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The Spirit of Place and Other Essays
hear an honest rout of them betimes。 But the nervous tourist has not；
perhaps； the sense of place； and the genius of place does not signal to him
to go and find it among innumerable hills； where one by one； one by one；
the belfries stand and play their tunes。 Variable are those lonely melodies；
having a differing gaiety for the festivals； and a pitiful air is played for the
burial of a villager。
As for the poets； there is but one among so many of their bells that
seems to toll with a spiritual music so loud as to be unforgotten when the
mind goes up a little higher than the earth； to listen in thought to earth's
untethered sounds。 This is Milton's curfew； that sways across one of the
greatest of all the seashores of poetry 〃the wide…watered。〃
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MRS。 DINGLEY
We cannot do her honour by her Christian name。 ｛1｝ All we have to
call her by more tenderly is the mere D； the D that ties her to Stella； with
whom she made the two…in…one whom Swift loved 〃better a thousand
times than life； as hope saved。〃 MD； without full stops； Swift writes it
eight times in a line for the pleasure of writing it。 〃MD sometimes means
Stella alone；〃 says one of many editors。 〃The letters were written
nominally to Stella and Mrs。 Dingley；〃 says another； 〃but it does not
require to be said that it was really for Stella's sake alone that they were
penned。〃 Not so。 〃MD〃 never stands for Stella alone。 And the editor
does not yet live who shall persuade one honest reader； against the word of
Swift； that Swift loved Stella only； with an ordinary love； and not； by a
most delicate exception； Stella and Dingley； so joined that they make the
〃she〃 and 〃her〃 of every letter。 And this shall be a paper of reparation to
Mrs。 Dingley。
No one else in literary history has been so defrauded of her honours。
In love 〃to divide is not to take away；〃 as Shelley says； and Dingley's half
of the tender things said to MD is equal to any whole； and takes nothing
from the whole of Stella's half。 But the sentimentalist has fought against
Mrs。 Dingley from the outset。 He has disliked her； shirked her；
misconceived her； and effaced her。 Sly sentimentalisthe finds her
irksome。 Through one of his most modern representatives he has but
lately called her a 〃chaperon。〃 A chaperon！
MD was not a sentimentalist。 Stella was not so； though she has been
pressed into that character； D certainly was not； and has in this respect
been spared by the chronicler； and MD together were 〃saucy charming
MD；〃 〃saucy little； pretty； dear rogues；〃 〃little monkeys mine；〃 〃little
mischievous girls；〃 〃nautinautinautidear girls；〃 〃brats；〃 〃huzzies both；〃
〃impudence and saucy…face；〃 〃saucy noses；〃 〃my dearest lives and
delights；〃 〃dear little young women；〃 〃good dallars； not crying dallars〃
（which means 〃girls〃）； 〃ten thousand times dearest MD；〃 and so forth in a
hundred repetitions。 They are； every now and then； 〃poor MD；〃 but
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The Spirit of Place and Other Essays
obviously not because of their own complaining。 Swift called them so
because they were mortal； and he； like all great souls； lived and loved；
conscious every day of the price； which is death。
The two were joined by love； not without solemnity； though man； with
his summary and wholesale ready…made sentiment； has thus obstinately
put them asunder。 No wholesale sentiment can do otherwise than
foolishly play havoc with such a relation。 To Swift it was the most
secluded thing in the world。 〃I am weary of friends； and friendships are
all monsters； except MD's；〃 〃I ought to read these letters I write after I
have done。 But I hope it does not puzzle little Dingley to read； for I think
I mend： but methinks；〃 he adds； 〃when I write plain； I do not know how；
but we are not alone； all the world can see us。 A bad scrawl is so snug； it
looks like PMD。〃 Again： 〃I do not like women so much as I did。 MD；
you must know； are not women。〃 〃God Almighty preserve you both and
make us happy together。〃 〃I say Amen with all my heart and vitals； that
we may never be asunder ten days together while poor Presto lives。〃
〃Farewell； dearest beloved MD； and love poor； poor Presto； who has not
had one happy day since he left you； as hope saved。〃
With themwith herhe hid himself in the world； at Court； at the bar
of St。 James's coffee…house； whither he went on the Irish mail… day； and
was 〃in pain except he saw MD's little handwriting。〃 He hid with them
in the long labours of these exquisite letters every night and morning。 If
no letter came； he comforted himself with thinking that 〃he had it yet to be
happy with。〃 And the world has agreed to hide under its own manifold
and lachrymose blunders the grace and singularitythe distinctionof this
sweet romance。 〃Little； sequestered pleasure…house〃it seemed as though
〃the many could not miss it；〃 but not even the few have found it。
It is part of the scheme of the sympathetic historian that Stella should
be the victim of hope deferred； watching for letters from Swift。 But day
and night Presto complains of the scantiness of MD's little letters； he waits
upon 〃her〃 will： 〃I shall make a sort of journal； and when it is full I will
send it whether MD writes or not； and so that will be pretty。〃 〃Naughty
girls that will not write to a body！〃 〃I wish you were whipped for
forgetting to send。 Go； be far enough； negligent baggages。〃 〃You；
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Mistress Stella； shall write your share； and then comes Dingley altogether；
and then Stella a little crumb at the end； and then conclude with something
handsome and genteel； as ‘your most humble cumdumble。'〃 But Scott
and Macaulay and Thackeray are all exceedingly sorry for Stella。
Swift is most charming when he is feigning to complain of his task：
〃Here is such a stir and bustle with this little MD of ours； I must be
writing every night； O Lord； O Lord！〃 〃I must go write idle things； and
twittle twattle。〃 〃These saucy jades take up so much of my time with
writing to them in the morning。〃 Is it not a stealthy wrong done upon
Mrs。 Dingley that she should be stripped of all these ornaments to her
name and memory？ When Swift tells a woman in a letter that there he is
〃writing in bed； like a tiger；〃 she should go gay in the eyes of all
generations。
They will not let Stella go gay； because of sentiment； and they will not
let Mrs。 Dingley go gay； because of sentiment for Stella。 Marry come up！
Why did not the historians assign all the tender passages （taken very
seriously） to Stella； and let Dingley have the jokes； then？ That would
have been no ill share for Dingley。 But no； forsooth； Dingley is allowed
nothing。
There are passages； nevertheless； which can hardly be taken from her。
For now and then Swift parts his dear MD。 When he does so he
invariably drops those initials and writes 〃Stella〃 or 〃Ppt〃 for the one； and
〃D〃 or 〃Dingley〃 for the other。 There is no exception to this anywhere。
He is anxious about Stella's 〃little eyes；〃 and about her health generally；
whereas Dingley is strong。 Poor Ppt； he thinks； will not catch the 〃new
fever；〃 because she is not well； 〃but why should D escape it； pray？〃 And
M