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local tune is uninterrupted。 Doubtless this is why the little；
secluded； sequestered art of composing melodies for bellscharming
division of an art； having its own ends and means； and keeping its
own wings for unfolding by lawdwells in these solitary places。 No
tunes in a town would get this hearing； or would be made clear to
the end of their frolic amid such a wide and lofty silence。
Nor does every inner village of Italy hold a bell…tune of its own；
the custom is Ligurian。 Nowhere so much as in Genoa does the
nervous tourist complain of church bells in the morning； and in fact
he is made to 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。〃
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 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； 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 sentime