dowdies, who aim at being honour'd only to their fhame but her artful innocence (on the contrary) will gain more honour as fhe becomes public; and, in fpite of cuftom, will bring modefty again into fashion, or at least make her fifter-rivals of this age blush for fpite, if not for fhame. As for my ftale, antiquated, poetical pufs, whom you would keep in countenance by faying fhe has once been tolerable, and would yet pafs mufter by a little licking over; it is true that (like moft vain antiquated jades which have once been paffable) fhe yet affects youthfulness in her age, and would still gain a few admirers (who the more fhe feeks or labours for their liking, are but more her contemners). Nevertheless fhe is refolved henceforth to be fo cautious as to appear very little more in the world, except it be as an Attendant on your Mufe, or as a foil, not a rival to her wit, or fame: fo that let your Country-gentlewoman appear when she will in the world', my old worn out jade of a loft reputation fhall be her attendant into it, to procure her admirers; as an old whore, who can get s This, and what follows, is a full confutation of John Dennis and others, who afferted that Mr. Pope wrote these verses on himself (though published by Mr. Wycherley fix years before his death). We find here, it was a voluntary act of his, promised before-hand, and written while Mr. Pope was absent. The first Brouillon of those verses, and the fecond Copy with corrections, are both yet extant in Mr. Wycherley's own hand: In another of his letters of May 18, 1708, are these words, "I have made a "damn'd Compliment in verse upon the printing your Pastorals, "which you shall see when you see me." P. no more friends of her own, bawds for others, to make fport or pleafure yet, one way or other, for mankind. I approve of your making Tonfon your mufe's introductor into the world, or master of the ceremonies, who has been fo long a pimp, or gentleman-ufher to the Mufes. I wish you good fortune; fince a man with ftore of wit, as store of money, without the help of good fortune, will never be popular; but I wish you a great many admirers, which will be fome credit to my judgment as well as your wit, who always thought you had a great deal, and am Your, etc. LETTER XVIII. FROM MR. WYCHERLEY. I May 17, 1709. a book of your Miscellanies, MUST thank for you which Tonfon fent me, I suppose, by your order; and all I can tell you of it is, that nothing has lately been better received by the public than your part of it. You have only difpleased the critics by pleafing them too well; having not left them a word to fay for themselves, against you and your performances; fo that, now your hand is in, you must persevere, till my prophecies of you be fulfilled. In earnest, all the best beft judges of good fenfe or poetry, are admirers of yours; and like your part of the book fo well, that the reft is liked the worfe. This is true upon my word, without compliment; fo that your first fuccefs will make you for all your life a poet, in spite of your wit; for a poet's fuccefs at firft, like a gamefter's fortune at first, is like to make him a lofer at last, and to be undone by his good fortune and merit. But hitherto your miscellanies have safely run the gauntlet, through all the coffee-houses; which are now entertained with a whimfical new news-paper, called the TATLER, which I fuppofe you have seen. This is the newest thing I can tell you of, except it be of the Peace, which now (most people fay) is drawing to fuch a conclufion, as all Europe is, or must be satisfied with; fo Poverty, you fee, which makes peace in Westminster-hall, makes it likewife in the camp or field, throughout the world. Peace then be to you, and to me, who am now grown peaceful, and will have no contest with any man, but him who fays he is more your friend or humble fervant, than Your, etc. LETTER XIX. May 20, 1709. I t AM glad you received the Mifcellany, if it were only to fhew you that there are as bad poets in this nation as your fervant. This modern cuftom of арpearing in mifcellanies, is very useful to the poets, who, like other thieves, escape by getting into a crowd, and herd together like Banditti, fafe only in their multitude. Methinks Strada has given a good de fcription of these kind of collections; Nullus hodie mortalium aut nafcitur, aut moritur, aut præliatur, aut rufticatur, aut abit peregre, aut redit, aut nubit, aut eft, aut non eft, (nam etiam mortuis ifti canunt) cui non illi exemplo cudant Epicedia, Genethliaca, Protreptica, Panegyrica, Epithalamia, Vaticinia, Propemptica, Soterica, Paranetica Nanias, Nugas. As to the fuccefs, which, you fay, my part has met with, it is to be attributed to what you was pleased to say of me to the world; which you do well to call your prophecy, fince whatever is faid in my favour, must be a prediction of things that are not yet; you, like a true Godfather, engage on my part for much more than ever I can perform. My paftoral Mufe, like other country girls, is but put out of countenance, by what you courtiers fay to her; yet I hope you would not deceive me too far, as knowing that a young fcribler's vanity needs Jacob Tonfon's fixth Vol. of Miscellany Poems. P. no no recruits from abroad; for nature, like an indulgent mother, kindly takes care to supply her fons with as much of their own, as is neceffary for their fatisfaction. If my verses should meet with a few flying commendations, Virgil has taught me, that a young author has not too much reafon to be pleased with them, when he confiders that the natural confequence of praise is envy and calumny, -Si ultra placitum laudarit, baccare frontem When once a man has appeared as a poet, he may give up his pretenfions to all the rich and thriving arts: thofe who have once made their court to thofe mistreffes without portions, the Mufes, are never like to fet up for fortunes. But for my part, I fhall be fatisfied if I can lofe my time agreeably this way, without losing my reputation: as for gaining any, I am as indifferent in the matter as Falftaffe was, and may fay of fame as he did of honour, "If it comes, it comes unlook'd for; and there's an end on't.” I can be content with a bare faving game, without being thought an eminent hand (with which title Jacob has gracioufly dignified his adventurers and volunteers in poetry). Jacob creates poets, as Kings fometimes do knights, not for their honour, but for their money. Certainly he ought to be esteemed a worker of miracles, who is grown rich by poetry. What Authors lofe, their Bookfellers have won, So Pimps grow rich, while Gallants are undone, I am your, etc. |