Slike strani
PDF
ePub

it pleaseth others as well as me, you have got your end in profit and reputation: Yet I am angry at fome bad Rhymes and Triplets, and pray in your next do not let me have so many unjustifiable Rhymes to war and gods. I tell you all the faults I know only in one or two places you are a little obfcure; but I expected you to be fo in one or two and twenty. I have heard no foul talk of it here, for indeed it is not come over; nor do we very much abound in Judges, at least I have not the honour to be acquainted with them. Your notes are perfectly good, and fo are your Preface and Effay. You were pretty bold in mentioning Lord Bolingbroke in that Preface. I faw the Key to the Lock but yesterday: I think you have changed it a good deal, to adapt it to the present times 4).

God be thanked I have yet no Parliamentary bufinefs, and if they have none with me, I fhall never seek their acquaintance. I have not been very fond of them for fome years paft, not when I thought them tolerably good, and therefore if I can get leave to be abfent, I fhall be much inclined to be on that fide, when there is a parliament on this: but truly I must be a little easy in my mind before I can think of Scriblerus.

You are to understand that I live in the corner of a vaft unfurnished houfe; my family confifts of a fteward, a groom, a helper in the ftable, a footman, and an old maid, who are all at board - wages, and when I do not dine abroad, or make an entertainment (which laft is very rare) I eat a mutton pye, and drink half a pint of wine: My amusements are

4) Put thefe two laft obfervations together, and it will appear that Mr. Pope was neither wanting to his friends for fear of party, nor would infult a miniftry to humour his friends. He faid of himself, and I bélieve he faid truly, that he never wrote a line to gratify the animofity of any one party at the expence of another. See the letter to a noble lord.

defending my small dominions against the Archbishop, and endeavouring to reduce my rebellious Choir. Perditur haec inter mifero lux. I defire you will pre fent my humble fervice to Mr. Addison, Mr. Congreve, and Mr. Rowe, and Gay. I am, and will be always, extremely yours, &c.

I

LETTER III.

Mr. POPE to Dr. Sw IF T.

June 20, 1716.

Cannot fuffer a friend to crofs the Irifh feas with

out bearing a teftimony from me of the conftant efteem and affection I am both obliged and inclined to have for you. It is better he should tell you than I, how often you are in our thoughts and in our cups, and how I learn to fleep lefs 5) and drink more, whenever you are named among us. I look upon a friend in Ireland as upon a friend in the other world, whom (popishly-fpeaking) I believe conftantly welldifpofed towards me, and ready to do me all the good he can, in that state of feparation, though I hear nothing from him, and make addreffes to him but very rarely. A protestant divine cannot take it amifs that I treat him in the fame manner with my patron Saint.

I can tell you no news, but what you will not fufficiently wonder at, that I fuffer many things as an author militant: whereof, in your days of probation, you have been a sharer, or you had not ar

[ocr errors]

5) Alluding to this, conftant custom] of fleeping after dinner.

[ocr errors]

rived to that triumphant state you now defervedly enjoy in the Church. As for me, I have not the leaft hopes of the Cardinalať, tho' Ifuffer for my Religion in almost every weekly paper. I have begun to take a pique at the Pfalms of David (if the wic ked may be credited, who have printed a fcandalous one 6) in my name). This report I dare not difcourage too much, in a profpect I have at prefent of a post under the Marquis de Langallerie 7), wherein if I can but do some signal service against the Pope, I may be confiderably advanced by the Turks, the only religious people I dare confide in. If it should happen hereafter that I should write for the holy law of Mahomet, I hope it may make no breach between you and me; every one must live, and I beg you will not be the man to manage the controversy against me. The Church of Rome I judge (from many mo dern symptoms, as well as ancient prophecies) to be in a declining condition; that of England will in a fhort time be scarce able to maintain her own family: fo Churches fink as generally as Banks in Europe, and for the fame reafon; that Religion and Trade, which at first were open and free, have been reduced into the Management of Companies, and the Roguery of Directors.

I don't know why I tell you all this, but that I always loved to talk to you; but this is not a time for any man to talk to the purpofe. Truth is a kind of contraband commodity, which I would not venture to export, and therefore the only thing tending that dangerous way which I fhall fay, is, that I am, and always will be, with the utmost fincerity,

[blocks in formation]

Your's, &c.

7) One who made a noife then, as Count Bonnival hay done fince,

I

LETTER IV.

From Dr. SWIFT to Mr. Pop

Aug. 30, 1716.

Had the favour of yours by Mr. F. of whom be, fore any other question relating to your health or fortune, or fuccefs as a Poet, I enquired your principles in the common form, "Is he Whig or a Tory?" I am forry to find they are not fo well tallied to the prefent juncture as I could wish. I always thought the terms of Fatto and Jure had been introduced by the Poets, and that Poffeffion of any fort in Kings was held an unexceptionable title in the courts of Parnaffus. If you do not grow a perfect good subject in all its prefent latitudes, I fhall conclude you are become rich, and able to live without dedications to men in power, whereby one great inconvenience will follow, that you and the world and pofterity will be utterly ignorant of their Virtues. For, either your brethren have miferably deceived us thefe hundred years past, or Power confers Virtue, as naturally as five of your Popish facraments do Grace. You fleep tefs and drink more. — But your master Horace was Vini fomnique benignus: and, as I take it, both are proper for your trade. As to mine, there are a thou fand poetical texts to confirm the one; and as to the other, I know it was anciently the custom to fleep in Temples for those who would confult the Oracles, "Who dictates to me flumbring 8)", &c.

You are an ill Catholick, or a worfe Geographer, for I can affure you, Ireland is not Paradise, and I 8) Milton.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

appeal even to any Spanish divine whether Addresses were ever made to a friend in Heil, or Purgatory? And who are all these enemies you hint at? I can only think of Curl, Gildon, Squire Burnet, Blackmore, and a few others whofe fame I have forgot; Tools, in my opinion as necessary for a good writer, as pen, ink, and paper. And befides, I would fain know whether every Draper doth not fhew you three or four damn'd pieces of stuff to fet off his good one? However, I will grant, that one thorough Bookfelling-Rogue is better qualified to vex an author, than all his cotemporary fcriblers in Critic or Satire, not only by stolen Copies of what was incorrect or unfit for the public, but by downright laying other mens dulnefs at your door. I had a long defign upon the Ears of that Curl, when I was in credit, but the Rogue would never allow me a fair stroke at them, although my penknife was ready drawn and fharp. I can hardly believe the relation of his being poifoned, although the Historian pretends to have been an eye-witness: But I beg pardon, Sack might do it, although Rats - bane would not. I never faw the thing you mention as falfely imputed to you; but I think the frolicks of merry hours, even when we are guilty, fhould not be left to the mercy of our best friends, until Curl and his resemblers are hang'd.

With fubmiffion to the better judgment of you and your friends, I take your project of an employment under the Turks to be idle and unneceffary. Have a little patience, and you will find more merit and encouragement at home by the fame methods. You are ungrateful to your country; quit but your own Religion, and ridicule ours, and that will allow you a free choice for any other, or for none at all, and pay you well into the bargain. Therefore pray do not run and difgrace us among the Turks, by telling VOL. IX.

B

« PrejšnjaNaprej »