My Lord,

LETTER CXXVI.

The Anfwer.

Nov. 20, 1717.

Am truly oblig'd by your kind condoleance on my Father's death, and the defire you express that I fhould improve this incident to my advantage. I know your Lordship's friendship to me is so extensive, thaty ou include in that wish both my Spiritual and my Temporal advantage; and it is what I owe to that friendship, to open my mind unreservedly to you on this head. It is true, I have loft a Parent for whom no gains I could make would be any equivalent: But that was not my only tye: I thank God another ftill remains (and long may it remain) of the fame tender nature: Genitrix eft,mibi and excufe me if I fay with Euryalus,

nequeam lacrymas perferre parentis.

A rigid Divine may call it a carnal tye, but fure it is a virtuous one. At least I am more certain that it is a Duty of Nature to preserve a good parent's life and happiness, than I am of any Speculative point whatever.

Ignaram bujus quodcunque pericli
Hanc ego, nunc, linquam?

For fhe, my Lord, would think this Separation more grievous than any other; and I, for my part, know as little as poor Euryalus did of the fuccefs of fuch an Adventure, (for an Adventure it is, and no fmall one, in spite of the most pofitive Divinity.) Whether the change would be to my fpiritual advantage, God only knows:

Ff

this I know, I mean as well in the Religion I now profess, as I can poffibly ever do in any other. Can a man who thinks fo, juftify a change, even if he thought both equally good? To fuch an one, the part of Joyning with any one body of Christians might perhaps be eafy, but I think it would not be fo to Renounce the other.

my

Your Lordship has formerly advis'd me to read the best Books of Controverfies between the Churches. Shall I tell you a fecret? I did fo at fourteen years old: for I loved reading, and my father had no other books. There was a collection of all that had been written on both fides in the reign of King James the second: I warm'd head with them, and the confequence was, that I found my self a Papist and a Proteftant by turns, according to the last book I read. I am afraid most Seekers are in the fame cafe, and when they stop, they are not fo properly converted, as out-witted. You fee how little glory you would gain by my converfion. And after all, I verily believe your Lordship and I are both of the fame religion, if we were thoroughly understood by one another; and that all honeft and reasonable chriftians would be fo, if they did but talk enough together every day; and had nothing to do together, but to serve God and live in peace with their Neighbour.

As to the temporal fide of the queftion, I can have no difpute with you. It is certain, all the beneficial circumftances of life and all the shining ones, lie on the part you would invite me to. But if I could bring myself to fancy what I think you do but fancy, that I have any talents for Active life, I want health for it; and befides it is a real truth, I have lefs Inclination (if poffible) than Ability. Contemplative life is not only my scene, but it is my habit too. I begun my life where most people end theirs, with a dif-relish of all that the world calls Ambition: I don't know why 'tis call'd fo, for to me it always feem'd to be rather stooping than climbing. I'll tell you my politick and religious fentiments in a few

words. In my Politicks, I think no further than how to preserve the peace of my life in any Government under which I live; nor in my Religion, than to preserve the peace of my confcience in any Church with which I communicate. I hope all Churches and all Governments are fo far of God, as they are rightly understood, and rightly adminiftred: and where they are, or may be wrong, I leave it to God alone to mend or reform them; which whenever he does, it must be by greater Inftruments than I am. I am not a Papift, for I renounce the temporal invafions of the Papal power, and deteft their arrogated authority over Princes or States. I am a Catholick, in the ftricteft fenfe of the word. If I was born under an absolute Prince, I would be a quiet subject; but I thank God I was not: I have a due sense of the excellence of the British constitution. In a word, the things I have always wished to fee, are not a Roman Catholick, or a French Catholick, or a Spanish Catholick, but a true Catholick and not a King of Whigs, or a King of Tories, but a King of England. Which God of his mercy grant his prefent Majefty may be, and all future Majefties! You fee my Lord, I end like a preacher but this is Sermo ad Clerum, not ad Populum. Believe me, with infinite obligation and fincere thanks, ever

:

Your, &c.

I'

LETTER CXXVII.

Sept. 23, 1720.

Hope you have fome time ago receiv'd the Sulphur, and the two volumes of Mr. Gay, as inftances (how fmall ones foever) that I wish you both health, and diverfion. What I now fend for your perufal, I shall fay nothing of; not to foreftall by

a fingle word what you promis'd to say upon that subject. Your Lordship may criticize from Virgil to these Tales, as Solomon wrote of every thing from the cedar to the hyfop. I have fome cause, fince I laft waited on you at Bromley, to look upon you as a Prophet in that retreat, from whom oracles are to be had, were mankind wife enough to go thither to confult you: The fate of the South-fea Scheme has, fooner than I expected, verify'd what you told me. Most people thought the time wou'd come, but no man prepar'd for it, no man confider'd it would come like a Thief in the night, exactly as it happens in the case of our death. Methinks God has punish'd the Avaritious as he often punishes finners, in their own way, in the very fin itself: the thirft of gain was their crime, that thirft continued became their punishment and ruin. As for the few who have the good fortune to remain with half of what they imagined they had, (among whom is your humble fervant) I would have them fenfible of their felicity; and convinced of the truth of old Hefiod's maxim, who after half his estate was fwallowed up by the Directors of those days, refolv'd, that half to be more than the whole.

Does not the fate of these people put you in mind of two paffages, one in Job, the other from the Pfalmift?

Men fball groan out of the CITY, and bifs them out of their

PLACE.

They have dreamed out their dream, and awaking have found nothing in their hands.

Indeed the univerfal Poverty, which is the confequence of univerfal Avarice, and which will fall hardest upon the guiltless and induftrious part of mankind, is truly lamentable. The Univerfal deluge of the South Sea, contrary to the old deluge, has drowned all except a few Unrighteous men but it is fome comfort to me that I am not one of them, even tho' I were to furvive

and rule the world by it. I am much pleas'd with a thought of Dr. Arbuthnot's: he fays the Government and South-fea company have only lock't up the mony of the people upon conviction of their Lunacy, (as is ufual in the case of lunaticks) and intend to restore 'em as much as may be fit for fuch people, as faft as they shall fee 'em return to their fenses.

The latter part of your letter does me fo much honour, and fhews me fo much kindness, that I must both be proud and pleas'd in a great degree; but I affure you, my Lord, much more the last than the firft. For I certainly know and feel in my own heart, which truly refpects you, that there may be a ground for your partiality one way; but I find not the least symptoms in my head, of any foundation for the other. In a word, the best reason I know for my being pleas'd, is that you continue your favour toward me the best I know for being proud, wou'd be that you might cure me of it; for I have found you to be fuch a physician as does not only repair but improve. I am with the fincerest efteem and acknowledgment, Your, &c.

TH

LETTER CXXVIII.

From the Bishop of ROCHESTER.

HE Arabian Tales and Mr. Gay's books Ireceiv'd not till Monday night, together with your letter for which I thank you. I have had a fit of the gout upon me ever fince I return'd hither from Westminster on faturday night laft; it has found its way into my hands as well as legs, so that I have been utterly incapable of writing: This is the first letter that I have ventur'd upon, which will be written I fear vaccilantibus literis, as Tully