am older by thirty years, Lord Bolingbroke by twenty, and you but by ten, than when we last were together; and we fhould differ more than ever, you coquetting a maid of honour, my Lord looking on to fee how the gamefters play, and I railing at you both. I defire you and all my friends will take a special care that my Difaffection to the world may not be imputed to my Age, for I have credible witneffes ready to depose, that it hath never varied from the twenty-first to the f--ty-eighth year of my life (pray fill that blank charitably.) I tell you after all, that I do not hate mankind, it is vous autres who hate them, because you would have them reasonable Animals, and are angry at being disappointed: I have always rejected that definition, and made another of my own. I am no more angry with-than I was with the Kite that last week flew away with one of my chickens; and yet I was pleased when one of my fervants fhot him two days after. This I fay, because you are so hardy as to tell me of your intentions to write Maxims in oppofition to Rochefoucault, who is my favourite, because I found my whole character in him; however I will read him again, because it is poffible may have fince undergone fome alterations.

I

This, methinks, is no great compliment to his own heart.

Take

Take care the bad Poets do not out-wit you, as they have served the good ones in every age, whom they have provok'd to transmit their names to pofterity. Mævius is as well known as Virgil, and Gildon will be as well known as you, if his name gets into your Verfes and as to the difference between good and bad fame, 'tis a perfect trifle. I ask a thousand pardons, and fo leave you for this time, and will write again without concerning myself whether you write or no.

I am, &c.

I

LETTER XIV.

Decemb. 10, 1725.

Find myself the better acquainted with

you

for a long Absence, as men are with themfelves for a long Affliction: Abfence does but hold off a Friend, to make one fee him the more truly. I am infinitely more pleas'd to hear you are coming near us, than at any thing you seem to think in my favour; an opinion which has perhaps been aggrandized by the distance or dulnefs of Ireland, as objects look larger thro' a medium of Fogs: and yet I am infinitely pleas'd with that too. I am much the happier for finding (a better thing than our VOL. IX.

F

Wits)

Wits) our Judgments jump, in the notion that all Scriblers fhould be past by in filence. To vindicate one's felf against fuch nafty flander, is much as wife as it was in your country-man, when the people imputed a ftink to him, to prove the contrary by fhewing his backfide. So let Gildon and Philips reft in peace! what Vir

had to do with Mævius, that he should wear him upon his fleeve to all eternity, I don't know. I've been the longer upon this, that I may prepare you for the reception both you and your works may poffibly meet in England. We your true acquaintance will look upon you as a good man, and love you; others will look upon you as a Wit, and hate you. So you know the worft; unless you are as vindicative as Virgil, or the aforefaid Hibernian.

I wish as warmly as you for an Hofpital in which to lodge the Defpifers of the world; only I fear it would be fill'd wholly like Chelfea, with maimed Soldiers, and fuch as had been difabled in its fervice. I would rather have thofe, that, out of fuch generous principles as you and I, defpife it, fly in its face, than retire from it. Not that I have much anger against the Great, my fpleen is at the little rogues of it; it would vex one more to be knock'd on the head with a Pifs-pot, than by a Thunder-bolt. As to greater Oppreffors, they

are

are like Kites or Eagles, one expects mischief from them; but to be squirted to death (as poor Wycherley faid to me on his death-bed) by Apothecaries Apprentices, by the understrappers of under-fecretaries to fecretaries who were no fecretaries—this wou'd provoke as dull a dog as Phs himself.

Mr.

So much for enemies, now for friends. L- thinks all this indifcreet: the Dr. not fo; he loves mischief the best of any good-natur'd man in England. Lord B. is above trifling: when he writes of any thing in this world, he is more than mortal; if ever he trifles, it must be when he turns a Divine. Gay is writing Tales for Prince William: I fuppofe Mr. Philips will take this very ill, for two reasons; one that he thinks all childish things belong to him, and the other because he'll take it ill to be taught that one may write things to a child without being childish. What have I more to add? but that Lord Oxford defires earnestly to fee you: and that many others whom you do not think the worft of, will be gratify'd by it: none more, be affured, than Yours, &c.

you

P.S. Pope and you are very great Wits, and I think very indifferent Philofophers: If despised the world as much as you pretend, and perhaps believe, you would not be so angry with

F 2

with it. The founder of your fect, that noble

Original whom you think it so great an honour to resemble a, was a flave to the worst part of the world, to the Court; and all his big words. were the language of a flighted Lover, who defired nothing fo much as a reconciliation, and feared nothing fo much as a rupture. I believe the world hath used me as fcurvily as most people, and yet I could never find in my heart to be thoroughly angry with the fimple, false, capricious thing. I should blush alike to be difcovered fond of the world, or piqued at it. Your definition of Animal rationis capax, instead of the common one Animal Rationale, will not bear examination: define but Reason, and you will fee why your diftinction is no better than that of the Pontif Cotta; between mala ratio, and bona ratio. But enough of this: make us a vifit, and I'll fubfcribe to any fide of these important questions which you pleafe. We differ lefs than you imagine, perhaps, when you wifh'd me banish'd again: but I am not less true to you and to Philosophy in England, than I was in France.

a Seneca.

Yours, &c. B.

LET