fuch an acquifition will make the fpring much the more welcome to me, when it is to bring you hither, cum zephyris et hirundine prima.

As foon as Mr R. can transmit to me an entire copy of your Letters, I wish he had your leave fo to do; that I may put the book into the hands of a French gentleman to tranflate, who, I hope, will not fubject your work to as much ill-grounded criticifin, as my French translator * has fubjected mine. In earnest, I am extremely obliged to you, for thus efpoufing the cause of a stranger whom you judged to be injured; but my part, in this fentiment, is the leaft. The generofity of your conduct deferves efteem, your zeal for truth deferves affection from every candid man: And as fuch, were I wholly out of the cafe, I fhould esteem and love you for it. I will not therefore use you so ill as to write in the general style of compliment; it is below the dignity of the occafion: and I can only fay (which I fay with fincerity and warmth) that you have made me, &c.

Refuel, on whofe very faulty and abfurd translation Crouzaz founded his only plausible objections.

LETTER C.

Jan 4. 1739.

T is a real truth that I fhould have written to you oftener, if I had not a great respect for you, and owed not a great debt to you. But it may be no unneceffary thing to let you know that most of my friends alfo pay you their thanks; and fome of the most knowing, as well as most candid Judges think me as much beholden to you as I think myfelf. Your Letters * meet from fuch with the Approbation they merit, and I have been able to find but two or three very flight Inaccuracies in the whole book, which I have, upon their obfervation, altered in an exemplar which I keep against a second Edition. My very uncertain ftate of health, which is fhaken more and more every winter, drove me to Bath and Bristol two months fince; and I fhall not return towards London till February. But I have received nine or ten Letters from thence on the fuccefs of your book †, which they are earnest to have tranflated. One of them is begun in France. A French gentleman, about Monfieur Cambis the Ambaffador, hath done the greatest part of it here. But I will retard the Impreffion till I have your directions, or till I can have a pleasure I earnestly with for, to meet you in town,

*On the Efay on Man.

The Commentary on the Effay on Man.

where you gave me some hopes you fometimes pafs'd a part of the fpring, for the beft reafon, I know, of ever vifiting it, the converfation of a few Friends. Pray, fuffer me to be what you have made me, one of them, and let my house have its fhare of you; or, if I can any way be inftrumental in accommodating you in town during your stay, I have lodgings and a library or two in my difpofal; which I believe, I need not offer to a man to whom all libraries ought to be open, or to one who wants them fo little, but that 'tis poffible you may be as much a stranger to this town, as I wish with all my heart I was. I fee by certain fquibs in the Mifcellanies that you have as much of the uncharitable spirit pour'd out upon you, as the Author you defended from Crouzaz. I only wish you gave them no other answer, than that of the fun to the frogs, fhining out, in your fecond book, and the completion of your argument. No man is, as he ought to be, more, or fo much a friend to your merit and character, as, Sir,

LETTER CI.

Your, &c.

Jan. 17. 1739-40.

T

Hough I writ to you two posts ago, I ought to acknowledge now a new and unexpected favour, of the Remarks on the fourth epiftlet; which

The Weekly Mifcellany, by Dr Webster, Dr Waterland, Dr Stebbing, Mr Venn, and others.

Of the Effay on Man.

them.

(though I find by yours, attending them, they were fent laft month) I received but this morning. This was occafioned by no fault of Mr R. but the neglect, I believe, of the perfon to whofe care he configned I have been full three months about Bath and Bristol, endeavouring to amend a complaint which more or less has troubled me all my life: I hope the regimen this has obliged me to, will make the remainder of it more philofophical, and improve my refigna. tion to part with it at laft. I am preparing to return home, and shall then revife what my French gentleman has done, and add this to it. He is the fame perfon who tranflated the Essay into profe, which Mr Crouzaz should have profited by, who, I am really afraid, when I lay the circumftances all together, was moved to his proceeding in fo very unreafonable a way, by fome malice either of his own, or tome other's: tho' I was very willing, at firft, to impute it to ignorance or prejudice. I fee nothing to be added to your work; only fome commendatory Deviations from the Argument itfelf, in my favour, I ought to think might be omitted.

I must repeat my urgent defire to be previously acquainted with the precife time of your vifit to Lon. don; that I may have the pleasure to meet a man in the manner I would, whom I must efteem one of the greatest of my Benefactors. I am, with the most grateful and affectionate regard, &c.

You

LETTER CII.

April 16. 1740.

could not give me more pleasure than by your short letter, which acquaints me that I may hope to see you fo foon. Let us meet like men who have been many years acquainted with each other, and whose friendship is not to begin, but continue. All forms should be paft, when people know each other's mind fo well: I flatter myfelf you are a man after my own heart, who feeks content only from within, and fays to greatnefs, Tuas habeto tibi res egomet babebo meas. But as it is but just your other friends fhould have fome part of you, I infift on my making you the first visit in London ; and thence, after a few days, to carry you to Twitenham, for as many as you can afford me. If the prefs be to take up any part of your time, the fheets may be brought you hourly thither by my waterman: and you will have more leisure to attend to any thing of that fort than in town. I believe alfo I have most of the Books you can want, or can easily borrow them. I earnestly defire a line may be left at Mr R's, where and when I fhall call upon you, which I will daily inquire for, whether I chance to be here, or in the country. Believe me, Sir, with the trueft regard, and the fincereft wish to deserve,

Yours, &c.