ber of Books has carried me to Oxford: but, I fear, thro' my Lord Harcourt's and Dr. Clarke's means, I fhall be more converfant with the pleasures and company of the place, than with the books and manufcripts of it.

I find ftill more reafon to complain of the negligence of the Geographers in their Maps of old Greece, fince I looked upon two or three more noted names in the public libraries here. But with all the care I am capable of, I have fome caufe to fear the engraver will prejudice me in a few fituations. I have been forced to write to him in fo high a ftyle, that were my epiftle intercepted, it would raife no fmall admiration in an ordinary man. There is fcarce an order in it of lefs importance, than to remove fuch and fuch mountains, alter the courfe of fuch and fuch rivers, place a large city on fuch a coaft, and raze another in another country. I have fet bounds to the fea, and faid to the land, Thus far fhalt thou advance, and no further. In the mean time, I, who talk and command at this rate, am in danger of lofing my horfe, and ftand in fome fear of a country justice. To difarm me indeed may be but prudential, con

This relates to the Map of ancient Greece, laid down by our Author in his obfervations on the fecond Iliad. P.

d Some of the Laws were, at this time, put in force againft the Papists.

fidering

fidering what Armies I have at present on foot, and in my fervice; a hundred thoufand Grecians are no contemptible body; for all that I can tell, they may be as formidable as four thoufand Priests; and they feem proper forces to fend against thofe in Barcelona. That ficge defèrves as fine a poem as the Iliad, and the machining part of poetry would be the juster in it, as, they fay, the inhabitants expect Angels from heaven to their affiftance. May I venture to say who am a Papift, and fay to you who are a Papift, that nothing is more aftonishing to me, than that people fo greatly warm'd with a sense of Liberty, fhould be capable of harbouring fuch weak fuperftition, and that fo much bravery and fo much folly can inhabit the fame breafts?

I could not but take a trip to London on the death of the Queen, mov'd by the common curiofity of mankind, who leave their own bufiness to be looking upon other mens. I thank God, that, as for myself, I am below all the accidents of state-changes by my circumftances, and above them by my philofophy. Common charity of man to man, and univerfal good-will to all, are the points I have most at heart; and I am fure, thofe are not to be broken for the fake of any governors, or government. I am willing to hope the beft, and what I more with

than my own or any particular man's advancement, is, that this turn may put an end entirely to the divifions of Whig and Tory; that the parties may love each other as well as I love them both, or at least hurt each other as little as I would either: and that our own people may live as quietly as we shall certainly let theirs; that is to fay, that want of power itself in us may not be a furer prevention of harm, than want of will in them. I am fure, if all Whigs and all Tories had the spirit of one Roman Catholic that I know, it would be well for all Roman Catholics; and if all Roman Catholics had always had that fpirit, it had been well for all others; and we had never been charged with fo wicked a spirit as that of Per

fecution.

I agree with you in my fentiments of the

ftate of our nation fince this change: I find myself just in the fame fituation of mind you defcribe as your own, heartily wishing the good, that is, the quiet of my Country, and hoping a total end of all the unhappy divifions of mankind by party-fpirit, which at best is but the madness of many for the gain of a few.

I am, &c.

LETTER

LETTER H.

From Mr. BLOUNT.

T is with a great deal of pleasure I fee

your letter, dear Sir, written in a style that fhews you full of health, and in the midst of diverfions: I think thofe two things neceffary to a man who has fuch undertakings in hand as Yours. All lovers of Homer are indebted to you for taking fo much pains about the fituation of his Hero's kingdoms; it will not only be of great ufe with regard to his works, but to all that read any of the Greek hiftorians; who generally are ill underfood thro' the dif ference of the maps as to the places they treat of, which makes one think one author contradicts another. You are going to fet us right; and 'tis an advantage every body will gladly fee you engross the glory of.

You can draw rules to be free and eafy, from formal pedants; and teach men to be short and pertinent, from tedious commentators. However, I congratulate your happy deliverance from such authors, as you (with all your humanity) cannot wish alive again to converse with. Critics will quarrel with you, if you dare to please without their leave; and Zealots will fhrug up their fhoulders at a man, that pre

tends to get to Heaven out of their form, drefs, and diet. I would no more make a judgment of an author's genius from a damning critic, than I would of a man's religion from an unfaving zealot.

I could take great delight in affording you the new glory of making a Barceloniad (if I may venture to coin fuch a word :) I fancy you would find a jufter parallel than it seems at first fight; for the Trojans too had a great mixture of folly with their bravery; and I am out of countenance for them when I read the wife refult of their council, where, after a warm debate between Antenor and Paris about restoring Helen, Priam fagely determines that they shall go to fupper. And as for the Greeks, what can equal their fuperftition in facrificing an innocent lady?

Tantum Relligio potuit, &c.

I have a good opinion of my politics, fince they agree with a man who always thinks fo justly as you. I wish it were in our power to perfuade all the nation into as calm and fteddy a difpofition of mind.

We have receiv'd the late melancholy news, with the ufual ceremony, of condoling in one breath for the lofs of a gracious Queen, and in another rejoicing for an illuftrious King. My

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