: I beg the Duke's and her Grace's acceptance of my fervices the contentment you exprefs in their company pleases me, tho' it be the bar to my own, in dividing you from us. I am ever very truly SIR LETTER XXIII. to town. 08., 1732. IR Clem. Cottrel tells me you will fhortly come We begin to want comfort in a few friends about us, while the winds whistle, and the waters roar. The fun gives us a parting look, but 'tis but a cold one; we are ready to change thofe diftant favours of a lofty beauty, for a grofs material fire that warms and comforts more. I wish you could be here till your family come to town: you'll live more innocently, and kill fewer harmless creatures, nay none, except by your proper deputy, the butcher. It is fit for confcience fake, that you should come to town, and that the Duchefs fhould stay in the country, where no innocents of another species may fuffer by her. I hope she never goes to church: the Duke should lock you both up, and lefs harm would be done. I advise you to make man your game, hunt and bear about here for coxcombs, and trufs up Rogues in Satire I fancy they'll turn to a good account, if you can produce them fresh, or make them keep and their relations will come, and buy their bodies of you. The death of Wilks leaves Cibber without a collegue, abfolute and perpetual dictator of the stage, tho' 1 indeed while he lived he was but as Bibulus to Cæfar However ambition finds fouething to be gratify'd with in a mere name; or elfe, God have mercy upon poor ainbition! Here is a dead vacation at prefent, no politics ar court, no trade in town, nothing ftirring but poetry. Every man, and every boy, is writing verfes on the Royal Hermitage: I hear the Queen is at a loss which to prefer; but for my own part, I like none so well as Mr. Poyntz's in Latin. You would oblige my Lady Suffolk if you tried your Mufe on this occafion. I am fure I would do as much for the Duchefs of Queensberry, if the defir'd it. Several of your friends affure me it is expected from you: one fhould not bear in mind, all one's life, any little indignity one receives from a Court; and therefore I am in hopes, neither her Grace will hinder you, nor you decline it, The volume of Miscellanies is just publish'd, which concludes all our fooleries of that kind. All your friends remember you, and, I assure you, no one more than LETTER Your, &c. XXIV. I From Mr. GAY to Mr. POPE.. Oct. 7, 1732. Am at laft return'd from my Souerfetfhire expedition, but fince my return I cannot fo much boaft of my health as before I went, for I am frequently out of order with my colical complaints, so as to make me uneafy and difpirited, tho' not to any violent degree. The reception we met with, and the little excurfions we made were every way agreeable, I think the country abounds with beautiful profpects. Sir William Wyndham is at prefent amufing himself with fome real improvements, and a great many vifionary caftles. We were often entertain'd with fea views and fea fish, and were at fome places in the neighbourhood, among which, I was mightily pleafed with Dunfter-Castle near Minehead. It stands upon a great eminence, and hath a prospect of that town, with an extensive view of the Bristol Channel, in which are feen two small Islands call'd the Steep Holms and Flat Holms, and on t'other fide we could plainly distinguish the divis fions of fields on the Welfh coaft. All this journey I perform'd on horfeback, and I am very much difappointed that at prefent I feel myself fo little the better for it. I have indeed followed riding and exercise for three months fucceffively, and really think I was as well without it; so that I begin to fear the illness L have so long and so often complain'd of, is inherent in my constitution, and that I have nothing for it but patience 13. As to your advice about writing Panegyric, 'tis what I have not frequently done. I have indeed done it fometimes against my judgment and inclinations, and¡I heartily repent of it. And at prefent, as I have no defire of reward, and fee no just reason of praise, I think I had better let it alone. There are flatterers 13 Mr. Gay died the November following at the Duke of Queenf berry's houfe in London, aged 46 years. ...P.. KS good enough to be found, and I would not interfere in any Gentleman's profession. I have seen no verfes on thefe fublime occafions; fo that I have no emulation: Let the patrons enjoy the authors, and the authors their patrons, for I know myself unworthy. 1 am, &c. I LETTER XXV. Mr. CLELAND to Mr. GAY 14. Decemb. 16, 1731. Am astonish'd at the complaints occafion'd by a late Epistle to the Earl of Burlington; and I should be afflicted were there the leaft juft ground for them. Had the writer attack'd Vice, at a time when it is nor only tolerated but triumphant, and fo far from being conceal'd as a Defect, that it is proclaimed with oftentation as a Merit; I fhould have been apprehenfive of the confequence: Had he fatirized Gamefters of a hundred thousand pounds fortune, acquir'd by ́ fuch methods as are in daily practice, and almost univerfally encouraged had he overwarmly defended the Religion of his country, against fuch books as come from every prefs, are publickly vended in every fhop, and greedily bought by almost every rank of men; or had he called our excellent weekly writers by the fame names which they openly bestow on the greatest men : 14 This was written by the fame hand that wrote the Zestér to the Publisher, prefixed to the Dunciad. in the Ministry, and out of the Miniftry, for which they are all unpunished, and most rewarded: In any of these cafes, indeed, I might have judged him too prefumptuous, and perhaps have trembled for his rafhness. I could not but hope better for this fmall and modeft Epistle, which attacks no one Vice whatsoever; which deals only in Folly, and not Folly in general, but a single species of it; that only branch, for the oppofite excellency to which, the Noble Lord to whom it is written muft neceffarily be celebrated. I fancied it might escape cenfure, efpecially feeing how tenderly thefe Follies are treated, and really lefs accufed than apologized for. 1 Yet hence the Poor are cloath'd, the Hungry fed, Health to himself, and to his Infants Bread The Lab'rer bears. Is this fuch a crime, tht to impute it to a man muft, be a grievous offence? 'Tis an innocent Folly, and much more beneficent than the want of it; for ill Tate employs more hands, and diffufes expence more than a good one, Is it a moral defect? No, it is but a natural one; a want of taste. It is what the best good man living may be liable to. may live exemplarily in an ill-favour'd house, and the best reputed citizen be pleased with a vile garden. I thought (1 fay) the author had the common liberty to observe a defect, and to compliment a friend for a quality that distinguishes him: which I know not how any quality fhould do, if we were not to remark that it was wanting in others. |