in the fame fituation of mind you defcribe as your own, heartily wishing the good, that is, the quiet of my Country, and hoping a total end of all the unhappy divifions of mankind by party-spirit, which at beft is but the madness of many for the gain of a few.

I am, &c.

LETTER II.

From Mr. BLOUNT.

T is with a great deal of pleasure I see your letter, dear Sir, written in a style that fhews you full of health, and in the midft of diverfions: I think thofe two things neceffary to a man who has fuch undertakings in hand as Yours. All lovers of Homer are indebted to you for taking fo much pains about the fituation of his Heroes' kingdoms; it will not only be of great ufe with regard to his works, but to all that read any of the Greek hiftorians; who generally are ill understood thro' the difference of the maps as to the places they treat of, which makes one think one author contradicts another. You are going to fet us right; and 'tis an advantage every body will gladly fee you engrofs the glory of.

You can draw rules to be free and easy, from formal pedants; and teach men to be fhort and pertinent, from tedious commentators. However, I congratulate your happy deliverance from fuch authors, as you (with all your humanity) cannot with alive again to converfe with. Critics will quarrel with you, if you dare to please without their leave; and Zealots will fhrug up their fhoulders at a man, that pretends to get to Heaven out

of

of their form, drefs, and diet. I would no more make a judgment of an author's genius from a damning critic, than I would of a man's religion from an unfaving zealot.

I could take great delight in affording you the new glory of making a Barceloniad (if I may venture to coin fuch a word:) I fancy you would find a jufter parallel than it seems at first fight; for the Trojans too had a great mixture of folly with their bravery; and I am out of countenance for them when I read the wife refult of their council, where, after a warm debate between Antenor and Paris about reftoring Helen, Priam fagely determines that they shall go to fupper. And as for the Greeks, what can equal their fuperftition in facrificing an innocent lady?

Tantum Relligio potuit, &c,

I have a good opinion of my politics, fince they agree with a man who always thinks fo juftly as you. I wish it were in our power to perfuade all the nation into as calm and fteddy a difpofition of mind.

We have receiv'd the late melancholy news, with the ufual ceremony, of condoling in one breath for the lofs of a gracious Queen, and in another rejoicing for an illuftrious King. My views carry me no farther, than to wish the peace and welfare of my Country; and my morals and politics teach me to leave all that to be adjusted by our reprefentatives above, and to divine Providence. It is much at one to you and me, who fit at the helm, provided they will permit us to fail quietly in the great fhip. Ambition is a vice that is timely mortify'd in us poor Papifts; we ought in recompence to cultivate as many virtues in ourselves as we can, that we may be truly great. Among my Ambi

B 3

Ambitions, that of being a fincere friend is one of the chief: yet I will confefs that I have a fecret pleasure to have fome of my descendants know, that their Ancestor was great with Mr. Pope.

I am, &c.

LETTER III.

From Mr. BLOUNT.

Nov. 11, 1715.

T is an agreement of long date between you and me, that you fhould do with my letters just as you pleased, and answer them at your leifure; and that is as foon as I fhall think you ought. I have so true a taste of the fubftantial part of your friendship, that I wave all ceremonials; and am fure to make you as many vifits as I can, and leave you to return them whenever you please, affuring you they shall at all times be heartily welcome to

me.

The many alarms we have from your parts, have no effect upon the genius that reigns in our country, which is happily turn'd to preserve peace and quiet, among us. What a difmal scene has there been opened in the North? what ruin have thofe unfortunate rash gentlemen drawn upon themselves and their miserable followers, and perchance upon many others too, who upon no account would be their followers? However, it may look ungenerous to reproach people in diftress. I don't remember you and I ever used to trouble ourselves about politics, but when any matter happened to fall into our discourse, we us'd to condemn all undertakings that tended towards the disturbing the peace

and

and quiet of our Country, as contrary to the notions we had of morality and religion, which oblige us on no pretence whatsoever to violate the laws of charity. How many lives have there been loft in hot blood, and how many more are there like to be taken off in cold? If the broils of the nation affect you, come down to me, and though we are farmers, you know Eumeus made his friends welcome. You fhall here worship the Echo at your ease; indeed we are forced to do fo, because we can't hear the first report, and therefore are obliged to liften to the second; which, for fecurity fake, I do not always believe neither.

'Tis a great many years fince I fell in love with the character of Pomponius Atticus: I long'd to imitate him a little, and have contriv'd hitherto, to be, like him, engaged in no party, but to be a faithful friend to fome in both: I find myself very well in this way hitherto, and live in a certain peace of mind by it, which, I am perfuaded, brings a man more content than all the perquifites of wild ambition. I with pleafure join with you in wifhing, nay I am not afhamed to fay, in praying for the welfare temporal and eternal of all mankind. How much more affectionately then fhall I do fo for you, fince I am in a moft particular manner, and with all fincerity,

I

LETTER IV.

Jan. 21, 1715-16.

Know of nothing that will be fo interefting to you at prefent, as fome circumftances of the laft act of that eminent comic poet, and our friend, Wycherley. He had often told me, as I doubt not he did all his acquaintance, that he would marry as foon as his life was defpaired of: Accordingly a few days before his death he underwent the ceremony; and join'd together thofe two facraments which, wife men fay, fhould be the laft we receive; for, if you obferve, Matrimony is placed after Extreme unction in our Catechifm, as a kind of hint of the order of time in which they are to be taken. The old man then lay down, fatisfy'd in the confcience of having by this one act paid his just debts, obliged a woman, who (he was told) had merit, and fhewn an heroic refentment of the ill ufage of his next heir. Some hundred pounds which he had with the Lady, difcharged those debts; a jointure of four hundred a year made her a recompence; and the nephew he left to comfort himself as well as he could, with the miferable remains of a mortgaged eftate. I faw our friend twice after this was done, lefs peevifh in his fickness than he ufed to be in his health; neither much afraid of dying, nor (which in him had been more likely) much ashamed of marrying. The evening before he expired, he called his young wife to the bedfide, and earnestly entreated her not to deny him one request, the last he should make. Upon her affurances of confenting to it, he told her, "My dear, it is only this, "that you will never marry an old man again.' I cannot help remarking, that fick nefs, which often destroys both wit and wisdom, yet seldom has power to remove that talent which we call humour: Mr.

Wycherly