mercenary kindness to you, as it would for me to deserve, or return yours: however, it fhall be the endeavour of my future life, as it will be to demonftrate myself

Your, &c.

LETTER XV.

Nov. 29, 1707.

HE compliments you make me, in regard of

Tany inconfiderable fervice I could do you, are

very unkind, and do but tell me in other words, that my friend has fo mean an opinion of me, as to think I expect acknowledgments for trifles: which upon my faith I fhall equally take amifs, whether made to myself, or to any other. For God's fake (my dear friend) think better of me, and believe I defire no fort of favour fo much, as that of ferving you more confiderably than I have been yet able to do.

I fhall proceed in this manner with fome others of your pieces; but fince you defire I would not deface your copy for the future, and only mark the repetitions; I muft, as soon as I have mark'd these, transcribe what is left on another paper; and in that, blot, alter, and add all I can devise, for their improvement. For you are fenfible, the omiffion of Repetitions is but one, and the eafieft part, of yours and my defign; there remaining befides, to rectify the Method, to connect the Matter, and to mend the Expreffion and Verfification. I will go next upon the poems of Solitude, on the Public, and on the mixt Life; the bill of Fare; the praises of Avarice, and fome others.

my

I must take notice of what you fay, of " "pains to make your dulnefs methodical ;" and of your hint," that the fprightlinefs of wit defpifes, " method."

C 4

"method." This is true enough, if by wit you mean no more than fancy or conceit; but in the better notion of wit, confidered as propriety, furely. method is not only neceffary for perfpicuity and harmony of parts, but gives beauty even to the minute and particular thoughts, which receive an additional advantage from thofe which precede or follow in their due place. You remember a fimile Mr. Dryden us'd in conversation, of feathers in the crowns of the wild Indians, which they not only chufe for the beauty of their colours, but place them in fuch a manner as to reflect a luftre on each other. I will not difguife any of my fentiments from you: to methodize in your cafe, is full as neceffary as to ftrike out; otherwise you had better destroy the whole frame, and reduce them into fingle thoughts in profe, like Rochefoucault, as I have more than once hinted to you.

I

LETTER XVI.

From Mr. WY CHERLEY.

Feb. 28, 1707-8.

Have had yours of the 23d of this inftant, for which I give you many thanks, fince I find by it, that even abfence (the ufual bane of love or friendship) cannot leffen yours, no more than mine. As to your hearing of my being ill, I am glad, and forry for the report: in the first place, glad that it was not true; and in the next, forry that it fhould give you any disturbance, or concern more than ordinary for me; for which, as well as your concern for my future well-being or life, I think myself most eternally obliged to you; affuring, your concern for either will make me more careful of both.

Yet

Yet for your fake I love this life fo well, that I fhall the lefs think of the other; but 'tis in your power to ensure my happiness in one and the other, both by your fociety, and good example, fo not only contribute to my felicity here, but hereafter.

Now as to your excufe for the plainness of your ftyle, I must needs tell you, that friendship is much more acceptable to a true friend than wit, which is generally falfe reafoning; and a friend's reprimand often fhews more friendship than his compliment: nay love, which is more than friendship, is often feen by our friend's correction of our follies or crimes. Upon this test of your friendship I intend to put you when I return to London, and thence to you at Binfield, which, I hope, will be within a month.

Next to the news of your good health, I am pleas'd with the good news of your going to print fome of your poems, and proud to be known by them to the publick for your friend; who intend (perhaps the fame way) to be revenged of you for your kindness; by taking your name in vain in some of my future madrigals: yet fo as to let the world know, my love or efteem for you are no more poetic than my talent in fcribling. But of all the arts of fiction I defire you to believe I want that of feigning friendship, and that I am fincerely

Your, &c.

LET

I

LETTER XVII.

From Mr. WYCHERLEY.

May 13, 1708. Have receiv'd yours of the first of May. Your Paftoral mufe outshines in her modest and natural drefs all Apollo's court ladies, in their more artful, labour'd and coftly finery. Therefore I am glad to find by your letter you defign your country. beauty of a mufe fhall appear at court and in public: to out-fhine all the farded, lewd, confident, affected Town-dowdies, who aim at being honour'd only to their shame: but her artful innocence (on the contrary) will gain more honour as she becomes public; and, in fpite of custom, will bring modesty again into fashion, or at least make her fifter-rivals of this age blush for spite, if not for fhame. As for my ftale, antiquated, poetical pufs, whom you would keep in countenance by saying fhe has once been tolerable, and would yet pafs mufter by a little licking over; it is true that (like mot vain antiquated jades which have once been paffable) she yet affects youthfulness in her age, and would ftill gain a few admirers (who the more fhe feeks or labours for their liking, are but more her contemners.) Nevertheless she is refolved henceforth to be so cautious as to appear very little more in the world, except it be as an Attendant on your Mufe, or as a foil, not a rival to her wit, or fame: fo that let your Country-gentlewoman appear when she will in the world*,

my

*This, and what follows, is a full Confutation of John Dennis and others, who afferted that Mr. Pope wrote thele verfes on himself (tho' published by Mr. Wycherley fix years before his death.) We find here, it was a voluntary Act of his, promifed before-hand, and

written

my old worn-out jade of a lost reputation shall be her attendant into it, to procure her admirers; as an old whore, who can get no more friends of her own, bawds for others, to make fport or pleasure yet, one way or other, for mankind. I approve of your making Tonfon your mufe's introductor into the world, or mafter of the ceremonies, who has been fo long a pimp, or gentleman-ufher to the Mufes.

I wifh you good fortune; fince a man with store of wit, as ftore of money, without the help of good fortune, will never be popular; but I wish you a great many admirers, which will be fome credit to my judgment as well as your wit, who always thought you had a great deal, and am

Your, &c,

I

LETTER XVIII.

From Mr. WYCHERLEY.

May 17, 1709.

Muft thank you for a book of your Miscellanies, which Tonfon fent me, I fuppofe, by your order; and all I can tell you of it is, that nothing has lately been better received by the public, than your part of it. You have only difpleas'd the critics by pleafing them too well; having not left them a word to fay for themfelves, against you and your

written while Mr. Pope was abfent. The firft Brouillon of thofe verfes, and the fecond Copy with corrections, are both yet extant in Mr. Wycherley's own hand: In another of his letters of May 18, 1708, are these words. "I have made a damn'd Compliment in verfe upon the printing your Paftorals, which you fhall fee when you

fee me,

P.

per