The Archbifhop of Dublin laments that he did not
fee your Lordfhip till he was juft upon the point of
leaving the Bath : I pray God you may have found
fuccefs in that journey, elfe I mail continue to think
there is a fatality in all your Lordfhip's undertakings,
which only terminate in your own honour, and the
good of the public, without the leaft advantage to
your health or fortune.

I remember Lord Oxford's miniftry ufed to tell
rne, that not knowing where to write to you, they
were forced to write at you. It is fo with me, for
you are in one thing an Evangelical man, that you
know not where to lay your head, and I think, you
have no houfe. Pray, my Lord, write to me, that I
may have the pleafure, in this fcoundrel country, of
going about, and mewing my depending Parfons a
letter from the Earl of Peterborow.

I am, etc.



VOL. VIII. ''



226 LETTERS TO AND

LETTER XLI.

TO * * * * c.

September 13.

T BELIEVE you are by this time immerfed in your"
vaft wood ; and one may addrefs to you as to a
very abftra&ed perfon, like Alexander Selkirk, or the
Self-taught Philofopher d . I mould be very curious to
know what fort of contemplations employ you. I re-
member the latter of thofe I mentioned, gave himfelf
up to a devout exercife of making his head giddy
with various circumrotations, to imitate the motions
of the celeftial bodies. I don't think it at all impof-
fible that Mr. L. may be far advanced in that exer-
cife, by frequent turns towards the feveral afpe&s of
the heavens, to which you may have been pleafed to
direcl: him in fearch of profpe&s and new avenues.
He will be traftable in time, as birds are tamed by
being whirled about ; and doubtlefs come not to de-
fpife the meanefl fhrubs or coppice-wood, though na-
turally he feems more inclined to admire God in his
greater works, the tall timber : for, as Virgil has it,
Non omnes arbit/lajuvant, humilefque myricae. I wifh
myfelf with you both, whether you are in peace or at

war,

c Lord Bathurft. W.

A The title of an Arabic Treatife of the Life of Hai Ebn
Yocktan ; written to explain and recommend the myflic Theology
of the Mahometans, in all refpe&s the fame with the Myfticifm of
Chriftian Fanatics. W.



FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 227

war, in violent argumentation or fmooth confent, over
Gazettes in the morning, or over Plans in the even-
ing. In that laft article, I am of opinion your Lord.
Jhip has a lofs of me ; for generally after the debate
of a whole day, we acquiefced at night, in the beft
conclufion of which human reafon feems capable in
all great matters, to fall fafl afleep ! And fo we ended,
unlefs immediate Revelation (which ever muft over-
come human reafon) fuggefled fome new lights to us,
by a Vifion in bed. But laying afide Theory, I am
told, you are going directly to Practice. Alas, what
a fall will that be ? A new Building is like a new
Church ; when once it is fet up, you muft maintain it
in all the forms, and with all the inconveniencies ;
then ceafe the pleafant luminous days of infpiration,
and there is an end of miracles at once !

That this letter may be all of a piece, I'll fill the
reft with an account of a confultation lately held in
my neighbourhood about defigning a princely gar-
den. Several Critics were of feveral opinions : one
declared he would not have too much Art in it ; for
my notion (faid he) of gardening is, that it is only
fweeping nature e : another told them that Gravel-
walks were not of a good tafte, for all the fineft
abroad were of a loofe fand : a third advifed * per-
emptorily

e An expreflion of Sir T. H. W.

* Here are fome curious obfervations on Gardening, and the
art of laying out grounds, written before Kent's improvements in
this art.

CL2



223 LETTERS TO AND

emptoiily there fhould not be one Lime-tree in the
whole plantation : a fourth made the fame exclufive
claufe extend to Horfe-chefnuts, which he affirmed
not to be Trees, but Weeds : Dutch Elms were con-
demned by a fifth ; and thus about half the Trees
were profcribed, contrary to the Paradife of God's
own planting, which is exprefsly faid to be planted
with all trees. There were fome who could not bear
Ever-greens, and called them Never-greens ; fome who
were angry at them only when cut into fhapes, and
gave the modern Gardeners the name of Evergreen
Taylors ; fome who had no diflike to Cones and
Cubes, but would have them cut in Foreft-trees ;
and fome who were in a paflion againfl any thing in
fhape, even againfl clipt-hedges, which they called
green walls. Thefe (my Lord) are our men of Tafte,
who pretend to prove it by tafting little or nothing.
Sure fuch a tafte is like fuch a ftomach, not a good
one, but a weak one. We have the fame fort of
Critics in poetry ; one is fond of nothing but Heroics,
another cannot relim Tragedies, another hates Paf-
torals, all little wits delight in Epigrams. Will you
give me leave to add, there are the fame in Divinity;
where many leading Critics are for rooting up more
than they plant, and would leave the Lord's Vineyard
either very thinly furnifhed, or very oddly trimmed.

1 have lately been with my Lord * , who is a zeal-
ous, yet a charitable Planter, and has fo bad a tafte
as to like all that is good. He has a difpofition to
i wait



FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 229

wait on you in his way to the Bath, and if he can go
and return to London in eight or ten days, I am not
without a hope of feeing your Lordfhip with the de-
light I always fee you. Every where I think of you,
and every where I wifh for you.

I am, etc.



LETTER XLIL
TO MR. C

September 2, 1732.

T ASSURE you I am glad of your letter, and have
long wanted nothing but the permiffion you now
give me, to be plain and unreferved upon this head.
I wrote to you concerning it long fince : but a friend
of yours and mine was of opinion, it was taking too
much upon me, and more than I could be entitled to
by the mere merit of long acquaintance, and good
will. I have not a thing in my heart relating to any
friend, which I would not, in my own nature, declare to
all mankind. The truth is what you guefs ; I could
not efteem your conduct, to an object of mifery fo
near you as Mrs. , and I have often hinted it

to yourfelf : the truth is, I cannot yet efteem it for
any reafon I am able to fee. But this I promife, I ac-
quit you as far as your own mind acquits you. I have
now



230 LETTERS TO AND

now no further caufe of complaint, for the unhappy
Lady gives me now no further pain ; me is no longer
an objecl either of yours or my compaflion ; the
hardfhips done her are lodged in the hands of God,
nor has any man more to do in them, except the per-
fons concerned in occafioning them.

As for the interruption of our correfpondence, I
am forry you feem to put the Tefl of my friendmip
upon that, becaufe it is what I am difqualified from
toward my other acquaintance, with whom I cannot
hold any frequent commerce. I'll name you the
obflacles which I can't furmount : want of health,
want of time, want of good eyes; and one yet
flronger than them all, I write not upon the terms of
other men. For however glad I might be, of expref-
fing my refpeft, opening my mind, or venting my
concerns, to my private friends ; I hardly dare while
there are Curls in the world. If you pleafe to refleft
either on the impertinence of weak admirers, the ma r
lice of low enemies, the avarice of mercenary Book-
fellers, or the filly curiofity of people in general;
you'll confefs I have fmall reafon to indulge corre-
fpondences ; in which too I want materials, as I live
altogether out of town, and have abftracted my mind
(I hope) to better things than common news. I wifh
my friends would fend me back thofe forfeitures of
my discretion, commit to my juftice what I trufted
only to their indulgence, and return me at the year's
end diofe trifling letters, which can be to them but a

day's



FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 231
day's amufement, but to me may prove a difcredit as
lading and extenfive, as the forefaid weak admirers,
mean enemies, mercenary fcribblers, or curious firrr
pletons, can make it.

I come now to a particular you complain of, my
not anfwering your queftion about fome Party-papers,
and their authors*. This indeed I could not tell you,
becaufe I never was, or will be privy to fuch papers :
and if by accident, through my acquaintance with
any of the writers, I had known a thing they con-
cealed, I mould certainly never be the reporter of it.

For my waiting on you at your country-houfe, I
have often wifhed it ; it was my compliance to a fu-
perior duty that hindered me, and one which you are
too good a Chriftian to wim I mould have broken,
having never ventured to leave my mother (at her
great age) for more than a week, which is too little
for fuch a journey.

Upon the whole, I muft acquit myfelf of any aft or
thought, in prejudice of the regard I owe you, as fo
long and obliging an acquaintance and correfpondent.
I am fure I have all the good wilhes for yourfelf and

your

* Confidering certain topics that have very lately been fo
eagerly difcuffed by many political writers, it is to be wifhed they
had attentively read and confidered what Plato has faid, in the
fixth Book of his Laws, concerning excefiive riches, or exceffive
poverty, in a well-ordered itate ; and alfo what Ariftotle has ob-
ferved, in the feventh Chapter of the feventh Book of hisPolitics,that
perhaps all nations are not equally fit or qualified to enjoy Liberty.



2j* LETTERS TO AND

your family, that become a friend : there is no acci-
dent that can happen to your advantage, and no ac-
tion that can redound to your credit, which I mould
not be ready to extol, or to rejoice in. And there-
fore I beg you to be aflured, I am in difpofition and
will, though not fo much as I would be in teftimonies
or writing,

Your, etc.



LETTER XLIII.
TO MR. RICHARDSON.

January 13, 1732.

t HAV at laft got my mother fo well, as to allow
myfelf to be abfent from her for three days. As
Sunday is one of them, I do not know whether I may
propofe to you to employ it in the manner you men-
tioned to me once. Sir Godfrey called employing
the pencil*, the prayer of a painter, and affirmed it to
be his proper xvay of fcrving God, by the talent he
gave him. I am fure, in this inftance, it is ferving
your friend ; and, you know, we are allowed to do
that (nay even to help a neighbour's ox or afs) on
the Sabbath : which, though it may feem a general

precept,

* Dr. Johnfon extorted a promife from Sir Jofhua Reynolds,
never to paint on a Sunday.



FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 233

precept, yet in one fenfe particularly applies to you,
who have helped many a human ox, and many a hu-
man afs, to the likenefs of man, not to fay of God.

Believe me, dear Sir, with all good wifhes for your-
felf and your family, (the happinefs of which ties I
know by experience, and have learned to value from
the late danger of lofing the beft of mine,)

Your, etc.



LETTER XLIV.
TO THE SAME.

Twickenham, June 10, 1733.

A s I know, you and I mutually defire to fee one
another, I hoped that this day our wifties would
have met, and brought you hither. And this for the
very reafon which poffibly might hinder your com-
ing, that my poor mother is dead f . I thank God,
her death was as eafy, as her life was innocent ; and
as it cod her not a groan, or even a figh, there is yet
upon her countenance fuch an expreflion of Tran-
quillity, nay, almoft of Pleafure, that it is even ami-
able to behold it. It would afford the fineft image of
a Saint expired, that ever Painting drew * : and it

would

f Mrs. Pope died the feventh of June, I733 aged 93. W.
* One of the beft of Richardfon's portraits is that of our Author,
of which an engraving is prefixed to this edition ; now in the poffef-

fion



234 LETTERS TO AND

would be the greateft obligation which even that
obliging Art could ever beftow on a friend, if you
would come and {ketch it for me. I am fure, if
there be no very prevalent obftacle, you will leave
any common bufmefs to do this : and I hope to fee
you this evening as late as you will, or to-morrow
morning as early, before this winter flower is faded.
I will defer her interment till to-morrow night,
I know you love me, or I could not have written
this I could not (at this time) have written at all ?
Adieu 1 May you die as happily !

Your, etc.

fion of Mr. Way, and formerly in Dr. Mead's Colle&ion ; who
wrote under it the two following indifferent, harfh lines :

P opius t ingenio, doftrina & carminis arte,

Non habet, invidia hoc nee neget ipfa, parem.

The only piece of our Author's own painting, is the Head of
Betterton, in the poffeflion of the Earl of Mansfield.



FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 235

LETTER XLV.
TO THE SAME.

TT is hardly poflible to tell you the joy your pencil
gave me, in giving me another friend, fo much the
fame ! and which (alas, for mortality !) will out-laft
the other. Pofterity will, through your means, fee
the man whom it will for ages honour 5 , vindicate,
and applaud, when envy is no more, and when (as I
have already faid in the eflay to which you are fo
partial)

The fons fhall blufh the fathers were his foes.
That eflay has many faults, but the poem you fent
me has but one, and that I can eafily forgive. Yet I
would not have it printed for the world, and yet I

would not have it kept unprinted neither but all

in good time. I'm glad you publifh your Mijton*.
B ly will be angry at you, and at me too mortly for
what I could not help, a Satirical Poem on Verbal
Criticifm by Mr. Mallet, which he has infcribed to me;
but the Poem itfelf is good f (another caufe of anger

to

* Lord Bolingbroke. W.

* In which are many judicious and curious remarks, though
adulterated with fomc that are trifling enough.

f The Poem was a very fulfome piece of flattery to Pope, and a
pretty exaft imitation of his manner, and contained much con-
temptible and illiberal abufe of many ufeful and Uluilrious critics,

with



236 LETTERS TO AND

to any Critic). As for myfelf, I refolve to go on in
my quiet, calm, moral courfe, taking no fort of notice
of man's anger, or woman's fcandal, with Virtue in
my eyes, and Truth upon my tongue. Adieu*.

with whom Mallet was little acquainted. Mallet never forgave,
and did fome ill offices, efpecially with Lord Melcombe, to the Au-
thor of the Effay on the Genius of Pope, who unluckily cited his
Amyntor and Theodora, as containing fome examples of falie
writing and unnatural images. Mallet's Life of Lord Bacon was
too highly commended by Chefterfield, and his friends. He once
irftended to write the Hiftory of the Exclufion Bill.

* Mr. Richardfon, fen. the Painter, fays, ** that one day Mr.
Pope alked him, how he liked that kind of writing in which profe
and verfe were mixed together, as in the works of St. Evremond
and others ?" " I told him," adds he, " that I liked it well for
off-hand occafional productions." " Why," replied he, " I have
thoughts of turning out fome fketches I have by me, of various
accidents and reflections, in this manner." In one of his letters he
gives an account of an excurfion he made to Briftol from Bath,
" the idkft and the bufieft cities in England." He mentioned the
Cartoon of Raphael that is at Badminton, but does not feem to
have attended to the Guido's that are there, nor to the curious
latirical Picture of Salvator Rofa, for which he was obliged to
quit Rome. Neither does he mention the very fine Cartoon of
Raphael reprefenting the Maffacre of the Innocents, that was in the
poffeffion of the late ingenious Mr. Hoare of Bath.



FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 237

LETTER XLVI.

TO THE SAME.
Dear Sir, November 21.

T^VERY thing was welcome to me in your kind let-
ter, except the occafion of it, the confinement
you are under. I am glad you count the days when
I do not fee you : but it was but half an one that I
was in town upon bufmefs with Dr. Mead, and re-
turned to render an account of it.

I mail in the courfe of the winter probably be an
evening vifitant to you, if you fit at home, though I
hope it will not be by compulfion or lamenefs. We
may take a cup of fack together, and chatter like two
parrots, which are at leaft more reputable and man-
like animals than the grafshoppers, to which Homer
likens old men.

I am glad you fleep better. I fleep in company,
and wake at night, which is vexatious : if you did fo,
you at your age would make verfes. As to my
health, it will never mend ; but I will complain lefs
of it, when I find it incorrigible. "

But for the news of my quitting Twit'nam for Bath,
enquire into my years,, if they are pad the bounds of
dotage ? Afk my eyes, if they can fee, and my nof-
trils if they can fmell ? To prefer rocks and dirt to
flowery meads and filver Thames, and brimftone and

fogs



2j8 LETTERS TO AND

fogs to rofes and fun-fhine. When I arrive at thefe
fenfations, I may fettle at Bath, of which I never yet
dreamt, further than to live juft out of the fulphurous
pit, and at the edge of the fogs at Mr. Allen's, for
a month or fo. I like the place fo little, that health
itfelf mould not draw me thither, though friendship
has twice or thrice.

Having anfwered your queflions, I defire to hear if
you have any commands. If the firft be to come
to you, it's probable I mail, before you can fend 'em
fo round about as to Twit'nam, for I have lived of
late at Batterfea. Adieu !

Tour's, etc.



LETTER XL VII.

TO MR. BETHEL*

Auguilp, 1733.

XT ou might well think me negligent or forgetful of

you, if true friendmip and fincere efteem were

to be meafured by common forms and compliments.

The

* Hugh Bethel, Efq. was a gentleman of family and fortune
in Yorkfhire, who is celebrated in two fine lines in the Eflay on Man,
b. iv. 1. 125. on account of the afthma with which he was afflicted.
The late Alderman was of the fame family; and the eftate was lately
held by Capt. C. Codrington, a brother of Sir William, who took
the name of Bethel.



FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 239

The truth is, I could not write then, without faying
fomething of my own condition, and of my lofs of fo
old and fo deferving a parent, which really would
have troubled you ; or I muft have kept a filence
upon that head, which would not have fuited that
freedom and fincere opening of the heart which is
due to you from me. I am now pretty well ; but
my home is uneafy to me ftill, and I am therefore
wandering about all this fummer. I was but four
days at Twickenham fince the occafion that made it
fo melancholy. I have been a fortnight in EfTex, and
am now at Dawley, (whofe mafter is your fervant,)
and going to Cirencefter to Lord Bathurft. I mail
alfo fee Southampton with Lord Peterborow. The
Court and Twit'nham I mall forfake together. I wifh
I did not leave our friend h , who deferves more quiet,
and more health and happinefs, than can be found in
fuch a family. The reft of my acquaintance are
tolerably happy in their various ways of life, whether
court, country, or town ; and Mr. Cleland is as well
in the Park, as if he were in Paradife. I heartily
hope, Yorkfhire is the fame to you ; and that no
evil, moral or phyfical, may come near you.

I have now but too much melancholy leifure, and
no other care but to finifli my Eflay on Man : there
will be in it one line that may offend you, (I fear,) and
yet I will not alter or omit it, unlefs you come to
town and prevent me before I print it, which will be

in
h Mrs. B. W.



240 LETTERS TO AND

in a fortnight in all probability. In plain truth, I
will not deny myfelf the greateft pleafure I am ca-
pable of receiving, becaufe another may have the
modefty not to mare it. It is all a poor poet can do,
to bear teftimony to the virtue he cannot reach : be-
fides that, in this age, I fee too few good Examples
not to lay hold on any I can find. You fee what an
interefted man I am. Adieu.



LETTER XLVIII.
TO 1.

September 7, 1733.

TT-OU cannot think how melancholy this place
makes me ; every part of this wood puts into
my mind poor Mr. Gay, with whom I paffed once a
great deal of pleafant time in it, and another friend
who is near dead, and quite loft to us, Dr. Swift. I
really can find no enjoyment in the place ; the fame
fort of uneafinefs as I find at Twit'nham, whenever
I pafs near my Mother's room.

I've not yet writ to Mrs. . I think I mould, but
have nothing to fay that will anfwer the character
they confider me in, as a wit ; befides, my eyes grow
very bad, (whatever is the caufe of it,) I'll put them
out for nobody but a friend ; and, I protefl, it brings

tears
s Mrs. B. W.



FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 241

tears into them almoft to write to you, when I think
of your ftate and mine. I long to write to Swift, but
cannot. The greateft pain I know, is to fay things
fo very fhort of one's meaning, when the heart is full.

I feel the going out of life faft enough, to have lit-
tle appetite left to make compliments, at beft ufelefs,
and for the moft part unfelt fpeeches. 'Tis but in a
very narrow circle that Friendfhip walks in this world ^
and I care not to tread out of it more than I needs
muft ; knowing well, it is but to two or three (if quite
fo many) that any man's welfare, or memory, can be
of confequence : the reft, I believe, I may forget, and
be pretty certain they are already even, if not before-
hand with me.

Life, after the firft warm heats are over, is all down-
hill : and one almoft wifhes the journey's end, pro-
vided we were fure but to lie down eafy whenever the
Night mail overtake us,

I dreamed all laft night of ; She has dwelt
(a little more than perhaps is right) upon my fpirits :
I faw a very deferving gentleman in my travels, who
has formerly, I have heard, had much the fame mif-
fortune ; and (with all his good-breeding and fenfe)
ftill bears a cloud and melancholy caft, that never
can quite clear up, in all his behaviour and conver-
fation. I know another, who, I believe, could pro-
mife, and eafily keep his word, never to laugh in his
life. But one muft do one's beft, not to be ufed by
the world as that poor lady was by her fifter ; and not

VOL. vin. R feem



242 LETTERS TO AND

feem too good, for fear of being thought affected, or
whimfical.

It is a real truth, that to the laft of my moments,
the thought of you, and the beft of my wimes for you,
will attend you, told or untold.

I could wifh you had once the conftancy and re-
folution to aft for yourfelf, whether before or after I
leave you, (the only way I ever mail leave you,) you
muft determine ; but reflect, that the firft would make
hie, as well as yourfelf, happier ; the latter - could
make you only fo. Adieu.



LETTER XLIX.

-ciq J;i!3 eVsxruiQi adl no bfl : ii

FROM DR. ARBUTHNOT.

H&mpftead, July 17, 17^4.-

j LITTLE doubt of your kind concern for me, nor of
that of the lady you mention. I have nothing to
repay my friends with at prefent, but prayers and good
wifhes. I have the fatisfaction to find that I am as
officioufly ferved by my friends, as he that has thou-
fands to leave in legacies ; befidcs the aflurance of their
fincerity. God Almighty has made my bodily dif-
trefs as eafy as a thing of that nature can be. I have
found fome relief, at leaft fometimes, from the air of
this place. My nights are bad, but many poor crea-
ure$ have worfe.

A



FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 243

As for you, my good friend, I think, fmce our firfl
acquaintance, there have not been any of thofe little
fufpicions or jealoufies that often affect the fmcerefl
friendfhips : I am fure, not on my fide. I muft be
fo fmcere as to own, that though I could not help
valuing you for thofe talents which the world prizes,
yet they were not the foundation of my friendfhips ;
they were quite of another fort j nor mall I at pre-
fent offend you by enumerating them : and I make it
my lafl Requeft, that you will continue that Noble
Difdain and Abhorrence of Vice, which you feem
naturally endued with j but ftill with a due regard to
your own fafety ; and ftudy more to reform than chaf-
tife*, though the one cannot be effected without the
other.

Lord Bathurft I have always honoured, for every
good quality that a perfon of his rank ought to have :
pray, give my refpefts and kindeft wfmes to the
family. My venifon ftomach is gone, but I have
thofe about me, and often with me, who will be very
glad of his prefent. If it is left at my houfe, it will
be tranfmitted fafe to me.

A recovery in my cafe, and at my age, is impoffi-
ble ; the kindeft wifli of my friends is Euthanafia.
Living or dying, I (hall always be