1729
CORRESPONDENCE
With the composition of "Polly," the literary life of Gay came
practically to an end, although he survived until December 4th, 1732.
During these four years he worked not at all, save occasionally on the
second series of "Fables."
After the prohibition of "Polly," Gay, who had been ill during 1728, had
a severe attack of fever, during which he was attended by the faithful
Arbuthnot, and carefully tended by the Duchess of Queensberry.
ALEXANDER POPE TO JOHN GAY.
[_circa_ December, 1728.]
"No words can tell you the great concern I feel for you; I assure you it
was not, and is not, lessened by the immediate apprehension I have now
every day lain under of losing my mother. Be assured, no duty less than
that should have kept me one day from attending your condition. I would
come and take a room by you at Hampstead, to be with you daily, were she
not still in danger of death. I have constantly had particular accounts
of you from the doctor [Arbuthnot], which have not ceased to alarm me
yet. God preserve your life, and restore your health! I really beg it
for my own sake, for I feel I love you more than I thought in health,
though I always loved you a great deal. If I am so unfortunate as to
bury my poor mother, and yet have the good fortune to have my prayers
heard for you, I hope we may live most of our remaining days together.
If, as I believe, the air of a better clime, as the southern part of
France, may be thought useful for your recovery, thither I would go with
you infallibly; and it is very probable we might get the Dean [Swift]
with us, who is in that abandoned state already in which I shall shortly
be, as to other cares and duties. Dear Gay, be as cheerful as your
sufferings will permit: God is a better friend than a Court: even any
honest man is a better. I promise you my entire friendship in all
events."
* * * * *
Gay gradually got well. "I am glad to hear of your recovery, and the
oftener I hear it, the better, when it becomes easy to you to give it,"
Pope, who remained a regular correspondent, wrote to him in January,
1729. But, though Gay was better in health, his spirits were low.
JOHN GAY TO ALEXANDER POPE.
[Feb. or March, 1729.]
"My melancholy increases, and every hour threatens me with some return
of my distemper, nay, I think I may rather say I have it on me. Not the
divine looks, the kind favours, and the expressions of the divine
Duchess, who, hereafter, shall be in the place of a queen to me--nay,
she shall be my queen--nor the inexpressible goodness of the Duke, can
in the least cheer me. The Drawing-room no more receives light from
those two stars. There is now what Milton says is in hell--darkness
visible. Oh, that I had never known what a Court was! Dear Pope, what a
barren soil (to me so) have I been striving to produce something out of.
Why did I not take your advice before my writing Fables for the Duke,
not to write them! It is my very hard fate I must get nothing, write for
them or against them. I find myself in such a strange confusion and
depression of spirits that I have not strength enough even to make my
will, though I perceive by many warnings I have no continuing city here.
I begin to look upon myself as one already dead, and desire, my dear Mr.
Pope, whom I love as my own soul, if you survive me, as you certainly
will, that you will, if a stone should mark the place of my grave, see
these words put upon it:--
Life is a jest, and all things show it,
I thought so once, but now I know it,
with what more you may think proper. If anyone should ask how I could
communicate this after death, let it be known, it is not meant so, but
my present sentiment in life. What the bearer brings besides this
letter, should I die without a will, which I am the likelier to do, as
the law will settle my small estate much as I should do so myself, let
it remain with you, as it has long done with me, the remembrance of a
dead friend; but there is none like you, living or dead."
Both Swift and Pope remained faithful to Gay, and in their
correspondence there are many allusions to him. "Mr. Gay," wrote Swift
to Pope, "is a scandal to all lusty young fellows with healthy
countenances; and, I think, he is not intemperate in a physical sense. I
am told he has an asthma, which is a disease I commiserate more than
deafness, because it will not leave a man quiet either sleeping or
waking."[1]
JOHN GAY TO DEAN SWIFT.
From the Duke of Queensberry's,
Burlington Gardens.
March 18th, 1729.
"I am but just recovered from the severest fit of sickness that ever
anybody had who escaped death. I was several times given up by the
physicians, and everybody that attended me; and upon my recovery was
judged to be in so ill a condition, that I should be miserable for the
remainder of my life; but contrary to all expectation, I am perfectly
recovered, and have no remainder of the distempers that attacked me,
which were at the same time, fever, asthma, and pleurisy.
"I am now in the Duke of Queensberry's house, and have been so ever
since I left Hampstead; where I was carried at a time that it was
thought I could not live a day. Since my coming to town, I have been
very little abroad, the weather has been so severe.
"I must acquaint you (because I know it will please you) that during my
sickness I had many of the kindest proofs of friendship, particularly
from the Duke and Duchess of Queensberry, who, if I had been their
nearest relation and nearest friend, could not have treated me with more
constant attendance then; and they continue the same to me now.
"You must undoubtedly have heard, that the Duchess took up my defence
with the King and Queen, in the cause of my play, and that she has been
forbid the Court for interesting herself to increase my fortune, by the
publication of it without being acted. The Duke, too, has given up his
employment (which he would have done if the Duchess had not met with
this treatment) upon account of ill-usage from the Ministers; but this
hardened him in what he had determined.
"The play ['Polly '] is now almost printed, with the music, words, and
basses, engraved on thirty-one copper-plates, which, by my friends'
assistance, has a possibility to turn greatly to my advantage. The
Duchess of Marlborough has given me a hundred pounds for one copy; and
others have contributed very handsomely; but as my account is not yet
settled, I cannot tell you particulars.
"For writing in the cause of virtue, and against the fashionable vices,
I am looked upon at present as the most obnoxious person, almost, in
England. Mr. Pulteney tells me I have got the start of him. Mr. Pope
tells me that I am dead, and that this obnoxiousness is the reward for
my inoffensiveness in my former life.
"I wish I had a book ready to send you; but I believe I shall not be
able to complete the work till the latter end of next week....
"I am impatient to finish my work, for I want the country air; not that
I am ill, but to recover my strength; and I cannot leave my work till it
is finished.
"While I am writing this, I am in the room next to our dining-room, with
sheets all around it, and two people from the binder folding sheets. I
print the book at my own expense, in quarto, which is to be sold for six
shillings, with the music.
"You see I do not want industry; and I hope you will allow that I have
not the worst economy.
"Mrs. Howard has declared herself strongly, both to the King and Queen,
as my advocate. The Duchess of Queensberry is allowed to have shown more
spirit, more honour, and more goodness, than was thought possible in our
times; I should have added, too, more understanding and good sense.
"You see my fortune (as I hope my virtue will) increases by oppression.
I go to no Courts, I drink no wine; and am calumniated even by Ministers
of State; and yet am in good spirits.
"Most of the courtiers, though otherwise my friends, refused to
contribute to my undertaking. But the City, and the people of England,
take my part very warmly; and, I am told, the best of the citizens will
give me proofs of it by their contributions.
"I cannot omit telling you, that Dr. Arbuthnot's attendance and care of
me showed him the best of friends. Dr. Hollins, though entirely a
stranger to me, was joined with him, and used me in the kindest and most
handsome manner."[2]
* * * * *
In consequence of this hubbub about "Polly," Gay became a notorious
character, as Arbuthnot in a letter to Swift (March 19th, 1729) remarks
very humorously. "John Gay, I may say with vanity, owes his life, under
God, to the unwearied endeavours and care of your humble servant; for a
physician who had not been passionately his friend could not have saved
him," he wrote. "I had, besides my personal concern for him, other
motives of my care. He is now become a public person, a little
Sacheverell; and I took the same pleasure in saving him, as Radcliffe
did in preserving my Lord Chief Justice Holt's wife, whom he attended
out of spite to her husband, who wished her dead.
"The inoffensive John Gay is now become one of the obstructions to the
peace of Europe, the terror of Ministers, the chief author of the
_Craftsmen_, and all the seditious pamphlets which have been published
against the Government. He has got several turned out of their places;
the greatest ornament of the Court [the Duchess of Queensberry] banished
from it for his sake; another great lady [Mrs. Howard] in danger of
being _chasée_ likewise; about seven or eight Duchesses pushing forward,
like the ancient circumcelliones in the Church, who shall suffer
martyrdom upon his account at first. He is the darling of the City. If
he should travel about the country he would have hecatombs of roasted
oxen sacrificed to him. Since he became so conspicuous, Will Pulteney
hangs his head to see himself so much outdone in the career of glory. I
hope he will get a good deal of money by printing his play ['Polly'];
but I really believe he would get more money by showing his person; and
I can assure you, this is the very identical John Gay whom you formerly
knew, and lodged in Whitehall, two years ago."[3]
Gay was now the avowed _protégé_ of the Duke and Duchess of Queensberry,
so he spent the greater part of his closing years either at their
country seat, Middleton Stoney, Amesbury, in Wiltshire, or at their
London house in Burlington Gardens.
Gay, who really asked nothing better than to be a pet of the great in
this world, was happy enough. In May, 1729, he went to Scotland with the
Duke of Queensberry, and his only trouble was that the success of
"Polly" made it attractive to unscrupulous booksellers. "He has about
twenty lawsuits with booksellers for pirating his book,"[4] Arbuthnot
wrote to Swift on May 8th. In the following month, the same
correspondent, reports, "Mr. Gay is returned from Scotland, and has
recovered his strength of his journey."[5]
JOHN GAY TO THE HON. MRS. HOWARD.
August 9th, 1729.
"I desire you would send word whether white currants be proper to make
tarts: it is a point that we dispute upon every day, and will never be
ended unless you decide it.
"The Duchess would be extremely glad if you could come here this day
se'nnight; but if you cannot, come this day fortnight at farthest, and
bring as many unlikely people as you can to keep you company. Have you
lain at Marble Hill since we left Petersham? Hath the Duchess an aunt
Thanet[6] alive again? She says there are but two people in the world
that love and fear me--and those are, Lord Drum[lanrig][7] and Lord
Charles [Douglas].[8] If they were awake, I would make them love those
that I love, and say something civil to you. The Duchess hath left off
taking snuff ever since you have; but she takes a little every day. I
have not left it off, and yet take none; my resolution not being so
strong. Though you are a water-drinker yourself, I daresay you will be
sorry to hear that your friends have strictly adhered to that liquor;
for you may be sure their heads cannot be affected with that.
"General Dormer[9] refused to 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
months, and have had very little correspondence with any of our friends.
"I have employed my time in new writing a damned play, which I wrote
several years ago, called 'The Wife of Bath.' As it is approved or
disapproved of by my friends, when I come to town, I shall either have
it acted, or let it alone, if weak brethren do not take offence at it.
The ridicule turns upon superstition, and I have avoided the very words
bribery and corruption. Folly, indeed, is a word that I have ventured to
make use of; but that is a term that never gave fools offence. It is a
common saying, that he is wise that knows himself. What has happened of
late, I think, is a proof that it is not limited to the wise....
"Next week, I believe, I shall be in town; not at Whitehall, for those
lodgings were judged not convenient for me, and were disposed of.
Direct to me at the Duke of Queensberry's, in Burlington Gardens, near
Piccadilly.
"You have often twitted me in the teeth with hankering after the Court.
In that you mistook me: for I know by experience that there is no
dependence that can be sure, but a dependance upon one's-self. I will
take care of the little fortune I have got.[12]"
[Footnote 1: Swift: _Works_ (ed. Scott), XVII, p. 215.]
[Footnote 2: Swift: _Works_ (ed. Scott), XVII, p. 232.]
[Footnote 3: Swift: _Works_ (ed. Scott), XIX, p. 232.]
[Footnote 4: Swift: _Works_ (ed. Scott), XVII, p. 244.]
[Footnote 5: _Ibid_., XVII, p. 245.]
[Footnote 6: The great-aunt (not aunt) was Elizabeth, daughter of
Richard Boyle, first Earl of Burlington, who married Nicholas Tufton,
third Earl of Thanet. Elizabeth's sister, Henrietta, who married
Laurence Hyde, Earl of Rochester, was a grandmother of the Duchess of
Queensberry.]
[Footnote 7: Henry Douglas (1723-1754), known by the style of Earl of
Drumlanrig, the elder son of Charles Douglas, third Duke of Queensberry.
He predeceased his father.]
[Footnote 8: Lord Charles Douglas (1726-1756), the younger son of the
Duke, who also survived him.]
[Footnote 9: James Dormer (1678-1741), Colonel, 1720;
Envoy-Extraordinary to Lisbon, 1725; Lieutenant-General, 1737; a friend
of Pope.]
[Footnote 10: Sir Richard Child, Bart., of Wanstead (d. 1749), created
Viscount Castlemaine, 1718; and Earl Tylney, 1731.]
[Footnote 11: Mr. Dormer, of Rowsham, elder brother of General Dormer.]
[Footnote 12: Swift: _Works_ (ed Scott), XVII, p. 277.]