particularly acquainted with most, if not all, of his friends. As I knew you had the recovery of those Letters at heart, I took more than ordinary pains, to find out where they were ; but my enquiries were to no purpose, and, I fear, whoever has them, is too tenacious of them to discover where they lie. "Mrs. W- did affure me fhe had not one of them, and feem'd to be under great uneasiness that you should imagine they were left with her. She likewife told me she "bad ftop'd the Dean's letter which gave you that infor"mation; but believed he would write such another; and "therefore defir'd me to affure you, from her, that he was "totally ignorant where they were."

86

You may make what ufe you please, either to the Dean or any other perfon, of what I have told you. I am ready to teftify it; and I think it ought to be known, "That the "Dean fays they are deliver'd into a safe hand, and * Mrs. "W-declares he has them not. The Confequence of "their being hereafter published may give uneasiness to fome "of your Friends, and of courfe to you: so I would do all "in my power to make you entirely eafy in that point."

This is the first time I have put pen to paper fince my late misfortune, and I should fay (as an excufe for this letter) that it has coft me fome pain, did it not allow me an opportunity to affure you, that I am,

Dear Sir,

With the trueft efteem,

Your very faithful and obedient Servant,

Mariton, Oct. 4, 1738.

ORRERY.

This Lady fince gave Mr. Pope the ftrongest Affurances that she had ufed her utmoft Endeavours to prevent the Publication; nay, went fo far as to fecrete the Book, till it was commanded from her, and delivered to the Dublin Printer: Whereupon her Son-in-law, D. Swift, Efq; infifted upon writing a Preface, to justify Mr. P. from having any Knowledge of it, and to lay it upon the corrupt Practices of the Printers in London; but this he would not agree to, as not knowing the Truth of the Fact,

P

LET

LETTERS

то

RALPH ALLEN, Esq.

LETTER LXXXIX.

Mr. POPE to Mr. ALLEN.

Twitnam, April 30, 1736.

SAW Mr. M. yesterday who has readily allowed Mr. V. to copy the Picture. I have enquired for the best Originals of those two subjects, which, I found, were favorite ones with you, and well deferve to be fo, the Difcovery of Joseph to his Brethren, and the Refignation of the Captive by Scipio. Of the latter, my Lord Burlington has a fine one done by Ricci, and I am promifed the other in a good Print from one of the chief Italian Painters. That of Scipio is of the exact fize one would wish for a Baffo Relievo, in which manner, in my opinion, you would best ornament your Hall, done in Chiaro ofcuro.

A man not only fhews his Tafte, but his Virtue in the choice of fuch ornaments: And whatever example most strikes us, we may reasonably imagine, may have an influence upon others. So that the Hiftory itself, if well chofen, upon a rich man's

walls,

walls, is very often a better lesson than any he could teach by his converfation. In this fenfe, the Stones may be faid to speak when Men cannot, or will not. I can't help thinking (and I know you'll join with me, you who have been making an Altar-piece) that the zeal of the first Reformers was ill placed, in removing pictures (that is to fay, examples) out of Churches; and yet fuffering Epitaphs (that is to fay, flatteries and false hiftory) to be the burthen of Church walls, and the fhame, as well as derifion, of all honest men.

I have heard little yet of the fubfcription *. I intend to make a vifit for a fortnight from home to Lady Peterborow at Southampton, about the middle of May. After my return I will inquire what has been done; and I really believe, what I told you will prove true, and I fhall be honourably acquitted of a task I am not fond of t. 1 have run out my leaf, and will only add my fincere wishes for your happiness of all kinds.

I am, &c.

Southampton, June 5, 1736.

NEED not fay I thank you for a Letter, which proves fo much friendship for me. I have much more to say upon it than I can, till we But in a word, I think your notion of the value of those things is greatly too high, as to

meet.

*For his own Edit. of the 1ft Vol. of his letters ; un dertaken at Mr. Allen's request.

The printing his letters by fubfcription.

His Letters.

any

any service they can do to the public; and, as to any advantage they may do to my own Charcter, I ought to be content with what they have done already. I affure you, I do not think it the least of thofe advantages that they have occafioned me the good will (in fo great a degree) of fo worthy a man +. I fear (as I must rather retrench than add to their number, unlefs I would publifh my own commendations) that the common run of Subfcribers would think themselves injured by not having every thing, which difcretion must fupprefs; and this, they (without any other confideration than as buyers of a book) would call giving them an imperfect collection: whereas the only ufe to my own character, as an Author, of fuch a publication, would be the fuppreffion of many things and as to my character as a Man, it would be but just where it is; unless I could be fo vain, for it could not be virtuous, to add more and more honeft fentiments; which, when done to be printed, would furely be wrong and weak alfo.

I do grant it would be fome pleasure to me to expunge feveral idle paffages, which will otherwise, if not go down to the next age, pass, at least, in this, for mine; altho' many of them were not, and, God knows, none of them are my present fentiments, but, on the contrary, wholly difapproved by me.

And I do not flatter you when I fay, that pleafure would be increased to me, in knowing I should do what would please you. But I cannot perfuade myself to let the whole burden, even tho' it were

+ Mr. Allen's friendship with the Author was contracted on the fight of his Letters, which gave the former the highest opinion of the other's general benevolence and goodness of heart.

a public good, lie upon you, much lefs to ferve my private fame entirely at another's expence *.

But, understand me rightly: Did I believe half fo well of them as you do, I would not fcruple your affiftance; 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 so happy as to find any juft occafion where your generofity and goodnefs may unite for fuch a worthy end, I will not fcruple to draw upon you for any fum to effect

it.

As to the present 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 publifh, in the News, next winter, the Proposals, &c.

I tell you all these particulars to shew you how willing I am to follow your advice, nay, to accept your affiftance in any moderate degree. But I think you fhould referve fo 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 expreffive than that of Ricci, as Pietro is famous for expreffion. I have alfo 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, &c.

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

LET