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LETTER II.

From Mr WY CHERLEY.

Jan. 25. 1704-5.

Have been fo bufy of late in correcting and tranfcribing fome of my madrigals for a great man or two who defired to see them, that I have (with your pardon) omitted to return you an anfwer to your moft ingenious letter: fo fcriblers to the public, like bankers to the public, are profufe in their voluntary loans to it, whilft they forget to pay their more private and particular, as more juft debts, to their best and nearest friends. However, I hope, you who have as much good nature as good fenfe (fince they generally are companions) will have patience with a debtor who has an inclination to pay you his obligations, if he had wherewithal ready about him; and in the mean time fhould confider, when you have obliged me beyond my prefent power of returning the favour, that a debtor may be an honeft man, if he but intends to be juft when he is able, tho' late. But I fhould be lefs juft to you, the more I thought I could make a return to fo much profuseness of Wit and Humanity together; which tho' they feldom accompany each other in other men, are in you fo equally met, I know not in which you most abound. But so much for my opinion of you, which is, that your Wit and Ingenuity is equalled by nothing but your Judgment or Modefty, which (though it be to please myself) I muft no more offend, than I can do either right.

Therefore I will fay no more now of them, than that your good wit never forfeited your good judgment, but in your partiality to me and mine; fo that if it were poffible for an hardened fcribler to be vainer than he is, what you write of me would make me more conceited than what I fcrible myself; yet I must confefs, I ought to be more humbled by your praife than exalted, which commends my little fenfe with fo much more of yours, that I am difparaged and disheartened by your commendations; who give me an example of your wit in the first part of your letter, and a definition of it in the laft; to make writing well (that is, like you) more difficult to me than ever it was before. Thus the more great and just your example and definition of wit are, the less I am capable to follow them. Then the best way of

having feen how you

fhewing my judgment, after write, is to leave off writing; and the best way to fhew my friendship to you, is to put an end to your trouble, and to conclude

LETTER

III.

Yours, &c.

WHEN I write

March 25. 1705.

to you, I foresee a long letter, and ought to beg your patience before hand; for if it proves the longeft, it will be of courfe the worst I have troubled you with. Yet to exprefs my gratitude at large for your obliging letter, is not more my duty than my intereft; as fome people

will abundantly thank you for one picce of kindness, to put you in mind of bestowing another. The more favourable you are to me, the more diftinctly I see my faults: Spots and blemishes, you know, are never so plainly discovered in the brightest sunshine. Thus I am mortified by those commendations which were defigned to encourage me: for praife to a young wit, is like rain to a tender flower, if it be moderately bestowed, it chears and revives; but if too lavishly, overcharges and depreffes him. Moft men in years, as they are generally difcouragers of youth, are like old trees, that, being paft bearing themfelves, will fuffer no young plants to flourish beneath them: but as if it were not enough to have out-done all your coevals in wit, you will excel them in good-nature too. As for my green effays, if you find any pleasure in them, it must be fuch as a man naturally takes in obferving the first shoots and buddings of a tree which he has raised himself and 'tis impoffible they fhould be efteemed any otherwise, than as we value fruits for being early, which nevertheless are the most infipid, and the worst of the year. In a word, I must blame you for treating me with fo much compliment, which is at best but the smoke of friendship. I neither write, nor converfe with you, to gain your praife, but your Affection. Be fo much my friend as to appear my enemy, and tell me my faults, if not as a young Man, at least as an unexperienced Writer.

I am, &c.

His Paftorals, written at fixteen years of age.

YOUR

LETTER IV.

From Mr WYCHERLEY.

March 29. 1705.

OUR letter of the twenty-fifth of March I have received, which was more welcome to me than any thing could be out of the country, tho' it were one's rent due that day; and I can find no fault with it, but that it charges me with want of fincerity, or juftice, for giving you your due; who fhould not let your modefty be fo unjust to your merit, as to reject what is due to it, and call that compliment, which is fo fhort of your defert, that it is rather degrading than exalting you. But if compliment be the fmoke only of friendship (as you fay) however, you muft allow there is no fmoke but there is fome fire; and as the facrifice of incenfe offered to the Gods would not have been half fo fweet to others, if it had not been for its smoke; fo friendship, like love, cannot be without fome incenfe, to perfume the name it would praise and immortalize. But fince you say you do not write to me to gain my praise, but my affection, pray how is it poffible to have the one without the other? we must admire before we love. You affirm, you would have me fo much your friend as to appear your enemy, and find out your faults rather than your perfections; but (my friend) that would be so hard to do, that I, who love no difficulties, can't be perfuaded to it. Besides, the vanity of a fcribler is fuch, that he will never part with his own judgment to gratify another's; efpecially when he must take pains to do it:

and though I am proud to be of your opinion, when you talk of any thing or man but yourself, I cannot fuffer you to murder your fame with your own hand, without oppofing you; efpecially when you fay your laft letter is the worst (fince the longeft) you have favoured me with; which I therefore think the best, as the longest life (if a good one) is the beft; as it yields the more variety, and is the more exemplary; as a chearful fummer's day, though longer than a dull one in the winter, is lefs tedious and more entertaining. Therefore, let but your friendship be like your letter, as lafting as it is agreeable, and it can never be tedious, but more acceptable and obliging

to

Your, &c.

I

LETTER V.

From MR WYCHERLEY.

April 7. 1705.

Have received yours of the 5th, wherein your modefty refuses the just praises I give you, by which you lay claim to more, as a Bishop gains his bishopric by faying he will not epifcopate; but I must confefs, whilft I displease you by commending you, I please myfelf: juft as incenfe is fweeter to the offerer than the deity to whom it is offered, by his being fo much above it: For indeed every man partakes of the praise he gives, when it is fo juftly given.

As to my inquiry after your intrigues with the Mufes, you may allow me to make it, fince no old man can give fo young, fo great, and able a favourite of theirs, VOL. V.

B

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