Your, etc.
* A very fenfible and important piece of advice ; which our
Poet, however, did not follow, and gives his reafons for not obferv-
ing his excellent friend's falutary admonition, in the fucceeding
Letter. But the reafons are not fo folid as the admonition.
R 2
244 LETTERS TO AND
LETTER L.
TO DR. ARBUTHNOT.
July 26, 1734.
j THANK you for your letter, which has all thofe
genuine marks of a good mind by which I have
ever diftinguifhed yours, and for which I have fo
long loved you. Our friendmip has been conftant ;
becaufe it was grounded on good principles, and
therefore not only uninterrupted by any Diftruft, but
by any Vanity, much lefs any Intereft.
What you recommend to me with the folemnity of
a Laft Requeft, mall have its due weight with me.
That Difdain and Indignation againft Vice, is (I thank
God) the only difdain and indignation I have : It is
fmcere, and it will be a lafting one. But fure it is
as impoffible to have a juft abhorrence of Vice, with-
out hating the Vicious, as to bear a true love for Vir-
tue, without loving the Good. To reform and not
to chaftife, I am afraid, is impoffible ; and that the
beft precepts, as well as the beft Laws, would prove
of fmall ufe, if there were no Examples to enforce
them. To attack Vices in the abftracl:, without
touching Perfons, may be fafe fighting indeed, but it
is fighting with fhadows. General propofitions are ,
obfcure, mifly, and uncertain, compared with plain,
full, and home Examples : Precepts only apply to our
Reafon, which in moft men is but weak: Examples
are
FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 245
are pictures, and flrike the Senfes, nay raife the Paf-
fions, and call in thofe (the ftrongeft and moft gene-
ral of all motives) to the aid of reformation. Every
vicious man makes the cafe his own ; and that is the
only way by which fuch men can be affected, much
lefs deterred. So that to chaftife is to reform. The
only fign by which I found my writings ever did any
good, or had any weight, has been that they raifed the
anger of bad men. And my greateft comfort, and
encouragement to proceed, has been to fee, that thofe
who have no fhame, and no fear of any thing elfe,
have appeared touched by my Satires.
As to your kind concern for my Safety, I can guefs
what occafions it at this time. Some Characters k I
have drawn are fuch, that if there be any who de-
ferve them, 'tis evidently a fervice to mankind to
point thofe men out ; yet fuch as, if all the world
gave them, none, I think, will own they take to them-
felves. But if they fhould, thofe of whom all the
world think in fuch a manner, muft be men I cannot
fear. Such in particular as have the meannefs to do
mifchiefs in the dark, have feldom the courage to juf-
tify them in the face of the day ; the talents that
make a Cheat or a Whifperer, are not the fame that
qualify a man for an Infulter : and as to private vil-
lany, it is not fo fafe to join in an Aifaflination, as in
a Libel.
k The Charafter of Sporus in the Epiflle to Dr. Arbuth-
not. W.
246 LETTERS TO AND
a Libel '. I will confult my fafety fo 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 lia-
ble 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 I mall not forfeit it ; for that of
the Great, or thofe in power, I may wifh I had it j
but if through mifreprefentations (too common about
perfons in that flation) I have it not, I fliali be forry,
but not miferable in the want of it.
It is certain, much freer Satirifts than I have en-
joyed the encouragement and prose&ion of the
Princes under whom they lived. Auguftus and Mae-
cenas 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 favoured and diftinguimed Virgil. You will not
fufpefl me of comparing myfelf with Virgil and Ho-
race, nor even with another Court-favourite, Boileau.
I have always been too modeft to imagine my Pane-
gyrics were incenfe worthy of a Court ; and that, I
hope, will be thought the true reafon why I have
never offered any. I would only have obferved, that
it was under the greateft Princes and bcft Minifters,
that moral Satirifts were moft encouraged ; and that
then poets exercifed the fame jurifdiftion over the Fol-
lies,
1 Sec the Letter to a Noble Lord, vol. iii. p. 339. W.
FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 247
lies, as Hiflorians did over the Vices of men. It may
alfo be worth confidering, whether Auguftus himfelf
makes the greater figure, in the writings of the
former, or of the latter ? and whether Nero and Do-
mitian do not appear as ridiculous for their falfe Tafte
and Affectation, in Perfms and Juvenal, as odious for
their bad Government in Tacitus and Suetonius ? In
the firfl of thefe reigns it was, that Horace was pro-
tected and careffed : and in the latter that Lucan was
put to death *, and Juvenal banifhed.
I would not have faid fo much, but to mew you my
whole heart on this fubjecl: ; 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 Appro-
bation (being the teftimony of a found head and an
honeft heart) does greatly confirm me herein, I wifh
you may live to fee the effect it may hereafter have
upon me, in fomething more deferving of that appro-
bation. But if it be the Will of God (which, I know,
will alfo be yours) that we muft feparate, I hope it will
be better for You than it can be for me. You are fitter
to
* We muft be compelled to own, that the integrity of Lucan
and Jjuvenal, though not their Genius, was fuperior to that of
Horace and Virgil ; and that the Death of one, and the Exile of
the other, confers on them more real honour, than all the favors
lavifhsd on the other two great Court Poets. Lucan, notvvith-
itanding Quintilian thinks he ought to be numbered rather
among Hiftorians than Poets, is a writer that abounds in new
and noble images, and in manly, patriotic fentiments.
R 4
248 LETTERS TO AND
to live, or to die, than any man I know. Adieu, my
dear friend ! and may God prefer ve your life eafy, or
make your death happy m .
LETTER LI.
MR. MALLET TO LORD BOLINGBROKE.
TTTHAT you are pleafed to obferve concerning the
work I am engaged in, (the Life of Marl-
borough,) is a truth never out of my thoughts ;
whether I am alone or in company. When I am
obliged to mix with the very futile converfation of
the duller! of mankind, thofe who think and talk
only from Magazines and Newfpapers, even then, the
recalling from time to time what I have learnt from
your Lordfhip's converfation, preferves the tone of
my mind, and brings up thofe trains of ideas which
your Lordmip's converfation has impreffed deeply. But
I am haftening home, to give myfelf up entirely to
what will require all my application, as well as my
fevered attention; and next week I propofe myfelf
the honour of kifling your Lordfhip's hands at
Batterfea.
Every mark of the friendfhip your Lordfhip is
pleafed to honour me with, will be received by me
with
* This excellent perfoiv died Feb. 1734-5.
FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 249
with equal regard and fatisfa&ion. Nor can it be
otherwife. No man ever reverenced the virtues, or
admired the talents of another, more fincerely than I
admire thofe which place you at the head of all your
contemporaries; and yet (for the fake of my country)
I could almoft wifh (I know your Lordfliip does
heartily) that I had reafon to mare this veneration,
amongft many, which is almoft confined to one.
Warburton's impudent edition (for he has enlarged
into nine volumes what the Author could but juft with
fome art fpin into^/*) I ran over during the two days
I have ftay'd in Bath, and I entirely agree with what
your Lordmip has refolved upon it. He has not only
changed the fituation of many verfes in his Author,
but has certainly fathered upon him fome of his own.
I know them by the mark of the beaft.
Extra ft of a Letter of Dr. Warburton.
" With regard to Mr. Mallet's declaration, there
" is only one way to convince me he is not the Au-
" thor of that infamous Libel, which is, by taking an
" opportunity of difowning it publicly. I think my
" honour concerned that it be publicly known, that I
" had no hand in the Letter to Lord Bolingbroke,
" merely on account of the Apollo Story, and I mail
*' do it on the firft occafion. If Mr. M. does not do
" the fame with regard to this Libel, I mail confider
" him as the Author of it, and aft in confequence of
" this
250 LETTERS TO AND
" this belief. This I defire you would let Mr. Mallet
" know, and, if he chufes, let him have a tranfcript
" of what I here fay." On the back of the copy of
of this Letter Mr. Mallet wrote, " N. B. I never took
" the flightefl notice of this impudent and filly threaten-
" ing Letter from Warburton. The writer I had no
" reafon to be afraid of the man I abhorred. A
*' head filled with paradoxes unproved and unprove-
" able ; a heart overflowing with virulence and the
" moft ftudious malice. N. B. I never wrote a
" pamphlet, nor a fentence in any pamphlet, concern-
" ing this wrong-headed dogmatical pedant.'*
LETTER LII.
FROM MR. GAY TO MR. POPE,
ON THE THREE HOURS AFTER MARRIAGE.
Dear Pope,
fpoo late I fee, and confefs myfelf miftaken in rela-
tion to the Comedy ; yet I do not think, had I
followed your advice, and only introduced the mum-
my, that the abfence of the crocodile had faved it.
I can't help laughing myfelf, (though the vulgar do
not confider it was defigned to look ridiculous,) to
think how the poor monfter and mummy were daihed
at their reception ; and when the cry was loudefl, I
thought
FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 251
thought that if the thing had been written by another,
I fhould have deemed the town in fome meafure mif-
taken ; and as to your apprehenfion that this may do
us future injury, do not think of it ; the Doctor has a
more valuable name than can be hurt by any thing of
this nature, and yours is doubly fafe. I will, if any
fhame there be, take it all to myfelf, and indeed I
ought, the motion being firfl mine, and never heartily
approved by you.
LETTER LIH.
y WILL not defcribe Blenheim in particular, not to
foreftal your expectations before you fee it : only
take a fhort account, which, I will hazard my little
credit, is no unjuft one. I never faw fo great a thing
with fo much littlenefs in it : I think the architect
built it entirely in complaifance to the tafte of its
owners ; for it is the moft inhofpitable thing imagin-
able, and the moft felfifli : it has, like their own
hearts, no room for ftrangers, and no reception for
any perfon of fuperior quality to themfelves. There
are but juft two apartments, for the mafter and mif-
trefs, below ; and but two apartments above, (very
much inferior to them) in the whole houfe. When
you look upon the outfide, you'd think it large enough
for a prince j when you fee the infide, it is too little
for
252 LETTERS TO AND
for a fubjecl: ; and has not conveniency to lodge a
common family. It is a houfe of entries and paffages ;
among which there are three vifta's through the whole,
very ufelefsly handfome. There is what might have
been a fine gallery, but fpoiled by two arches towards
the end of it, which take away the fight of fever al of
the windows. There are two ordinary flair-cafes
inflead of one great one. The befl things within the
houfe are the hall, which is indeed noble and well
proportioned ; and the cellars and offices under-
ground, which are the moft commodious, and the
befl contrived of the whole. At the top of the build-
ing are feveral cupola's and little turrets, that have but
an ill effect, and make the building look at once finical
and heavy. What feems of the befl tafle, is that front
towards the gardens, which is not yet loaded with
thefe turrets. The two fides of the building are en-
tirely fpoiled by two monflrous bow-windows, which
ftand jufl in the middle, inflead of doors : and, as if
it were fatal, that fome trifling littlenefs mould every
where deflroy the grandeur, there are in the chief
front two femi-circles of a lower flruclure than the
reft, that cut off the angles, and look as if they were
purpofely defigned to hide a loftier and nobler piece of
building, the top of which appears above them. In a
word, the whole is a mofl expenfive abfurdity ; and
the Duke of Shrewfbury gave a true character of it,
when he faid, it was a great quarry of flones above
ground,
We
FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 253
We paid a vifit to the Spring where Rofamond
bathed herfelf ; on a hill, where remains only a piece
of a wall of the old palace of Henry II. We toafled
her made in the cold water, not without a thought
or two, fcarce fo cold as the liquor we drank it in.
I dare not tell you what they were, and fo haften to
conclude, ;
Your, etc.
LETTER LIV.
MR. POPE TO LORD OXFORD.
My Lord, September 22, 1732.
T T was a grief to me not to be able to fnatch one
day more to be happy with you, before you left
the town ; and it added to the vexation, when I found
myfelf, within a week after, obliged to do that for
bufmefs which I could not for pleafure, for I was kept
four days there, multa gemens. I am extremely fenfible,
my Lord, of the many great diftinctions you have
(hewn me, the original of all which I attributed to
your piety to your father, for whom my refpeft was
too fincere to be expreft in poetry : and if, from the
continuance of your good opinion I may derive fome
imagination that you thought me not a worfe man
than a poet, it is a greater obligation to me perfonally,
than
154 LETTERS TO AND
than even the other. I hope my having taken an op*
portunfty, the only way my poor abilities can, of tell*
ing all men I no lefs efleem and love the fon, will not
be ungrateful to you, or quite difpleafmg. If any ob-
jection to the manner of it occur to your Lordfhip, I
depend on you, both as a friend and a judge, to tell
me fo. Other wife I will interpret your filence as a
confent to let me acquaint every body that I am,
(what I truly feel myfelf ) my Lord, your ever af-
fectionate and obliged humble fervant.
My Lady and Lady Margaret don't know how
much I am theirs, unlefs your Lordfhip will tell them
you believe it of me ; and my poor old woman
heartily (though feebly) exprefTes her fervice to
you all.
LETTER LV.
TO THE SAME.
My Lord, October 20, 173$.
T AM returned a v/eek fmce from my Lord Peterborowj
with whom I pad three weeks as agreeably and as
healthfully as I ever did in my life. I was not a little
dilappointed to find your Lordfliip in London, though,
confidering the fine weather, and how late in the fea-
4 fon
FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 255
fon you enjoyed it, I ought not to lament an abfence
which muft both give you health and pleafure. Your
houfe I found totally at my fervice, and took up my
choice (like a young and ambitious man) in no room
of it but Lady Margaret's. How much might I fay
upon that fubjeft, were I a poet ! but the misfortune
of being what feldom confifts with that character, a
bafhful and backward man, keeps me filent. I mail
be little in town (if at all) till your return, and, in
truth, fmce I came home, I have had my health fo ill,
that I muft in a manner live by myfelf ; and think I
muft either lead fuch a life as I did at Southampton,
which is inconfiftent with a town life, or lock myfelf
up from all converfible hours while I am in town. *I
beg to hear a line of your fatisfaclions and amufe-
ments, for of your ftate of health I am daily informed
by your honeft porter : but the other he knows riot,
and I am not quite contented without it. That all en-
joyments may be yours, and all good things attend
your whole worthy family, is the fincere prayer al-
ways of, my Lord, your faithfulleft fervant.
-j : ol
J/roJ \ni
256 LETTERS TO AND
LETTER LVI.
TO THE SAME.
I
My Lord, December 26, 1733.
SINCERELY wifh yourfelf, Lady Oxford, and Lady
Margaret, the happieft New Years to come. I
have fo many things to tell you, that I can tell you
none, and therefore I am inclined not to write at all.
Whatever I can fay of my zealous defires for your
felicity, is fhort of the truth ; and as to the reft, it is
too long a ftory to begin till I have the pleafure to
meet your Lordfhip, and can at the fame time make
an end of it.
This I writ a week ago, and having nothing more
material to fay, was afhamed to fend it. But feeing
they can't tell me when you return to town, I was
refolved not to let the feafon pafs without fending
you all this poor wifti at leaft. I hope my Lady
Oxford is perfectly well, though I heard me has not
been fo, notwithftanding your porter has often told
me all was well at Wimpole. Believe me to be with
the trueft efteem and unalterable fincerity, my Lord,
your Lordfhip's moft obedient, affectionate, and
obliged fervant.
If Lord Duplin be with you, I hope he will accept
my humble fervices.
FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 257
LETTER LVIL
TO JOHN VANDR. BEMPDEN, ESQ^ PRESENT.
SIR, Thurfday.
T 7 PON what you told me when I was lafl to wait on
you, I deferred treating further for the rent*
charge, till you could be more certain what fum you
could conveniently raife in prefent, towards the pur-
chafe. If there were only 3 or 400!. wanting,
we would take your bond ; for as to a mortgage on
the rent-charge, my father is not qualified to take it ;
for by an Ad of Parliament he cannot buy land,
though he may fell. However, if you defire to make
the purchafe foon, I believe I have a friend who will
lend you the loool. on the fame fecurity you offer us.
If you have any other fcruple, you'll pleafe to tell it
me fairly ; but if this purchafe be convenient to you,
we mall think of treating with no other, and be ready
upon your anfwer ; fince I think what I here propofe,
entirely accommodates all the difficulty you feem to
be at. I am, Sir,
Your, etc.
.^tfOO'J W, r * ,
: - '.>'-l* HO :
VOL. VIII.
258 LETTERS TO AND
LETTER LVIII.
TO MR. JERVAS.
No date.
j BEG you to let me know if you have any thoughts
of your Devonfhire journey this fummer. If you
have, I will flay for you, and let Mr. Fortefcue and
Gay travel together. This refolution muft be made
with fome hafte, becaufe they go next week, and I
mall want time to prepare. I thought Mrs. Cecil had
receipts before. The names of Lady Ranelagh
and Lady Cavendifh were inferted long fmee in
the lift.
You may tell Mr. Rollinfon that Gay was not furc
he mould go to Lord Bolingbroke's when he came
hither ; or help him to fome excufe, for his negleft
was fcandalous, and has given him much vexation
of fplrit.
I mould have been glad to have had the Report of
the Committee, and have fmce writ to Lintott for
it. If the Whigs now fay, that B. is the hero of my
preface, the Tories faid (you may remember) three
years ago, that Cato was the hero of my poetry. It
looks generous enough to be always on the fide of the
diftrefled ; and my patrons of the other party may
expect great panegyrics from me when they come to
be impeached by the future party rage of their oppo-
nents.
FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 259
nents. To compliment thofe who are dead in law,
is as much above the imputation of flattery, as Tic-
kell fays it is, to compliment thofe who are really
dead. And perhaps too there is as much vanity in
my praifmg Bolingbroke, as in his praifmg Halifax.
No people in the world are fo apt to give themfelves
airs as authors.
I have received the report, but have not yet had
time to read any of it. I have gone through the 5th,
6th, and ;th books, except a fmall part of the latter
end of the 6th. Pray tell me if you hear any thing
faid about Mr. Tickell's, or my tranflation, if the
town be not too much taken up with great affairs, to
take any notice of either.
I hold the refolution I told you in my laft, of fee-
ing you if you cannot take a trip hither before I go.
But I would fain flatter myfelf fo far as to fancy we
might travel together. Pray give me a line by Satur-
day's poft.
I am at all times, and in all reigns, whatever be the
fate of the world, or of myfelf, fmcerely and affec-
tionately, Dear Mr. JERVAS,
Yours, etc.
All here moft truly your fervants.
s 2
26o 2 LETTERS TO AND
t '<xrci IN Vy&%V> 3t odw slorij taornilqraoo oT
LETTER LIX.
TO JABEZ HUGHES*,
SIR,
T HAVE read over again your brother's playf, with
more concern and forrow than I ever felt in the
reading any tragedy.
The real lofs pf a good man may be called a diftrefs
to the worjd, and ought to affecl us more than any
feigned or ancient diftrefs, how finely drawn foever.
I am glad of $n occafion fp give you, under my
hand, this teftirnony, both how excellent I think this
work to be, and how excellent I thought the author.
I am, etc.
: : v-viiil . ' ;
LETTER L\
TO MR. DENNIS.
t:.i 3d 7 ,v r : :.r i
-salW'. . May 3 ' ; .' 72 ';,i
j CALLED to receive the two books of your letters ^
r, Congreve, and have left with him the
'
,
i Y'J.\
* This Letter to Mr. Hughs, witk tKe excellent character of
his deceafed brother, being fo contradictory to one addrefled to
Dean Swift, in which he fays, The author of the Siege of Da-
mafcus was of the clafs of the mediocribus in profe and verfe,
made it neceflary to fink the firft.
f The Siege of Damafcus, written by John Hughes, Efq. who
died Feb. 17, 1719, the firft night of its reprefentation.
Thefe books were intitled, Original Letters, familiar,
moral, and critical. In two "volumes 8vo.
FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 261
little money I am in your debt. I look upon myfelf
to be much more fo, for the " omiflions you have
" been pleafed to make in thofe Letters in my favour,
" and fincerely join with you in the defire, that not
" the lead traces may remain of that difference be-
" tween us, which indeed I AM SORRY FOR." You
may therefore believe me, without either ceremony or
falfenefs, Sir,
Your, etc.
LETTER LXI.
TO HIS FATHER.
Dear Sir,
fnpnis is to beg you would enquire of Mrs. Clark, if
me will board a family for the fummer in her
houfe, and at what rate ? Be pleafed alfo to aik at
the houfe over againft ours, Mr. Gafcoin's fifter, if
{he will board, &c. and how many beds there are to
be let there, and the lowed rate ? and fend word by
the firft poft you can to me. I am very well, and
beg you both to believe me mod affectionately,
Your, etc.
262 LETTERS TO AND
v jfiom ohjfl
LETTER LXIL
TO THE SAiME.
Dear Sir,
y HAVE recovered the ten guineas at Sir Richard
* Hoare's. Dr. Arbuthnot fays, fmce my mother is
better, to cure the bitternefs fhe complains of, me
mould chew rhubarb and fnake-root, about half a
dram each morning, for two or three days, inflead of
a vomit. But if fhe will venture a vomit, not. Car*
duus tea can do no harm, even if fhe mould not
vomit.
I have fold 500!. at loci, which was bad luck,
fmce it might have been parted with yefterday and
to-day at loil. and a half. I hope foon to fee you,
but defire an account how my mother does, and am
Your, etc.
LETTER LXIII.
TO HIS BROTHER.
Dear Brother, Saturday.
T HOPE to be with you on Monday next : if you
don't fee me that night, I defire you to fend a man
and horfe (fuch a one as I may ride fafely) on Tuef-
day
FROM SEVERAL PERSONS. 263
day morning to the Toy by Hampton Court gate by
ten o'clock, and I will not fail to wait upon you ;
which being all the bufmefs of this letter, I mall add
no more, than that I am my fifter's and
Yours moft affectionately.
LETTER LXIV.
TO HIS SISTER.
Dear Sifter, Twickenham, Auguft I.
rpHE bufmefs of this is to acquaint you with my in-
tentions of fending for you with the chariot on
Thurfday or Friday next, in order to get you hither.
I have named the lateft day that I could poffibly allow
you to ftay from us, being obliged to lend the cha-
riot upon a journey on Saturday. We will take no
denial, and therefore expect no excufe, or anfwer to
the contrary, from you. If I hear nothing (as I hope
I (han't) it fliall certainly come one of the days afore-
faid : fo pray be in readinefs. My hearty love to
you both, and my mother's kindeft remembrances.
I am always, dear filter,
Your, etc.
264 LETTERS TO AND
LETTER LXV.
FROM MRS. M. BLOUNT.