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Companions I have enough, friends few, and thofe too warm in the concerns of the world, for me to bear pace with; or else fo divided from me, that they are but like the dead whose remembrance I hold in honour. Nature, temper, and habit from my youth made me have but one ftrong defire; all other ambitions, my perfon, education, conftitution, religion, &c. confpired to remove far from me. That defire was, to fix and preferve a few lafting, dependable friendfhips: and the accidents which have disappointed me in it, have put a period to all my aims. So I am funk into an idleness, which makes me neither care nor labour to be noticed by the rest of mankind; I propose no rewards to myself, and why should I take any fort of pains? here I fit and fleep, and probably here I shall sleep till I fleep for ever, like the old man of Verona. I hear of what paffes in the bufy world with fo little attention, that I forget it the next day and as to the learned world, there is nothing paffes in it. I have no more to add, but that I am with the fame truth as ever,

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OUR letter is a very kind one, but I can't fay fo pleafing to me as many of yours have been, thro' the account you give of the dejection of your fpirits. I wifh the too conftant ufe of water does not contribute to it; I find Dr. Arbuthnot and another very knowing phyfician of that opiམའང་ nion. I alfo with you were not fo totally immers'd in the country; I hope your return to town will be a prevalent remedy againft the evil of too much

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recollection. I wifh it partly for my own fake. We have lived little together of late, and we want to be phyficians for one another. It is a remedy that agreed very well with us both, for many years, and I fancy our conftitutions would mend upon the old medicine of Studiorum fimilitudo, &c. I believe we both of us want whetting; there are feveral here who will do you that good office, merely for the love of wit, which feems to be bidding the town a long and laft adieu. I can tell you of no one thing worth reading, or feeing; the whole age feems refolv'd to juftify the Dunciad, and it may ftand for a public Epitaph or monumental Infcription like that at Thermopyle, on a whole people perifh'd! There may indeed be a Wooden image or two of Poetry fet up, to preserve the memory that there once were bards in Britain; and (like the Giants at Guildhall) fhow the bulk and bad taste of our ancestors: At prefent the poor Laureat * and Stephen Duck ferve for this purpofe; a drunken fot of a Parfon holds forth the emblem of Infpiration, and an honest industrious Thresher not unaptly reprefents Pains and Labour. I hope this Phænomenon of Wiltshire has appear'd at Amef bury, or the Duchefs will be thought infenfible to all bright qualities and exalted genius's, in court and country alike. But he is a harmless man, and therefore I am glad.

This is all the news talk'd of at court, but it will pleafe you better to hear that Mrs. Howard talks of you, tho' not in the fame breath with the Threfher, as they do of me. By the way, have you feen or convers'd with Mr. Chubb, who is a wonderful Phænomenon of Wiltshire? I have read

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thro'

thro' his whole volume with admiration of the writer; tho' not always with approbation of the doctrine. I have paft juft three days in London in four months, two at Windfor, half an one at Richmond, and have not taken one excurfion into any other country. Judge now whether I can live in my library. Adieu. Live mindful of one of your first friends, who will be fo till the laft Mrs. Blount deferves your remembrance, for fhe never forgets you, and wants nothing of being a friend +.

I beg the Duke's and her Grace's acceptance of my fervices: the contentment you exprefs in their company pleafes me, tho' it be the bar to my own, in dividing you from us. I am ever very truly Your, &c.

STR

LETTER XXIII.

Oct. 2, 1732.

IR Clem. Cottrel tells me you will fhortly come to town. We begin to want comfort in a few friends about us, while the winds whistle, and the waters roar. The fun gives us a parting look, but

This was his quarto Volume, written before he had given any figns of those extravagancies, which have fince rendered him fo famous, As the Court fet up Mr. Duck for the rival of Mr, Pope, the City at the fame time confidered Chubb, as one who would eclipfe Locke. The modefty of the court Poet kept him fober in a very intoxicating fituation, while the vanity of this new-fashioned Philofopher affifted his fage admirers in turning his brains.

† Alluding to thofe lines in the Epift. on the characters Women,

"With ev'ry pleasing, ev'ry prudent part,
"Say what can Cloe want?-She wants a heart.

'tis but a cold one; we are ready to change those diftant favours of a lofty beauty, for a gross material fire that warms and comforts more. I wish you could be here till your family come to town: you'll live more innocently, and kill fewer harmless creatures, nay none, except by your proper deputy, the butcher. It is fit for confcience fake, that you should come to town, and that the Duchefs fhould ftay in the country, where no innocents of another fpecies may fuffer by her. I hope she never goes to church: the Duke fhould lock you both up, and Jefs harm would be done. I advise you to make man your game, hunt and beat about here for coxcombs, and trufs up Rogues in Satire: I fancy they'll turn to a good account, if you can produce them fresh, or make them keep: and their relations will come, and buy their bodies of you.

The death of Wilks leaves Cibber without a colleague, abfolute and perpetual dictator of the stage, tho' indeed while he lived he was but as Bibulus to Cæfar. However ambition finds fomething to be gratify'd with in a mere name; or elfe, God have mercy on poor ambition! Here is a dead vacation at prefent, no politics at court, no trade in town, nothing stirring but poetry. Every man, and every boy, is writing verfes on the Royal Hermitage: I hear the Queen is at a loss which to prefer; but for my own part I like none fo well as Mr. Poyntz's in Latin. You would oblige my Lady Suffolk if you tried your Mufe on this occafion. I am fure I would do as much for the Duchefs of Queensberry, if the defired it. Several of your friends affure me it is expected from you: one should not bear in mind, all one's life, any little indignity one receives from a Court; and therefore I am in hopes, neither her Grace will hinder you, nor you decline it.

The volume of Mifcellanies is just publish'd, which concludes all our fooleries of that kind. All

your

your friends remember you, and, I affure you, ng

one more than

Your, &c.

I

LETTER. XXVI.

From Mr. GAY to Mr. POPE.

Oct. 7, 1732.

Am at last return'd from my Somersetshire expedition, but fince my return I cannot so much boaft of my health as before I went, for I am frequently out of order with my colical complaints, fo as to make me uneafy and difpirited, tho' not to any violent degree. The reception we met with, and the little excurfions we made were every way agreeable. I think the country abounds with beautiful profpects. Sir William Wyndham is at prefent amufing himself with fome real improvements, and a great many vifionary caftles. We were often entertain❜d with fea views and fea fifh, and were at fome places in the neighbourhood, among which, I was mightily pleased with Dunster-Caftle near Minehead. It ftands upon a great eminence, and hath a profpect of that town, with an extenfive view of the Bristol channel, in which are feen two small Iflands call'd the Steep Holms and Flat Holms, and on the t'other fide we could plainly diftinguish the divifions of fields on the Welch coaft. All this journey I perform'd on horseback, and I am very much difappointed that at prefent. I feel myself fo little the better for it. I have indeed followed riding and exercife for three months fucceffively, and really think I was as well without it; fo that I begin to fear the illallness I have fo long and fo often complain'd of, is inherent

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