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A fmall alms will do a great kindness, to people in

extreme neceffity.

I could name an acquaintance of yours, who would at this time think himself more obliged to you for the information of his faults, than the confirmation of his follies. If you would make those the fubject of a letter, it might be as long as I could wifh your letters always were.

I do not wonder you have hitherto found fome difficulty (as you are pleased to say) in writing to me, fince you have always chofen the task of commending me take but the other way, and, I dare engage, you will find none at all.

As for my verses, which you praise so much, I may truly say they have never been the cause of any vanity in me, except what they gave me when they first occafioned my acquaintance with you. But I have feveral times fince been in danger of this vice; as often, I mean, as I received any letters from you. 'Tis certain, the greatest magnifying glasses in the world are a man's own eyes when they look upon his own perfon; yet even in those, I cannot fancy myfelf fo extremely like Alexander the great, as you would perfuade me. If I must be like him, 'tis you will make me fo by complimenting me into a better opinion of myself than I deferve: They made him think he was the fon of Jupiter, and you affure me I am a man of parts. But is this all you can fay to my honour? you faid ten times as much before, call'd me your friend. After having made

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me believe I poffefs'd a fhare in your affection, to treat me with compliments and sweet sayings, is like the proceeding with poor Sancho Panca: they perfuaded him that he enjoy'd a great dominion, and then gave him nothing to fubfift upon but wafers and marmalade. In our days the greatest obligation you can lay upon a Wit, is to make a fool of him. For as when madmen are found incurable, wife men give them their way, and please them as well as they can; fo when thofe incorrigible things, Poets, are once irrecoverably be-mus'd, the best way both to quiet them, and fecure yourself from the effects of their frenzy, is to feed their vanity; which indeed, for the moft part, is all that is fed in a poet.

You may believe me, I could be heartily glad that all you say were as true, applied to me, as it would be to yourself, for several weighty reasons; but for none fo much at that I might be to you what you deserve; whereas I can now be no more than is confiftent with the small tho' utmoft capacity of, &c.

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for-foreft. I find no other difference than this, betwixt the common town-wits, and the downright country fools; that the first are pertly in the wrong,

with a little more flourish and gayety; and the last neither in the right nor the wrong, but confirm'd in a ftupid fettled medium betwixt both. However, methinks, these are moft in the right, who quietly and easily refign themselves over to the gentle reign of dulnefs, which the Wits muft do at laft, tho' after a great deal of noise and refiftance. Ours are a fort of modeft inoffenfive people, who neither have fenfe, nor pretend to any, but enjoy a jovial fort of dulnefs: They are commonly known in the world by the name of honeft, civil gentlemen: They live, much as they ride, at random; a kind of hunting life, purfuing with earneftnefs and hazard fomething not worth the catching; never in the way, nor out of it. I can't but prefer folitude to the company of all these for tho' a man's felf may poffibly be the worft fellow to converfe with in the world, yet one would think the company of a person whom we have the greateft regard to and affection for, could not be very unpleasant. As a man in love with a miftrefs, defires no converfation but hers, fo a man in love with himfelf (as moft men are) may be best pleased with his own. Befides, if the trueft and most useful knowledge be the knowledge of our felves, folitude, conducing moft to make us look into ourselves, fhould be the most instructive state of life. We fee nothing more commonly, than men, who for the fake of the circumftantial part and mere outfide of life, have been half their days rambling out of their nature, and ought to be fent

into folitude to ftudy themselves over again. People are ufually spoiled, inftead of being taught, at their coming into the world; whereas, by being more converfant with Obfcurity, without any pains, they would naturally follow what they were meant for. I: a word, if a man be a coxcomb, Solitude is his best School; and if he be a fool, it is his best Sanctuary.

These are good reasons for my own stay here, but I wish I could give you any for your coming hither, except that I earnestly invite you. And yet I can't help faying I have fuffered a great deal of difcontent that you do not come, tho' I fo little merit that you should.

I must complain of the fhortness of your laft. Those who have moft wit, like thofe who have most money, are generally most sparing of either.

LETTER IX.

From Mr. WY CHERLE Y.

Nov. 5, 1705.

Ours of the 26th of October I have received,

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as I have always done yours, with no little fatisfaction, and am proud to discover by it, that you find fault with the fhortness of mine, which I think the best excufe for it: And tho' they (as you fay) who have most wit or money are most sparing of either; there are fome who appear poor to be

thought rich, and are poor, which is my cafe. I cannot but rejoice, that you have undergone fo much difcontent for want of my company; but if you have a mind to punish me for my fault (which I could not help) defer your coming to town, and you will do it effectually. But I know your charity always exceeds your revenge, fo that I will not defpair. of feeing you, and, in return to your inviting me to your foreft, invite you to my foreft, the town; where. the beasts that inhabit, tame or wild, of long ears, cr. horns, pursue one another either out of love or hatred. You may have the pleasure to fee one pack of bloodhounds pursue another herd of brutes, to bring each other to their fall, which is their whole fport: Or if you affect a lefs bloody chace, you may fee a pack of fpaniels, called Lovers, in a hot purfuit of a twolegged vixen, who only flies the whole loud pack to be fingled out by one dog, who runs mute to catch her up the fooner from the reft, as they are making a noise to the lofs of their game. In fine, this is the time for all forts of sport in the town, when those of the country ceafe; therefore leave your foreft of beafts for ours of brutes, called men, who now in full cry (pack'd by the court or country) run down in the house of commons a deferted horned beast of the Court, to the satisfaction of their spectators : Befides (more for your diversion) you may see not only the two great play-houfes of the nation, those of the lords and commons, in difpute with one anether; but the other two play houfes in high cen

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