o eat a wheat-ear, because they call it here
a fern-knacker; but since he knew it was a wheat-ear, he is extremely
concerned. You are desired to acquaint Miss Smith that the Duchess was
upon the brink of leaving off painting the first week she came here, but
hath since taken it up with great success. She hopes she will never
think of her and my Lord Castlemaine[10] on the same day.

"The Duke hath rung the bell for supper, and says, 'How can you write
such stuff?'

And so we conclude,
As 'tis fitting we should.
For the sake of our food;
So don't think this rude.
Would my name was 'Gertrude,'
Or 'Simon and Jude.'"

It was an amusement of the Duchess of Queensberry and of Gay to write
joint letters. They thoroughly loved fooling, and frequently indulged
together in that pleasant pastime.

Middleton, August 27th, 1729.

"... What is blotted out was nonsense; so that it is not worth while to
try to read it. It was well meant; the Duchess said it was very obscure,
and I found out that it was not to be understood at all, nor by any
alteration to be made intelligible; so out it went.

"We have this afternoon been reading Polybius. We were mightily pleased
with the account of the Roman wars with the Gauls; but we did not think
his account of the Achaians, and his remarks upon the historian
Philarchus, so entertaining, as for aught we knew it might be judicious.

"I know you will be very uneasy unless I tell you what picture the
Duchess hath in hand. It is a round landscape of Paul Brill, which Mr.
Dormer[11] lent her, in which there are figures very neatly finished. It
is larger than any she hath yet done; by the dead colouring I guess
(though her Grace is not very sanguine) it will in the end turn out very
well."

J.G.

"I do not understand which of our correspondents this letter is fit for;
for there is neither wit, folly, nor solid sense, nor even a good
foundation for nonsense, which is the only thing that I am well versed
in. There were all these good things in the delightful letter you sent
us; but as all the different hands are not known, they are unanswerable:
for the future, then, pray sign or come,--the latter is best; for
whoever can write so well must speak so; but now I think we had better
always write for the good of posterity."

C.Q.

JOHN GAY TO DEAN SWIFT.

Middleton Stoney, November 9th, 1729.

"I have been in Oxfordshire with the Duke of Queensberry for these three
mon