Life and Letters of John Gay (1685-1732) | Page 9

conversation are
not always welcome to me. There is no man more entirely fond of
good-nature or ingenuity than myself, and I have seen too much of
these qualities in Mr. Gay to be anything less than his most affectionate
friend and real servant."[16] That the intimacy between the poets
waxed apace is evident, for when Pope wrote "A Farewell to London in
the year 1715," the concluding stanza was:--
Adieu to all but Gay alone. Whose soul, sincere and free. Loves all
mankind, but flatters none. And so may starve with me.
[Footnote 1: Gay's Chair, p. 13.]
[Footnote 2: Dictionary of National Biography.]
[Footnote 3: Gay's Chair.]
[Footnote 4: Rural Sports.]
[Footnote 5: Spence: Anecdotes (ed. Singer), p. 13.]
[Footnote 6: George Cheyne (1671-1743), physician, practised first at
London, and then at Bath.]
[Footnote 7: "The Epigrammatical Petition" is printed on p. 29 of this
work,]

[Footnote 8: "Key to 'Three Hours after Marriage,'" p. 7.]
[Footnote 9: John Freind (1675-1728), physician.]
[Footnote 10: Pope: Works (ed. Elwin and Courthope), VI, p. 123.]
[Footnote 11: Ibid., VI, p. 124.]
[Footnote 12: A reference to "The Mourning Muse of Alexis: A
Pastoral Lamentary on the Death of Queen Mary." In this piece the
Queen is spoken of as "Pastora."]
[Footnote 13: The references are to "Henry and Emma" and "Hans
Carvel."]
[Footnote 14: Pope: Works (ed. Elwin and Courthope), VI, p. 130.]
[Footnote 15: Pope: Works (ed. Elwin and Courthope), VII, p. 408.]
[Footnote 16: Ibid., VII, p. 409.]
CHAPTER III
1713
"RURAL SPORTS," "THE FAN," "THE WIFE OF BATH," ETC.
There has been preserved a letter written by Aaron Hill to Richard
Savage, June 23rd, 1766, which contains information concerning the
life of the poet during the next two years. "I would willingly satisfy the
curiosity of your friend, in relation to Mr. Gay, if it were not easy to get
much further information than I am able to give, from Mr. Budgell or
Mr. Pope; to the first of whom, the beginning of his life was best
known, and to the last, its afternoon and evening," Hill wrote. "As to
your question, whether Mr. Gay was ever a domestic of the Duchess of
Monmouth, I can answer it in the affirmative; he was her secretary
about the year 1713, and continued so, till he went over to Hanover, in
the beginning of the following year, with Lord Clarendon, who was

sent thither by Queen Anne. At his return, upon the death of that Queen,
all his hopes became withered, but Mr. Pope (who you know, is an
excellent planter) revived and invigorated his bays, and indeed, very
generously supported him, in some more solid improvements; for
remember a letter, wherein he invited him, with a very impoetical
warmth that, so long as he himself had a shilling, Mr. Gay should be
welcome to sixpence of it, nay, to eightpence, if he could but contrive
to live on a groat."[1]
It is now happily possible to elaborate the information given in this
letter. Owing to the kindly offices of one or other of his friends, Gay
had secured the appointment of domestic secretary to the Duchess of
Monmouth. Anne Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch in her own right, had in
1663 married the Duke of Monmouth. He was executed for high
treason in 1683, and three years later his widow married Charles, third
Baron Cornwallis. Though she had not long mourned her first husband,
she did not forget that he was on his father's side of the blood royal, and
to the end of her days she preserved a regal state, which, however, did
not make her unpopular at Court. "The Princess," wrote Lady Cowper,
"loved her mightily, and certainly no woman of her years ever deserved
it so well. She had all the life and fire of youth, and it was marvellous
to see that the many afflictions she had suffered had not touched her wit
and good nature, but at upwards of three-score she had both in their full
perfection." Upon this appointment Dr. Johnson commented: "By
quitting a shop for such service Gay might gain leisure, but he certainly
advanced little on the boast of independence." As has been seen,
however, there was an interval of several years between Gay's
apprenticeship and his taking up this position as the Duchess's
amanuensis--for it is doubtful if he ever attained to an office more
responsible than this--he secured board and lodging, a little pocket
money, and no doubt ample leisure. It was necessary for Gay to earn
his livelihood, for he had spent his patrimony, and the earnings of his
pen were as yet negligible. Indeed, the situation was almost ideal for an
impecunious young man of letters. Anyhow, Gay was delighted, and
Pope not less so. "It has been