change them to wholefome advices, and free fentiments, which might make me wifer and happier. T know 'tis the general opinion, that friendship is best contracted betwixt perfons of equal age; but I have fo much intereft to be of another mind, that you muft pardon me if I cannot forbear telling you a few notions of mine, in oppofition to that opinion.

In the first place 'tis obfervable, that the love we bear to our friends, is generally caused by our finding the fame difpofitions in them, which we feel in ourfelves. This is but felf-love at the bottom : whereas the affection betwixt people of different ages cannot well be fo, the inclinations of fuch being commonly various. The friendship of two young men is often occafioned by love of pleasure or voluptuoufnefs, each being defirous for his own fake of one to affift or encourage him in the courses he purfues; as that of two old men is frequently on the fcore of fome profit, lucre, or defign upon others. Now, as a young man, who is lefs acquainted with the ways of the world, has in all probability lefs of intereft; and an old man, who may be weary of himself, has, or fhould have lefs of felf-love; fo the friendship between them is the more likely to be true, and unmixed with too much self-regard. One may add to this, that fuch a friendship is of greater ufe and advantage to both; for the old man will grow gay and agreeable to please the young one; and the young man more discreet and prudent by the help of the old one; fo it may prove a cure of those epidemical

epidemical difeafes of age and youth, fournefs and madness. I hope you will not need many arguments to convince you of the poffibility of this; one alone abundantly satisfies me, and convinces to the heart; which is, that young as I am, and old as you are, I am your entirely affectionate, &c.

I

LETTER VII.

June 23, 1705.

Should believe myfelf happy in your good opinion, but that you treat me fo much in a style of compliment. It hath been obferved of women, that they are more subject in their youth to be touched with vanity than men, on account of their being generally treated this way; but the weakest women are not more weak than that clafs of men, who are thought to pique themfelves upon their Wit. The world is never wanting, when a coxcomb is accomplishing himself, to help to give him the finishing ftroke.

Every man is apt to think his neighbour overftock'd with vanity, yet, I cannot but fancy there are certain times, when moft people are in a difpofition of being informed; and 'tis incredible what a vaft good a little truth might do, fpoken in fuch feasons.

Mr. Wycherley was at this time about feventy years old, Mr. Pope under feventeen.

A small

A fmall alms will do a great kindness, to people in extreme neceflity.

I could name an acquaintance of yours, who would at this time think himself more obliged to you for the information of his faults, than the confirmation of his follies. If you would make those the subject of a letter, it might be as long as I could wish your letters always were.

I do not wonder you have hitherto found fome difficulty (as you are pleased to fay) in writing to me, fince .you have always chosen the task of commending me take but the other way, and, I dare engage, you will find none at all.

:

As for my verses, which you praife fo much, I may truly say they have never been the cause of any vanity in me, except what they gave me when they firft occafioned my acquaintance with you. But I have feveral times fince been in danger of this vice as often, I mean, as I received any letters from you. 'Tis certain, the greatest magnifying glaffes in the world are a man's own eyes when they look upon his own person; yet even in those, I cannot fancy myself fo extremely like Alexander the great, as you would perfuade me. If I must be like him, 'tis you will make me fo by complimenting me into a better opinion of myself than I deferve: They made him think he was the fon of Jupiter, and you affure me I am a man of parts. But is this all you can fay to my honour? you faid ten times as much before, when you call'd me your friend. After having made

me

D

ime believe I poffefs'd a fhare in your affection, to treat me with compliments and fweet fayings, is like the proceeding with poor Sancho Panca: they perfuaded him that he enjoy'd a great dominion, and then gave him nothing to fubfift upon but wafers and marmalade. In our days the greatest obligation you can lay upon a Wit, is to make a fool of him. For as when madmen are found incurable, wise men give them their way, and please them as well as they can; fo when thofe incorrigible things, Poets, are once irrecoverably be-mus'd, the best way both to quiet them, and fecure yourself from the effects of their frenzy, is to feed their vanity; which indeed, for the most part, is all that is fed in a poet.

You may believe me, I could be heartily glad that all you fay were as true, applied to me, as it would be to yourself, for several weighty reafons; but for none so much as that I might be to you what you deserve; whereas I can now be no more than is confiftent with the small tho' utmoft capacity of, &c..

LETTER VIII.

Oct. 26, 1705:

I Have now changed the scene from the town to

the country; from Will's coffee-houfe to Windfor-foreft. I find no other difference than this, betwixt the common town-wits, and the downright country fools; that the first are pertly in the wrong,

try fools ;

with

with a little more flourish and gayety; and the laft neither in the right nor the wrong, but confirm'd in a ftupid fettled medium betwixt both. However, methinks, thefe are most in the right, who quietly and eafily refign themfelves over to the gentle reign of dulnefs, which the Wits muft do at last, tho' after a great deal of noise and refiftance. Ours are a fort of modeft inoffenfive people, who neither have fenfe, nor pretend to any, but enjoy a jovial fort of dulnefs: They are commonly known in the world by the name of honeft, civil gentlemen: They live, much as they ride, at random; a kind of hunt-. ing life, pursuing with earneftness and hazard fomething not worth the catching; never in the way, nor out of it. I can't but prefer folitude to the company of all thefe; for tho' a man's felf may poffibly be the worft fellow to converfe with in the world, yet one would think the company of a perfon whom we have the greatest regard to and affection for, could not be very unpleafant, As a man in love with a miftrefs, defires no conversation but hers, so a man in love with himself (as moft men are) may be best pleafed with his own. Befides, if the trueft and moft ufefal knowledge be the knowledge of ourfelves, folitude, conducing moft to make us look into ourselves, fhould be the moft inftructive ftate of life. We fee nothing more commonly, than Imen, who for the fake of the circumftantial

part

and mere outfide of life, have been half their days rambling out of their nature, and ought to be fent