had I been born early enough, I must have known and lov'd him : For I have been affured, not only by your felf, but by Mr. Congreve and Sir William Trumbul, that his perfonal Qualities were as amiable as his Poetical, notwithstanding the many libellous mifrepresentations of them, against which the former of these Gentlemen has told me he will one day vindicate him.* I suppose those injuries were begun by the violence of Party, but 'tis no doubt they were continued by Envy at his fuccefs and fame: And thofe Scriblers who attacked him in his latter times, were only like gnats in a fummer's evening, which are never very troublesome but in the finest and most glorious feafon; for his fire like the fun's, fhined clearest towards it setting.

You must not therefore imagine, that when you told me my own performances were above thofe Critics, I was fo vain as to believe it; and yet I may not be fo humble as to think my felf quite below their notice. For Critics, as they are birds of prey, have ever a natural inclination to carrion: and tho' fuch poor writers as I are but beggars, no beggar is so poor but he can keep a cur, and no author is so beggarly but he can keep a critic. I am far from thinking the attacks of fuch people would be either any Honour or Dishonour even to me, much less to Mr. Dryden. I agree with you, that whatever leffer Wits have rifen fince his death, are but like stars appearing when the fun is set, that twinkle only in his abfence, 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 expreffion; or (in the midwives phrase) a perfect conception, with an eafy delivery. However, this is far from a compleat definition; pray help me to a better, as I doubt not you can. I am, &c.

* He fince did fo, in his Dedication to the Duke of Newcastle, prefix'd to the Duodecimo Edition of Dryden's Plays, 1717.

LETTER II.

March 25, 1705.

HEN I write to you, I foresee a long letter, and ought

W to beg your patience before hand; for if it proves the

longest, it will be of course the worst I have troubled you with. Yet to express my gratitude at large for your obliging letter, is not more my duty than my intereft; as fome people will abundantly thank you for one piece of kindness, to put you in mind of beftowing another.

The more favourable you are to me, the more diftinctly I fee my faults. Spots and blemishes, you know, are never so plainly discovered as in the brightest sunshine. Thus I am mortified by thofe commendations which were defigned to encourage me for Praise to a young wit, is like rain to a tender flower; if it be moderately bestowed, it chears and revives; but if too lavishly, overcharges and depreffes him. Moft men in years, as they are generally discouragers of youth, are like old trees that being paft bearing themselves, will fuffer no young plants to flourish beneath them: but as if it were not enough to have out-done all your coævals in wit, you will excel them in good nature too. my * green effays, if you find any pleasure in them, it must be fuch as a man naturally takes in obferving the first shoots and buddings of a tree which he has raised himself: and 'tis impoffible they should be esteemed any otherwise, than as we value fruits for being early, which nevertheless are the most insipid, and the worst of the year. In a word, I must blame you for treating me with fo much compliment, which is at beft but the fmoak of friendship. I neither write, nor converfe with you, to gain your praise,

His Paftorals, written at 16 Years of Age.

As for

but your Affection. Be fo much my friend as to appear my enemy, and tell me my faults, if not as a young Man, at least as an unexperienc'd Writer. I am, &c.

LETTER III.

April 30, 1705.

I

But I

Cannot contend with you: You must give me leave at once to wave all your compliments, and to collect only this in general from them, that your defign is to encourage me. feparate from all the reft that paragraph or two, in which you make me fo warm an offer of your Friendship. Were I poffeffed of that, it would put an end to all those speeches which now make me blush; and change them to wholsome advices, and free fentiments, which might make me wifer and happier.

I know 'tis the general opinion, that friendship is best contracted betwixt perfons of equal age; but I have fo much interest to be of another mind, that you must pardon me if I cannot forbear telling you a few notions of mine, in oppofition to that opinion.

In the first place 'tis obfervable, that the love we bear to our friends is generally caused by our finding the fame difpofitions in them, which we feel in our felves: This is but felf-love at the bottom: whereas the affection betwixt people of different ages cannot well be fo, the inclinations of fuch being commonly various. The friendship of two young men is often occafioned by love of pleafure or voluptuoufnefs, each being defirous for his own fake, of one to aflift or encourage him in the courses he pursues; as that of two old men is frequently on the score of fome profit, lucre, or defign upon others: Now, as a young man who is lefs acquainted