what you writ carelessly; and thought my own weeds might pafs for a fort of wild flowers, when bundled up with them. It was I that fent you those books into Ireland, and fo I did my Epiftle to Lord Bathurst even before it was publish'd, and another thing of mine, which is a * Parody from Horace, writ in two mornings. I never took more care in my life of any thing than of the former of thefe, nor lefs than of the latter: yet every friend has forced me to print it, tho' in truth my own fingle motive was about twenty lines toward the latter end, which you will find out. I have declined opening to you by letters the whole fcheme of my prefent Work, expecting ftill to do it in a better manner in perfon: but you will fee pretty foon, that the letter to Lord Bathurft is a part of it, and you will find a plain connexion between them, if you read them in the order juft contrary to that they were publifh'd in. I imitate those cunning tradesmen, who show their beft filks laft; or (to give you a true idea, tho' it founds too proudly) my works will in one respect be like the works of Nature, much more to be liked and understood when confider'd in the relation they bear with each other, than when ignorantly look'd upon one by one; and often, thofe parts which attract moft at first fight, will appear to be not the most, but the leaft confiderable +. I am pleas'd and flatter'd by your expreffion of Orna me. The chief pleasure this work can give me is, that I can in it, with propriety, decency, and justice, infert the name and character of every friend I have, and every man that deferves to be *Sat. i. Lib. ii. + See the first note on the Epiftle to Lord Cobham, Of the Knowledge and Characters of men. M 4 lov'd lov'd or adorn'd. But I fmile at your applying that phrase to my vifiting you in Ireland; a place where I might have fome apprehenfion (from their extraordinary paffion for Poetry, and their boundlefs Hofpitality) of being adorned to death, and buried under the weight of garlands, like one I have read of fomewhere or other. My Mother lives (which is an answer to that point) and, I thank God, tho' her memory be in a manner gone, is yet awake and fenfible to me, tho' scarce to any thing elfe; which doubles the reafon of my attendance, and at the fame time fweetens it. I wish (beyond any other wifh) you could pafs a fummer here; I might (too probably) return with you, unlefs you preferr'd to fee France firft, to which country, I think, you would have a strong invitation. Lord Peterborow has narrowly escaped death, and yet keeps his chamber: he is perpetually speaking in the most affectionate manner of you: he has written you two letters, which you never received, and by that has been difcouraged from writing more. I can well believe the poft office may do this, when fome letters of his to me have met the fame fate, and two of mine to him. Yet let not this discourage you from writing to me, or to him inclos'd in the common way, as I do to you: Innocent men need fear no detection of their thoughts; and for my part, I wou'd give 'em free leave to fend all I write to Curl, if most of what I write was not too filly. I defire my fincere fervices to Dr. Delany, who, I agree with you, is a man every way esteemable: my Lord Orrery is a moft virtuous and good-natur'd Nobleman, whom I should be happy to know. Lord B. receiv'd your letter thro' my hands; it is not to be told you how much he wishes for you: The whole lift of perfons, to whom you fent your fervices, return you theirs, with proper fenfe fenfe of the diftinction-Your Lady friend is Semper Eadem, and I have written an Epiftle to her on that qualification in a female character; which is thought by my chief Critic in your abfence to be my Chef d'Oeuvre: but it cannot be printed perfectly, in an age fo fore of Satire, and fo willing to mifapply Characters. As to my own health, it is as good as ufual. I have lain ill seven days of a flight fever (the complaint here) but recover'd by gentle fweats, and the care of Dr. Arbuthnot. The play Mr. Gay left fucceeds very well; it is another original in its kind. Adieu. God preferve your life, your health, your limbs, your fpirits, and your friendships! You LETTER LXV. April 2, 1733 OU fay truly, that death is only terrible to us as it separates us from those we love, but I really think those have the worst of it who are left by us, if we are true friends. I have felt more (I fancy) in the lofs of Mr. Gay, than I fhall fuffer in the thought of going away myself into a ftate that can feel none of this fort of loffes. I wish'd vehemently to have seen him in a condition of living independent, and to have lived in perfect indolence the reft of our days together, the two most idle, most innocent, undesigning Poets of our age. I now as vehemently with you and I might walk into the grave together, by as flow fteps as you please, but contentedly and chearfully: Whether that ever can be, or in what country, I know no more, than into what country we fhall walk out of the grave. But it fuffices me to know it will be exactly what region or state our Maker appoints, and that whatever Is, is Right. Our poor friend's friend's papers are partly in my hands, and for as much as is fo, I will take care to fupprefs things unworthy of him. As to the Epitaph, I'm forry you gave a copy, for it will certainly by that means come into print, and I would correct it more, unlefs you will do it for me (and that I fhall like as well:) Upon the whole, I earnestly wish your coming over hither, for this reafon among many others, that your influence may be join'd with mine to fuppress whatever we may judge proper of his papers. To be plunged in my Neighbour's and my papers, will be your inevitable fate as foon as you come. That I am an author whofe characters are thought of fome weight, appears from the great noife and buftle that the Court and Town make about any I give and I will not render them lefs important, or lefs interefting, by sparing Vice and Folly, or by betraying the caufe of Truth and Virtue. I will take care they fhall be fuch, as no man can be angry at but the perfons I would have` angry. You are fenfible with what decency and juftice I paid homage to the Royal Family, at the fame time that I fatirized falfe Courtiers, and Spies, &c. about 'em. I have not the courage however to be fuch a Satirift as you, but I would be as much, or more, a Philofopher. You call your fatires, Libels; I would rather call my fatires, Epiftles: They will confift more of Morality than of Wit, and grow graver, which you will call duller. I fhall leave it to my Antagonists to be witty (if they 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 against me; for it was labour'd, corrected, præ-commended and poft-difapprov'd, so far as to be dif-own'd by themfelves, after each had highly cry'd it up for the the others. I have met with fome 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 diftance, and have nothing to fay to you when they fee you. I am glad you perfift and abide by fo good a thing as that Poem †, in which I am immortal for my Morality: I never took any praise fo 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 have tranflated (or rather parody'd) another of Horace's, in which I introduce you advifing me about my expences, housekeeping, &c. But these things fhall lie by, till you come to carp at 'em, 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; fò I am never like to be in fashion, nor in dependance. I heartily join with you in pitying our poor Lady for her unhappiness, and fhould only pity her more, if fhe 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 feafon, and compare the Liberties of both kingdoms. Adieu. Believe me, dear Sir (with a See the Epifle v ritten on this occafion at the end of the second Vol. of Letters. The ironical libel on Dr. Delany. thoufand |