obfcura; on the walls of which, all objects of the river, hills, woods, and boats, are forming a moving picture in their visible radiations: and when you have a mind to light it up, it affords you a very different scene; it is finished with shells interspersed with pieces of lookingglafs in angular forms; and in the cieling is a ftar of the fame material, at which, when a lamp (of an orbicular figure of thin alabafter) is hung in the middle, a thousand pointed rays glitter, and are reflected over the place. There are connected to this grotto, by a narrower paffage, two porches, one towards the river of fmooth ftones full of light, and open; the other toward the garden fhadow'd with trees, rough with fhells, flints, and iron ore. The bottom is pav'd with fimple pebble, as is also the adjoining walk up the wilderness to the temple, in the natural tafte, agreeing not ill with the little dripping murmur, and the aquatic idea of the whole place. It wants nothing to complete it but a good statue with an inscription, like that beautiful antique one which you know I am so fond of, Hujus Nympha loci, facri cuftodia fontis, Dormio, dum blandæ fentio murmur aquæ. Parce meum, quifquis tangis cava marmora, fomnum Nymph of the grot, these facred fprings I keep, You'll think I have been very poetical in this defcription, but it is pretty near the truth. I wish you were here to bear teftimony how little it owes to Art, either the place itself, or the image I give of it. I am, &c. I LETTER XV. Sept. 13, 1725. Should be asham'd to own the receipt of a very kind letter from you, two whole months from the date of Q2 this; this; if I were not more afhamed to tell a lye, or to make an excufe, which is worse than a lye (for being built upon fome probable circumftance, it makes ufe of a degree of truth to falfify with, and is a lye guarded.) Your letter has been in my pocket in constant wearing, till that, and the pocket, and the fuit, are worn out; by which means I have read it forty times, and I find by fo doing, that I have not enough confidered and reflected upon many others you have obliged me with; for true friendship, as they fay of good writing, will bear reviewing a thousand times, and ftill difcover new beauties. I have had a fever, a fhort one, but a violent: I am now well; fo it fhall take up no more of this paper. I begin now to expect you in town to make the winter to come more tolerable to us both. The fummer is a kind of heaven, when we wander in a paradisaical scene among groves and gardens; but at this feason, we are, like our poor firft parents, turn'd out of that agreeable, though folitary life, and forced to look about for more people to help to bear our labours, to get into warmer houses, and live together in cities. I hope you are long fince perfectly reftor'd, and risen from your gout, happy in the delights of a contented family, fmiling at ftorms, laughing at greatnefs, merry over a Christmas fire, and exercifing all the functions of an old Patriarch in charity and hofpitality. I will not tell Mrs. B what I think fhe is doing; for I conclude it is her opinion, that he only ought to know it for whom it is done; and fhe will allow herfelf to be far enough advanced above a fine lady, not to defire to fhine before men. Your daughters perhaps may have fome other thoughts, which even their mother muft excuse them for, becaufe fhe is a mother. I will not however fuppofe thofe thoughts get the better of their devotions, but rather excite them and affift the warmth of them; while their prayer may be, that they may raife up and breed as irreproachable a young young family as their parents have done. In a word, I fancy you all well, eafy, and happy, juft as I wish you; and next to that, I wish you all with me. Next to God, is a good man: next in dignity, and next in value. Minuifti eum paullo minus ab angelis. If therefore I wish well to the good and the deferving, and defire they only should be my companions and correfpondents, I muft very foon and very much think of you. I want your company, and your example. Pray make hafte to town, so as not again to leave us: discharge the load of earth that lies on you, like one of the mountains under which the poets fay, the giants (the men of the earth) are whelmed: leave earth, to the fons of the earth, your conversation is in heaven; which, that it may be accomplish'd in us all, is the prayer of him whọ maketh this fhort fermon; value (to you) three-pence. Adieu, Mr. Blount died in London the following year, 1726. LETTER I LETTER I. To the Hon. ROBERT DIGBY. June 2, 1717. Had pleas'd myself sooner in writing to you, but that I have been your fucceffor in a fit of fickness, and am not yet fo much recovered, but that I have thoughts of ufing your * phyficians. They are as grave perfons as any of the faculty, and (like the ancients) carry their own medicaments about with them. But indeed the moderns are fuch lovers of raillery, that nothing is grave enough to escape them. Let them laugh, but people will ftill have their opinions: as they think our Doctors affes to them, we'll think them affes to our Doctors. I am glad you are so much in a better ftate of health, as to allow me to jeft about it. My concern, when I heard of your danger, was fo very ferious, that I almoft take it ill that Dr. Evans fhould tell you of it, or you mention it. I tell you fairly, if you and a few more fuch people were to leave the world, I would not give fix-pence to stay in it. • Affes; I am not so much concerned as to the point whether you are to live fat or lean: moft men of wit or honesty are ufually decreed to live very lean, fo I am inclined to the opinion that 'tis decreed you shall; however, be comforted, and reflect, that you'll make the better Bufto for it. 'Tis fomething particular in you, not to be fatisfied with fending me your own books, but to make your acquaintance continue the frolic. Mr. Wharton forced me to take Gorboduc, which has fince done me great credit with feveral people, as it has done Dryden and Oldham fome difkindness, in fhewing there is as much difference between their Gorboduc and this, as between Queen Anne and King George. It is truly a scandal, that men fhould write with contempt of a piece which they never once faw, as those two poets did, who were ignorant even of the fex, as well as fenfe, of Gorboduc. Adieu! 1 am going to forget you: this minute you took up all my mind; the next I shall think of nothing but the reconciliation with Agamemnon, and the recovery of Brifeis. I fhall be Achilles's humble fervant these two months (with the good leave of all my friends.) I have no ambition fo ftrong at present, as that noble one of Sir Salathiel Lovel, recorder of London, to furnish out a decent and plentiful execution, of Greeks and Trojans. It is not to be express'd how heartily I wish the death of all Homer's heroes, one after another. The Lord preferve me in the day of battle, which is juft approaching! join in your prayers for me, and know me to be always Your, &c. ΤΟ LETTER II. London, March 31, 1718. O convince you how little pain I give myself in correfponding with men of good-nature and good understanding, you fee I omit to answer your letters till a time, |