תמונות בעמוד
PDF
ePub

manner as is inoft agreeable to me. I cannor fay I dỡ fo now, for I am here without any books, and if I had them could not use them to my fatisfaction, while my mind is taken up to a more melancholy 25 manner; and how long, or how little a while it may be fo taken up God only knows, and to his will I implicitly refign myself in every thing.

I am, &c.

I

LETTER XV.

MY LORD,

March 19, 1721 - 2.

An extremely fenfible of the repeared favour of your kind letters, and your thoughts of me in ab, fence, even among thoughts of much nearer concern to yourself on the one hand, and of much more inportance to the world on the other, which cannot but engage you at this juncture. I am very certain of your good will, and of the warmth which is in you infeparable from it.

[ocr errors]

Your remembrance of Twitenham is a fresh instance of that partiality. I hope the advance of the fine feafon will fet you upon your legs, enough to enable you to get into my garden, where I will carry you up a Mount, in a point of view to fhew you the glory of my little kingdom. If you approve it, I fhall be in danger to boast, like Nebuchadnezzar, of the things I have made, and to be tuin'd to converse, not with the beasts of the field, but with the birds of the gro

[ocr errors][merged small]
[ocr errors]

ve, which I shall take to be no great punishment, For indeed I heartily defpife the ways of the world, and most of the great ones of it.az

[ocr errors]

Ok! keep me innocent, make others great! n And you may judge how comfortably I'am ftrengthen'd in this opinión, when fuch as your Lordfhip bear teftimony to its vanity and emptinefs. Tinnit, inane eft, with the picture of one ringing on the globe with his finger, is the best thing I have the luck to remember in that great Poet Quarles (not that I forget the Devil at bowls; which I know-to to be your Lordship's favou

rite cut, as well as favourite diverfion.)

The fituation here is pleafant, and the view rural enough, to humour the most retired, and agree with the inoft contemplative. Good air, folitary groves, and fparing diet, fufficient to make you fancy yourself (what you are in temperance, tho' elevated into a grea ter figure by your station) one of the Fathers of the Defart. Here you may think (toufe an author's words, whom you fo juftly prefer to all his followers that you'll receive them kindly, tho' taken from his worst work 26

[ocr errors]

That in Eliah's banquet you partake,

Or fit a guest with Daniel, at his Pulfe.

[ocr errors]

I am fincerely free with you, as you defire I fhould, and appróvel of your not having your coach here, for if you would fee: Lord Cor any body elfe, I have another chariots besides that little one you laugh'd at it and,obbit sik

25 The Paradife Regain'd. I fuppofe this was in compliment to the Bishop. It could never be his own opinion.

when you compar'd me to Homer in a nut-fheil. Bur if you would be entirely private, no body shall know any thing of the matter. Believe me (my Lord) no aman is with more perfect acquiefcence, nay with more willing acquiefcence (not even any of your own Sons of the Church)

[merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors]

Your obedient, &c.,
152, 4

[ocr errors]

LETTER XVI.com

From the Bifhop of ROCHESTER.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

1

April 6,1722.

NDER all the leifure in the world, I have no leifure, no ftomach to write to you: The gra dual approaches of death are before my eyes; I am convinced that it must be fo: and yet make a shift to flatter myself fometimes with the thought, that it may poffibly be otherwife. And that very thought, tho' it is directly contrary to my reafon, does for a few moments make me eafy however not eafy enough hing but the melanin good earnest to think of any thing choly object that employs them. Therefore wonder not that I do not answer your kind letter: · I, Chall answer it too foon, I fear, by accepting your friendly invitation. When I do fo, no conveniencies will be wanting a for I'll see no body but you and your mother, and the fervants. Vifits to ftatefmen always were to me (and are now more than ever) infipid things: les the men that expect, that wifh to thrive by them, pay them that homage; I am free. When I want them,

[ocr errors]

they shall hear of me at their doors: and when they want me, I fhall be fure to hear of them, at mine. But probably they will defpife me fo much, and I fhall court them fo little, that we fhall both of us keep our distance.

[ocr errors]

When I come to you, 'tis in order to be with you only; a prefident of the council, or a ftar and garter will make no more impression upon my mind, at fuch a time, than the hearing of a bag pipe, or the fight of a puppet- fhew. I have faid to Greatnefs fometime ago Tuas tibi res habeto, Egomet curabo meas. The, time is not far off when we'fhall all be upon the level: and I am refolv'd, for my part, to anticipate that time, and be upon the level with them now: for he is fo, that neither feeks nor wants wants thein. Let them have more virtue and lefs pride: and then I'll court them' as much as any body: but till they refolve to diftinguifh themselves fome way elfe than by their outward trappings, I am determined (and, I think, I have a right) to be as proud as they are: tho' I trust in God, my pride is neither of so odious a nature as theirs, not of fo mischievous a confequence.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

ཙཝཱ ཙཉྩ སཝཱ།

I know not how I have fallen into this train of thinking when I fat down to write lintended only to excufe myself for not writing, and to tell you

that

the time drew nearer and nearer, when I must diflodge; I am preparing for it: For I am at this moment building a vault in the Abby for me and mine. 'Twas to be in the Abby, because of my relation to the place; but 'tis at the weft door of it: as far from Kings and Cæfars as the space would adinit of 116 m

I know not but I may ftep to town tomorrow, to fee how the work goes forward; but, if I do, I fhall return hither in the evening. I would not have given you the trouble of this letter but that they tell ine ic will cost you nothing, and that our privilege of Franking (one of the most valuable we have left) is again allow'd us.

[merged small][ocr errors]

IB

[merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

Had much ado to get hither last night, the water being fo rough that the ferry men were unwilling to venture. The first thing I faw this morning after my eyes were open, was your letters for the freedom and kindness of which I thank you. Let all compliments be laid afide between us for the future; and depend upon me as your faithful friend in all things within my power, as one that truly values you, and wishes you all manner of happiness. I thank you and Mrs. Pope for my kind reception which has left a pleafing impreflion upon me that i will not foon be effaced.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Lord has prefs'd me terribly to fee him at and told me in a manner betwixt kindness and resentment, that it is but a few miles beyond Twitenhams o

I have but a little time left, and a great deal to do in it; and must expect that ill health will render a

« הקודםהמשך »