ments; which, when done to be printed, would furely wrong and weak alfo.

be

I do grant it would be some pleasure to me to expunge feveral idle paffages, which will otherwife, if not go down to the next age, pafs, at least, in this, for mine; although many of them were not, and, God knows, none of them are my present sentiments, but, on the contrary, wholly disapprov'd by me.

And I do not flatter you, when I say, that pleasure would be increased to me, in knowing I fhould do what would pleafe you. But I cannot perfuade my felf to let the whole burden, even tho' it were a public good, lie upon you, much less to serve my private fame entirely at another's expence *.

But, understand me rightly: Did I believe half so well of them as you do, I would not fcruple your af. fiftance; because, I am fure, that, to occafion you to contribute to a real good, would be the greatest benefit I could oblige you in. And I hereby promise you, if ever I am fo happy as to find any juft occafion where your generofity and goodness may unite for fuch a worthy end, I will not fcruple to draw upon you for fum to effect it.

any

As to the prefent affair: that you may be convinced what weight your opinion and your defires have with me, I will do what I have not yet done: I will tell my Friends, I am as willing to publish this book as to let it alone. And, rather than fuffer you to be taxed at your own rate, will publish, in the News, next winter, the Propofals, &c.

Mr A. offered to print the Letters at his own expence.

I tell you all these particulars, to fhew you how willing I am to follow your advice, nay, to accept your affiftance in any moderate degree. But I think you should reserve so great a proof of your benevolence to a better occafion.

Since I wrote laft, I have found, on further inquiry, that there is another fine picture on the subject of Scipio and the Captive, by Pietro da Cortona, which Sir Paul Methuen has a sketch of: and, I believe, is more expreflive than that of Ricci, as Pietro is famous for expression. I have also met with a fine Print of the discovery of Jofeph to his Brethren, a defign, which, I fancy, is of La Sueur, and will do perfectly well.

I am, &e.

LETTER XCI.

Mr POPE to Mr ALLEN.

Nov. 6. 1736.

Do not write too often to you for many reafons; but one, which I think a good one, is, that Friends hould be left to think of one another for certain intervals without too frequent memorandums: it is an exercise of their friendship, and a trial of their memory and moreover to be perpetually repeating affurances, is both a needlefs and fulpicious kind of treatment with fuch as are fincere: not to add the tautology one must be guilty of, who can make out fo many idle words, as to fill pages with faying one thing. For all is faid in this word, I am truly yours.

I am now as bufy in planting for myfelf, as I was lately in planting for another. And I thank God for

every wet Day and for every Fog, that gives me the head ach, but profpers my works. They will indeed outlive me (if they do not die in their Travels from place to place; for my Garden, like my Life, feems, to me, every day to want correction, I hope, at leaft, for the better) but I am pleased to think my Trees will afford fhade and fruit to others, when I thall want them no more. And it is no fort of grief to me, that those others will not be Things of my own poor body: But it is enough, they are Creatures of the fame Species, and made by the fame hand that made me. I wish (if a wifh would tranfport me) to fee you in the fame employment: and it is no partiality even to you, to say it would be as pleasing to the full to me, if I could improve your works as my own.

Talking of works, mine in profe are above three quarters printed, and will be a book of fifty and more fheets in quarto. As I find, what I imagined, the flowness of fubfcribers, I will do all I can to disappoint you in particular, and intend to publish in January, when the Town fills, an Advertisement, that the book will be delivered by Lady-day, to oblige all that will fubfcribe, to do it. In the mean time, I have printed Receipts, which put an end to any perfon's delaying upon pretence of doubt, by determining that time. I fend you a few, that you may fee I am in earnest, endeavouring all I can to fave your money, at the fame time that nothing can leffen the obliga

tion to me.

I thank God for your health, and for my own,

which is better than ufual.

LETTER XCII.

Mr POPE to Mr ALLEN.

I am, &c.

June 8. 1737.

I

concern

your

bu

Was very forry to hear how much manity and friendship betrayed you into upon the falfe report which occafioned your grief. I am now fo well, that I ought not to conceal it from you, as the just reward of your goodness which made you suffer for me. Perhaps, when a Friend is really dead (if he knows our concern for him) he knows us to be as much mistaken in our forrow as you now were: fo that, what we think a real evil is, to fuch fpirits as fee things truly, no more of moment than a mere imaginary one. It is equally as God pleases; let us think or call it good or evil.

I wish the world would let me give myself more to fuch people in it as I like, and discharge me of half the honours which persons of higher rank bestow on me; and for which one generally pays a little too much of what they cannot bestow, Time and Life. Were I arrived to that happier circumftance, you would fee me at Widcombe, and not at Bath. But whether it will be as much in my wifh, God knows. I cah only fay, I think of it with the pleasure and fincerity becoming one who is, &c.

LETTER XCII.

Mr POPE to Mr ALLEN.

Nov. 24. 1737.

T

HE event of this week or fortnight has filled every body's mind, and mine fo much, that I could not get done what you defired as to Dr. P. but as foon as I can get home, where my books lie, I will fend them to Mr K. The death of great perfons is such a fort of furprize to all, as every one's death is to himself, tho' both fhould equally be expected and prepared for. We begin to esteem and commend our fuperiors, at the time that we pity them, because then they feem not above ourselves. The Queen fhewed, by the confeffion of all about her, the utmost firmness and temper to her laft moments, and thro' the course of great torments. What character hiftorians will allow her, I do not know; but all her domestic servants, and those hear eft her, give her the beft teftimony, that of fincere tears. But the public is always hard; rigid at best, even when just, in its opinion of any one. The only pleasure which any one, either of high or low rank, must depend upon receiving, is in the candour or partiality of friends, and that small circle we are converfant in: and it is therefore the greatest fatisfaction to VOL. VI.

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'The Queen's death.