fo fafe to join in an Affaffination, as in a Libel *. I will confult my fafety so far as I think becomes a prudent man : but not fo far as to omit any thing which I think becomes an honeft one. As to perfonal attacks beyond the law, every man is liable to them: as for danger within the law, I am not guilty enough to fear any. For the good opinion of all the world, I know, it is not to be had: for that of worthy men, I hope, 1 fhall not forfeit it: for that of the Great, or thofe in power, I may wish I had it; but if thro' mifreprefentations (too common about perfons in that ftation) I have it not, I fhall be forry, but not miferable in the want of it.

It is certain, much freer Satirifts than I, have enjoy'd the encouragement and protection of the Princes under whom they lived. Auguftus and Mæcenas made Horace their companion, though he had been in arms on the fide of Brutus; and allow me to remark, it was out of the fuffering Party too, that they favour'd and distinguish'd Virgil. You will not fufpect me of comparing myself with Virgil and Horace, nor even with another Court-favourite, Boileau t. I have always been too modeft to imagine my Panegyrics were Incenfe worthy of a Court; and that, I hope, will be thought the true reason why I have never offer'd any. I would only have obferv'd, that it was under the greatest Princes and beft Minifters, that moral Satirifts were moft encouraged; and that then Poets exercifed the fame jurifdiction over the Follies, as Hiftorians did over the Vices of men. It may also be worth confidering, whether Auguftus himself makes the greater figure in the writings of the former, or of the latter? and whether Nero and Domitian do not appear as ridiculous for their false Taste and Affectation in Perfius and Juvenal, as odious for their bad Government in Tacitus and Suetonius? In the first of these reigns it was, that Horace was protected and carefs'd; and in the latter that Lucan was put to death, and Juvenal banish'd.

I would not have faid fo much, but to fhew you my whole heart on this fubject; and to convince you, I am deliberately bent to perform that Requeft which you make your laft to me, and to perform it with Temper, Juftice, and Refolution. As your Approbation (being the Teftimony of a found head and an honeft heart) does greatly confirm me herein, I wish you may live to fee the effect it may hereafter have upon me, in fomething more deferving * See the following Letter to a Noble Lord.

+ See Letter VII. to Mr. Warburton. VOL. IV,

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of that approbation. But if it be the Will of God, (which I know, will alfo be yours) that we must separate, I hope it will be better for You than it can be for me. You are fitter to live, or to die, than any man I know. Adieu, my dear friend! and may God preserve your life easy, or make your death happy *.

This excellent perfon died Feb. 27, 1734-37

[We find by Letter xix. to Dr. Atterbury, that the Duchefs of Buckinghamhire would have had Mr. Pope to draw her husband's Character. But though he refufed this office, yet in his Epiftle on the Characters of Women, these lines,

To heirs unknown defcends th' unguarded flore,

Or wanders, beav'n-directed, to the poor,

are supposed to mark her out in fuch a manner as not to be mistaken for another; and having faid of himself, that be beld a lie in profe and verse to be the Jame: All this together gave a handle to his enemies, fince his death, to publith the following Paper (intitled The Character of Katharine, etc.) as written by him. To which (in vindication of the deceafed Poet) we have fubjoined a Letter to a friend, that will let the reader fully into the hiftory of the writing and publication of this extraordinary CHARACTER.]

The CHARACTER of KATHARINE, late Duchefs of Buckinghamshire and Normanby.

By the late Mr. POPE.

SHE was the daughter of James the Second, and of the Countess of Dorchefter, who inherited the Integrity and Virtue of her father with happier fortune. She was married first to James Earl of Anglefey; and fecondly, to John Sheffield Duke of Buckinghamshire and Normanby with the former fhe exercised the virtues of Patience and Suffering, as long as there was any hopes of doing good by either; with the latter all other conjugal virtues. The man of fineft fenfe and fharpeft difcernment, fhe had the happiness to please; and in that, found her only pleasure. When he died, it feemed as if his fpirit was only breathed into her, to fulfil what he had begun, to perform what he had concerted, and to preserve and watch over what he had left, his only fon; in the care of whofe health, the forming of whofe mind, and the improvement of whofe fortune, fhe acted with the conduct and fenfe of the Father, foften'd, but not overcome, with the tenderness of the Mother. Her Understanding was fuch as muft have made a figure, had it been in a man; but the modefty of her fex threw a veil over its luftre, which nevertheless fupprefs'd only the expreffion, not the exertion of it; for her fenfe was not fuperior to her Refolution, which, when once fhe was in the right, preferv'd her from making it only a tranfition to the wrong, the frequent weakness even of the best women. She often followed wife counfel, but fometimes went before it, always with fuccefs. She was poffeffed of a spirit which affifted her to get the better of thofe accidents which admitted of any redrefs, and enabled her to fupport outwardly, with decency and dignity, those which admitted Gg 2

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of none; yet melted inwardly, through almoft her whole life, at a fucceffion of melancholy and affecting objects, the lofs of all her Children, the misfortunes of Relations and Friends, public and private, and the death of those who were deareft to her. Her heart was as compaffionate as it was great her Affections warm even to folicitude: her Friendship not violent or jealous, but rational and persevering her Gratitude equal and conftant to the living; to the dead boundless and heroical. What perfon foever The found worthy of her efteem, fhe would not give up for any power on earth; and the greateft on earth whom the could not efteem, obtain'd from her no farther tribute than Decency. Her Good-will was wholly directed by merit, not by accident; not measured by the regard they profess'd for her own defert, but by her idea of theirs: And as there was no merit which she was not able to imitate, there was none which he could envy: therefore her Conversation was as free from detraction as her Opinions from prejudice or prepoffeffion. As her Thoughts were her own, fo were her Words; and fhe was as fincere in uttering her judgment, as impartial in forming it. She was a fafe Companion, many were ferv'd, none ever fuffer'd by her acquaintance inoffenfive, when unprovoked; when provoked, not ftupid but the moment her enemy ceased to be hurtful, he could ceafe to act as an enemy. She was therefore not a bitter but confiftent enemy: (tho' indeed, when forced to be fo, the more a finifh'd one for having been long a making.) And her proceeding with ill people was more in a calm and fteady courfe, like Juftice, than in quick and paffionate onfets, like Revenge. As for those of whom the only thought ill, fhe confidered them not fo much as once to wifh them ill; of fuch, her Contempt was great enough to put a stop to all other paffions that could hurt them, Her Love and Averfion, her Gratitude and Refentment, her Efteem and Neglect, were equally open and ftrong, and alterable only from the alteration of the perfons who created them. Her Mind was too noble to be infincere, and her Heart too honeft to ftand in need of it; fo that he never found caufe to repent her conduct either to a friend or an enemy. There remains only to fpeak of her Perfon, which was moft amiably majestic; the niceft eye' could find no fault in the lineaments of her Face or proportion of her Body; it was fuch, as pleas'd wherever the had a defire it fhould; yet fhe never envied that of any other, which might better please in general: In the fame manner, as being content that her merits were esteemed

efteemed where the defired they fhould, fhe never depreciated thofe of any other that were efteemed or preferred elsewhere. For the aimed not at a general love or a general esteem where she was not known; it was enough to be poffefs'd of both wherever fhe was. Having lived to the age of Sixty-two years; not courting Regard, but receiving it from all who knew her; not loving Business, but difcharging it fully wherefoever duty or friendfhip engaged her in it; not following Greatnefs, but not declining to pay respect, as far as was due from independency and difintereft; having honourably abfolv'd all the parts of life, The forfook this World, where he had left no act of duty or virtue undone, for that where alone fuch acts are rewarded, on the 13th Day of March 1742-3*.

I

Mr. POPE to JAMES MOYSER of Beverly, Efq. DEAR SIR, Bath, July 11, 1743. Am always glad to hear of you, and where I can, I always inquire of you. But why have you omitted to tell me one word of your own health? The account of our Friend's is truly melancholy, added to the circumftance of his being detained (I fear, without much hope) in a foreign country, from the comfort of feeing (what a good man moft defires and beft deferves to fee to the laft hour) his Friends about him. The public news indeed gives every Englishman a reasonable joy, and I truly feel it with you, as a national joy, not a party one; nay as a general joy, to all nations where bloodfhed and mifery muft have been introduced, had the ambition and perfidy of prevail'd.

I come now to answer your friend's queftion. The whole of what he has heard of my writing the Character of the old § Duke of Buckingham is untrue. I do not remember ever to have feen it in MS. nor have I ever feen the pedigree he mentions, otherwise than after the Duchefs had printed it with the Will, and fent one to me, as, I fuppofe, fhe did to all her acquaintance. I do not wonder it should be reported I writ that Character, after a story which I will tell you in your ear, and to yourself

*The above Character was written by Mr. Pope fome years before her "Grace's Death." So the printed Edition.

+ Mr. Bethel.

The Victory at Dettingen.

He fays the old Duke, because he wrote a very fine Epitaph for the Son.

only.