ver can be, or in what country, I know no more, than into what country we fhall walk out of the grave. But it fuffices me to know, it will be exactly what region or state our Maker appoints, and that whatever is, is right. Our poor friend's papers are partly in my hands; and for as much as is fo, i will take care to fupprefs things unworthy of him. As to the epitaph, I am forry you gave a copy; for it will certainly by that means come into print; and I would correct it more, unless you will do it for me, and that I shall like as well. Upon the whole, I earnestly wish your coming over hither; for this reafon, among many others, that your influence may be joined with mine, to fupprefs whatever we may judge proper of his papers. To be plunged in my neighbour's and my papers, will be your inevitable fate as foon as you come. That I am an author whose character is thought of fome weight, appears from the great noife and buftle that the court and town make about any I give and I will not render them lefs important, or lefs interefting, by fparing vice and folly, or by betraying the caufe of truth and virtue. I will take care they fhall be fuch as no man can be angry at, but the perfons I would have angry. You are fsenfible with what decency and juftice I paid homage to the royal family, at the fame time that I fatirized falfe courtiers, and spies, &c. about them. I have not the courage, however, to be fuch a fatirist as you; but I would be as much, or more, a philofopher. You call your fatires libels; I would rather call my fatires epiftles. They will confift more of morality than of wit, and grow graver, which you will call duller. I fhall leave it to my antagonists to be witty, if they can, and content myself to be ufeful and in the right. Tell me your opinion as to Lady 's or Lord **'s performance. They are certainly the top wits of the court; and you may judge by that fingle piece what can be done a

gainst

gainst me; for it was laboured, corrected, precommended, and post-difapproved, fo far as to be difowned by themfelves, after each had highly cried it up, for the others *. I have met with fome complaints, and heard at a distance of fome threats, occafioned by my verses. I fent fair meffages to acquaint them where I was to be found in town, and to offer to call at their houses to fatisfy them; and fo it dropped. It is very poor in any one to rail and threaten at a diftance, and have nothing to fay to you when they fee you. I am glad you perfift and abide by fo good a thing as that poem†, in which I am immortal for my morality. I never took any praise fo kindly; and yet, I think, I deferve that praise better than I do any other. When does your collection come out, and what will it confift of? I have but last week finished another of my epiftles, in the order of the fyftem; and this week (exercitandi gratia) I have tranflated (or rather parodied) another of Horace's, in which I introduce you advifing me about my expences, houfekeeping, &c. But these things fhall lie by, till you come to carp at them, and alter rhymes, and grammar, and triplets, and cacophonies of all kinds. Our parliament will fit till midfummer; which, I hope, may be a motive to bring you rather in fummer that fo late as autumn. You used to love what I hate, a hurry of politics, &c. Courts I fee not, courtiers I know not, kings I adore not, queens I compliment not; fo I am never like to be in fashion, nor in dependence. I heartily join with you in pitying our poor lady for her unhappiness; and fhould only pity her more, if she had niore of what they at court call happiness. Come then, and we may go all together into France, at the end of the season, and compare the liberties of both king

See Pope's epiftle written on this occafion, at the end of the 2d volume of his letters, the 8th volume in Warburton's edition. The ironical libel on Dr. Delany, vol. 8. p. 125.

doms

doms. Adieu. Believe me, dear Sir, (with a thousand warm wishes, mixed with short fighs,) ever

yours.

XX

I Answer

you,

LETTER LXVII.

To Mr. POPE.

Dublin, May 1. 1733.

Answer your letter the fooner, becaufe I have a particular reafon for doing fo. Some weeks ago came over a poem called, "The life and character "of Dr. S. written by himfelf." It was reprinted here, and is dedicated to you. It is grounded upon a maxim in Rochefoucault; and the dedication, -after a formal story, fays, that my manner of writing is to be found in every line. I believe I have told that I writ a year or two ago near five hundred lines upon the fame maxim in Rouchefoucault, and was a long time about it, as that impoftor fays in his dedication, with many circumftances, all pure invention. I defire you to believe, and to tell my friends, that in this fpurious piece there is not a fingle line, or bit of a line, or thought, any way refembling the genuine copy, any more than it does Virgil's neis; for I never gave a copy of mine, nor lent it out of my fight. And altho' I fhewed it to all common acquaintance indifferently, and fome of them (efpecially one or two females) had got many lines by heart here and there, and repeated them often; yet it happens, that not one fingle line, or thought, is contained in this imposture, although it appears, that they who counterfeited me had heard of the true one. But even this trick fhall ot provoke me to print the true one; which in

deed is not proper to he feen, till I can be feen no more. I therefore defire you will undeceive my friends; and I will order an advertisement to be printed here, and tranfmit it to England, that every body may know the delufion, and acquit me; as, I am fure, you must have done yourfe.f, if you have read any part of it; which is mean and trivial, and full of that cant that I most defpife. I would fink to be a vicar in Norfolk, rather than be charged with fuch a performance *. Now I come to your letter.

When I was of your age, I thought every day of death, but now every minute; and a continual giddy disorder, more or lefs, is a greater addition than that of my years. I cannot affirm, that I pity our friend Gay, but I pity his friends, I pity you, and would at leaft equally pity myself, if I lived amongst you; because I should have seen him oftener than you did, who are a kind of hermit, how great a noife foever you make by your ill nature, in not letting the honest villains of the times enjoy themselves in this world, which is their only happinefs, and terrifying them with another. I should have added in my libel, that, of all men living, you, are the most happy in your enemies and your friends. And I will fwear you have fifty times more charity for mankind than I could ever pretend to. Whether the production you mention came from the Lady or the Lord, I did not imagine that they were at leaft fo bad verfifiers. Therefore facit indignati, verfus, is only to be applied when the indignation is against general villainy, and never operates when fome fort of people write to defend themselves. I love to hear them reproach you for dulnefs; only I would be fatisfied, fince you are fo dull, why are they fo angry? Give me a fhilling, and I will infure you, that pofterity fhall

never know you had one fingle enemy, excepting those whofe memory you have preferved.

I am forry for the fituation of Mr. Gay's papers. You do not exert yourself as much as i could with in this affair. I had rather the two fifters were hanged, than see his works fwelled by any lofs of credit to his memory. I would be glad to fee the moft valuable printed by themselves; those which ought not to be feen, burned immediately; and the others that have gone abroad, printed fparately like opufcula, or rather be ftifled and forgotten. I thought your epitaph was immediately to be ingraved; and therefore I made lefs fcruple to give a copy to Lord Orrery, who earnestly defired it, but to no body elfe; and he tells me, he gave only two, which he will recal. I have a fhort epigram of his upon it; wherein I would correct a line or two at most, and then I will send it to you (with his permiffion). I have nothing against yours, but the laft line, Striking their aching; the two participles, as they are fo near, feem to found too like. I fhall write to the Duchefs, who hath lately honoured me with a very friendly letter, and I will tell her my opinion freely about our friend's papers. I want health, and my affairs are enlarged: but I will break through the latter, if the other mends. I can use a couife of medicines, lame and giddy, My chief defign, next to feeing you, is to be a fevere critic on you and your neighbour; but first kill his father, that he may be able to maintain me in my own way of living, and particularly. my horfes. It coft me near бco 1. for a wall to keep mine; and I never ride without two fervants, for fear of accidents, Hic vivimus ambitiifa paupertate. You are both too poor for my acquaintance, but he much the poorWith you I will find grafs, and wine, and fervants; but with him not.. -The collection you fpeak of is this. A printer came to me, to defire he might print my works (as he called them) in four

er.

volumes,