tics, who would frighten many people by their number and bulk, and perplex our progrefs under pretence of fortifying their author. These lie very low in the trenches and ditches they themselves have digged, encompaffed with dirt of their own heaping

up: : but, I think, there may be found a method of coming at the main works by a more speedy and gallant way than by mining under ground, that is, by ufing the poetical engines, wings, and flying over their heads.

While I am engaged in the fight, I find you are concerned how I fhall be paid, and are folicitous that I may not have the ill faté of many difcarded Generals to be firft envied and malign'd, then perhaps prais'd, and laftly neglected. The former (the conftant attendant upon all great and laudable enterprizes) I have already experienced. Some have faid I am not a master in the Greek, who either are fo themselves or are not: if they are not, they can't tell; and if they are, they can't without having catechiz'd me. But if they can read (for, I know, fome critics can and others cannot) there are fairly lying before them fome fpecimens of my translation from this Author in the Mifcellanies, which they are heartily welcome to. I have met with as much malignity another way, fome calling me a Tory, because the heads of that party have been distinguishingly favourable to me; fome a Whig, because I have been favoured with yours, Mr. Congreve's, and Mr. Cragg's friendfhip, and of late with my

How much more natu

Lord Halifax's patronage. ral a conclufion might be formed, by any good-natured man, that a perfon who has been well used by all fides, has been offenfive to none. This miferable age is fo funk between animofities of Party and those of Religion, that I begin to fear, moft men have Politics enough to make (thro' violence) the best scheme of government a bad one: and Belief enough to hinder their own falvation. I hope for my own part never to have more of either than is confiitent with common Justice and Charity, and always as much as becomes a Chriftian and honest man. Tho' I find it an unfortunate thing to be bred a Papift here, where one is obnoxious to four parts in five as being fo too much or too little; I fhall yet be easy under both their mistakes, and be what I more than feem to be, for I fuffer for it. God is my witness that I no more envy you Protestants your places and poffeffions, than I do our Priests, their charity or learning. I am ambitious of nothing but the good opinion of good men, on both fides; for I know that one virtue of a free spirit is worth more than all the virtues put together of all the narrow-foul'd people in the world. I am

VOL. VIII.

R

Your, &c.

I

LETTER XVI.

To Mr. ADDISON.

Oct. 10, 1714.

Have been acquainted by one of my friends, who omits no opportunities of gratifying me, that you have lately been pleas'd to speak of me in a manner which nothing but the real respect I have for you can deferve. May I hope that fome late malevolencies have loft their effect? indeed it is neither for me, nor my enemies. to pretend to tell you whe ther I am your friend or not but if you would judge by probabilities, I beg to know which of your poetical acquaintance has fo little intereft in pretending to be fo? Methinks no man should question the real friendship of one who defires no real fervice. I am only to get as much from the Whigs, as I got from the Tories, that is to fay, Civility; being neither fo proud as to be infenfible of any good office, nor fo humble, as not to dare heartily to defpife any man who does me an injustice.

I will not value myfelf upon having ever guarded all the degrees of refpect for you: for (to fay the truth) all the world speaks well of you, and I should be under a neceffity of doing the fame, whether I car'd for you or not.

As to what you have said of me, I fhall never believe that the author of Cato can speak one thing

* See a letter from Mr. Jervas, and the Answer to it. No. 22, 23.

and think another. As a proof that I account you fincere, I beg a favour of you: It is, that you would look over the two first books of my tranflation of Homer, which are in the hands of my Lord Hallifax. I am fenfible how much the reputation of any poetical work will depend upon the character you give it 'tis therefore fome evidence of the trust I repose in your good-will, when I give you this opportunity of speaking ill of me with justice; and yet expect you will tell me your trueft thoughts, at the fame time that you tell others your most favourable

'ones.

I have a farther request, which I must press with earneftness. My bookfeller is reprinting the Effay on Criticism, to which you have done too much honour in your Spectator of N° 253. The period in that paper, where you say, "I have admitted fome "strokes of ill-nature into that Effay," is the only one I could wifh omitted of all you have written; but I would not defire it should be fo, unless I had the merit of removing your objection. I beg you but to point out those strokes to me, and, you may be affured, they fhall be treated without mercy.

Since we are upon proofs of fincerity (which I am pretty confident will turn to the advantage of us. both in each other's opinion) give me leave to name another paffage in the fame Spectator, which I with you would alter. It is where you mention an obfervation upon Homer's Verses of Sifyphus's Stone, as

never having been made before by any of the Critics I happened to find the fame in Dionyfius of Halicarnaffus's Treatise, Пgì visos dropatur, who treats very largely upon thefe verfes.. I know you will think fit to foften your expreffion, when you fee the paffage; which you muft needs have read, though it be fince flipt out of your memory. I am, with the utmoft efteem.

LETTER XVII.

To the Honourable

Your, &c.

June 8, 1714.

T

HE queftion you afk in relation to Mr. Addi

fon and Philips, I fhall anfwer in a few words. Mr. Philips did exprefs himself with much indignation against me one evening at Button's Coffee house (as I was told) faying, that I was enter'd into a cabal with Dean Swift and others to write against the Whig Intereft, and in particular to undermine his own reputation, and that of his friends Steele and Addison but Mr. Philips never opened his lips to my face, on this or any like occation, tho' I was almost every night in the fame room with him, nor ever offer'd me any indecorum. Mr. Addifon came to me a night or two after Philips had talk'd in this idle manner, and affur'd me of his disbelief of what

* These words are fince left out in Mr. Tickel's Edition, but were extant in all during Mr. Addifen's life.