them as at this, I can be fo civil as not to lay any stress upon them (as, I think, I told you before); and in particular in the point of trees enjoying, you have, I must own, fully satisfied me that the expreffion is not only defenfible, but beautiful. I shall be very glad to see your translation of the elegy, Ad amicam navigantem, as soon as you can; for (without a compliment to you) every thing you write, either in verfe or profe, is welcome to me; and you may be confident (if my opinion can be of any fort of confequence in any thing) that I will never be unfincere, though I may be often mistaken. To ufe fincerity with you is but paying you in your own coin, from whom I have experienced fo much of it; and I need not tell you how much I really esteem you, when I esteem nothing in the world fo much as that quality. I know, you fometimes fay civil things to me in your epiftolary style, but those I am to make allowance for, as particularly when you talk of admiring; it is a word you are so used to in converfation of Ladies, that it will creep into your discourse, in spite of you, even to your friends. But as women, when they think themselves fecure of admiration, commit a thousand negligences, which fhow them fo much at difadvantage and off their guard, as to lose the little real love they had before: fo when men imagine others entertain some esteem for their abilities, they often expofe all their imperfections and foolish works, to the difparagement of the little wit they were thought masters

of.

you

of. I am going to exemplify this to you, in putting into your hands (being encouraged by fo much indulgence) fome verses of my youth, or rather childhood; which (as I was a great admirer of Waller) were intended in imitation of his manner'; and are, perhaps, fuch imitations, as those fee in aukward country dames, of the fine and well-bred ladies of the court. If you will take them with you into Lincolnshire, they may fave you one hour from the conversation of the country gentlemen and their tenants (who differ but in drefs and name) which, if it be there as bad as here, is even worse than my poetry. I hope your ftay there will be no longer than (as Mr. Wycherley calls it) to rob the country, and run away to London with your money. In the mean time I beg the favour of a line from you, and am (as I will never ceafe to be) Your, etc.

LETTER XIX.

Oct. 12, 1710.

I

DEFERRED anfwering your laft, upon the advice I received, that you were leaving the town for fome time, and expected your return with impatience, having then a design of feeing my friends there, among

the

One or two of these were fince printed among other Imitations done in his youth.

P.

the first of which I have reason to account yourself.
But
my
almoft continual illneffes prevent that, as well
as most other fatisfactions of my life: however, I may
fay one good thing of fickness, that it is the best cure
in nature for ambition, and designs upon the world
or fortune: it makes a man pretty indifferent for the
future, provided he can but be eafy, by intervals, for
the prefent. He will be content to compound for his
quiet only, and leave all the circumftantial part and
pomp of life to thofe, who have health vigorous
enough to enjoy all the miftreffes of their defires. I
thank God, there is nothing out of myfelf which I
would be at the trouble of feeking, except a friend;
a happinefs I once hoped to have poffeffed in Mr.
Wycherley; but-Quantum mutatus ab illo !-I have
for fome years been employed much like children that
build houfes with cards, endeavouring very bufily and
eagerly to raise a friendship, which the first breath of
any ill-natured by-stander could puff away.—But I
will trouble you no farther with writing, nor myself
with thinking, of this fubject.

I was mightily pleased, to perceive by your quotation from Voiture, that you had tracked me fo far as France. You fee it is with weak heads as with weak ftomachs, they immediately throw out what they received laft; and what they read floats upon the furface of the mind, like oil upon water, without incorporating. This, I think, however, cannot be faid of the love-verses I laft troubled you with, where all (I

am

amraid) is fo puerile and fo like the author, that no body will fufpect any thing to be borrowed. Yet you (as a friend, entertaining a better opinion of them) it seems, searched in Waller, but fearched in vain. Your judgment of them is (I think) very right,—for it was my own opinion before. If you think them not worth the trouble of correcting, pray tell me fo freely, and it will fave me a labour; if you think the contrary, you would particularly oblige me by your remarks on the feveral thoughts as they occur. I long to be nibbling at your verses, and have not forgot who romised me Ovid's elegy*, Ad amicam navigantem. ad Ovid been as long compofing it, as you in fending it, the lady might have failed to Gades and received it at her return. I have really a great itch of criticism upon me, but want matter here in the country which I defire you to furnish me with, as I you in the town,

do

Sic fervat ftudii foedera quifque fui.

I am obliged to Mr. Caryl (whom, you tell me, you met at Epfom) for telling you truth, as a man is

in

* In the prefent improved state of literature, for improved it is, we are furprized to see these critics and poets writing to each other, with seriousness and earnestness, about translations of Ovid's Elegies and Epiftles; which the youths at the top of our great schools would almost think it a disgrace to be employed about, at prefent.

But these are the steps by which we are now arrived to a much higher and better tafte; and we ought not to think too contemptuously of the means by which we are so much gradually improved.

ad

in these days to any one that will tell truth vantage; and I think none is more to mine, than what he told you, and I fhould be glad to tell all the world, that I have an extreme affection and esteem

for you.

Tecum etenim longos memini confumere foles,

Et tecum primas epulis decerpere noctes ;
Unum opus et requiem pariter disponimus ambo,
Atque verecunda laxamus feria menfa.

By these Epula, as I take it, Perfius meant the Portugal fnuff and burnt Claret, which he took with his master Cornutus; and the verecunda menfa was without difpute, fome coffee-house table of the an-> cients. I will only observe, that these four lines are as elegant and mufical as any in Perfius, not excepting those fix or feven which Mr. Dryden quotes as the only fuch in all that author.-I could be heartily glad to repeat the fatisfaction defcribed in them, being truly

Your, etc.

I

LETTER XX.

October 28, 1710.

you

AM glad to find by your last letter that write

to me with the freedom of a friend, fetting down your thoughts as they occur, and dealing plainly with me in the matter of my own trifles, which, I affure

VOL. VII.

K

you,