Forgot of all his own domeftic crew; The faithful dog alone his rightful mafter knew ; Plutarch relating how the Athenians were obliged to abandon Athens in the time of Themiftocles, steps back again out of the way of his hiftory, purely to defcribe the lamentable cries and howlings of the poor dogs they left behind. He makes mention of one, that follow'd his mafter across the fea to Salamis, where he dy'd, and was honour'd with a tomb by the Athenians, who gave the name of the Dog's Grave to that part of the island where he was buried. This refpect to a dog in the most polite people of the world, is very obfervable. A modern inftance of gratitude to a dog (tho' we have but few fuch) is, that the chief order of Denmark (now injuriously call'd the order of the Elephant) was inftituted in memory of the fidelity of a dog, nam'd Wild-brat, to one of their Kings who had been deserted by his fubjects he gave his order this motto, or to this effect (which still remains) Wild-brat was faithful. Sir William Trumbull has told me a ftory which he he heard from one that was prefent: King Charles I. being with fome of his court during his troubles, a difcourfe arose what fort of dogs deferv'd pre-eminence, and it being on all hands agreed to belong either to the spaniel or grey-hound, the King gave his opinion on the part of the grey-hound, because (faid he) it has all the Good-nature of the other without the fawning. A good piece of fatire upon his courtiers, with which I will conclude my difcourse of dogs. Call me a cynie, or what you please, in revenge for all this impertinence, I will be contented; provided you will but believe me, when I fay a bold word for a Chriftian, that, of all dogs, you will find none more faithful than Your, &c. LETTER XI. April 10, 1710. Had written to you fooner, but that I made fome fcruple of fending profane things to you in holy week. Befides, our family would have been fcandaliz'd to see me write, who take it for granted I write nothing but ungodly verfes. I affure you, I am look'd upon in the neighbourhood for a very well-difpos'd perfon, no great Hunter indeed, but a great admirer of the noble sport, and only unhappy in my want of constitution for that, and Drinking. They all fay, 'tis pity I am fo fickly, and I think 'tis pity they are so healthy. But I fay nothing that may deftroy their good opinion of me: I have not quoted one Latin author fince I came down, but have learn'd without book a fong of Mr. Thomas Durfey's, who is your only Poet of tolerable reputation in this country. He makes all the merriment in our entertainments, and but for him, there would be fo miferable a dearth of catches, that, I fear, they would put either the Parfon or me upon making fome for 'em. Any man, of any quality, is heartily welcome to the best toping-table of our gentry, who can roar out fome Rhapfodies of his works: fo that in the fame manner as it was faid of Homer to his detractors? What, dares any man fpeak against him who has given fo many men to eat? (meaning the Rhapfodifts who liv'd by repeating his verses) thus may it be faid of Mr. Durfey to his detractors; Dares any one defpife him, who has made fo many men drink? Alas, Sir! this is a glory which neither you nor I must ever pretend to. Neither you with your Ovid, nor I with my Statius, can amufe a board of juftices and extraordinary 'fquires, or gain one hum of approbation, or laugh of admiration. These things (they would fay) are too ftudious, they may do well enough with fuch as love reading, but give us your ancient Poet Mr. Durfey! 'Tis mortifying enough, it must be confefs'd; but however let us proceed in the way that nature has directed usMulti multa fciunt, fed nemo omnia, as it is faid in the almanack. Let us communicate our works for our 4 mutual you fhall not mutual comfort; fend me elegies, and want heroics. At prefent, I have only thefe Arguments in profe to the Thebaid, which you claim by promise, as I do your Tranflation of Pars me Sulmo tenet and the Ring; the rest I hope for as foon as you can conveniently tranfcribe them, and whatfoever orders you are pleas'd to give me shall be tually obey'd by Your, &c. punc LETTER XII. May 10, 1710. I Had not fo long omitted to exprefs my acknowledgments to you for fo much good-nature and friendship as you lately show'd me; but that I am but juít return'd to my own hermitage, from Mr. C's, who has done me fo many favours, that I am almost inclin'd to think my friends infect one another, and that your converfation with him has made him as obliging to me as yourself. I can affure you, he has a fincere refpect for you, and this, I believe, he has partly contracted from me, who am too full of you not to overflow upon those I converfe with. But I must now be contented to converse only with the dead of this world, that is to fay, the dull and obfcure, every way obfcure, in their intellects as well as their perfons: or elfe have recourse to the living dead, the old Authors with whom you are fo well acquainted, even from Virgil down to Aulus Gellius, whom whom I do not think a critic by any means to be compar'd to Mr. Dennis: And I must declare pofitively to you, that I will perfift in this opinion, till you become a little more civil to Atticus. Who could have imagin'd, that he, who had efcap'd all the miffortunes of his time, unhurt even by the profcrip tions of Antony and Auguftus, fhould in these days find an enemy more fevere and barbarous than those tyrants? and that enemy the gentleft too, the bestnatur'd of mortals, Mr. Cromwell, whom I muft in this compare once more to Auguftus: who feem'd not more unlike himself, in the severity of one part of his life and the clemency of the other, than you. I leave you to reflect on this, and hope that time (which mollifies rocks, and of ftiff things makes limber) will turn a resolute critic to a gentle reader; and instead of this pofitive, tremendous, new-fafhion'd Mr. Cromwell, reftore unto us our old acquaintance the foft, beneficent, and courteous Mr. Cromwell. I expect much, towards the civilizing of you in your critical capacity, from the innocent air and tranquillity of our Foreft, when you do me the favour to vifit it. In the mean time, it would do well by way of preparative, if you would duly and constantly every morning read over a paftoral of Theocritus or Virgil; and let the lady Ifabella put your Macrobius and Aulus Gellius fomewhere out of your way, for a month or fo. Who knows, but travel. ling and long airing in an open field, may contribute 7 more |