in Wit, like thofe in Trade, take leaft Pains to fet off their Goods; while the Haberdashers of fmall Wit, fpare for no Decorations or Ornaments. You have commiffion'd me to paint your Shop, and I have done my best to brush you up like your Neighbours. But I can no more pretend to the Merit of the Production, than a Midwife to the Virtues and good Qualities of the Child fhe helps into the Light.

The few Things I have entirely added, you will excufe; you may take them lawfully for your own, because they are no more than Sparks lighted up by your Fire; and you may omit them at last, if you think them but Squibs in your Triumphs.

I am, &c.

I'

Mr. WYCHERLEY to Mr. POPE.

Feb. 19, 1706-7.

HAVE receiv'd yours of the 26th, as kind as it is ingenious, for which therefore I moft heartily thank you: It would have been much more welcome to me, had it not inform'd me of your want of Health: But you who have a Mind fo

vigorous,

vigorous, may well be contented with its crazy Habitation; fince (you know) the old Similitude fays, The Keennefs of the Mind fooneft wears out the Body; as the sharpest Sword fooneft deftroys the Scabbard : So. that (as I fay) you must be fatisfy'd with your apprehenfion of an uneafy Life (tho' I hope not a fhort one) notwithstanding that generally you found Wits (tho' weak Bodies) are immortal hereafter, by that Genius which fhortens your present Life to prolong that of the future. But I yet hope, your great, vigorous, and active Mind, will not be able to deftroy your little, tender, and crazy Carcass.

Now to fay fomething to what you write, concerning the prefent epidemick Diftemper of the Mind and Age, Calumny; I know it is no more to be avoided (at one time or another of our Lives) than a Fever, or an Ague; and as often those Distempers attend, or threaten the best Conftitutions, from the worst Air; fo does that malignant Air of Calumny fooneft attack the found and elevated in Mind, as Storms of Wind the tallest and moft fruitful Trees; whilft the low and weak, for bowing and moving to and fro, are by their Weakness, secure from the danger and violence of the Tempeft. But fo much for ftinking Ruwhich weakeft Minds are most afraid

mour,

of;

of; as Irish Men, tho' the naftieft of Mankind, are moft offended at a Fart.

I

Mr. WYCHERLEY to Mr. POPE.

Nov. 11, 1707.

Receiv'd yours of the 9th yesterday, which has (like the rest of your Letters) at once pleas'd and inftructed me; fo that I affure you, you can no more write too much to your abfent Friends, than fpeak too much to the prefent. This is a Truth that all Men own who have either feen your Writings, or heard your Difcourfe; enough to make others fhow their Judgment, in ceafing to write or talk, efpecially to you, or in your Company. However, I speak or write to you, not to please you, but myself; fince I provoke your Anfwers; which, whilft they humble me, give me vanity; tho' I am leffen'd by you even when you commend me; fince you commend my little Senfe with fo much more of yours, that you put ine out of Counteme nance, whilft you would keep me in it. So that you have found a way (against the Cuftom of great Wits) to fhew even a great deal of good Nature with a great deal of good Senfe.

I thank

I thank you for the Book you promis'd me, by which I find you would not only correct my Lines, but my Life.

As to the damn'd Verfes I entrusted you with, I hope you will let them undergo your Purgatory, to fave them from other People's damning them; fince the Critics, who are generally the firft damn'd in this Life, like the damn'd below, never leave to bring those above them under their own Circumftances. I beg you to perufe my Papers, and felect what you think beft, or moft tolerable, and look over them again; for I refolve fuddenly to print fome of them, as a harden'd old Gamefter will (in fpite of all former ill usage by Fortune) push on an ill Hand, in expectation of recovering himself; especially, fince I have fuch a Croupier or Second to ftand by me as Mr. Pope.

Mr.

Mr. POPE to Mr. WYCHERLEY.

MR

Nov. 20. 1707:

R. Englefyld being upon his Journey
to London, tells me I muft write
to you by him, which I do, not more to
comply with his defire, than to gratify my
own; tho' I did it fo lately by the Mef-
fenger you fent hither: I take it too as
an opportunity of fending you the fair
Copy of the Poem (a) on Dulness, which
was not then finifh'd, and which I fhould
not care to hazard by the common Post.
Mr. Englefyld is ignorant of the Contents,
and I hope your Prudence will let him re-
main fo, for my fake no lefs than your
own: Since if you fhould reveal any thing
of this nature, it would be no wonder Re-
ports fhould be rais'd, and there are those
(I fear) who would be ready to improve
them to my difadvantage.

I am forry you told the great Man,
whom you met in the Court of Requests;
that your Papers were in my Hands: No
Man alive shall ever know any such thing
from me; and I give you this warning
befides, that tho' your felf should say I had

(a) The Original of it in Blots, and with Figures of the
References from Copy to Copy, in Mr. Pope's Hand, is in
the Harley-Library, among other fuch Brouillons of Mr. Wy-
cherley's Poems, corrected by him. Vid. Lett. Ap. 1o, 1705-6.
Note (a)

any