my tenderness makes me exceeding hard to be fatisfied with any thing which can be faid on fuch an unhappy fubject. I caus'd the Latin Epitaph to be as often alter'd before I could approve it.

When once your Epitaph is fet up, there can be no alteration of it, it will remain a perpetual monument of your friendship, and, I affure myself, you will fo fettle it, that it shall be worthy of you. I doubt whether the word, deny'd, in the third line, will justly admit of that conftruction which it ought to bear (viz.) renounced, deferted, &c. deny'd is capable, in my opinion, of having an ill sense put upon it, as too great uneafinefs, or more good-nature, than a wife man ought to have. I very well remember you told me, you could scarce mend those two lines, and therefore I can scarce expect your forgiveness for my defiring you to reconfider them.

Harcourt ftands dumb, and Pope is fore'd to speak.

I can't perfectly, at least without further difcourfing you, reconcile myfelf to the first part of that line; and, the word forc'd (which was my own, and, I perfuade myself, for that reafon only fubmitted to by you) feems to carry too doubtful a conftruction for an Epitaph, which, as I apprehend, ought as eafily to be

understood

understood as read. I.fall acknowledge it as a very particular favourif at your best leifure you will perufe the incfofed, and vary it, if think it capable of being amended, and let you any morning next week.

you

me fee

I am,

LETTER IX.

The Bishop of ROCHESTER to Mr. POPE.

Sept. 27, 1721.

Am now confin'd to my bed-chamber, and to the matted room, wherein I am writing, feldom venturing to be carried down even into the parlour to dinner unless when company to whom I cannot excufe myfelf, comes, which I am not ill pleas'd to find is now very seldom. This is my cafe in the funny part of the year : what must I expect, when

inverfum contriftat Aquarius annum?

"If these things be done in the green tree, what "shall be done in the dry?" Excufe me for employing a sentence of Scripture on this occafion; I apply it very seriously. One thing relieves me a little under the ill profpect I have of fpending my time at the Deanry this winter; that I shall have the opportunity of feeing you oftener; tho', I am afraid, you will have little pleasure

H 3

pleasure in feeing me there. So much for my ill state of health, which I had not touch'd on, had not your friendly letter been so full of it. One civil thing, that you fay in it, made me think you had been reading Mr. Waller; and poffefs'a of that image at the end of his copy, à la malade, had you not bestow'd it on one who has no right to the least part of the character. If you have not read the verses lately, I am sure you remember them because you forget nothing.

With fuch a grace you entertain,

And look with fuch contempt on pain, &c.

I mention them not on the account of that couplet, but one that follows; which ends with the very fame rhymes and words (appear and clear) that the couplet but one after that does — and therefore in my Waller there is a various reading of the first of these couplets; for there it runs thus,

So lightnings in a stormy air

Scorch more, than when the sky is fair. You will fay that I am not very much in pain, nor very busy, when I can relish these amufements, and you will fay true for at present I am in both these respects very easy.

I had not ftrength enough to attend Mr. Prior to his grave, elfe I would have done it, to have fhew'd his friends that I had forgot and

forgiven

forgiven what he wrote on me. He is buried, as he defired, at the feet of Spencer, and I will take care to make good in every respect what I said to him when living; particularly as to the Triplet he wrote for his own Epitaph; which while we were in good terms, I promis'd him should never appear on his tomb while I was Dean of Westminster.

I am pleas'd to find you have fo much pleafure, and (which is the foundation of it) fo much health at Lord Bathurst's: may both continue till I fee you! may my Lord have as much fatisfaction in building the house in the wood, and using it when built, as you have in defigning it! I cannot fend a wifh after him that means him more happiness, and yet, I am fure, I wish him as much as he wishes himfelf. I am, &c.

a Meek Francis lies here, Friend. Without ftop or stay,
As you value your peace, make the best of your way.
Tho' at prefent arrefted by Death's caitiff paw,
If he ftirs, he may ftill have recourse to the law.
And in the King's bench fhould a verdict be found
That by liv'ry and feifin his grave is his ground,
He will claim to himself what is strictly his due,
And an action of trefpafs will straightway enfue,
That you, without right, on his Premiffes tread,
On a fimple furmise that the owner is dead.

b To me 'tis giv'n to dye, to you 'tis giv'n
To live: alas! one moment fets us ev'n.
Mark how impartial is the will of Heav'n.
LETTER

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LETTER X.

From the fame.

Bromley, Oct. 15, 1721.

Notwithstanding I write this on Sunday

even, to acknowledge the receipt of yours this morning yet, I forefee, it will not reach you till Wednesday morning. And before setof fun that day I hope to reach my winter quarters at the Deanry. I hope, did I say? I recall that word, for it implies defire: and, God knows, that is far from being the cafe. For I never part with this place but with regret, tho' I generally keep here what Mr. Cowley calls the worst of company in the world, my own; and fee either none befide, or what is worse than none, fome of the Arrii, or Sebo of my neighbourhood: Characters, which Tully paints fo well in one of his Epiftles, and complains of the too civil, but impertinent interruption they gave him in his retirement. Since I have named thofe gentlemen, and the book is not far from me, I will turn to the place, and by pointing it out to you, give you the pleasure of perusing the epiftle, which is a very agreeable one, if my memory does not fail me.