This good office which you have often done me unknow. ingly, I must acknowledge now, that my own breast may not reproach me with ingratitude, and disquiet me when I would muse again in that folemn scene. I have not room now left to ask you many questions I intended about the Odyffey. I beg I may know how far you have carried Ulyffes on his journey, and how you have been entertained with him on the way? I defire I may hear of your health, of Mrs. Pope's, and of every thing else that belongs to you.

How thrive your garden plants? how look the trees? how spring the Brocoli and the Fenochio? hard names to fpell! how did the poppies bloom? and how is the great room approv'd? what parties have you had of pleasure ? what in the grotto? what upon the Thames? I would know how all your hours pass, all you fay, and all you do; of which I should queftion you yet farther, but my paper is full and fpares you. My brother Ned is wholly yours, and fo my father defires to be, and every foul here whose name is Digby. My fifter will be yours in particular. What can I add more? I am, &c.

LETTER XV.

October 10.

I

Was upon the point of taking a much greater journey than to Bermudas, even to that undifcover'd country, from whole bourn no traveller returns!

A fever carried me on the high gallop towards it for fix or feven days-But here you have me now, and that is all I fhall fay of it: fince which time an impertinent lameness kept me at home twice as long; as if fate should fay (after the other dangerous illness) "You fhall nei"ther go into the other world, nor any where you like "in this." Elfe who knows but I had been at Hom-lacy? I confpire in your fentiments, emulate your pleasures, wish for your company. You are all of one heart and one foul, as was faid of the primitive Chriftians: 'tis like

the

the kingdom of the juft upon earth; not a wicked wretch to interrupt you, but a fet of try'd, experienc'd friends and fellow comforters, who have feen evil men and evil days; and have, by a fuperior rectitude of heart fet yourfelves above them, and reap your reward. Why will you ever, of your own accord, end fuch a millenary year in London? tranfmigrate (if I may fo call it) into other creatues, in that scene of folly militant, when you may reign for ever at Hom-lacy in fenfe and reafon triumphant? I appeal to a third lady in your family, whom I take to be the most innocent, and the leaft warp'd by idle fashion and cuftom of you all; I appeal to her, if you are not every foul of you better people, better companions, and happier where you are? I defire her opinion under her hand in your next letter, I mean Mifs Scudamore's I am confident if she would or durft fpeak her fense, and employ that reasoning which God has given, her, to infufe more thoughtfulness into you all; thofe arguments could not fail to put you to the blufh, and keep you out of town, like people fenfible of your own felicities. I am not without hopes, if she can detain a parliament-man and a lady of quality from the world one winter, that I may come upon you with fuch irrefiftable arguments another year as may carry you all with me to Bermudas+, the feat of all carthly happiness, and the new Jerufalem of the righteous.

Don't talk of the decay of the year, the season is good where the people are fo: 'tis the beft time of the year for a painter; there is more variety of colours in the leaves, the profpects begin to open, thro' the thinner woods, over the valleys; and thro' the high canopies of trees to the higher arch of heaven: the dews of the morning impearl every thorn, and scatter diamonds on the verdant mantle of the earth; the frofts are fresh and wholefome: what would you have? the Moon fhines too, tho' not for lovers thefe cold nights, but for aftronomers.

་་་

* Afterwards Duchefs of Beauforty at this time very young.

About this time the Rev. Dean Berkley conceived his project of erecting a fettlement in Bermudas for the Propagation of the Christian faith, and introduction of Sciences into America.

Have ye not reflecting Telescopes, whereby ye may innocently magnify her fpots and blemishes? Content yourselves with them, and do not come to a place where your own eyes become reflecting Telescopes, and where thofe of all others are equally fuch upon their neighbours. Stay you at leaft (for what I have faid before relates only to the ladies: don't imagine I'll write about any eyes but theirs) ftay, I fay, from that idle, bufy-looking Sanhedrin, where wisdom and no wisdom is the eternal debate, not (as it lately was in Ireland) an accidental one.

If, after all, you will difpife good advice, and refolve to come to London, here you will find me, doing juft the things I fhould not, living where I fhould not, and as worldly, as idle, in a word as much an Anti-Bermudanift as any body, Dear Sir, make the ladies know I am their fervant, you know I am Yours, &c.

LETTER XVI.

Aug. 12. I Have been above a month ftrolling about in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, from garden to garden, but still returning to Lord Cobham's with fresh fatisfaction. I should be forry to fee my Lady Scudamore's, till it has had the full advantage of Lord B's improvements; and then I will expect fomething like the waters of Rifkins, and the woods of Oakley together, which (without flattery) would be at leaft as good as any thing in our world: For as to the hanging gardens of Babylon, the Paradife of Cyrus, and the Sharawaggi's of China, I have little or no ideas of them, but, I dare fay, Lord B* has because they were certainly both very great, and very wild. I hope Mrs. Mary Digby is quite tired of his Lordship's Extravagante Bergerie: and that she is just now fiting, or rather reclining on a bank, fatigued with overmuch dancing and finging at his unwearied requeft and inftigation. I know your love of eafe fo well, that you might be in danger of being too quiet to enjoy quiet, and These inftruments were just then brought to perfection.

VOL. IV.

T

too

too philofophical to be a philofopher; were it not for the ferment Lord B. will put you into. One of his Lordship's maxims is, that a total abftinence from intemperance or bufinefs, is no more philofophy, than a total confopiation of the fenfes is repofe: one muft feel enough of its contrary to have a relilh of either. But, after all, let your temper work, and be as fedate and contemplative as you will, I'll engage you fhall be fit for any of us, when you come to town in the winter. Folly will laugh you into all the cuftoms of the company here; nothing will be able to prevent your converfion to her, but indifpofition, which, I hope, will be far from you. I am telling the worst that can come of you; for as to vice, you are fafe; but folly is many an honest man's, nay, every good humour'd man's lot: nay, it is the feafoning of life; and fools (in one fenfe) are the falt of the earth: a little is excellent, tho' indeed a whole mouthful is juftly call'd the Devil.

So much for your diverfious next winter, and for mine. I envy you much more at prefent, than I fhall then; for if there be on earth an image of paradife, it is in fuch perfect Union and Society as you all poffefs. I would have my innocent envies and wifhes of your ftate known to you all; which is far better than making you compliments, for it is inward approbation and efteem. My Lord Digby has in me a fincere fervant, or would have, were there any occafion in me to manifeft it.

IT

LETTER XVII.

Decemb. 28, 1724.

T is now the seafon to wish you a good end of one year, and a happy beginning of another: but both these you know how to make yourfclf, by only continuing such a life as you have been long accuftomud to lead. As for good works, they are things I dare not name, either to thofe that do them, or to those that do them not: the first are too modeft, and the latter too selfish, to bear the mention of what are become of either too old fashion'd, or too private, to conftitute any part of the vanity or reputation of the prefent age. However, it were to be wifh'd people would now and then look upon good works as they do upon old wardrobes, merely in cafe any of them fhould by chance come into fafhion again: as ancient fardingales revive in modetn hoop'd peticoats, (which may be properly compared to charities, as they cover a multitude of fins.)

They tell me that at Coleshill certain antiquated chari

ties, and obfolete devotions are yet fubfifting: that a thing called Chriftian chearfulness (not incompatible with Chriftmas pyes and plum-broth) whereof frequent is the mention in old fermons and almanacks, is really kept alive and in practice; that feeding the hungry. and giving alms to the poor, do yet make a part of good houfe-keeping, in a latitude not more remote from London than fourfcore miles: and laftly, that prayers and roast beef annually make some people as happy as a whore and a bottle. But here in town, I affure you, men, women, and children have done with with these things. Charity not only begins, but ends at home. Inftead of the four cardinal virtues, now reign four courtly ones: we have cunning for prudence, rapine for juftice, time ferving for fortitude, and luxury for temperance. Whatever you may fancy where you live in a ftate of ignorance, and fee hothing but quiet, religion, and good-humour, the cafe is juft as I tell you where people understand the world, and know how to live with credit and glory.

I wish that heaven would open the eyes of men, and make them fenfible which of thefe is right; whether, upon a due conviction, we are to quit faction, and gaming, and high feeding, and all manner of luxury, and to take to your country way? or you to leave prayers, and almfgiving, and reading, and exercife, and come into our measures? I wish, (I fay) that this matter were as clear to all men as it is to Your affectionate, &c.

DEAR SIR,

LETTER XVIII.

April 21, 1726. I Have a great inclination to write to you, tho' I cannot by writing any more than I could by words, exprefs what part I bear in your fufferings. Nature and efteem in you are join'd to aggravate your affliction: the latter I have in a degree equal even to yours, and a tye of friendship approaches near to the tenderness of nature: yet, God knows, no man living is lefs fit to comfort you, as no man is more deeply fenfible than myfelf of the greatness of the lofs. That very virtue which fecures his present ftate from all the forrows incident to ours, does but aggrandife our fenfation of its being remov'd from our fight, from our affection, and from our imitation; for the friendship and fociety of good men does not only make us happier, but it makes us better. Their death does but complete