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LETTER XIII.

To the Duke of BUCKINGHAM.

'Sept. 1. 1718. Am much honoured by your Grace's compliance with my request, in giving me your opinion of the French difpute concerning Homer, and I fhall keep my word, in fairly telling wherein I difagree from you. It is but in two or three very small points, not fo much of the difpute, as of the parties concerned in it. I cannot think quite fo highly of the Lady's learning, though I refpect it very much. It is great complaifance in that polite nation, to allow her to be a Critic of equal rank with her husband. To inftance no further, his remarks on Horace fhew more good Senfe, Penetration, and a better Tafte of his author, and thofe upon Ariftotle's Art of poetry more Skill and Science, than any of her's on any author whatever *. In truth, they are much more flight, dwell more in generals, and are, befides, for the most part lefs her own; of which her Remarks upon Homer are an example, where Euftathius is tranfcribed ten times for once that he is quoted. Nor is there at all more depth of learning in thofe upon Terence, Plautus, (or where they were most wanted) upon Ariftophanes; only the Greek fcholia upon the latter are fome of the best

extant.

This is a juft character of that excellent Critic's writings.

Your Grace will believe me, that I did not fearch to find defects in a Lady; my employment upon the Iliad forced me to fee them; yet I have had fo much of the French complaifance as to conceal her thefts; for wherever I have found her notes to be wholly another's (which is the cafe in fome hundreds) I have barely quoted the true Proprietor, without obferving upon it. If Madam D' Acier has ever feen my obfervations, he will be fenfible of this conduct; but what effect it may have upon a Lady, I will not answer for.

In the next place, as to M. de la Motte, I think your Grace hardly does him right, in fuppofing he could have no Idea of the beauties of Homer's Epic poetry, but what he learned from Madam D'Acier's Profe tranflation. There had been a very elegant Profe translation before, that of Monfieur de la Valterie; fo elegant, that the ftyle of it was evidently the original and model of the famous Telemaque. Your Grace very justly animadverts against the too great difpofition of finding faults in the one, and of confessing none in the other. But doubtless, as to Violence, the Lady has infinitely the better of the Gentleman. Nothing can be more polite, dif paifionate, or fenfible, than M. de la Motte's manner of managing the difpute: and fo much as I fee your Grace admires the beauty of his verfe (in which you have the fuffrage too of the Archbishop of Cambray) I will venture to say, his profe is full as good. I think, therefore, when you fay, no dif putants even in Divinity could be more outragious and uncharitable than these two authors, you are a

little too hard upon M. de la Motte. Not but that (with your Grace) I doubt as little of the zeal of Commentators as of the zeal of Divines, and am as ready to believe of the paffions and pride of mankind in general, that (did but the fame interefts go along with them) they would carry the learned world to as violent, extremes, animofities, and even perfecutions, about variety of opinions, in Criticifm, as ever they did about Religion: and that, in defect of Scripture to quarrel upon, we should have French, Italian, and Dutch Commentators ready to burn one another about Homer, Virgil, Terence, and Horace.

I do not wonder your Grace is fhocked at the flight of Hector upon the first appearance of Achilles in the twenty-fecond Iliad. However (to fhew myfelf a true Commentator, if not a true Critic) I will endeavour to excufe, if not to defend it in my Notes on that book. And to fave myself what trouble, I can, instead of doing it in this letter, I will draw up the fubftance of what have to fay for it in a separate paper, which I'll fhew your Grace when next we meet. I will only defire you to allow me, that Hector was in an abfolute certainty of death, and deprefs'd over and above with the confcience of being in an ill caufe. If your heart be fo great, as not to grant the first of these will fink the fpirit of a Hero, you'll at least be fo good, as to allow the fecond may. But, I can tell your Grace no less a Hero than my Lord Peterborow, when a perfon complimented him for never being afraid, made this anfwer; "Sir, Shew me a danger that I think an

"imminent aud real one, and I promise you I'll be

as much afraid as any of you."

I am your Grace's, &c.

LETTER XIV.

From Dr ARBUTH NOT.

London, Sept. 7. 1714.

I Am extremely obliged to you for taking notice of

a poor old diftreffed courtier, commonly the most defpifable thing in the world. This blow has fo rous'd Scriblerus, that he has recover'd his fenfes, and thinks and talks like other men. From being frolicksome and gay, he is turn'd grave and morofe. His lucubrations lie neglected among old news-papers, cafes, petitions, and abundance of unanfwerable letters. I wish to God they had been among the papers of a noble Lord sealed up. Then might Scriblerus have pass'd for the Pretender, and it would have been a moft excellent and laborious work for the Flying Poft or some fuch author to have allegoriz'd all his adventures into a plot, and found out myfteries fomewhat like the Key to the Lock. Martin's office is now the fecond door on the left-hand in Dover-street, where he will be glad to fee Dr Parnelle, Mr Pope, and his old friends, to whom he can still afford a half pint of claret. It is with fome pleasure that he contemplates the world ftill bufy, and all mankind at work, for him. I have seen a letter from Dean Swift; he keeps up his noble fpirit, and tho' like a man knock'd down, you may behold him still with a stern countenance, and aiming a blow at his adverfaries. I will add no more, being in hafte ; only, that I will never forgive you, if you don't use my

aforefaid houfe in Dover-ftreet, with the fame freedom as you did that in St James's; for as our friendship was not begun upon the relation of a courtier, fo I hope, it will not end with it. I will always be proud to be reckon'd amongst the number of your friends and humble fervants.

LETTER XV.

To Dr ARBUTH Not.

Sept. 10.

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Am glad your Travels delighted yoù; improve you, I am fure, they could not; you are not fo much a youth as that, tho' you run about with a King of fixteen, and (what makes him ftill more a child) a King of Frenchmen. My own time has been more melancholy, spent in an attendance upon death, which has feized one of our family: my mother is fomething better, though at her advanced age every day is a climacteric. There was join'd to this an indifpofition of my own, which I ought to look upon as a flight one compared with my mother's, because my life is not of half the confequence to any body that her's is to me. All these incidents have hinder'd my more speedy reply to your obliging letter.

The article you inquire of, is of as little concern to me as you defire it should; namely, the railing papers about the Odyffey. If the book has merit, it will extinguish all fuch nafty fcandal; as the Sun puts an end to ftinks, merely by coming out.

I wish I had nothing to trouble me more; an honeft mind is not in the power of any difhoneft one.