Wootton, but because you had commended them; and give me leave to tell you, that I know no body fo like to equal him, even at the age he wrote most of them, as yourfelf. Only do not afford more caufe of complaints against you, that you fuffer nothing of yours to come abroad; which in this age, wherein wit and true fenfe is more fcarce than money, is a piece of fuch cruelty as your best friends can hardly pardon. I hope you will repent and amend; I could offer many reafons to this purpose, and fuch as you cannot anfwer with any fincerity; but that I dare not enlarge, for fear of ingaging in a ftyle of Compliment, which has been fo abused by fools and knaves, that it is become almoft fcandalous. I conclude therefore with an affurance which fhall never vary, of my being ever, &c.

LETTER II.

Sir WILLIAM TRUMBULL to Mr. POPE..

April 9, 1708.

I Have this moment received the favour of yours of the 8th inftant; and will make you a true excuse (tho' perhaps, no very good one) that I deferred the troubling you with a letter,.

when I fent back your papers, in hopes of feeing you at Binfield before this time. If I had met with any fault in your performance, I fhould freely now (as I have done too pre fumptuously in converfation with you) tell you my opinion; which I have frequently ventured to give you, rather in compliance with your defires than that I could think it reasonable.

For I am not yet fatisfied upon what grounds I can pretend to judge of poetry, who never have been practifed in the art. There may poffibly be fome happy genius's, who may judge of fome of the natural beauties of a poem, as a man may of the proportions of a building, without having read Vitruvius, or knowing any thing of the rules of architecture: but this, tho' it may fometimes be in the right, must be subject to many mistakes, and is certainly but a fuperficial knowledge; without entring into the art, the methods, and the particular excellencies of the whole compofure, in all the parts of it.

Befides my want of fkill, I have another reason why I ought to fufpect myself, by rea fon of the great affection I have for you; which might give too much bias to be kind to every thing that comes from you. But after all, I must say (and I do it with an old-fashioned fincerity) that I entirely approve of your tranfla

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translation of those pieces of Homer, both as to the verfification and the true sense that shines thro' the whole: Nay I am confirmed in my former application to you, and give me leave to renew it upon this occafion, that you would proceed in tranflating that incomparable Poet, to make him speak good English, to dress his admirable characters in your proper, fignificant, and expreffive conceptions, and to make his works as ufeful and inftructive to this degenerate age, as he was to our friend Horace, when he read him at Prænefte: Qui, quid fit pulchrum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non, &c. I break off with that quid non? with which I confefs I am charm'd.

Upon the whole matter I intreat you to send this presently to be added to the Miscellanies, and, I hope, it will come time enough for that purpofe.

I have nothing to fay of my Nephew B.'s obfervations, for he fent them to me fo late, that I had not time to confider them; I dare say he endeavour'd very faithfully (though, he told me, very haftily) to execute your commands.

All I can add is, that if your excess of modesty should hinder you from publishing this Effay, I fhall only be forry that I have no more credit with you, to perfwade you to oblige

the

the public, and very particularly, dear Sir, Your, &c.

LETTER

III.

Sir WILLIAM TRUMBULL to Mr. POPE.

I

March 6, 1713.

Think a hafty fcribble shows more what flows from the heart, than a letter after Balzac's manner in studied phrases; therefore I will tell you as fast as I can, that I have received your favour of the 26th past, with your kind prefent of The Rape of the Lock. You have given me the trueft fatisfaction imaginable not only in making good the just opinion I have ever had of your reach of thought, and my Idea of your comprehenfive genius; but likewife in that pleasure I take as an Englishman to see the French, even Boileau himself in his Lutrin, out-done in your poem: for you defscend, leviore plectro, to all the nicer touches, that your own obfervation and wit furnish, on such a subject as requires the finest strokes and the livelieft imagination. But I must say no more (tho' I could a great deal) on what pleases me fo much and henceforth, I hope, you will never condemn me of partiality, fince I only swim P 3 with

with the stream, and approve of what all men of good taste (notwithstanding the jarring of Parties) muft and do univerfally applaud. I now come to what is of vast moment, I mean the prefervation of your health, and beg of you earnestly to get out of all Tavern-company, and fly away tanquam ex incendio. What a mifery is it for you to be destroy'd by the foolifh kindness ('tis all one whether real or pretended) of those who are able to bear the poison of bad wine, and to engage you in fo unequal a combat? As to Homer, by all I can learn, your business is done; therefore come away and take a little time to breathe in the country. I beg now for my own fake, but much more for methinks Mr. yours; faid to you more than once,

----

has

Heu fuge, nate dea, teque his, ait, eripe flammis!

I am

Your, &c.

LETTER IV.

To Sir WILLIAM TRUMBULL.

TH

March 12, 1713.

Hough any thing you write is fure to be a pleasure to me, yet I muft own your last letter made me uneafy; you really use à

style