as the owner always that I shall be taking

I write thus early, that you may let me know if your day continues, and will have every room in my house as warm for you would be. It may poffibly be the secret flight I speak of to Battersea, before you come, with Mr. Warburton, whom I have promised to make known to the only great man in Europe, who knows as much as He. And from thence we may return the 16th, or any day, hither, and meet you, without fail, if you fix your day.

I would not make ill health come into the scale, as to keeping me here (tho' in truth, it now bears very hard upon me again, and the leaft accident of cold, or motion almoft, throws me into a very dangerous and fuffering condition.) God fend you long life, aud an easier enjoyment of your breath than [... now can expect, I fear, &c.

LETTERS

O F

Mr. P O PE

то

Mr. WARBURTO N.

LETTER XCVII.

April 11, 1739

Have just received from Mr. R. two more of your Letters*. It is in the greatest hurry imaginable that I write this, but I cannot help thanking you in particular for your Third Letter, which is so extremely clear, fhort, and full, that I think Mr. Crouzaz† ought never to have another answer, and deferved not fo good an one. I can only fay, you do him too much honour, and me too much * Commentaries on the Essay on Man.

† A German profeffor, who wrote remarks upon the philofo phy of that Efay.

5

right, fo odd as the expreffion feems, for you have made my fyftem as clear as I ought to have done and could not. It is indeed the fame fyftem as mine, but illuftrated with a ray of your own, as they say our natural body is the same still when it is glorified. I am fure I like it better than I did before, and fo will every man elfe. I know I meant just what you explain, but I did not explain my own meaning fo well as you. You understand me as well as I do myself, but you exprefs me better than I could exprefs myself. Pray accept the fincerest acknowledgements. I cannot but wish these letters were put together in one book, and intend (with your leave) to procure a tranflation of part, at leaft, or of all of them, into French*; but I fhall not proceed a step without your confent and opinion, &c.

TH

LETTER XCVIII.

May 26, 1739.

HE diffipation in which I am obliged to live through many degrees of civil obligation, which ought not to rob a man of himself who paffes for an independent one, and yet make me every body's fervant more than my own: This, Sir, is the occafion of my filence to you, to whom I really have more obligation than to almost any man. By wri

*They were all translated into that language by a French gentlenian of condition, who is now in an eminent station in his own country.

ting, indeed, I proposed no more than to tell you my sense of it: As to any corrections of your Lets ters I could make none, but what refulted from inverting the Order of them, and thofe expreffions relating to myself which I thought exaggerated. I could not find a word to alter in the last letter, which I return'd immediately to the bookfeller. I must particularly thank you for the mention you have made of me in your Poftfcript to the last Edition of the Legation of Mofes. I am much more pleased with a compliment that links me to a virtuous Man, and by the best similitude, that of a good mind (even a better and stronger tye than the fimilitude of ftudies) than I could be proud of any other whatsoever. May that independency, charity, and competency attend you, which fets a good priest above a bishop, and truly makes his Fortune: that is, his happiness in this life as well as in the other.

LETTER XCIX.

Twitenham, Sept. 20, 1739.

I

Received with great pleasure the paper you fent me; and yet with greater, the profpect you give me of a nearer acquaintance with you when you come to Town. I fhall hope what part of your time you can afford me, amongst the number of those who esteem you, will be paft rather in this place than in London; fince it is here only I live as I

ought, mihi et amicis. I therefore depend on your promise; and fo much as my conftitution fuffers by the winter, I yet affure you fuch an acquifition will make the spring much the more welcome to me, when it is to bring you hither, cam zephyris et hirundine prima.

As foon as Mr. R. can tranfmit to me an entire Copy of your Letters, I wish he had your leave fo to do; that I may put the book into the hands of a French gentleman to tranflate, who, I hope, will not fubject your work to as much ill-grounded criticifm, as my French translator * has fubjected mine. In earnest, I am extremely obliged to you, for thus efpoufing the cause of a stranger whom you judged to be injured; but my part, in this fentiment, is the leaft. The generofity of your conduct deferves esteem, your zeal for truth deferves affection from every candid man: And as such, were I wholly out of the cafe, I fhould efteem and love you for it. I will not therefore use you so ill as to write in the general ftyle of compliment; it is below the dignity of the occafion and I can only fay (which I fay with fincerity and warmth) that you have made me, &c.

* Refnel, on whofe very faulty and abfurd translation Crouzaz founded his only plausible objections,