LETTER XIV.

From MR WYCHERLEY.

Nov. 22. 1707.

YOU may fee by my ftyle, I had the happiness and

You

fatisfaction to receive yesterday by the hands of Mr Englefyld, your extreme kind and obliging letter of the 20th of this month; which, like all the rest of yours, did at once mortify me, and make me vain; fince it tells me with so much more wit, sense, and kindness than mine can express, that my letters are always welcome to you. So that even whilft your kindness invites me to write to you, your wit and judgment forbid me; fince I return you a letter, but never an an *fwer.

Now, as for my owning your affistance to me," in overlooking my unmufical numbers, and harfher fenfe, and correcting them both with your genius, or judg‐ ment; I must tell you I always own it (in spite of your unpoetic modefty) who would do with your friend hip as your charity; conceal' your bounty to magnify the obligation; and even whilft you lay on your friend the favour, acquit him of the debt; but that shall not serve your turn; I will always own, 'tis my infallible Pope has, or would redeem me from a poetical damning, the fecond time; and fave my rhimes from being condemn'd to the critics flames to all eternity; but (by the faith you profefs) you know your works of fupererogation, transfer'd upon an humble acknowledging finner, may fave even him: having

good works enough of your own besides, to ensure yours, and their immortality.

And now for the pains you have taken to recommend my Dulnefs, by making it more methodical, I give you a thoufand thanks; fince true and natural dulness is shown more by its pretence to form and method, as the fprightlinefs of wit by its defpifing both. I thank you a thousand times for your repeated invi. tations to come to Binfield: You will find, it will be as hard for you to get quit of my mercenary kindness to you, as it would for me to deferve, or return yours; however, it fhall be the endeavour of my future life, as it will be to demonftrate myfelf

Your, &c.

LETTER

XV.

Nov. 29. 1707.

T

HE compliments you make me, in regard of any 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 ine, 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 foon as I've mark'd thefe, tranfcribe what is left on another paper; and in that, blot, alter, and add all I can devife, for their improvement. For you are fenfible, the omiffion of Repetitions is but one, and the easiest 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 praifes of Avarice, and some others.

I inuft take notice of what you say, of " my "pains to make your dulnefs methodical;" and of your hint, "that the fprightlinefs of wit despises me"thod." This is true enough, if by wit you mean no more than fancy or conceit; but in the better notion of wit, confider'd 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 Simile Mr Dryden ufes 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 disguise any of my fentiments from you: to methodise 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 Rochefoucalt, as I have more than once hinted to you.

I

LETTER XVI..

From Mr WYCHERLEY.

Feb. 28. 1707-8.

Have had yours of the 23d of this instant, forwhich 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 fhou'd give you any dif turbance, or concern more than ordinary for me; for which, as well as your concern for my future wellbeing or life, I think myself most eternally oblig'd to you affuring, your concern for either will make me more careful of both. Yet for your fake I love this life fo well, that I shall the less think of the other; but 'tis in your power to cenfure my, happiness. in one and the other, both by your fociety, and good example, fo not only contribute to my felicity here, but hereaf

ter.

Now, as to your excufe for the plainnefs of your style, I must needs tell you, that friendship is much more acceptable to a true friend than wit, which is generally false reasoning; and a friend's reprimand of ten 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 teft of your friendship I intend to put you

when I return to London, and thence to you at Bin field, 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 public for your friend; who intend (perhaps the fame way) to be reveng'd of you for your kindness, by taking your name in vain in some of my future madrigals :: yet so as to let the world know, my love or esteem for you are no more poetic than my talent in scribling. 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..

LETTER XVII.

From Mr WYCHER LEY..

May 13. 1708. Have received yours of the first of May. Your

I in her modeft 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 muse shall appear at court and in public: to outfhine all the farded, lewd, confident, affected Towndowdies, who aim at being honour'd only to their fhame: but her artful innocence (on the contrary), will gain more honour as he becomes publick; and in fpite of custom, will bring modefty again into fafhion, or at leaft make her fifter-rivals of this age blush for fpite, if not for fhame. As for my stale, anti