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can) and content myself to be useful, 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 me; for it was labour'd, corrected, præcommended and poft-disapproved, so far as to be dif-own'd by themselves, after each had highly cry'd it up for the others a. I have met with some complaints, and heard at a distance of fome threats, occafion'd 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 dropp'd. It is very poor in any one to rail and threaten at a distance, and have nothing to say to you when they see you.-I am glad you perfift and abide by fo good a thing as that Poem b, in which I am immortal for my Morality: I never took any praise so kindly, and yet, I think, I deserve 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

See the Epiftle written b The iornical libel on on this occafion at the end of Dr. Delany. the fecond Vol. of Letters.

have

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have tranflated (or rather parody'd) another of Horace's, in which I introduce you advising me about my expences, housekeeping, &c. But these things fhall lie by, till you come to carp at e'm, 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 than fo late as autumn: you us'd 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 fafhion, nor in dependance. I heartily join with you in pitying our poor lady for her unhappiness, and should only pity her more, if she had more of what they at court call happiness. Come then, and perhaps we may go all together into France at the end of the season, and compare the liberties of both kingdoms. Adieu. Believe me, dear Sir (with a thousand warm wishes, mix'd with fhort fighs) ever yours.

LET

LETTER LXVI.

To Mr. POPE.

Dublin, May 1, 1733.

Answer your Letter the fooner because I have

IAD

a particular reafon for doing fo. Some weeks ago came over a poem call'd, The Life and Character of Dr. S. written by himself. It was reprinted here, and is dedicated to you. It is grounded upon a Maxim in Rochefoucault, and the dedication, after a formal ftory, fays, that my manner of writing is to be found in every line. I believe I have told you, that I writ a year or two ago near five hundred lines upon the fame Maxim in Rochefoucault, and was a long time about it, as that Impoftor fays in his Dedication, with many circumstances, 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 resembling the genuine Copy, any more than it does Virgil's Æneis; for I never gave a Copy of mine, nor lent it out of fight. And although I fhew'd it to all common acquaintance indifferently, and fome of them (especially one or two females) had got many lines by heart, here and there, and repeated

my

them

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 shall not provoke me to print the true one, which indeed is not proper to be feen, till I can be seen no more: I therefore defire you will undeceive my friends, and I will order an Advertisement to be printed here, and transmit it to England, that every body may know the delufion, and acquit me, as I am fure you muft have done yourself, if you have read any part of it, which is mean, and trivial, and full of that Cant that I most despise: 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 less 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 least equally pity myself, if I liv'd amongst you; because I fhould have seen him oftner than you did, who are a kind of Hermit, how great a noise soever you make by your Ill-nature in not letting the honeft Villains of the times enjoy themselves in this world, which is their only happiness; and

ter

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 least so bad versifyers. Therefore, facit indignatio verfus, is only to be apply'd 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 fatisfy'd, fince you are so dull, why are they fo angry? Give me a fhilling, and I will ensure you, that pofterity shall never know you had one fingle enemy, excepting those whofe memory you have preferv'd.

I am forry for the fituation of Mr. Gay's papers. You do not exert yourself as much as I could wish in this affair. I had rather the two fifters were hang'd than fee his works fwell'd by any lofs of credit to his memory. I would be glad to see the most valuable printed by themselves, those which ought not to be seen burn'd immediately, and the others that have gone abroad printed separately like opufcula, or rather be ftifled and forgotten. I thought your Epitaph was immediately to be engrav'd, and VOL. IX. therefore

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