read that 'twas a cuftom among the Romans, while a general rode in triumph, to have the common foldiers in the ftreets, that railed at him and reproached him, to put him in mind, that though his fervices were in the main approved and rewarded, yet he had faults enough to keep him humble. You will fee by this, that whoever fets up for wit in thefe days ought to have the conftancy of a primitive Chriftian, and be prepared to fuffer martyrdom in the cause of it. But fure this is the first time that a Wit was attacked for his Religion, as you'll find, I am moft zealously in this treatise; and you know, Sir, what alarms I have had from the opposite fide on this account. Have I not reafon to cry out with the poor fellow in Virgil, * Quid jam mifero mihi denique reftat? Cui neque apud Danaos ufquam locus, et super ipfi Dardanida infenfi pœnas cum fanguine poscunt! 'Tis however my happiness that you, Sir, are impartial. Jove was alike to Latian and to Phrygian, For you well know, that Wit's of no Religion. The manner in which Mr. D. takes to pieces several particular lines, detached from their natural places, may fhew how easy it is to a caviller to give a new fenfe, or a new nonsense to any thing. And indeed his conftructions are not more wrefted from the genuine meaning, than theirs who objected to the heterodox parts, as they called them. Our friend the Abbe is not of that fort, who with the utmost candour and freedom has modeftly told me what others thought, and fhewn himself one (as he very well expreffes it) rather of a number than a party. The only difference between us in relation to the Monks, is that he thinks moft forts of learning flourished among them, and * See the enfuing Letter. 1.am I am of opinion, that only fome fort of learning was barely kept alive by them: he believes that in the most natural and obvious fenfe, that line (A fecond deluge learning over-run) will be understood of learning in general; and I fancy 'twill be understood only (as 'tis meant) of polite learning, criticisin, poetry, &c. which is the only learning concerned in the fubject of the effay. It is true, that the monks did preserve what learning there was, about Ni-cholas the fifth's time; but those who fucceeded fell into the depth of barbarism, or at least stood at a ftay while others arofe from thence, in fo much that even Erafmus and Reuchlin could hardly laugh them out of it. I am highly obliged to the Abbe's zeal in my commendation, and goodness in not concealing what he thinks my error. And his teftifying some efteem for the book juft at a time when his brethren rais'd a clamour against it, is an inftance of great generofity and candour, which I shall ever acknowledge. LETTER II. To the fame. Your, &c. June 18, 1711. IN your laft you informed me of the miftaken zeal of fome people, who feem to make it no lefs their bufinefs to perfuade men they are erroneous, than docters do that they are fick; only that they may magnify their own cure, and triumph over an imaginary diftemper. The fimile objected to in my Essay, (Thus wit, like faith, by each man is apply'd plainly concludes at this, fecond line, where stands a full ftop: and what follows (Meanly they feek, &c.) fpeaks only of wit (which is meant by that bleffing, and that fun fun) for how can the fun of faith be faid to fublime the fouthern wits, and to ripen the geniufes of northern climates? I fear, these gentlemen understand grammar as little as they do criticism: and, perhaps, out of good nature to the monks, are willing to take from them the cenfure of ignorance, and to have it to themselves. The word they refers (as I am fure, I meant, and as I thought every one must have known) to thofe Critics there fpoken of, who are partial to fome particular set of writers, to the prejudice of all others. And the very fimile itself, if twice read, may convince them, that the cenfure here of damning, lies not on our church at all, unless they call our church one fmall fet: and the cautious words (by each man) manifeftly fhew it a general reflection on such (whoever they are) who entertain those narrow and limited notions of the mercy of the Almighty; which the reformed minifters and prefbyterians are as guilty of as any people living. Yet after all, I promise you, Sir, if the alteration of a word or two will gratify any man of found faith though weak understanding, I will (though it were from no other principle than that of commongood nature) comply with it. And if you please but to particularize the fpot where their objection lies (for it is in a very narrow compass) that ftumbling block, tho' it be but a little pebble, shall be removed out of their way. If the heat of these good difputants (who, I am affraid, being bred up to wrangle in the schools, cannot get rid of the humour all their lives) fhould proceed fo far as to personal reflections upon me, I affure you, notwithstanding, I will do or fay nothing however provok'd (for fome people can no more provoke than oblige) that is unbecoming the true character of a catholic. I will fet before me the example of that great man, and great faint, Erafmus; who in the midst of calumny proceeded with all the calmnefs of innocence, and the unrevenging spirit of primitive chriftianity. However, I would advise them to fuffer the mention of him to pafs 4 pass unregarded, left I fhould be forced to do that for his repution which I would never do for my own; I mean, to vindicate fo great a light of our church from the malice of paft times, and the ignorance of the present, in a language which may extend farther than that in which the trifle about criticism is written. I wifh thefe gentlemen would be contented with finding fault with me only, who will fubmit to them right or wrong, as far as I only am concerned; I have a greater regard to the quiet of mankind, than to disturb it for things of fo little confequence as my credit and my fenfe. A little humility can do a poet no hurt, and a little charity would do a prieft none: for, as St. Austin finely says, Ubi charitas, ibi kumilitas, ubi humilitas, ibi pax. LETTER III. To the fame. Your, etc. July 19, 1711. HE concern which you more than feem to be affected with for my reputation, by the feveral accounts you have fo obligingly given of what reports and cenfures the holy Vandals have thought fit to pass upon me, makes me defirous of telling fo good a friend my whole thoughts of this matter and of fetting before you in a clear light, the true ftate of it. : I have ever believed the best piece of service one could do to our religion, was openly to express our deteftation and scorn of all thofe mean artifices and pia fraudes, which it ftands fo little in need of, and which have laid it under fo great a scandal among its enemies. Nothing has been fo much a scarecrow to them, as that too peremptory and uncharitable affertion of an utter impoffibility of falvation to all but ourselves; invincible ignorance excepted, which indeed fome people define under fo fo great limitations, and with fuch exclufions, that it feems, as if that word were rather invented as a falvo, or expedient not to be thought too bold with the thunderbolts of God, (which are hurled about fo freely on almost all mankind by the hands of ecclefiaftics) than as a real exception to almoft univerfal damnation. For befides the small number of the truly faithful in our church, we must again fubdivide; the Janfenift is damned by the Jefuit, the Jefuit by the Janfenift, the Scotift by the Thomift, and fo forth. There may be errors, I grant, but I can't think them of fuch consequence as to destroy utterly the charity of mankind; the very greatest bond in which we are ingaged by God to one another: therefore, I own to you, I was glad of any opportunity to express my diflike of fo shocking a fentiment as those of the religion I profefs are commonly charged with; and I hoped, a flight infinuation, introduced so easily by a casual fimilitude only, could never have given offence; but on the contrary muft needs have done good; in a nation and time, wherein we are the fmaller party, and confequently moft mifrepresented, and most in need of vindication. For the fame reason I took occafion to mention the fuperftition of fome ages after the fubverfion of the Roman Empire, which is too manifest a truth to be denied, and does in no fort reflect upon the prefent profeffors of our faith, who are free from it. Our filence in these points may, with fome reason, make our adverfaries. think we allow and perfift in those bigotries; which yet in reality all good and fenfible men despise, though they are perfuaded not to speak against them, I can't tell why, fince now it is no way the intereft even of the worst of our priefthood (as it might have been then) to have them fmothered in filence: for, as the oppofite fects are now prevailing, 'tis too late to hinder our church from being flander'd; 'tis our bufinefs now to vindicate ourselves, from being thought abettors of what they charge us VOL. IV. C with |