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where you gave me fome hopes you fometimes pafs'd a part of the spring, for the best reason, I know, of ever visiting it, the converfation of a few Friends. Pray, fuffer me to be what you have inade me, one of them, and let my house have its share of you; or, if I can any way be inftrumental in accommodating you in town during your ftay, I have lodgings and a library or two in my difpofal; which I believe, I need not offer to a man to whom all libraries ought to be open, or to one who wants them fo little, but that 'tis poffible you may be as much a stranger to this town, as I wish with all my heart I was. I fee by certain fquibs in the Mifcellanies that you have as much of the uncharitable spirit pour'd out upon you, as the Author you defended from Crouzaz. I only with you gave them no other anfwer, than that of the fun to the frogs, fhining out, in your fecond book, and the completion of your argument. No man is, as he ought to be, more, or fo much a friend to your merit and character, as, Sir,

*

Your, &c.

LETTER CI.

Jan. 17. 1739-40.

Hough I writ to you two pofts ago, I ought to

Tacknowledge now a new and unexpected fa

vour, of the Remarks on the fourth epiftlet; which

• The Weekly Mifcellany, by Dr Webster, Dr Waterland, Dr Stebbing, Mr Venn, and others.

Of the Effay on Man.

(though I find by yours, attending them, they were fent last month) I received but this morning. This was occafioned by no fault of Mr R. but the neglect, I believe, of the perfon to whofe care he configned them. I have been full three months about Bath and Bristol, endeavouring to amend a complaint which more or less has troubled me all my life: I hope the regimen this has obliged me to, will make the remainder of it more philofophical, and improve my refignation to part with it at laft. I am preparing to return home, and shall then revife what my French gentleman has done, and add this to it. He is the fame person who tranflated the Essay into profe, which Mr Crouzaz fhould have profited by, who, I am really afraid, when I lay the circumftances all together, was moved to his proceeding in fo very unreasonable a way, by fome malice either of his own, or lome other's: tho' I was very willing, at first, to impute it to ignorance or prejudice. I fee nothing to be added to your work; only fome commendatory Deviations from the Argument itself, in my favour, I ought to think might be omitted.

I must repeat my urgent defire to be previously acquainted with the precife time of your visit to Lon. don; that I may have the pleafure to meet a man in the manner I would, whom I must esteem one of the greatest of my Benefactors. I am, with the most grateful and affectionate regard, &c.

YOU

LETTER CII.

April 16. 1740

could not give me more pleasure than by your fhort letter, which acquaints me that I may hope to fee you fo foon. Let us meet like men who have been many years acquainted with each other, and whofe friendship is not to begin, but continue. All forms should be paft, when people know each other's mind fo well: I flatter myself you are a man after my own heart, who seeks content only from within, and fays to greatness, Tuas habeto tibi res egomet habebo meas. But as it is but just your other friends fhould have fome part of you, I infift on my making you the firft vifit in London; and thence, after a few days, to carry you to Twitenham, for as many as you can afford me. If the prefs be to take up any part of your time, the sheets may be brought you hourly thither by my waterman: and you will have more leisure to attend to any thing of that fort than in town. I believe alfo I have most of the Books you can want, or can easily borrow them. I earnestly defire a line may be left at Mr R's, where and when I fhall call upon you, which I will daily inquire for, whether I chance to be here, or in the country. Believe me, Sir, with the trueft regard, and the fincereft wish to deserve,.

Yours, &c.

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Twitenham, June 24. 1740.

T is true that I am a very unpunctual correfpondent, tho' no unpunctual agent or friend; and that in the commerce of words, I am both poor and lazy. Civility and Compliment generally are the goods that letter-writers exchange, which, with honeft men, feems a kind of illicit trade, by having been, for the most part, carried on, and carried furtheft by designing men. I am therefore reduced to plain inquiries, how my friend does, and what he does? and to repetitions, which I am afraid to tire him with, how much I love him. Your two kind letters gave me real fatisfaction, in hearing you were fafe and well; and in fhewing me you took kindly my unaffected endeavours to prove my esteem for you, and delight in your converfation. Indeed my languid ftate of health, and frequent deficiency of fpirits, together with a number of diffipations, et aliena negotia centum, all confpire to throw a faintnefs and cool appearance over my conduct to those I beft love; which I perpetually feel, and grieve at: But in earnest, no man is more deeply touched with merit in general, or with particular merit towards me, in any one. You ought therefore in both views to hold yourself what you are to me in my opinion and affection; fo high in each, that I may perhaps feldom attempt to tell it you. The greatest

Justice, and favour too that you can do me, is to take it for granted.

Do not therefore commend my talents, but inftruct me by your own. I am not really learned enough to be a judge in works of the nature and depth of yours. But I travel thro' your book as thro' an amazing scene of ancient Egypt or Greece; ftruck with veneration and wonder; but at every step wanting an inftructor to tell me all I wish to know. Such you prove to me in the walks of antiquity; and fuch you will to all mankind: but with this addiprove tional character, more than any other fearcher into antiquities, that of a genius equal to your pains, and of a taste equal to your learning.

I am obliged greatly to you, for what you have projected at Cambridge, in relation to my Effay * ; but more for the motive which did originally, and does confequentially in a manner, animate all your goodness to me, the opinion you entertain of my honeft intention in that piece, and your zeal to demonstrate me no irreligious man. I was very fincere with you in what I told you of my own opinion of my own character as a poet†, and, I think I may confcientiously fay, I fhall die in it. I have nothing to add, but that I hope fometimes to hear you are well, as you certainly fhall now and then hear the best I can tell you of myself.

* Mr Pope defired the editor to procure a good translation of the Efay on Man, into Latin profe.

+ See his Life,

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