LETTERS OF MR. POPE, AND SEVERAL OF HIS FRIENDS. Quo Desiderio veteres revocamus Amores, VOL. VII. In the Bodleian Library, among Rawlinson's books and papers, is a large Quarto of these Letters, the original copies, with the post-mark on most of them, which Mrs. Thomas delivered to Curl, and which Rawlinson procured from Curl. On a comparison, which has been carefully made, it appears that Curl has omitted some, mutilated others, and blended two together. With respect to this Collection of Letters, it may be observed in general, that those are best which are written by the persons that have been most conversant in the world, and knew most of life. Those of our Author seem evidently designed for the public eye, and are sometimes inconsistent with the facility and unreservedness that ought to take place, and be predominant in a friendly and familiar correspondence. Of which kind the Letters of three celebrated Ladies, Madame de Sevigné, Madame Maintenon, and Lady Mary Wortley Montague, are masterpieces. So indeed is the correspondence betwixt Boileau and Racine, published by his son. But beyond all comparison, the eighteen volumes of the Letters of Voltaire, published in the last edition of his Works, contain a variety of literary history and criticism, written also to the most celebrated persons of the age, hardly to be equalled or excelled. It is much to be lamented that Sprat did not publish a large collection of his friend Cowley's Letters, which he had in his possession, especially, as he himself says, "it was a way of writing in which Cowley particularly excelled, as in these he always expressed the native tenderness and innocent gaiety of his heart." By the truly valuable collection given us by Mr. Mason, it appears that Gray was a much better writer of Letters than Pope. LETTERS TO AND FROM MR. WY CHERLEY1, From the Year 1704 to 1710. LETTER I. Binfield in Windsor Forest, Dec. 26, 1704'. Ir was certainly a great satisfaction to me to see and converse with a Man, whom in his writings I had so long known with pleasure; but it was a high addition to it, to hear you, at our very first meeting, If one were to judge of this set of Letters by the manner of thinking and turn of expression, one should conclude they had been all mis-titled; and that the letters given to the boy of sixteen, were written by the man of seventy, and so on the contrary; such sober sense, such gravity of manners, and so much judgment and knowledge of composition, enlivened with the sprightliness of manly wit, distinguish those of Mr. Pope: while, on the other hand, a childish jealousy, a puerile affectation, an attention and lying at catch for turns and points, together with a total ignorance and contempt of order, of method, and of all relation of the parts to one another to compose a reasonable whole, make up the character of those of Mr. Wycherley. However, those ingredients in the characters of the two distant ages of life, which Cicero makes Cato so much commend, "Adolescens in quo Senile aliquid, Senex in quo est Adolescens aliquid," seem to have been the cement of their friendship. W. ? The author's age then sixteen. P. doing justice to your dead friend Mr. Dryden. I was not so happy as to know him: Virgilium tantum vidi. Had I been born early enough, I must have known and loved him: For I have been assured, not only by yourself, but by Mr. Congreve and Sir William Trumbul, that his personal Qualities were as amiable as his poetical, notwithstanding the many libellous misrepresentations of them, against which the former of these Gentlemen has told me he will one day vindicate him3. I suppose those injuries were begun by the violence of Party, but 'tis no doubt they were continued by envy at his success and fame*: And those Scriblers who attacked him in his latter times, were only like gnats in a summer evening, which are never very troublesome but in the finest and most glorious season; for his fire, like the sun's, shined clearest towards its setting. You must not therefore imagine, that when you told me my own performances were above those Critics, I was so vain as to believe it; and yet I may not be so humble as to think myself quite below their notice. For critics, as they are birds of prey, have ever a natural inclination to carrion: and though such poor writers as I are but beggars, no beggar is 2 When a very young Boy, he prevailed with a friend to carry him to a Coffee-house which Dryden frequented; where he had the satisfaction he here speaks of. W. › He since did so, in his dedication to the Duke of Newcastle, prefixed to the duodecimo Edition of Dryden's Plays, 1727. P. The fact seems to have been just the reverse. One of the first Satires against him was the Duke of Buckingham's Rehearsal; and one of the last, Montague's parody of his Hind and Panther. W. so poor but he can keep a cur, and no author so beggarly but he can keep a critic. I am far from thinking the attacks of such people either any honour or dishonour even to me, much less to Mr. Dryden. I agree with you that whatever lesser Wits have risen since his death, are but like stars appearing when the sun is set, that twinkle only in his absence, and with the rays they have borrowed from him. Our wit (as you call it) is but reflection or imitation, therefore scarce to be called ours. True Wit, I believe, may be defined a justness of thought, and a facility of expression; or (in the midwife's phrase) a perfect conception, with an easy delivery". However, this is far from a complete definition; pray help me to a better, as I doubt not you can. I am, etc. LETTER II. FROM MR. WYCHERLEY. Jan. 25, 1704-5. I HAVE been so busy of late in correcting and transcribing some of my madrigals for a great man or two who desire to see them, that I have (with your pardon) omitted to return you an answer to your 5 This is no definition of wit at all, but of good writing in general. W. "Mr. Locke had given a better. But his Essay was not to our young poet's taste. He had met with it early; but he used to say, he had then no relish for it. W. |