fefs'd for her own defert, but by her idea of theirs!: And as there was no merit which fhe was not able to imitate, there was none which the could envy : therefore her Conversation was as free from detraction, as her Opinions from prejudice or prepoffeffion. As her Thoughts were her own, so were her Words; and she was as fincere in uttering her Judgment, as impartial in forming it. She was a fafe Companion, many were ferv'd, none ever fuffered by her acquaintance: inoffensive, when unprovoked; when provoked, not ftupid: But the moment her enemy ceafed to be hurtful, fhe could ceafe to act as an enemy. She was therefore not a bitter but confiftent enemy (tho' indeed, when forced to be fo, the more a finish'd one for having been long a making.) And her proceeding with ill people was more in a calm and fteddy course, like Juftice, than in quick and paffionate onsets, like Revenge. As for those of whom the only thought ill, fhe confidered them not so much as once to wish them ill; of fuch, her Contempt was great enough to put a stop to all other Paffions that could hurt them. Her Love and Averfion, her Gratitude and Refentment, her Efteem and Neglect were equally open and ftrong, and alterable only from the alter"ation of the perfons who created them. Her Mind 'was too noble to be infincere, and her Heart too honeft to ftand in need of it; fo that he never found cause to repent her Conduct either to a friend or an enemy. There remains only to speak of her Perfon, which was moft amiably majestic, the nicest eye could find no fault in the outward lineaments of her Face or proportion of her Body: it was fuch, as pleas'd wherever fhe had a defire it fhould; yet she never envied that of any other, which might better please in general: In the fame manner, as being content that her merits were efteemed where

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The

The defired they should, fhe never depreciated those of any other that were, efteemed or preferred elfewhere. For fhe aimed not at a general love or a general esteem where fhe was not known; it was enough to be poffefs'd of both wherever fhe was. Having lived to the age of Sixty-two years; not courting Regard, but receiving it from all who knew her; not loving Bufinefs, but difcharging it fully wherefoever duty or friendship engaged her in it; not following Greatnefs, but not declining to pay refpect, as far as was due from independency and difintereft; having honourably abfolv'd all the parts of life, the forfook this World, where she had left no act of duty or virtue, undone, for that where alone fuch acts are rewarded, on the 13th Day of March, 1742-3

*The above Character was written by Mr. Pope fome years before her Grace's Death.” So the print

ed Edition.

Mr. POPE to JAMES MOYSER, of Be

I

DEAR SIR,

verly, Efq;

Bath, July 11, 1743.

Am always glad to hear of you, and where I can, I always enquire of you. But why have you omitted to tell me one word of your own health? The account of our friend's is truly melancholy, added to the circumftance of his being detained (I fear, without much hope) in a foreign country, from the comfort of feeing (what a good man moft defires and best deserves to fee to the last hour) his Friends about him. The public news + indeed gives every Englishman a reasonable joy, and I truly feel it with you, as a national joy, not a party one; nay as a general joy to all nations where bloodshed and mifery must have been introduced, had the ambition and perfidy of prevail'd.

I come now to answer your friend's queftion. The whole of what he has heard of my writing the Character of the old † Duke of Buckingham is untrue. I do not remember ever to have feen it in MS. nor have I ever feen the pedigree he mentions, otherwife than after the Duchefs had printed it with the Will, and fent one to me, as, I fuppose, she did to all her acquaintance. I do not wonder it fhould be reported I writ that Character, after a ftory which I will tell you in your ear, and to yourfelf only. There was another Character written of ber Grace by herfelf (with what help, I know not)

*Mr. Bethel.

+ The Victory at Dettingen.

He fays the old Duke, because he wrote a very fine Epitaph for the Son.

but she shewed it to me in her blots, and preffed me, by all the adjurations of Friendship, to give her my fincere opinion of it. I acted honeftly and did fo. She feemed to take it patiently, and, upon many exceptions which I made, engaged me to take the whole, and to select out of it just as much as I judged might stand, and return her the Copy. I did fo. Immediately fhe picked a quarrel with me, and we never faw each other in five or fix years. In the mean time, fhe fhewed this Character (as much as was extracted of it in my hand-writing) as a compofition of my own, in her praife. And very probably it is now in the hands of Lord Harvey. Dear Sir, I fincerely with you, and your whole family (whofe welfare is fo clofely connected) the beft health and trueft happiness; and am (as is also the Master of this place)

Your, &c.

A LET

A LETTER* to a NOBLE LORD.

On occafion of fome Libels written and propagated at Court, in the Year 1732-3.

MY LORD,

You

Nov. 30, 1733.

OUR Lordship's + Epiftle has been publish'd fome days, but I had not the pleasure and pain. of feeing it till yesterday: Pain, to think your Lordship fhould attack me at all; Pleasure, to find that you can attack me fo weakly. As I want not the humility, to think myself in every way but one your inferiour, it feems but reasonable that I should take the only method either of felf-defence or retaliation, that is left me, against a perfon of your. quality and power. And as by your choice of this weapon, your pen, you generoufly (and modeftly too, no doubt) meant to put yourself upon a level with me; I will as foon believe that your Lordship would give a wound to a man unarm'd, as that would deny me the use of it in my own defence.

you

'This Letter bears the fame place in our Author's profe that the Epiftle to Dr. Arbuthnot does in his poetry. They are both Apologetical, repelling the libelous flanders on his Reputation: with this difference, that the Epiftle to Dr. Arbuthnot, his friend, was chiefly directed against Grub Street Writers, and this Letter to the Noble Lord, his enemy, against Court Scriblers. For the reft, they are both Mafter-pieces in their kinds; That in verfe, more grave, moral, and fublime; This in profe, more lively, critical, and pointed; but equally conducive to what he had most at heart, the vindication of his Moral Character: the only thing he thought worth his care in literary altercations; and the first thing he would expect from the good offices of a furviving Friend.

+ Entitled, An Epistle to a Doctor of Divinity from a Nobleman at Hampton-Court, Aug. 28, 1733, and printed the November following for J. Roberts. Fol. I pres