(as we have done in the preface to the four volumes of Mifcellanies) to diftinguish betwixt our ftudies and our idleneffes, our works and our weakneffes. That was the whole end of the laft Vol. of Mifcellanies, without which our former declaration in that preface, "That these volumes contained all that we have ever offended that "way," would have been difcredited. It went indeed to my heart, to omit what you called the Libel on Dr. D—, and the beft Panegyric on myfelf, that either my own times or any other could have afforded, or will ever afford to me. The book, as you obferve, was printed in great hafte; the cause whereof was, that the bookfellers here were doing the fame, in collecting your pieces, the corn with the chaff; I don't mean that any thing of yours is chaff, but with other wit of Ireland which was fo, and the whole in your name. I meant principally to oblige them to feparate what you writ ferioufly from what you writ carelefly; and thought my own weeds might pafs for a fort of wild flowers, when bundled up with them. It was I that fent you thofe books into Ireland, and so I did my Epifle to Lord Bathurft even before it was publifh'd, and another thing of mine, which is a Parody from Horace, writ in two mornings. I never took more care in my life of any thing than of the former of these, nor less than of the latter: yet every friend has forced me to print it, tho' in truth my own fingle motive was about twenty lines towards the latter end,, which you will find out. I have declined opening to you by letters the whole fcheme of my prefent Work, expecting ftill to do it in a better manner in perfon: but you will fee pretty foon, that the letter to Lord Bathurft is a part of it, and you will find a plain connection between them, if you read them in the order juft contrary to that they were publish'd in. I imitate thofe cunning tradefmen, who fhow their beft filks laft; or (to give you a truer idea, tho' it founds too proudly) my works will in one refpect be like the works of Nature, much more to be liked and understood when confider'd in the relation they bear with each other, than when ignorantly look'd upon one by one; and often, thofe parts which attract moft at first fight, will appear to be not the moft, but the leaft confiderable. I am pleas'd and flatter'd by your expreffion of Orna me. The chief pleasure this work can give me is, that I can in it, * Sat. i. Lib. ii. ; with propriety, decency, and juftice, infert the name and character of every friend I have, and every man that deferves to be lov'd or adorn'd. But I fmile at your applying that phrafe to my vifiting you in Ireland; a place where I might have fome apprehenfion (from their extraordinary paflion for Poetry, and their boundless Hospitality) of being adorned to death, and buried under the weight of garlands, like one I have read of fomewhere or other. My Mother lives, (which is an answer to that point) and, I thank God, tho' her memory be in a manner gone, is yet awake and fenfible to me, though fcarce to any thing elfe which doubles the reafon of my attendance, and at the fame time fweetens it. I wish (beyond any other with) you could pafs a fummer here; I might (too probably) return with you, unless you preferr'd to fee France firft, to which country, I think, you would have a ftrong invitation. Lord Peterborow has narrowly efcaped death, and yet keeps his chamber: he is perpetually speaking in the inoft affectionate manner of you: he has written you two letters, which you never received, and by that has been difcouraged from writing more. I can well believe the poft-office may do this, when fome letters of his to me have met the fame fate, and two of mine to him. Yet let not this difcourage you from writing to me, or to him, inclos'd in the common way, as I do to you; Innocent men need fear no detection of their thoughts; and for my part, I would give 'em free leave to fend all I write to Curl, if most of what I write was not too filly. I defire my fincere fervices to Dr. Delany, who, I agree with efteemable; my you, a man every way Lord Orrery is a moft virtuous and good-natur'd Nobleman, whom I thould be happy to know. Lord B. receiv'd your letter thro' my hands; it is not to be told you how much he wishes for you: the whole lift of perfons, to whom you fent your fervices, return you theirs, with proper fenfe of the diftinction Your Lady-friend is Semper Eadem, and I have written an Epistle to her on that qualification in a female character: which is thought by my chief Critic in your abfence to be my Chef d'Oeuvre: but it cannot be printed perfectly, in an age fo fore of Satire, and fo willing to mifapply characters. is As to my own health, it is as good as ufual. I have lain ill feven days of a flight fever (the complaint here) but recover'd by gentle fweats, and the care of Dr. Arbuthnot. The play Mr. Gay left fucceeds very well; it is another original in its kind. Adieu. God preserve your your life, your health, your limbs, your spirits, and your friendships! LETTER LXV. April 2, 1733. YOU fay truly, that death is only terrible to us as it feparates us from thofe we love, but 1 really think those have the worst of it who are left by us, if we are true friends. I have felt more (I fancy) in the loss of Mr. Gay, than I shall fuffer in the thought of going away myfelf into a ftate that can feel none of this fort of loffes. I wish'd vehemently to have feen him in a condition of living independent, and to have lived in perfect indolence the reft of our days together, the two moft idle, moft innocent, undefigning Poets of our age. I now as vehemently with you and I might walk into the grave together, by as flow fteps as you pleafe, but contentedly and chearfully: Whether that ever can be, or in what country, I know no more, than into what country we fhall walk out of the grave. But it fuffices me to know it will be exactly what region or ftate our Maker appoints, and that whatever Is, is Right. Our poor friend's papers are partly in my hands, and for as much as is fo, I will take care to fupprefs things unworthy of him. As to the Epitaph, I'm forry you gave a copy, for it will certainly by that means come into print, and I would correct it more, unless you will do it for me (and that I fhall like as well) Upon the whole, I earneftly with your coming over hither, for this reafon among many others, that your influence may be join'd with mine to fupprefs whatever we may judge proper of his papers. To be plunged in my Neighbour's and my papers, will be your inevitable fate as foon as you come. That I am an author whose characters are thought of fome weight, appears from the great noife and buftle that the Court and Town make about any give: and I will not render them lefs important, or leis interefting, by fparing Vice and Folly, or by betraying the caule of Truth and Virtue. I will take care they thall be fuch, as no man can be angry at, but the perfons I would have angry. You are fenfible with what decency and juftice I paid homage to the Royal Family, at the fame time that I fatirized falfe Courtiers and Spies, etc. about 'em I have not the courage however to be fuch a Satirift as you, but I would be as much or : more a Philofopher. You call your fatires, Libels; I would rather call my fatires, Epiftles: They will confift more of Morality than of Wit, and grow graver, which you will call duller. I fhall leave it to my Antagonists to be witty (if they can) and content myself to be useful, and in the right. Tell me your opinion as to Lady———'s or Lord's performance? they are certainly the Topwits of the Court, and you may judge by that fingle piece what can be done against me; for it was labour'd, corrected, pre-commended and poft-difapprov'd, fo far as to be difown'd by themfelves, after each had highly cry'd it up for the other's*. I have met with my complaints, and heard at a distance of fome threats, occafioned by my verfes I fent fair meffages to acquaint them where I was to be found in town, and to offer to call at their houses to fatisfy them, and fo it dropp'd. It is very poor in any one to rail and threaten at a diftance, and have nothing to fay to you when they fee you. I am glad you perfift and abide by fo good a thing as that Poem †, in which I am immortal for my Morality. I never took any praise fo kindly, and yet, I think, I deferve that praise better than I do any other. When does your collection come out, and what will it confift of? I have but laft week finished another of my Epiftles, in the order of the fyftem; and this week (exercitandi gratia) I have tranflated (or rather parody'd) another of Horace's, in which I introduce you advifing me about my expences, houfe-keeping, etc. But thefe things fhall lie by, till you come to carp at 'em, and alter rhymes, and grammar, and triplets, and cacophonies of all kinds. Our Parliament will fit till Midfummer, which, I hope, may be a motive to bring you rather in fummer than fo late as autumn: you us❜d to love what I hate, a hurry of politics, etc. Courts I fee not, Courtiers I know not, Kings I adore not, Queens I compliment not; fo I am never like to be in fashion, nor in dependance. I heartily join with you in pitying our poor Lady for her unhappiness, and fhould only pity her more, if fhe had more of what they at Court call Happinefs. Come then, and perhaps we may go all together into France at the end of the season, and compare the Liberties of both kingdoms. Adieu. Believe me, dear Sir, (with a thoufand warm wifhes, mixed with fhort fighs) ever yours. See the Epiftle written on this occafion, p. 80, etc. of this Volume. LETTER LETTER LXVI. To Mr. POPE. Dublin, May 1, 1733. I Answer your Letter the fooner becaufe I have a parti cular reafon for doing fo. Some weeks ago came over a Poem call'd, The Life and Character of Dr. S. written by himself. It was re-printed here, and is dedicated to you. It is grounded upon a Maxim in Rochefoucault, and the dedication, after a formal ftory, fays, that my manner of writing is to be found in every line. I believe I have told you, that I writ a year or two ago near five hundred lines upon the fame Maxim of Rochefoucault, and was a long time about it, as that Impoftor fays in his Dedication, with many circumftances all pure invention. I defire you to believe, and to tell my friends, that in this fpurious piece there is not a fingle line, or bit of a line, or thought, any way refembling the genuine Copy, any more than it does Virgil's Æneis; for I never gave a Copy of mine, nor lent it out of my fight. And although I fhew'd it to all common acquaintance indifferently, and fome of them (efpecially one or two females) had got many lines by heart, here and there, and repeated them often; yet it happens that not one fingle line or thought is contained in this Impofture, although it appears that they who counterfeited me, had heard of the true one. But even this trick fhall not provoke me to print the true one, which indeed is not proper to be seen, till I can be feen no more: I therefore defire you will undeceive my friends, and I . will order an Advertisement to be printed here, and transmit it to England, that every body may know the delufion, and acquit me, as, I am fure, you must have done yourself, if you have read any part of it, which is mean, and trivial, and full of that Cant that I moft defpife: I would fink to be a Vicar in Norfolk, rather than be charged with fuch a performance. Now I come to your letter. When I was of your age, I thought every day of death, but now every minute and a continual giddy diforder more or lefs is a greater addition than that of my years. I cannot affirm that I pity our friend Gay, but I pity his friends, I pity you, and would at leaft equally pity myfelf, if I liv'd amongst you; becaufe I fhould have feen him oftner than you did, who are a kind of Hermit, how great a noife foever you make by your Ill-nature in not VOL. IV. Bbb letting |