think of the other; but 'tis in your power to cen fure my happiness in one and the other, both by your fociety, and good example, so not only contribute to my felicity here, but hereafter.

Now as to your excuse for the plainness of your style, I must needs tell you, that friendship is much more acceptable to a true friend than wit, which is generally falfe reafoning; and a friend's reprimand often shews 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 test of your friendship I intend to put you when I return to London, and thence to you at Binfield, 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 revenged of you for your kindness; by taking your name in vain in fome 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 fcribling. 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.

LET

Have received yours of the first of May. Your

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 mufe fhall appear at court and in public: to outfhine all the. farded, lewd, confident, affected Town-dowdies, who aim at being honour'd only to their fhame: but her artful innocence (on the contrary) will gain more honour as she becomes publick; and, in fpite of cuftom, will bring modesty again into fashion, or at least make her fifter rivals of this age blush for spite, if not for shame. As for my ftale, antiquated, poetical pufs, whom you would keep in countenance by faying she has once been tolerable, and wou'd yet pafs mufter by a little licking over; it is true that (like moft vain antiquated jades which have once been paffable) fhe yet affects youthfulness in her age, and wou'd still gain a few admirers (who the more the feeks or labours for their liking, are but more her contemners.) Nevertheless she is resolv'd henceforth to be so cautious as to appear very little more in the world, except it be an Attendant on your Mufe, or as a foil, not a VOL. VIII.

D

rival

rival to her wit, or fame: fo that let your Countrygentlewoman appear when the will in the world *. my old worn-out jade of a loft reputation fhall be her attendant into it, to procure her admirers; as an old whore, who can get no more friends of her own, bawds for others, to make sport or pleasure yet, one way or other, for mankind. I approve e of your

making Tonfon your mufe's introductor into the world, or mafter of the ceremonies, who has been fo long a pimp, or gentleman-ufher to the Mufes.

I wish you good fortune; fince a man with store of wit, as store of money, without the help of good fortune, will never be popular; but I wish you a great many admirers, which will be fome credit to my judgment as well as your wit, who always thought you had a great deal, and am.

Your, &c.

* This, and what follows, is a full Confutation of John Dennis and others, who afferted that Mr. Pope wrote these verfes on himself (tho' published by Mr. Wycherley fix years before his death.) We find here it was a voluntary Act of his, promis'd before-hand, and written while Mr. Pope was abfent. The first Brouillon of thofe verses, and the second Copy with corrections, are both yet extant in Mr. Wycherley's own hand: In another of his letters of May 18, 1708, are these words. "I have made a damn'd Compliment in verse upon the printing your Pasto"rals, which you fhall fee when you fee me."

der;

LETTER XVIII.all

From Mr. WYCHERLEY.

May 17, 1709.

Muft thank you for a book of your Mifcellanies, I wait thank you for which Tonfon fent me, I fuppofe, by your orand all I can tell you of it is, that nothing has lately been better receiv'd by the public, than your part of it. You have only difpleas'd the critics by pleafing them too well; having not left them a word to fay for themselves, against you and your performances ; fo that, now your hand is in, you must perfevere, 'till my prophecies of you be fulfill'd. In earneft, all the beft judges of good fenfe or poetry, are admirers of yours; and like your part of the book fo well, that the reft is lik'd the worse. This is true upon my word, without compliment; fo that your firft fuccefs will make v you for all your life a poet, in fpite of your wit; for a poet's fuccefs at firft, like a gamefter's fortune at firft, is like to make him a lofer at laft, and to be undone by his good fortune and merit.

But hitherto your miscellanies have fafely run the gantlet, through all the coffee houfes; which are now entertain'd with a whimsical new news-paper, call'd the TATLER, which I fuppofe you have feen. This is the newest thing I can tell you of, except it be of the Peace, which now (moft people fay) is

D now

2

drawing

drawing to fuch a conclufion, as all Europe is, or must be fatisfy'd with; fo Poverty, you fee, which makes peace in Westminster-hall, makes it likewise in the camp or field, throughout the world. Peace then be to you, and to me, who am now grown peaceful, and will have no conteft with any man, but him who fays he is more your friend or humble fervant, than

LETTER XIX.

Your, &c.

I

May 20, 1709.

Mifcellany, if it

there are as bad

Am glad you receiv'd the were only to fhow you that poets in this nation as your fervant. This modern cuftom of appearing in mifcellanies, is very useful to the poets, who, like other thieves, escape by getting into a crowd, and herd together like Banditti, fafe only in their multitude. Methinks Strada has given a good defcription of these kind of collections; Nullus hodie mortalium aut nafcitur, aut moritur, aut præliatur, aut rufticatur, aut abit peregre, aut redit, aut nubit, aut eft, aut non eft, (nam etiam mortuis ifti canunt) cui non illi extemplo cudant Epicedia, Genethliaca, Protreptica, Panegyrica, Epithalamia, Vaticinia, Propemptica, Soterica, Parænetica, Nanias, Nugas.

Jacob Tonfon's fixth Vol, of Miscellany Poems.

As