1CellBridg, [November/December] 1720

2Believe me t’is with the utmost regret that I now complain to you, because I know your good nature such, that you cannot see any humaine creature miserable, without being sensibly touched yett what can I do I must either unload my heart and tell you all its griefs or sink under the unexpressable distress I now suffer by your prodigious neglect of me. T’is now ten long weeks since I saw you and in all that time I have never received but one letter from you, and a little note with an excuse. Oh — how have you forgott me you indeavour by severities to force me from you nor can I blame you for with the utmost distress and confusion I behold my self the cause of uneasy reflections to you yet I cannot comfo[rt] you; but here declair that t’is not in the power of arte time or accedent to lessen the unexpressable passion which I have for — put my passion under the utmost restraint send me as distant from you as the earth will alow yet you can not banish those charming Idaea’s which will ever stick by me while I have the use of memory nor is the love I beare you only seated in my soul for there is not a single atome of my frame that is not blended with it therefor don’t flatter your self that separation will ever change my sentiments for I find my self unquiat in the midst of silence and my heart is at once pierced with sorrow and love for heavens sake tell me what has caused this prodigious change in you which I have found of late If you have the least remains of pitty for me left tell it me tenderly no don’t tell it so that it may cause my present Death and don’t suffer me to live a life like a languishing Death which is the only life I can leade if you have lost any of your tenderness for me.

3The Correspondence of Jonathan Swift. 4 vols. Edited by David Woolley, Peter Lang. Vol. II, p.351.