large like a libertine, now seems confin'd to you: and I should take him for your mistress too by your fimile of the fun and earth: 'Tis very fine, but inverted by the application; for the gaiety of your fancy and the drooping of his by the withdrawing of your luftre, perfuades me it would be juster by the reverse. Oh happy favourite of the Mufes! how pernoctare, all night long with them? but alas! you do but toy, but fkirmish with them, and decline a close engagement. Leave Elegy and tranflation to the inferior class, on whom the Mufes only glance now and then, like our winter-fun, and then leave them in the dark. Think on the dignity of Tragedy, which is of the greater poetry, as Dennis fays, and foil him at his other weapon, as you have done in Criticism. Every one wonders that a genius like yours will not fupport the finking Drama; and Mr. Wilks (tho', I think, his talent is Comedy) has exprefs'd a furious ambition to fwell in your bufkins. We have had a poor Comedy of Johnson's (not Ben) which held seven nights, and has got him three hundred pounds, for the town is fharp-fet on new plays. In vain would I fire you by interest or ambition, when your mind is not fufceptible of either; tho' your authority (arifing from the general esteem, like that of Pompey) must infallibly affure you of fuccefs; for which in

all your wishes you will be attended with

those of

Your, &c.

LETTER XXXI.

Dec. 21, 1711..

I

F I have not writ to you so foon as I ought,

let my writing now atone for the delay; as it will infallibly do, when you know what a facrifice I make you at this time, and that every moment my eyes are employed upon this paper, they are taken off from two of the finest faces in the universe. But indeed 'tis fome confolation to me to reflect, that while I but write this period, I escape fome hundred fatal darts from those unerring eyes, and about a thoufand deaths or better. Now you, that delight in dying, would not once have dreamt of an abfent friend in these circumftances; you that are so nice an admirer of beauty, or (as a Critic would fay after Terence) fo elegant a spectator of forms; you must have a fober difh of coffee, and a folitary candle at your fide, to write an epiftle lucubratory to your friend, whereas I can do it as well with two pair of radiant lights, that outshine the golden god of day and silver goddess of night, and all the refulgent eyes of

the

the firmament.You fancy now that Sappho's eyes are two of these my tapers, but it is no fuch matter; thefe are eyes that have more perfuafion in one glance than all Sappho's oratory and gefture together, let her put her body into what moving postures the pleases. Indeed, indeed, my friend, you never could have found fo improper a time to tempt me with interest or ambition let me but have the reputation of these in my keeping, and as for my own, let the devil, or let Dennis, take it for ever. How gladly would I give all I am worth, that is to fay, my Paftorals, for one of them, and my Effay for the other; I would lay out all my Poetry in Love; an Original for a Lady, and a Translation for a Waiting-maid! Alas! what have I to do with Jane Gray, as long as Mifs Molly, Mifs Betty, or Mifs Patty are in this world? Shall I write of beauties murdered long ago, when there are thofe at this inftant that murder me? I'll e'en compofe my own Tragedy, and the Poet fhall appear in his own perfon, to move compaffion: "Twill be far more effectual than Bays's entering with a rope about his neck, and the world will own, there never was a more miferable object brought upon the ftage.

Now you that are a critic, pray inform me, in what manner I may connect the foregoing

Li

Ꮮ 4

part

part of this letter with that which is to follow, according to the rules? I would willingly return Mr. Gay my thanks for the favour of his poem, and in particular for his kind mention of me; I hoped, when I heard a new Comedy had met with fuccefs upon the stage, that it had been his, to which I really with no lefs; and (had it been any way in my power) fhould have been very glad to have contributed to its introduction into the world. His verfes to Lintot a have put a whim into my head, which you are like to be troubled with in the oppofite page: take it as you find it, the production of half an hour t'other morning. I defign very foon to put a task of a more ferious nature upon you, in reviewing a piece of mine that may better deserve criticism; and by that time you have done with it, I hope to tell you in perfon with how much fidelity I am

Your, &c.

a These verses are printed in Dr. Swift's, and our Author's Mifcellanies.

LET

LETTERS

то

SEVERAL LADIES.

LETTER I.

I

MADAM,

March 1, 1705.

Send the book of rudiments of Drawyou

ing, which you were pleas'd to command, and think myself obliged to inform you at the fame time of one of the many excellencies you poffefs without knowing of them. You are but too good a Painter already; and no picture of Raphael's was ever fo beautiful, as that which you have form'd in a certain heart of my acquaintance. Indeed it was but just that the fineft lines in nature should be drawn upon the