which we call humour: Mr. Wycherley fhew'd his, even in this laft compliment; tho' I think his request a little hard, for why should he bar her from doubling her Jointure on the same easy terms?

So trivial as these circumstances are, I fhould not be difpleas'd my self to know fuch trifles, when they concern or characterise any eminent perfon. The wifeft and wittieft of men are feldom wifer or wittier than others in these fober moments: At least, our friend ended much in the character he had lived in: and Horace's rule for a play, may as well be apply'd to him as a play-wright. Servetur ad imum

Qualis ab inceptu procefferit, & fibi conftet.

I am, &c.

I

LETTER LXXXIX.

February 10, 1715-16.

Am just return'd from the country, whither Mr. Rowe accompanied me, and pass'd a week in the Foreft. I need not tell you how much a man of his turn entertain'd me; but I must acquaint you there is a vivacity and gaiety of difpofition almost peculiar to him, which make it impoffible to part from him without that uneafinefs which generally fucceeds all our pleasures. I have been just taking a folitary walk by moon-fhine, full of reflections on the tranfitory nature of all human delights; and giving my thoughts a loose in the contemplation of thofe fatisfactions which probably we may hereafter taste in the company separate spirits, when we fhall range the walks above, and perhaps gaze on this world at as vaft a distance as we now do on those

of

worlds. The pleasures we are to enjoy in that conversation must undoubtedly be of a nobler kind, and (not unlikely) may proceed from the discoveries each fhall communicate to another, of God and of nature; for the happiness of minds can furely be nothing but knowledge.

The highest gratification we receive here from company is Mirth, which at the best is but a fluttering unquiet motion, that beats about the breast for a few moments, and after leaves it void and empty. Keeping good company, even the best, is but a less fhameful art of losing time. What we here call fcience and ftudy, are little better: the greater number of arts to which we apply our felves are meer groping in the dark; and even the fearch of our most important concerns in a future being, is but a needless, anxious, and uncertain haste to be knowing, fooner than we can, what without all this follicitude we shall know a little later. are but curious impertinents in the cafe of futurity. 'Tis not our bufinefs to be guessing what the state of fouls fhall be, but to be doing what may make our own state happy; we cannot be knowing, but we can be virtuous.

We

If this be my notion of a great part of that high science, Divinity, you will be so civil as to imagine I lay no mighty stress upon the reft. Even of my darling poetry I really make no other use, than horses of the bells that gingle about their ears (tho' now and then they tofs their heads as if they were proud of 'em) only to jogg on, a little more merrily.

Your obfervations on the narrow conceptions of mankind in the point of friendship, confirm me in what I was fo fortunate as at my first knowledge of you to hope, and fince fo amply to experience. Let me take fo much decent pride and dignity upon me, as to tell you, that but for opinions like these which I difcover'd in your mind, I had never made the trial I have done; which has fucceeded fo much to mine, and I believe not lefs to your fa

tisfaction for if I know you right, your pleasure is greater in obliging me, than I can feel on my part, till it falls in my power to oblige you.

Your remark, that the variety of opinions in politicks or religion is often rather a gratification, than an objection, to people who have sense enough to confider the beautiful order of nature in her variations; makes me think you have not construed Joannes Secundus wrong, in the verse which precedes that which you quote: Bene nota Fides, as I take it, does no way fignify the Roman Catholic Religion, tho' Secundus was of it. I think it was a generous thought, and one that flow'd from an exalted mind, that it was not improbable but God might be delighted with the various methods of worshipping him, which divided the whole world. I am pretty sure you and I should no more make good Inquifitors to the modern tyrants in faith, than we could have been qualify'd for Lictors to Procruftes, when he converted refractory members with the rack. In a word, I can only repeat to you what I think I have formerly faid; that I as little fear God will damn a man who has Charity, as I hope that any Prieft can fave him without it. I am, &c.

I

LETTER XC.

March 20, 1715-16.

Find that a real concern is not only a hindrance to speaking, but to writing too: the more time we give our selves to think over one's own or a friend's unhappiness, the more unable we grow to express the grief that proceeds from it. It is as natural to delay a letter, at such a season as this, as to retard a melancholy vifit to a person one cannot relieve. One is afhamed in that

circumstance, to pretend to entertain people with trifling, infignificant affectations of forrow on the one hand, or unfeasonable and forced gayeties on the other. 'Tis a kind of profanation of things facred; to treat fo folemn a matter as a generous voluntary Suffering, with compliments, or heroic gallantries. Such a mind as yours has no need of being spirited up into honour, or like a weak woman, praised into an opinion of its own virtue. 'Tis enough to do and fuffer what we ought; and men should know, that the noble power of fuffering bravely is as far above that of enterprizing greatly, as an unblemish'd confcience and inflexible resolution are above an accidental flow of spirits, or a sudden tide of blood. If the whole religious business of mankind be included in refignation to our maker, and charity to our fellow creatures; there are now fome people who give us as good an opportunity of practising the one, as themselves have given an inftance of the violation of the other. Whoever is really brave, has always this comfort when he is oppreft, that he knows himself to be fuperior to those who injure him: for the greatest power on earth can no fooner do him that injury, but the brave man can make himself greater by forgiving it.

If it were generous to feek for alleviating confolations in a calamity of so much glory, one might say that to be ruin’d thus in the grofs, with a whole people, is but like perifhing in the general conflagration, where nothing we can value is left behind us.

Methinks the most heroic thing we are left capable of doing, is to endeavour to lighten each other's load, and (oppreft as we are) to fuccour fuch as are yet more oppreft. If there are too many who cannot be affifted but by what we cannot give, our money; there are yet others who may be relieved by our counsel, by our countenance, and even by our chearfulnefs. The misfortunes of private families, the misunderstandings of people whom diftreffes make fufpicious, the coldneffes of relations whom change of re

X

ligion may difunite, or the neceffities of half-ruin'd eftates render unkind to each other; these at least may be soften'd in fome degree, by a general well-manag'd humanity among our felves; if all those who have your principles of belief, had also your sense and conduct. But indeed most of 'em have given lamentable proofs of the contrary; and 'tis to be apprehended that they who want fenfe, are only religious thro' weaknefs, and good-natur'd thro' fhame. Thefe are narrow-minded creatures that never deal in effentials, their faith never looks beyond ceremonials, nor their charity beyond relations. As poor as I am, I would gladly relieve any diftreffed, confcientious French refugee at this instant: what must my concern then be, when I perceive fo many anxieties now tearing those hearts, which I have defired a place in, and clouds of melancholy rifing on those faces, which I have long look'd upon with affection? I begin already to feel both what fome apprehend, and what others are yet too ftupid to apprehend. I grieve with the old, for fo many additional inconveniencies and chagrins, more than their small remain of life feem'd deftin'd to undergo; and with the young, for so many of those gayeties and pleasures (the portion of youth) which they will by this means be depriv'd of. This brings into my mind one or other of those I love best, and among them the widow and fatherlefs, late of.... As I am certain no people living had an earlier and truer sense of others misfortunes, or a more generous refignation as to what might be their own, fo I earnestly wish that whatever part they must bear, may be render'd as supportable to them, as it is in the power of any friend to make it.

But I know you have prevented me in this thought, as you always will in any thing that's good, or generous: I find by a letter of your lady's (which I have feen) that their ease and tranquility is part of your care. I believe there's fome fatality in it, that you fhould always, from time to time, be doing those particular things that make me enamour'd of you.