juft your example and definition of wit are, the less I am capable to follow them. Then the best way of fhewing my judgment, after having feen how you 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

Yours, &c.

WHE

LETTER III.

March 25, 1705.

HEN I write to you, I foresee a long letter, and ought to beg your patience before hand; for if it proves the longest, it will be of course the worst I have troubled you with. Yet to express 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 piece of kindness, to put you in mind of bestowing another. The more favourable you are to me, the more diftinctly I fee my faults: Spots and blemishes, you know, are never fo plainly difcovered as in the brighteft funfhine. Thus I am mortified by thofe commendations which were defigned to encourage me for praise to a young wit, is like rain to der 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 themselves, will suffer no B 4 young

a

ten

*

young plants to flourish beneath them: but, as if it were not enough to have out-done all your coevals in wit, you will excell 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 firft fhoots and buddings of a tree which he has raised himself: and 'tis impoffible they should be esteemed any otherwise, than as we value fruits for being early, which nevertheless are the moft infipid, and the worst of the year. In a word, I must blame you for treating me with so much compliment, which is at beft but the fmoke 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.

LETTER IV.

From Mr. WYCHERLEY.

March 29, 1705.

OUR letter of the twenty-fifth of March I

Yo

Y 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

His Paftorals, written at fixteen years of age.

fincerity,

fincerity, or juftice, for giving you your dae; 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 must 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 sweet 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 praife and immortalize. But fince. you fay you do not write to gain my praife, but my affection, pray how is it poffible to have the one without the other? we muft admire be'fore 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 fo hard to do, that I, who love no difficulties, can't be perfuaded to it. Befides, 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 tho' 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; especially 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

beft; as it yields the more variety, and is the more exemplary; as a chearful fummer's day, tho' 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.

LETTER V.

From Mr. WYCHERLEY.

April 7, 1705.

Have received yours of the fifth, wherein your

I modefty refufes the juft praises I give you, by

which you lay claim to more, as a bishop gains his bishopric by saying he will not episcopate; but I muft confefs, whilft I displease you by commending you, I please myfelf: juft as incenfe is fweeter to the offerer than the deity to whom 'tis 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 enquiry 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, jealoufy. I am, in my enquiry, like old Sir Bernard Gascoign, who used to fay, that

when

when he was grown too old to have his vifits-admitted alone by the ladies, he always took along with him a young man to enfure his welcome to them; for had he come alone he had been rejected, only because his vifits were not fcandalous to them. So I am (like an old rook, who is ruined by gaming) forced to live on the good fortune of the pufh ing young men, whofe fancies are fo vigorous that they enfure their fuccefs in their adventures with the Mufes, by their ftrength of imagination.

Your papers are fafe in my cuftody (you may be fure) from any one's theft but my own; for 'tis as dangerous to truft a fcribler with your wit, as a gamefter with the cuftody of your money. If you happen to come to town, you will make it more difficult for me to leave it, who am

Your, &c.

LETTER VI.

April 30, 1705.

Cannot contend with you: You must give me

I leave at once to wave all your compliments, and

to collect only this in general from them, that your defign is to encourage me. But I separate from all the reft that paragraph or two, in which you make me fo warm an offer of your friendship. Were I poffeffed of that, it would put an end to all those fpeeches with which you now make me blush; and change