generosity to your friends, that you take it kindly to be defired by them to do them a kindness; and you think it done to you, when they give you an opportunity to do it them. Wherefore you may be fure to be troubled with my letters out of intereft, if not kindness; fince mine to you will procure yours to me: fo that I write to you more for my own fake than yours; less to make you think I write well, than to learn from you to write better. Thus you fee interest in my kindness, which is like the friendship of the world, rather to make a friend than be a friend; but I am yours, as a true Plain-dealer.

LETTER XXIII.

FROM MR. WYCHERLEY.

April 11, 1710.

IF I can do part of my business at Shrewsbury in a fortnight's time (which I propofe to do) I will be foon after with you, and trouble you with my comfor the remainder of the fummer: In the mean time I beg you to give yourself the pains of altering, or leaving out what you think fuperfluous in my papers, that I may endeavour to print fuch a number of

pany

them as you and I shall think fit, about Michaelmas next. In order to which (my dear friend) I beg you to be fo kind to me, as to be severe to them; that

the

the critics may be lefs fo; for I had rather be cons demned by my friend in private, than expofed to my foes in public, the critics, or common judges, who are made fuch by having been old offenders themfelves. Pray believe I have as much faith in your friendship and fincerity, as I have deference to your judgment; and as the best mark of a friend is telling his friend his faults in private, fo the next is concealing them from the public, till they are fit to appear. In the mean time I am not a little fenfible of the great kindness you do me, in the trouble you take for me, in putting my Rhimes in tune, fince good founds fet off often ill fenfe, as the Italian fongs, whofe good airs, with the worft words or meaning, make the best mufic; fo by your tuning my Welch harp, my rough fenfe may be the lefs offenfive to the nicer ears of those critics, who deal more in found than sense. Pray then take pity at once both of my readers and me, in shortening my barren abundance, and increasing their patience by it, as well as the obligations I have to you: And fince no madrigaller can entertain the head unless he pleases the ear; and fince the crowded Operas have left the best Comedies with the least audiences, it is a fign found can prevail over sense; therefore soften my words, and strengthen my fenfe, and

Eris mihi magnus Apollo.

LETTER XXIV.

April 15, 1710.

I

RECEIVED your most extreme kind letter but just now. It found me over thofe papers you mention, which have been my employment ever fince Eafter-Monday: I hope before Michaelmas to have discharged my tafk; which, upon the word of a friend, is the most pleasing one I could be put upon. Since you are so near going into Shropshire, (whither I fhall not care to write of this matter, for fear of the miscarriage of any letters,) I must desire your leave to give you a plain and fincere account of what I have found from a more ferious application to them. Upon comparison with the former volume, I find much more repeated than I till now imagined, as well as in the prefent volume, which, if (as you told me laft) you would have me dash over with a line, will deface the whole copy extremely, and to a degree that (I fear) may displease you. I have every where marked in the margins the page and line, both in this and the other part. But if you order me not to cross the lines, or would any way elfe limit my commiffion, you will oblige me by doing it in your next letter; for I am at once equally fearful of sparing you, and of offending you by too impudent a correction. Hitherto however I have croffed them fo as to be legible, because you bade me. bade me. When I think all the repetitions

repetitions are struck out in a copy, I fometimes find more upon dipping in the first volume, and the number increases so much, that, I believe, more shortning will be requifite than you may be willing to bear with, unless you are in good earneft refolved to have no thought repeated. Pray forgive this freedom *, which as I must be fincere in this cafe, fo I could not but take; and let me know if I am to go on at this rate, or if you could prefcribe any other method.

I am very glad you continue your refolution of feeing me in my Hermitage this fummer; the fooner you return, the fooner I shall be happy, which indeed my want of any company that is entertaining or esteemable, together with frequent infirmities and pains, hinder me from being in your abfence. 'Tis (I am fure) a real truth, that my fickness cannot make me quite weary of myself when I have you with me; and I fhall want no company but yours, when you are here.

You see how freely, and with how little care I talk rather than write to you: this is one of the many advantages of friendship, that one can fay to one's friend

* Which Wycherley could never bring himself to do. His whole behaviour reminds one of what Voltaire has faid of his intercourfe with the King of Pruffia, and the employment he undertook; "Tout ce que j'ai fait, pendant deux ans, pour mettre ses ouvrages de prose & de vers en état de paraitre, a été un service dangereux qui deplaifit dans le temps même qu'il affectait de m'en remercier avec effufion de cœur." He therefore wishes himself far removed from "les griffes des Rois qui font des vers & de la profe."

friend the things that stand in need of pardon, and at the fame time be fure of it. Indeed I do not know whether or no the letters of friends are the worse for being fit for none else to read. 'Tis an argument of the trust reposed in a friend's good-nature, when one writes fuch things to him as require a good portion of it. I have experienced yours fo often and fo long, that I can now no more doubt of the greatness of it, than I hope you do of the greatness of my affection, or of the fincerity with which I am, etc.

LETTER XXV.

FROM MR. WYCHERLEY.

April 27, 1710.

You give me an account in your letter of the trouble you have undergone for me, in comparing my papers you took down with you, with the old printed volume, and with one another, of that bundle you have in your hands; amongst which, (you fay) you find numerous repetitions of the fame thoughts and fubjects; all which, I must confefs, my want of memory has prevented me from imagining, as well as made me capable of committing; fince, of all figures, that of Tautology is the laft I would use, or least for. give myself for. But feeing is believing; wherefore I will

VOL. VII.

E