this matter toward me, and I esteem you for that which you show to the memory of your kinfman. I doubt not but you will discharge it in a becoming manner, and am, Sir, LETTER XXIX. TO THE SAME. Your, etc. SIR, MY Saturday, Nov. 23, 1734. y abfence from home prevented my receiving your two letters till this day. I would elfe have read your tragedy willingly; and I beg you not to take amiss that I return your presents of the tickets, fince it is not in my power to be there next week, through indifpenfable obligations in the country at fome distance. I think your prologue* a good one; and I think of players as I always thought of players, and of the fon as I thought of the father. I fincerely wifh you fuccefs, and am, Sir, Your, etc. * This prologue (which was afterwards spoken by Mr. Milward with applaufe) had been juft returned to the author, with great contempt, by Mr. Theophilus Cibber. SIR, LETTER XXX. TO MR. PITT, TRANSLATOR OF VIDA AND VIRGIL. Twitenham, near Hampton-Court, I RECEIVED a letter from you with fatisfaction, having long been defirous of any occafion of teftifying my regard for you, and particularly of acknowledging the pleasure your Verfion of Vida's Poetick had afforded me. I had it not indeed from your bookfeller, but read it with eagerness, and think it both a correct and a fpirited tranflation. I am pleased to have been (as you tell me) the occafion of your undertaking that work: that is fome fort of merit; and, if I have any in me, it really consists in an earnest desire to promote and produce, as far as I can, that of others. But as to my being the pub. lisher, or any way concerned in reviewing or recommending of Lintot's Mifcellany, it is what I never did in my life, though he (like the reft of his tribe) makes a very free use of my name. He has often reprinted my things, and fo fcurvily, was doing so again, I corrected the sheets as far as they went, of my own only. And, being told by him that he had two or three copies of yours, (which you also had formerly fent me (as he faid) through his hands,) I obliged him to write for your confent, before I that, finding he before he made ufe of them. This was all your fe cond book he has juft now delivered to me, the infcription of which to myself I will take care he fhall leave out; and either return the rest of your verses to him, or not, as you fhall like best. I am obliged to you, Sir, for expreffing a much higher opinion of me than I know I deferve: the freedom with which you write is yet what obliges and pleases me more; and it is with fincerity that I fay, I would rather be thought by every ingenious man in the world, his fervant, than his rival. I am, etc. LETTER XXXI. TO THE REV. MR. PITT, RECTOR OF PIMPERNE, NEAR BLANDFORD, DORSETSHIRE. I Twickenham, Aug. 2, 1728. AM here, my dear Rector, in as delightful a fituation for the world about me, and books, and converfation, as mortal man can wish to be. I can think of nothing at present that could add to it, except the hearing that you are very well, and entirely free from your old enemy the gout. I should not know how to leave this place, had not I the hopes of waiting upon you in a few weeks; but first I can affure you, I have a world of drudgery to go through. I had almost. almost forgot one particular: when I was with our old friend, Mr. Pefcod, the other day, he confirmed me in a thought I had, that the verfes on an Old Beauty (fhe, you know, "who blooms in the winter of her days like Glaftenbury Thorn") were written by you at New College. If they are yours, as I am very much perfuaded they are, I beg you would be fo good as to fend me a copy of them in your answer; which I beg may be as foon as poffible, because, as you may easily imagine, I don't love to be many days without hearing from you. I defire this copy the rather, because I have been asked for it fince I have been in town, and have none but a very incorrect copy at prefent. If you have any commauds here, I beg you would favour me with them, as your most affectionate friend and fervant, SIR, JO. SPENCE. I take this opportunity of affuring you, you have, at the place from whence this letter is dated, a friend and fervant, A. POPE. N. B. In a letter from Mr. Spence to Mr. Pitt, dated New College, November 12, 1728, are the following words, containing Mr. Pope's opinion of Pitt's Virgil. 66 "Before this I gave you Mr. Pope's real fentiment on your first book; I dare fay it was his real fen❝ timent, <timent, because, as I told you, I took care to ask "him the queftion before I had mentioned my being "acquainted with you; and it was literally what I " told you." LETTER XXXII. MR. POPE'S OPINION OF BATH. TO MR. RICHARDSON, QUEEN's SQUARE. Dear Sir, EVERY November 21. VERY thing was welcome to me in your kind letter, 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 business with Dr. Mead, and returned to render an account of it. I fhall in the course 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 lameness. We may take a cup of fack together, and chatter like two parrots, which are at least more reputable and manlike 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 verses. As to my health, 1 |