you

I will take fome pains to examine and compare thofe papers in your hands with one another, as well as with the former printed copies, or books of my damned mifcellanies; all which (as bad a memory as I have) with a little more pains and care, I think, I can remedy. Therefore I would not have you give yourself more trouble* about them, which may prevent the pleasure you have, and may give the world in writing upon new fubjects of your own, whereby you will much better entertain yourself and others. Now as to your remarks upon the whole is to volume of my papers; all that I defire of mark in the margin (without defacing the copy at all) either any repetition of words, matter, or sense, or any thoughts or words too much repeated; which if you will be fo kind as to do for me, you will fupply with your good one, and my my want of memory deficiencies of fense, with the infallibility of yours; which if you do, you will moft infinitely oblige me, who almost repent the trouble I have given you, fince fo much. Now as to what you call freedom with me, (which you defire me to forgive,) you may be affured I would not forgive you for I am so far from thinking your plainness an offence to me, that I think it a charity and an obligation; which I fhall always acknowledge, with all fort of gratitude to you for it; who am, &c.

unless

you

did use it;

All

*Here is the beginning and firft ftroke of that jealoufy and peevishness which he afterwards fhewed to his young and useful friend.

All the news I have to fend you, is, that poor Mr. Betterton is going to make his Exit from the stage of this world, the gout being gotten up into his head, and (as the phyficians fay) will certainly carry him off fuddenly.

LETTER XXVI.

May 2, 1710.

I

AM forry you perfift to take ill my not accepting your invitation, and to find (if I mistake not) your exception not unmixed with fome fufpicion. Be certain I fhall moft carefully obferve your request, not to cross over, or deface the copy of your papers for the future, and only to mark in the margin the Repetitions. But as this can ferve no further than to get rid of those repetitions, and no way rectify the Method nor connect the Matter, nor improve the Poetry in expreffion or numbers, without further blotting, adding, and altering; fo it really is my opinion and defire, that you fhould take your papers out of my hands into your own, and that no alterations may be made but when both of us are present; when you may be satisfied with every blot, as well as every addition, and nothing be put upon the papers but what you fhall give your own sanction and affent to, at the fame time.

Do not be so unjust, as to imagine from hence that I would decline any part of this tafk; on the contrary you know, I have been at the pains of transcribing some pieces, at once to comply with your defire of not defacing the copy, and yet to lofe no time in proceeding upon the correction. I will go on the fame way, if you please; though truly it is (as I have often told you) my fincere opinion, that the greater part would make a much better figure as Single Maxims and reflections in profe, after the manner of your favourite Rochefoucault, than in verfe": And this, when nothing more is done but marking the repetitions in the margin, will be an easy task to proceed upon, notwithstanding the bad Memory you complain of. I am unfeignedly, dear Sir, Your, etc.

A. POPE.

"Mr. Wycherley lived five years after, to December 1715, but little progrefs was made in this defign, through his old age, and the increase of his infirmities. However, fome of the Verfes, which had been touched by Mr. P. with cccv111 of these Maxims in Profe, were found among his papers, which having the misfortune to fall into the hands of a Mercenary, were published in 1728, in octavo, under the Title of the Pofthumous Works of William Wycherley, Esq.

P.

[53]

LETTERS

TO AND FROM

W. WALSH', ES Q;

From the Year 1705 to 1707.

I

LETTER L

MR. WALSH TO MR. WYCHERLEY.

April 20, 1705. RETURN YOU the favoured me with, papers you and had sent them to you yesterday morning, but that I thought to have brought them to you last night myself. I have read them over feveral times with great fatisfaction. The Preface is very judicious and very learned; and the verses very tender and easy. The Author feems to have a particular genius for that kind of poetry, and a judgment that much exceeds the years you told me he was of. He has taken

a Of Abberley in Worcestershire, Gentleman of the Horse in Queen Anne's reign, Author of several beautiful pieces in Profe and Verfe, and in the opinion of Mr. Dryden (in his poftfcript to Virgil) the best critic of our nation in his time.

Mr. Pope's Paftorals.

P.

P.

taken very freely from the ancients, but what he has mixed of his own with theirs, is not inferior to what he has taken from them. 'Tis no flattery at all to fay, that Virgil had written nothing fo good at his age. I fhall take it as a favour if you will bring me acquainted with him: and if he will give himself the trouble any morning to call at my house, I fhall be very glad to read the verses over with him, and give him my opinion of the particulars more largely than I can well do in this letter. I am, Sir, etc.

I

LETTER II.

MR. WALSH TO MR. POPE.

June 24, 1706. RECEIVED the favour of your letter*, and shall be every glad of the continuance of a correfpondence, by which I am like to be fo great a gainer. I hope when I have the happiness of seeing you again

c Sixteen.

P.

in

*Walsh, though a feeble and flimfey poet, yet from these letters, and from the Effay on Paftoral, which he gave to Dryden, appears to have been a man of some taste and literature, but of narrow ideas in poetry. He feems to be the first of our critics that attended much to the Italian poets. We ought to esteem him for his early praife and encouragement of Pope, which perhaps contributed to determine Pope to devote himself to the study of Poetry. The beft of Walsh's poetry is a Parody on the Fourth Eclogue