gligently, that is, more openly, and what all but fuch as love one another will call writing worse. I fmile to think how Curl would be bit, were our Epiftles to fall into his hands, and how gloriously they would fall short of ev'ry ingenious reader's expectations?

You can't imagine what a vanity it is to me, to have fomething to rebuke you for in the way of Oeconomy. I love the man that builds a houfe fubito ingenio, and makes a wall for a horfe: then cries, "We wife men must think of nothing but getting "ready money." I am glad you approve my annuity; all we have in this world is no more than an annuity, as to our own enjoyment: but I will encrease your regard for my wifdom, and tell you, that this annuity includes also the life of another 6), whose concern ought to be as near me as my own, and with whom my whole profpects ought to finish. I throw my javelin of Hope no farther, Cur brevi fortes jaculamur ævo &c.

The fecond (as it is called, but indeed the eighth) edition of the Dunciad, with fome additional notes and epigrams, fhall be fent you, if I know any opportunity; if they reprint it with you, let them by all means follow that o&tavo edition. The Drapier's letters are again printed here, very laudably as to paper, print, &c. for you know I difapprove Irish politics, (as my Commentator tells you) being a ftrong and jealous fubject of England. The Lady you mention, you ought not to complain of for not acknowledging your prefent; fhe having lately receiv'd a much richer prefent from Mr. Knight of the S. Sea; and you are fenfible fhe cannot ever return it

6) His Mother's,

to one in the condition of an outlaw. It's certain, as he can never expect any favour 7), his motive must be wholly dif- interested. Will not this Reflection make you blush? Your continual deplorings of Ireland, make me wifh you were here long enough to forget thofe fcenes that fo afflict you: I am only in fear if you were, you would grow fuch a patriot here too, as not to be quite at ease, for your love of old England. It is very poffible, your journey, in the time I compute, might exactly tally with my intended one to you; and if you must foon again go back, you would not be un-attended. For the poor woman decays perceptibly every week; and the winter may too probably put an end to a very long, and a very irreproachable life. My conftant attendance on her does indeed affect my mind very much, and leffen extremely my defires of long life; fince I fee the best that can come of it is a miferable benediction. I look upon myself to be many years older in two years fince you faw me: The natural imbecillity of my body, join'd now to this acquir'd old age of the mind, makes me at least as old as you, and we are the fitter to crawl down the hill together: I only defire I may be able to keep pace with you. My first friendship at fixteen, was contracted with a man of feventy, and I found him not grave enough or confiftent enough for me, tho, we lived well to his. death. I speak of old Mr. Wycherly; fome letters of whom (by the by) and of mine, the Bookfellers have got and printed, not without the concurrence of a noble friend of mine and yours 8). I don't much approve of it; tho' there is nothing for me to be

7) He was mistaken in this. Mr. Knight was pardoned, and came home in the year 1742.

8) See the occafion, in the second and third Paragraphs of the Preface to the firft Volume of Letters.

P.

1

afham'd of, because I will not be asham'd of any thing I do not do myself, or of any thing that is not immoral but merely dull (as for instance, if they printed this letter I am now writing, which they eafily may, if the underlings at the Post-office please to take a copy of it.) I admire on this confideration, your fending your last to me quite open, without a feal, wafer, or any closure whatever, manifesting the utter opennefs of the writer. I would do the fame by this, but fear it would look like affectation to fend two letters fo together. I will fully represent to our friend (and, I doubt not, it will touch his heart) what you fo feelingly fet forth as to the badness of your Burgundy, &c. He is an extreme honest man, and indeed ought to be fo, confidering how very indiscreet and unreferved he is: But I do not approve this part of his character, and will never join with him in any of his idleneffes in the way of wit. You know my maxim to keep as clear of all offence, as I am clear of all interest in either party. I was once difpleas'd before at you, for complaining to Mr,* of my not having a penfion, and am fo again at your naming it to a certain Lord. I have given proof in the course of my whole life, (from the time when I was in the friendship of Lord Bolingbroke and Mr. Craggs, even to this when I am civilly treated by Sir R. Walpole) that I never thought myself so warm in any Party's cause as to deserve their money; and therefore would never have accepted it: But give me leave to tell you, that of all mankind the two perfons I would least have accepted any favour from, are thofe very two, to whom you have unluckily spoken of it. I defire you to take off any impreffions which that dialogue may have left on his Lordship's mind, as if I ever had any thought of being beholden to him, or any other, in that way. And yet, you

know I am no enemy to the present Constitution; I believe, as fincere a well-wisher to it, nay, even to the church establish'd, as any Minifter in, or out of employment whatever; or any Bishop of England or Ireland. Yet am I of the Religion of Erasmus, a Catholic; fo I live, so I shall die; and hope one day to meet you, Bishop Atterbury, the younger Craggs, Dr. Garth, Dean Berkeley, and Mr. Hutchenfon, in that place, To which God of his infinite mercy bring us, and every body!

Lord B's answer to your letter I have just receiv'd, and join it to this pacquet. The work he fpeaks of with fuch abundant partiality, is a system of Ethics in the Horatian way.

LETTER XLV.

April 14, 1730.

THIS is a letter extraordinary, to do and fay

nothing but recommend to you (as a Clergyman, and a charitable one) a pious and a good work, and for a good and an honeft man: Moreover he is above seventy, and poor, which you might think included in the word honeft. I fhall think it a kindnefs done myself; if you can propagate Mr. Westley's fubfcription for his Commentary on Job, among your Divines, (Bishops excepted, of whom there is no hope) and among fuch as are believers, or readers of Scripture. Even the curious may find fomething to please them, if they fcorn to be edified. It has been the labour of eight years of this learned man's life; I call him what he is, a learned man, and I engage you will approve his profe more than you for

merly could his poetry. Lord Bolingbroke is a favourer of it, and allows you to do your best to ferve an old Tory, and a fufferer for the Church of England, tho' you are a Whig, as I am.

We have here fome verfes in your name, which I am angry at. Sure you wou'd not use me fo ill as to flatter me? I therefore think it is fome other weak Irishman.

P. S. I did not take the pen out of Pope's hands, I protest to you. But fince he will not fill the remainder of the page, I think I may without offence. I feek no epiftolary fame, but am a good deal pleased to think that it will be known hereafter that you and I lived in the most friendly intimacy together. Pliny writ his letters for the public, fo did Seneca, fo did Balfac, Voiture, &c. Tully did not, and therefore these give us more pleasure than any which have come down to us from antiquity. When we read them, we pry into a secret which was intended to be kept from us. That is a pleasure. We see Cato, and Brutus, and Pompey, and others, fuch as they really were, and not fuch as the gaping multitude of their own age took them to be, or as Hiftorians and Poets have reprefented them to ours. That is another pleasure. I remember to have seen a proceffion at Aix-la-Chapelle, wherein an image of Charlemagne is carried on the shoulders of a man, who is hid by the long robe of the imperial Saint. Follow him into the veftry, you fee the bearer flip from under the robe, and the gigantic figure dwindles into an image of the ordinary fize, and is fet by among other lumber. I agree much with Pope, that our climate is rather better than that you are in, and perhaps your public spirit would be lefs grieved, or oftner comforted, here than there. Come to us therefore on a visit at least. It will not be the fault