Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

brance of me. I do here confefs, that I have more obligations to your Lordship than to all the world befides. You never deceived me, even when you were a great Minister of State: and yet I love you ftill more, for your condescending to write to me, when you had the honour to be an Exile. I can hardly hope to live till you publish your History, and am vain enough to wish that my name could be squeez'd in among the few Subalterns, quorum pars parva fui: If not, I will be revenged, and contrive some way to be known to futurity, that I had the honour to have your Lordship for my best Patron; and I will live and die, with the highest veneration and gratitude, your most obedient, &c.

P. S. I will here in a Postscript correct (if it be poffible) the blunders I have made in my letter. I fhewed my coufin the above letter, and the affures me, that a great Collection of

[blocks in formation]

and in fome very fafe hand b. I am, my most dear and honoured Friend, entirely yours,

SIR,

J. SWIFT.

It is now Aug. 24,
1738.

The Earl of ORRERY to Mr. POPE.

I am more and more convinced that your letters are

66

66

66

She had flopp'd the Dean's "letter which gave you that neither loft nor burnt; but" information; but believed who the Dean means by a fafe" he would write fuch anhand in Ireland, is beyond my "other; and therefore depower of gueling, tho' I am fir'd me to affure you, from particularly acquainted with "her, that she was totally igmost, if not all, of his friends. norant where they were." As I knew you had the recovery You may make what use you of thofe Letters at heart, I pleafe, either to the Dean or took more than ordinary pains, any other perfon, of what I to find out where they were; have told you. I am ready to but my enquiries were to no teftify it, and I think it ought purpose, and, I fear, whoever to be known, "That the has them is too tenacious of "Dean fays they are delithem to discover where they" ver'd into a fafe hand, "Mrs. W- did affure" and Mrs. W-declares me fhe had not one of them," She has them not. The Con"and feem'd to be under great" fequence of their being hereuneafinefs that you should after published may give "imagine they were left with" uneafinefs to fome of your "her. She likewife told me "Friends, and of course to

lie.

66

66

66

This Lady fince gave Mr. Pope the ftrongest Affurances that he had ufed her utmoft Endeavours to prevent the Publication; nay, went fo far as to fe crete the Book, till it was commanded from her, and delivered to the Dublin Printer: Whereupon her Son-in-law, D. Swift, Efq; infifted upon writing a Preface, to justify Mr. P. from having any Knowledge of it, and to lay it upon the corrupt Practices of the Printers in London; but this he would not agree to, as not knowing the Truth of the Fact.

P.

you:

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

you: fo I would do all in my power to make you entirely eafy in that point.' This is the first time I have put pen to paper fince my late misfortune, and I should fay (as an excufe for this letter)

that it has coft me fome pain, did it not allow me an opportunity to affure you, that I am,

Dear Sir,

With the truest esteem,

Your very faithful and obedient Servant,

Marston, Oct. 4, 1738.

[blocks in formation]

то

RALPH ALLEN, Efq;

I

LETTER LXXXIX.

Mr. POPE to Mr. ALLEN.

Twitnam, April 30, 1736.

SAW Mr. M. yesterday who has readily allowed Mr. V. to copy the Picture. I have enquired for the best Originals of those two subjects, which, I found, were favourite ones with you, and well deserve to be so, the discovery of Jofeph to his Brethren, and the Refignation of the Captive by Scipio. Of the latter, my Lord Burlington has a fine one done by Ricci, and I am promised the other in a good Print from one of the chief Italian Painters. That of Scipio is of the exact fize one would wish for a Baffo Relievo, in which manner, in my opinion, you would beft ornament your Hall, done in Chiaro obfcuro.

A man not only fhews his Tafte, but his Virtue, in the choice of fuch ornaments: And

what

whatever example most strikes us, we may reafonably imagine, may have an influence upon others. So that the History itself, if well chofen, upon a rich man's walls, is very often a better leffon than any he could teach by his converfation. In this fenfe, the Stones may be faid to speak when Men cannot, or will not. I can't help thinking (and I know you'll join with me, you who have been making an Altar-piece) that the zeal of the first Reformers was ill-placed, in removing pictures (that is to say, examples) out of Churches; and yet fuffering Epitaphs (that is to fay, flatteries and false history) to be the burthen of Church walls, and the fhame, as well as derifion, of all honeft men.

I have heard little yet of the subscription a. I intend to make a vifit for a fortnight from home to Lady Peterborow at Southampton, about the middle of May. After my return I will enquire what has been done; and I really believe, what I told you will prove true, and I shall be honourably acquitted of a task I am not fond of b. I have run out my leaf, and will only add my fincere wishes for your happiness of all kinds.

I am, &c.

For his own Edit. of the 1ft Vol. of his letters; undertaken at Mr. Allen's request.

The printing his letters by fubfcription.

[blocks in formation]
« VorigeDoorgaan »