try. I beg now for my own fake, but much more for yours; methinks Mr. has faid to you more than once, Heu fuge, nate dea, teque his, ait, eripe flammis ! I am Your, &c. T LETTER LXXIII. To Sir WILLIAM TRUMBULL. March 12, 1713. "Hough any thing you write is fure to be a pleasure to me, yet I must own your last letter made me uneafy: you really use a style of compliment, which I expect as little as I deferve it. I know 'tis a common opinion that a young scribler is as ill pleas'd to hear truth as a young lady. From the moment one sets up for an author, one must be treated as ceremoniously, that is as unfaithfully, As a King's Favourite, or as a King. This proceeding, join'd to that natural vanity which first makes a man an author, is certainly enough to render him a coxcomb for life. But I muft grant it is a juft judgment upon poets, that they whose chief pretence is Wit, fhou'd be treated as they themselves treat fools, that is, be cajoll'd with praises. And I believe, Poets are the only poor fellows in the world whom any body will fatter. I would not be thought to fay this, as if the obliging letter you fent me deferv'd this imputation, only it put me in mind of it; and I fancy one may apply to one's friend what Cæfar faid of his wife: "It was not fufficient that he knew her to be chaft himself, "but she shou'd not be fo much as fufpected. As to the wonderful difcoveries, and all the good news you are pleas'd to tell me of my self; I treat it, as you who are in the fecret treat common news, as ground lefs reports of things at a distance; which I who look into the true fprings of the affair, in my own breaft, know to have no foundation at all. For Fame, tho' it be (as Milton finely calls it) the laft infirmity of noble minds, is scarce fo ftrong a temptation as to warrant our lofs of time here: it can never make us lie down contentedly on a death-bed, (as fome of the Ancients are faid to have done with that thought.) You Sir have your self taught me, that an easy fituation at that hour, can proceed from no ambition lefs noble than that of an eternal felicity, which is unattainable by the strongest endeavours of the wit, but may be gain'd by the fincere intentions of the heart only. As in the next world, fo in this, the only folid bleffings are owing to the goodness of the mind, not the extent of the capacity friendship here is an emanation from the fame fource as beatitude there: the fame benevolence and grateful difpofition that qualifies us for the one,. if extended farther, makes us partakers of the other. The utmost point of my defires in my present state terminates in the fociety and good-will of worthy men, which I look upon as no ill earnest and fore-taste of the society and alliance of happy fouls hereafter. The continuance of your favours to me is what not only makes me happy, but caufes me to fet fome value upon my self as a part of your care. The inftances I daily meet with of these agreeable awakenings of friendship, are of too pleafing a nature not to be acknowledged whenever I think of you. I am your, &c. LET I' LETTER LXXIV. Dec. 16, 1715. T was one of the Enigma's of Pythagoras, "When the winds "rife, worship the Eccho." A modern writer explains this to fignify, "When popular tumults begin, retire to foli“tudes, or fuch_places where Eccho's are commonly found, rocks, "woods, &c." I am rather of opinion it fhould be interpreted, "When rumours increase, and when there is abundance of noise "and clamour, believe the fecond report:" This I think agrees more exactly with the eccho, and is the more natural application of the fymbol. However it be, either of thefe precepts is extreamly proper to be followed at this season; and I cannot but applaud your refolution of continuing in what you call your cave in the foreft, this winter; and preferring the noise of breaking ice to that of breaking statesmen, the rage of ftorms to that of parties, the fury and ravage of floods and tempefts, to the precipitancy of fome, and the ruin of others, which I fear will be our daily prospects in London. I fincerely wish my felf with you, to contemplate the wonders of God in the firmament, rather than the madness of man on the earth. But I never had fo much caufe as now to complain of my poetical star, that fixes me at this tumultuous time, to attend the gingling of rymes and the measuring of fyllables: to be almost the only trifler in the nation; and as ridiculous as the Poet in Petronius, who while all the rest in the fhip were either labouring or praying for life, was scratching his head in a little room, to write a fine description of the tempeft. You tell me, you like the found of no arms but thofe of Achilles: for my part I like them as little as any other arms. I lifted my self in the battles of Homer, and I am no fooner in war, but like moft other folks, I wish my self out again. I heartily join with you in wishing Quiet to our native country : Quiet in the state, which like Charity in religion, is too much the perfection and happiness of either, to be broken or violated on any pretence or prospect whatsoever. Fire and fword, and fire and faggot, are equally my averfion. I can pray for oppofite parties, and for oppofite religions, with great fincerity. I think to be a lover of one's country is a glorious elogy, but I do not think it so great an one as to be a lover of mankind. I sometimes celebrate you under these denominations, and join your health with that of the whole world; a truly catholick health, which far excels the poor narrow-fpirited, ridiculous healths now in fashion, to this church, or that church. Whatever our teachers may fay, they muft give us leave at least to wish generously. These, dear Sir, are my general difpofitions, but whenever I pray or wifh for particulars, you are one of the first in the thoughts and affections of your, &c. LETTER LXXV. From Sir WILLIAM TRUMBULL. Jan. 19, 1715-6. Should be asham'd of my long idleness, in not acknowledg Iing your kind advice about Eccho, and your moft ingenious : explanation of it relating to popular tumults; which I own to be very useful and yet give me leave to tell you, that I keep my felf to a fhort receipt of the fame Pythagoras, which is Silence; and this I fhall obferve, if not the whole time of his discipline, yet at least till your return into this country. I am oblig'd further to this method, by the most severe weather I ever felt; when tho' I keep as near by the fire fide as may be, yet gelidus concrevit frigore fanguis and often I apprehend the circulation of the blood begins to be ftop'd. I have further great loffes (to a poor farmer) of my poor oxen Intereunt pecudes, ftant circumfufa : pruinis Corpora magna boum, &c. Pray comfort me if you can, by telling me that your second volume of Homer is not frozen; for it must be exprefs'd very poetically to fay now, that the preffes fweat. I cannot forbear to add a piece of artifice I have been guilty of, on occafion of my being oblig'd to congratulate the birth-day of a friend of mine: when finding I had no materials of my own, I very frankly sent him your imitation of Martial's epigram on Antonius Primus.* This has been applauded fo much, that I am in danger of commencing Poet, perhaps Laureat, (pray defire my good friend Mr. Rowe to enter a caveat) provided you will further increase my stock in this bank. In which proceeding I have laid the foundation of my eftate, and as honeftly, as many others have begun theirs. But now being a little tender, as young beginners often are, I offer to you (for I have conceal'd the true author) whether you will give me orders to declare who is the father * Jam numerat placido felix Antonius ævo, &c. At length my Friend (while Time with ftill career } |