neither get into the court to live with you, nor you get into the country to live with us; fo we will take up with what we can get that belongs to you, and make ourselves as happy as we can in your house.

I hope we shall be brought into no worse company, when you all come to Richmond: for whatever our friend Gay may wish as to getting into Court, I difclaim it, and defire to see nothing of the court, but yourself, being wholly and folely

Your, &c.

LETTER XV.

July 21. OU have the same share in my memory that good

things generally have: I always know (whenever I reflect) that you should be in my mind; only I reflect too feldom. However, you ought to allow me the indulgence I allow all my friends (and if I did not, they would take it) in confideration that they have other avocations, which may prevent the proofs of their remembring me, tho' they preferve for me all the friendship and good-will which I deferve from them. In like manner, I expect from you, that my past life of twenty years may be fet against the omiffion of (perhaps) one month: and if you complain of this to any other, 'tis you are in the spleen, and not I in the wrong. If you think this letter fplenetic, confider I have just receiv'd the news of the death of a friend, whom I efteem'd almost as many years as you; poor Fenton. He died at Eafthamstead, of in

dolence and inactivity; let it not be your fate, but use exercise. I hope the Duchefs will take care of you in this refpect, and, either make you gallop after her, or teize you enough at home, to ferve instead of exercife abroad. Mrs Howard is fo concern'd about you, and fo angry at me for not writing to you, and at Mrs Blount for not doing the fame, that I am piqu'd with jealousy and envy at you, and hate you as much as if you had a great place at court; which you will confefs a proper caufe of envy and hatred, in any Poet militant, or unpenfion'd. But to fet matters even, I own I love you; and own, I am, as I ever was, and just as I ever shall be,

DEAR SIR,

LETTER XVI.

Your, &c.

Oct. 6. 1727.

Have many years ago magnify'd, in my own mind, and repeated to you, a ninth Beatitude, added to the eight in the Scripture; "Bleffed is he who expects "nothing, for he fhall never be difappointed." I could find in my heart to congratulate you on this happy difmiffion from all Court-dependence; I dare fay I fhall find you the better and the honefter man for it, many years hence: very probably the healthfuller, and the chearfuller into the bargain. You are happily rid of many curfed Ceremonies, as well as of many ill and vicious Habits, of which few or no men efcape the infection, who are hackney'd and tramelled in the ways of a court. Princes indeed, and Peers

• Of Queensberry.

(the lackies of Princes) and Ladies (the fools of Peers) will finile on you the lefs; but men of worth, and real friends will look on you the better. There is a thing, the only thing which Kings and Queens cannot give you (for they have it not to give) Liberty, and which is worth all they have; which, as yet, I thank God, Englishmen need not afk from their hands. You will enjoy that, and your own integrity, and the satis. factory consciousness of having not merited fuch graces from courts as are beftow'd only on the mean, servile, flattering, interested, and undeferving. The only fteps to the favour of the Great are fuch complacencies, fuch compliancies, fuch diftant decorums, as delude them in their vanities, or engage them in their passi ons. He is their greatest favourite, who is the falfeft: and when a man, by fuch vile gradations, arrives at the height of grandeur and power, he is then at best but in a circumstance to be hated, and in a condition to be hang'd, for serving their ends: So many a Minifter has found it!

I believe you did not want advice, in the letter you fent by my Lord Grantham; I prefume you writ it not, without: and you could not have better, if I guess right at the person who agreed to your doing it, in respect to any Decency you ought to obferve: for I take that perfon to be a perfect judge of decencies and forms. I am not without fears even on that perfon's account: I think it a bad omen: but what have I to do with Court omens?-Dear Gay, adieu. I can

only add a plain uncourtly speech: While you are no body's fervant, you may be any one's friend; and as fuch I embrace you, in all conditions of life. While I have a fhilling, you fhall have fix-pence, nay eightpence, if I can contrive to live upon a groat. faithfully

I am

Your, &c.

LETTER XVII.

From Mr GAY to Mr POPE.

Aug. 2. 1728.

WAS two or three weeks ago that I writ you a letter; I might indeed have done it sooner; I thought of you every poft-day upon that account, and every other day upon fome account or other. I muft beg you to give Mrs B. my fincere thanks for her kind way of thinking of me, which I have heard of more than once from our friend at court, who seem'd in the letter fhe writ to be in high health and spirits. Confidering the multiplicity of pleasures and delights that one is over run with in those places, I wonder how any body hath health and fpirits enough to fupport them: I am heartily glad she has, and whenever I hear fo, I find it contributes to mine. You fee I am not free from dependence, tho' I have lefs attendance than I had formerly; for a great deal of my own welfare ftill depends upon hers. Is the widow's houfe to be difpos'd of yet? I have not given up my pretenfions to the Dean; if it was to be parted with, I wifh one of us had it; I hope you wifh fo too, and that Mrs Blount and Mrs Howard with the fame, and for the

very

fame reafon that I wish it. All I could hear of you of late hath been by advertisements in news-papers, by which one would think the race of Curls was multiplied: and, by the indignation fuch fellows show against you, that you have more merit than any body alive could have. Homer himself hath not been worfe us'd by the French. I am to tell you that the Duchefs makes you her compliments, and is always inclin'd to like any thing you do; that Mr Congreve admires, with me your fortitude: and loves, not envies your performance, for we are not Dunces.

LETTER XVIII.

Adieu.

April 18. 1730.

IF

F my friendship were as effectual as it is fincere, you would be one of those people who would be vastly advantaged and enrich'd by it. I ever honour'd thofe Popes who were most famous for Nepotifm, 'tis a fign that the old fellows loved Somebody, which is not usual in such advanced years. And I now honour Sir Robert Walpole for his extenfive bounty and goodnefs to his private friends and relations. But it vexes me to the heart when I reflect, that my friendship is fo much less effectual than theirs; nay fo utterly ufelefs, that it cannot give you any thing, not even a dinner at this distance, nor help the General whom I greatly love, to catch one fish. My only confolation is to think you happier than myfelf, and to begin to envy you, which is next to hating you (an excellent remedy