. Scott), XVI, p. 398.]

[Footnote 9: Swift: _Works_ (ed. Scott), XVI, p. 297.]

[Footnote 10: Probably a letter from Lord Peterborough to Mrs. Howard.]

[Footnote 11: Probably a copy of a letter from Mrs. Howard to Lord
Peterborough].

CHAPTER VII

1724-1727

"THE CAPTIVES"--THE FIRST SERIES OF "FABLES"--GAY AND THE
COURT--POPE, SWIFT AND MRS. HOWARD.

During 1723 Gay wrote a tragedy, "The Captives," which at the end of the
year he read to the royal circle at Leicester House. "When the hour
came," Johnson has recorded, "he saw the Princess [of Wales] and her
ladies all in expectation, and, advancing with reverence, too great for
any other attention, stumbled at a stool, and, falling forward, threw
down a weighty Japanese screen. The Princess started, the ladies
screamed, and poor Gay, after all the disturbance, was still to read his
play."[1] "The Captives" was produced at Drury Lane Theatre in January,
1724, and according to the _Biographica Dramatica_ was "acted nine
nights with great applause," the third, or author's night, being by the
command of the Prince and Princess of Wales. According, however, to
Fenton, "Gay's play had no success. I am told he gave thirty guineas to
have it acted on the fifth night."[2] When it was published, Gay
prefaced it with the fol