fa angry at the writer for his defign, and his manner of executing it, that I could hardly forbear fending him a line of Virgil along with it. The chief Reafoner of that philofophic farce is a GalloLigur, as he is call'd-what that means in English or French, I can't fay-but all he fays, is in fo loofe and flippery and trickifh a way of reasoning, that I could not forbear applying the paffage of Virgil to him, Vane Ligur, fruftraque animis elate fuperbis! To be ferious, I hate to fee a book gravely written, and in all the forms of argumentation, which proves nothing, and which fays nothing; and endeavours only to put us into a way of diftrusting our own faculties, and doubting whether the marks of truth and falfhood can in any cafe be diftinguished from each other. Could that bleffed point be made out (as it is a contradiction in terms to fay it can) we fhould then be in the moft uncomfortable and wretched ftate in the world; and I would in that cafe be glad to exchange my Reafon, with a dog for his Instinct, to-morrow. I LETTER VIII. L. Chancellor HARCOURT to Mr. POPE. Decemb. 6, 1722: Cannot but fufpect myself of being very unreasonable in begging you once more to review the inclos'd. Your friendship draws this trouble on you. I may freely own to you, that my tenderness makes me exceeding hard to be fatisfied with any thing which can be said on such an unhappy subject. I caus'd 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 fhall 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 fenfe put upon it, as too great uneafiness, or more goodnature, 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 fands dumb, and Pope is forc'd to speak. I can't perfectly, at leaft without further difcourfing you, reconcile myself 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) seems to carry too doubtful a construction for an Epitaph, which, as I apprehend, ought as eafily to be understood as read. I fhall acknowledge it as a very particular favour, if at your best leifure you will perufe the inclos'd and vary it, if you think it capable of being amended, and let me fee you any morning next week. I am, &c. LET I LETTER IX. The Bishop of ROCHESTER to Mr. POPE. Sept. 27, 1721. Am now confined 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 myself, comes, which I am not ill pleas'd to find is now very feldom. 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 "fhall be done in the dry?" Excufe me for employing a fentence of Scripture on this occafion; I apply it very feriously. One thing relieves me a little under the ill profpect I have of spending my time at the Deanry this winter; that I fhall have the opportunity of feeing you oftener; tho', I am afraid, you will have little pleasure in seeing me there. much for my ill state of health, which I had not touched 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'd 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 leaft part of the character. If you had not read the verfes lately, I am fure 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 the couplet but one after that does-and therefore in my Waller there is a various reading of the first of thefe 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 bufy, when I can relish these amusements, and you will fay true: for at present I am in both these refpects very easy. I had not strength enough to attend Mr. Prior to his grave, elfe I would have done it, to have shew'd his friends that I had forgot and 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 refpect what I faid 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 fhould never appear on his tomb while I was Dean of Westminster. I am pleas'd to find you have so much pleasure, and (which is the foundation of it) so much health at Lord Bathurft'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 wish after him that means him more happiness, and yet, I am fure, I wish him as much as he wishes himself. I am, &c. LET Not LETTER X. From the fame. Bromley, Oct. 15, 1721. Otwithstanding 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 set of fun that day I hope to reach my winter quarters at the Deanry. I hope, did I fay? 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 worfe than none, fome of the Arrii, or Sebofi 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 perufing the epiftle, which is a very agreeable one, if my memory does not fail me. I am furpriz'd to find that my Lord Bathurst and you are parted fo foon; he has been fick, I know, of fome late tranfactions; but should that sickness continue ftill in fome measure, I prophefy, it will be quite off by the beginning of November: a letter or two from his London-friends, and a furfeit of folitude will foon make him change his refolution and his quarters. I vow to you, I could live here with pleasure all the winter, and be contented with hearing no more news than the London Journal, or fome |