Note 104 — Chapter XIII
Reading edition
On the death of Gay, Swift had addressed to the Duchess a letter of condolence in his usual cynical style. The Duchess replied with feeling—"I differ from you, that it is possible to comfort one's self for the loss of friends, as one does for the loss of money. I think I could live on very little, nor think myself poor, nor be thought so; but a little friendship could never satisfy one. In almost every thing but friends, another of the same name may do as well; but friend is more than a name, if it be any thing."—This is true; but, as Touchstone says—"much virtue in if!"