to the extortion in our own days: though, to view this matter in the light of political morality, the prefent exorbitancy ought to alarm us extremely; for, the higher law or juftice is vended, the scarcer it must be; and the poor, who need it moft, will, confequently, have leaft of it. Then oppreffion reigns, and liberty is no more; and then is a ftate in the proper crifis for a revolution, either by rebellion at home, or invafion from abroad. At the time Pliny hints at this extravagance, the great Roman Empire was haftening to its ruin. Adieu ! HIATU S. HENRY. LETTER CLXXV. My dearest FANNY, OUR Mufaum: UR affizes are over, and I am returned to myfelf, that is, to you. I wait not for the pleafure of hearing from you, but amufe myself, in the mean time, with the more imperfect one of writing to you. I am now retired among my books, the best part of which library I esteem your letters; for they not only teach me wifdom, but promife me that glorious end, of which wisdom is the fureft means, happiness. I have read fome pages this morning in the fecond volume of Orrery's Pliny; but should not, at this time, think of entertaining you out of this author, if I had not from thence a fair opportunity of addreffing myfelf more particularly to my heart's only aim. You may remember, that you rallied me upon not taking notice of Pliny's epiftles to Calpurnia, in my former remarks; but I defended myself, upon upon there not being any in the first volume. The fourth of the fixth book, which is the first of the fecond volume, is the first of these epiftles. I confefs myself charmed with it; and am the more particularly fond of her, as, from the hint of her conftitution and make, fhe feems to refemble you; as you, in return, do her in this; that I think you would deferve, on the like occafion, a letter full of the fame fondness, and tenderness, and conjugal regard. Whenever I raise a ftatute to Pliny, I will have that whole epiftle infcribed on the pedestal. The two first lines of the fortieth page contain a very fine and a juft fentiment. From the fecond paragraph of the comment upon this fixteenth epiftle, you may draw a comparifon between Pliny and Shakespeare, by obferving, that the little jingle, and affected turns, in both their writings, were rather the falfe taste of their age, than the vices of the authors. The reflection in the feventeenth epiftle, that he, who envies another, must be his inferior," is fine. At the end of the notes upon the fourth epiftle of the feventh book, Lord Orrery wishes that this letter had perished; I fuppofe, because it betrays a little vanity about his trifling performances in Toetry. He is very often angry at him, when he fhews a weakness of any kind, because it is natural for us to wifh thofe, we love or esteem for fome qualities, perfect in all Now I am not quite fo fevere in this matter: "Non ego paucis offendor "maculis." Human nature has many foibles; and, when I perceive fome in a great character, I fuppofe I fee the whole man; but, when a perfect eft. * Si non invideres major es: Nam qui invidet minor Incert. Auth. fyftem fyftem is presented to me, I fufpect the genuineness of the whole; for, as I conclude a part is acted fomewhere, I think it poffible it may be done throughout Which gives me occafion to remark upon the only foible, I ever could object to my own Calpurnia; and which, like the caprices of beauty, may be compared to fhrubs, that fometimes occur in laying out an improvement; which though out of rule to plant there, would be want of taste to root out. The first paragraph of the fifteenth epiftle gives me an opportunity of renewing my remark upon one of the epiftles of the first volume: + I forget which of them; and, as I have returned you that book, I cannot fet myself right now; but it is where he comes very near preferring a life of re tired leisure to public business; but dares not speak quite out, for the reasons there mentioned. In the paffage of this letter, which I am now quoting, he fays, "I dare not fay my life would be better,' but certainly it would be happier, if my ftudies "were my fole employments." I think, Lord Orrery has miftaken that paffagein the eighteenth epiftle, where Pliny fays, "The "land itself will never want a proprietor;" for Pliny feems to confider this farm with a view of fetting it, not of felling; and therefore rather wants a tenant, than a purchafer. The original expreffion ‡, à quo exerceatur," feems to warrant this fense. On the nineteenth epiftle, Faulkner makes a remarkable blunder in the comment, about the genealogy of Fannia; but, indeed, the whole edition of this book is very faulty. + See Letter CLXII. By whom the land is occupied: which diftinguishes a tenant from the owner of the foil. In the observations upon the twenty-fifth epiftle, my Lord quotes, as a proverb, this fentence: He, that is not for me, is against me;" by which he seems not to recollect, that it is a paffage in Scripture, and spoken by our Saviour *. I am fure, if he had been aware of this, he would not have introduced it fo lightly here. Adieu ! I LETTER CLXXVI. AM infinitely obliged to my dearest life, for the kindness and conftancy of his letters: They have, indeed, almoft made me amends for the pangs of abfence. I know nothing else that could have foothed, or even amufed my mind, but those dear pledges of your love. I confess I never felt fuch fevere anguish in my life, as at our laft parting; and, though you appeared fo then,. I do not. now believe you was indifferent. A thousand circumftancés concurred to render it more painful to me, than any of our former feparations. You have kindly obviated the moft material; and I fhall now endeavour to forget the paft, and only look forward with the pleafing hope of our meeting. The gentleness with which you treat my greatest fault, will, I flatter myself, have a better effect, than the fevereft reproof. Allow me, my dearest Harry, to say, without a boast, my nature is honest, generous, and open. I was brought up with, perhaps, too much tendernefs and lenity: Unused to harfhness, I cannot eafily bring myself to bear it from one I paffionately love:- But be Luke ii. 23. affureď affured I will endeavour to root this weed, not fhrub, intirely out of your little parterre. I wish I was as well able to vye with the merits of Calpurnia's character, as your epiftles, for nobleness of fentiment, juftoefs of thought, elegance, and tenderness of expreffion, may with Pliny's; but, alas! I fear I fall as far fhort of her, as you, in my opinion, furpafs him. In one refpect, however, I am fure I fhall equal, if not exceed her; in my unbounded love, and faithful friendship for thee, thou dearest, most amiable, and deferving of thy fex! I hope, when I write next, I fhall be more at peace; for I am not fettled yet. In the mean time, I beg you will excufe the wildnefs and incoherence of this fcrawl, and believe me, with the tendereft affection and fincereft efteem, your fond and faithful FANNY LETTER CLXXVII. Dear FANNY, I RECEIVED no letter from you by Tuesday night's poft, fo fuppofe there was not any certainty, or alteration in your affairs, at that time, worth recording. I have fent to town, expecting a letter by Thursday's poft, and am very fure fhall not be disappointed. I hope the letter itself may not disappoint me. Since I received Lady -'s laft letter, I have had frequent struggles with myself about answering it. If I do not answer it, I fuffer the correspondence to drop on my fide; which is unpolite: If I do answer, I may feem to prefume too much upon an occafional adventure, and thereby be deemed unworthy of the honour proceeding from D |