rival to her wit, or fame: fo that let your Countrygentlewoman appear when she will in the world*, my old worn-out jade of a loft reputation shall be her attendant into it, to procure her admirers ; as an old whore, who can get no more friends of her own, bawds for others, to make sport 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 store of wit, as ftore 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, &c. This, and what follows, is a full Confutation of John Dennis and others, who afferted that Mr. Pope wrote these verfes on himself (tho' published by Mr. Wycherley fix years before his death.) We find here it was a voluntary Act of his, promis'd before-hand, and written while Mr. Pope was abfent. The first Brouillon of these 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 thefe words. "I have made damn'd Compliment in verfe upon the printing your Pafto"rals, which you shall fee when you see me." a I LETTER XVIII. From Mr. WYCHERLEY. May 17, 1709. Muft thank you for a book of your Mifcellanies, which Tonfon fent me, I fuppofe, by your order; and all I can tell you of it is, that nothing has lately been better receiv'd by the public, than your part of it. You have only difpleas'd the critics by pleafing them too well; having not left them a word to fay for themfelves, against you and your perfor mances; fo that, now your hand is in, you must perfevere, till my prophecies of you be fulfill'd. In earnest, all the best judges of good fenfe or poetry, are admirers of yours; and like your part of the book fo well, that the reft is lik'd the worse. This is true upon my word, without compliment; so that your first fuccefs will make you for all life a your poet, in spite of your wit; for a poet's success at firft, like a gamefter's fortune at firft is like to make him a lofer at laft, and to be undone by his good fortune and merit. But hitherto your miscellanies have fafely run the gantlet, through all the coffee-houses; which are now entertain'd with a whimfical new news-paper, call'd the TATLER, which I suppose 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 muft be fatisfy'd with; fo Poverty, you fee, which makes peace in Westminster-hall, makes it likewise 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 says he is more your friend or humble fervant, than LETTER XIX. Your, &c. I Am glad you receiv'd the were only to fhow you that 1 May 20, 1709. Mifcellany, if it there are as bad poets in this nation as your fervant. This modern cuftom of appearing 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 defcription of thefe 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 extemplo cudant Epicedia, Genethliaca, Protreptica, Panegyrica, Epithalamia, Vaticinia, Propemptica, Soterica, Parænetica, Nenias, Nugas. * Jacob Tonfon's fixth Vol, of Miscellany Poems. As to the fuccefs which, you say, my part has met with, it is to be attributed to what you was pleas'd to fay 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 no recruits from abroad for nature, like an indulgent mother, kindly takes care to fupply her fons with as much of their own, as is neceflary for their fatisfaction. If my verfes fhould meet with a few flying commendations, Virgil has taught me, that a young author has not too much reafon to be pleas'd 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 appear'd as a poet, he may give up his pretenfions to all the rich and thriving arts: those who have once made their court to those miftreffes without portions, the Muses, are never like to fet up for fortunes. But for my part, I shall be fatisfy'd if I can lofe my time agreeably this way, without lofing my reputation: as for gaining VOL. VIII. D any, I am as indifferent in the matter as Falstaffe 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 graciously dignify'd his adventurers and voluntiers in poetry.) Jacob creates poets, as Kings fometimes do knights, not for their honour, but for their money. Certainly he ought to be esteem'd a worker of miracles, who is grown rich by poetry. What Authors lofe, their Bookfellers have won, I am your, &c. LETTER XX. From Mr. WYCHERLE Y.. May 26, 1709. HE laft I received from you was dated the TH 22d of May. I take your charitable hint to me very kindly, wherein you do like a true friend, and a true chriftian, and I fhall endeavour to follow your advice, as well as your example.-As for your wifhing to fee your friend an Hermit with you, I cannot be faid to leave the world, fince I fhall enjoy |