actly what region or state our Maker appoints, and that whatever Is, is Right. Our poor friend's papers are partly in my hands, and for as much as is fo, I will take care to fupprefs things unworthy of him. As to the Epitaph, I'm forry you gave a copy, for it will certainly by that means come into print, and I would correct it more, unless you will do it for me (and that I fhall like as well:) Upon the whole, I earnestly wish your coming over hither, for this reason among many others, that your influence may be join'd with mine to fuppress whatever we may judge proper of his papers. To be plunged in my Neighbour's and my papers, will be your inevitable fate as foon as you come. That I am an author whose characters are thought of fome weight, appears from the great noise and buftle that the Court and Town make I give: and I will not render them lefs important, or less interefting, by sparing Vice and Folly, or by betraying the cause of Truth and Vir. tue. I will take care they shall be fuch, as no man can be angry at but the perfons I would have angry. You are fenfible with what decency and justice I paid homage to the Royal Family, at the fame time that I fatirized falfe Courtiers, and Spies, &c. about 'em. I have not the courage however to be such a Satirist as you, but I would be as much, or more a Philofopher. You call your fatires, Libels; I would rather call my fatires, Epiftles: They will confift more of Morality than of Wit, and grow graver, which you will call duller. I shall leave it to my Antagonists to be wit

about any

ty (if they can) and content myself to be useful, and in the right. Tell me your opinion as to Lady --'s or Lord's performance? they are certainly the Topwits of the Court, and you may judge by that fingle piece what can be done against me; for it was labour'd, corrected, præ-commended and post-disapprov'd, fo far as to be dif-own'd by themselves, after each had highly cry'd it up for the other's. I have met with some complaints, and heard at a distance of some threats, occafion'd by my verfes: I fent fair mesfages to acquaint them where I was to be found in town, and to offer to call at their houses to satisfy them, and fo it dropp'd. It is very poor in any one to rail and threaten at a distance, and have nothing to say to you when they fee you. I am glad you perfift and abide by so good a thing as that Poem †, in which I am immortal for my Morality: I never took any praise so kindly, and yet, I think, I deferve that praise better than I do any other. When does your collection come out, and what will it confift of? I have but last week finished another of my Epiftles, in the order of the fyftem; and this week (exercitandi gratia) I have translated (or rather parody'd) another of Horace's, in which I introduce you advifing me about my expences, housekeeping, &c. But these things fhall lie by, till you come to carp at 'em, and alter rhymes, and grammar, and triplets, and caco

See the Epiftle written on this occafion at the end of the fecond Vol. of Letters.

+ The ironical libel on Dr Delany.

phonies of all kinds. Our Parliament will fit till Midfummer, which, I hope, may be a motive to bring you rather in fummer than fo late as autumn: you us'd to love what I hate, a hurry of politics, &c. Courts I fee not, Courtiers I know not, Kings I adore not, Queens I compliment not; so I am never like to be in fashion, nor in dependence. I heartly join with you in pitying our poor Lady for her unhappiness, and should only pity her more, if she had more of what they at Court call Happiness. Come then, and perhaps we may go all together into France at the end of the season, and compare the Liberties of both kingdoms. Adieu. Believe me, dear Sir, (with a thousand warm wishes, mix'd with short fighs) ever

yours.

LETTER LXVI.

To Mr PoPE.

Dublin, May 1. 1733.

I

Answer your Letter the fooner because I have a particular reafon for doing fo. Some weeks ago came over a Poem call'd, The Life and Character of Dr S. written by himself. It was reprinted here, and is dedicated to you. It is grounded upon a Maxim in Rochefoucault, and the dedication, after a formal story, fays, that my manner of writing is to be found in every line. I believe I have told you, that I writ a year or two ago near five hundred lines upon the fame Maxim in Rochefoucault, and was a long time

about it, as that Impofter fays in his Dedication, with many Circumftances, all pure invention. I defire you to believe, and to tell my friends, that in this fpurious piece there is not a single line, or bit of a line, or thought, any way refembling the genuine Copy, any more than it does Virgil's Æneis; for I never gave a Copy of mine, nor lent it out of my fight. And although I fhew'd it to all common acquaintance indifferently, and some of them (especially one or two females) had got many lines by heart, here and there, and repeated them often; yet it happens that not one fingle line or thought is contained in this Impofture, although it appears that they who counterfeited me, had heard of the true one. But even this trick fhall not provoke me to print the true one, which indeed is not proper to be feen, I therefore defire you will undeceive my friends, and I will order an Advertisement to be printed here, and tranfmit it to England, that every body may know the delufion, and acquit me, as, I am fure, you must have done yourself, if you have read any part of it, which is mean, and trivial, and full of that Cant that I most defpife: I would fink to be a Vicar in Norfolk rather than be charged with fuch a performance. Now I come to your letter.

till I can be feen no more:

When I was of your age, I thought every day of death, but now every minute; and a continual giddy disorder more or less is a greater addition than that of my years. I cannot affirm that I pity our

friend Gay, but I pity his friends, I pity you, and would at least equally pity myself, If I liv'd amongst you; because I should have seen him oftner than you did, who are a kind of Hermit, how great a noise foever you make by your Ill-nature in not letting the honest Villains of the times enjoy themselves in this world, which is their only happiness, and terrifying them with another. I should have added in my libel, that of all men living you are the most happy in your Enemies and your Friends: and I will swear you' have fifty times more Charity for mankind than I could ever pretend to Whether the production you mention came from the Lady or the Lord, I did not imagine that they were at least so bad verfifiers. Therefore facit indignatio verfus, is only to be apply'd when the indignation is against general Villainy, and never operates when some fort of people write to defend themfelves. I love to hear them reproach you for dulness; only I would be fatisfyed, fince you are fo dull, why are they so angry ? Give me a fhilling, and I will infure you, that pofterity shall never know you had one fingle enemy, excepting thofe whofe memory you have preferv'd.

I am forry for the fituation of Mr Gay's papers. You do not exert yourself as much as I could with in this affair. I had rather the two fifters were hang'd than fee his works fwelled by any loss of credit to his memory. I would be glad to see the most valuable printed by themselves, thofe which ought not to be feen burned immediately, and the others that have gone abroad, printed feparately like opufcula, or rather be ftifled and forgotten. I thought your epitaph was im