his mafter across the fea to Salamis, where he dy'd, and was honour'd with a tomb by the Athenians, who gave the name of the Dog's Grave to that part of the Ifland where he was buried. This respect to a dog in the most polite people in the world, is very obfervable. A modern inftance of gratitude to a dog (tho' we have few fuch) is that the chief order of Denmark (now injuriously called the order of the Elephant) was inftituted in memory of the fidelity of a dog, named Wild-brat, to one of their Kings who had been deferted by his subjects; he gave his Order this motto, or to this effect (which ftill remains) Wild-brat was faithful. Sir William Trumbull has told me a ftorya which he heard from one that was present; King Charles I. being with fome of his court during his troubles, a discourse arose what sort of dogs deferv'd pre-eminence, and it being on all hands agreed to belong either to the spaniel or grey-hound, the king gave his opinion on the part of the greyhound, because (faid he) it has all the good-nature of the other, without fawning. A good piece of fatire upon his courtiers, with which I will conclude my difcourfe of dogs. Call me a cynic, or what you pleafe in revenge for all this impertinence, I will be contented; provided you will but

• Sir Philip Warwick tells us this ftory in his memoirs.

believe

believe me, when I fay a bold word for a Christian, that, of all dogs, you will find none more faithful than

Your, &c.

I

LETTER XI.

April 10, 1710.

Had written to you fooner, but that I made some scruple of sending prophane things to you in Holy Week. Besides, our family would have been fcandaliz'd to fee me write, who take it for granted I write nothing but ungodly verfes. I affure you I am look'd upon in the neighbourhood for a very well difpos'd person, no great Hunter indeed, but a great admirer of the noble sport, and only unhappy in my want of conftitution for that, and Drinking. They all fay 'tis pity I am fo fickly, and I think 'tis pity they are so healthy. But I fay nothing that may destroy their good opinion of me: I have not quoted one Latin Author fince I came down, but have learn'd without book a fong of Mr. Thomas Durfey's, who is your only Poet of tolerable reputation in this country. He makes all the merriment in our entertainments, and but for him, there would be fo miserable a dearth of catches, that, I fear, they would put either the Parfon

Parfon or me upon making fome for 'em. Any man, of any quality, is heartily welcome to the best toping table of our gentry, who can roar out fome Rhapsodies of his works; so that in the fame manner as it was faid of Homer to his detractors, What? dares any man speak against him who has given fo many men to eat? (meaning the Rhapsodifts who liv'd by repeating his verses) thus may it be faid of Mr. Durfey to his detractors; Dares any one despise him who has made fo`many men drink? Alas, Sir! this is a glory which neither you nor I must ever pretend to. Neither you with your Ovid, nor I with my Statius, can amufe a board of justices and extraordinary 'fquires, or gain one hum of approbation, or laugh of admiration. These Things (they would fay) are too ftudious, they may do well enough with such as love reading, but give us your ancient Poet Mr. Durfey! 'Tis mortifying enough, it must be confefs'd; but, however, let us proceed in the way that nature has directed us-Multi multa fciunt, fed nemo omnia, as is faid in the almanack. Let us communicate our works for our mutual comfort: fend me elegies, and you fhall not want heroics. At prefent, I have only thefe arguments in profe to the Thebaid, which you claim by promife, as I do your Tranflation of Pars me Sulmo tenet, and the

Ring; the reft I hope for as foon as you can conveniently transcribe them, and whatsoever orders you are pleas'd to give me shall be tually obey'd by Your, &c.

punc

I

LETTER XII.

May 10, 1710.

Had not fo long omitted to express my acknowledgements to you for fo much goodnature and friendship as you lately show'd me; but that I am but just return'd to my own hermitage, from Mr. C's, who has done me fo many favours, that I am almost inclin'd to think my friends infect one another, and that your conversation with him has made him as obliging to me as yourfelf. I can affure you, he has a fincere refpect for you, and this, I believe, he has partly contracted from me, who am too full of you not to overflow upon thofe I converse with. But I must now be contented to converse only with the dead of this world, that is to fay the dull and obfcure, every way obfcure, in their intellects as well as their perfons: or else have recourse to the living dead, the old authors with whom you are so well acquainted, even from Virgil down to Aulus Gellius, whom I do not think a critic by any

means

means to be compar'd to Mr. Dennis: and I muft declare pofitively to you, that I will perfift in this opinion, till you become a little more civil to Atticus. Who could have imagin'd, that he, who had escap'd all the misfortunes of his time, unhurt even by the profcriptions of Antony and Auguftus, fhould in these days find an enemy more fevere and barbarous than those tyrants? and that enemy the gentlest too, the best natur'd of mortals, Mr. Cromwell, whom I muft in this compare once more to Auguftus; who feem'd not more unlike himfelf in the severity of one part of his life and the clemency of the other, than you. I leave you to reflect on this, and hope that time (which mollifies rocks, and of stiff things makes limber) will turn a refolute critic to a gentle reader; and instead of this pofitive, tremendous new-fashioned Mr. Cromwell, restore unto us our old acquaintance, the foft, beneficent, and courteous Mr. Cromwell.

I expect much, towards the civilizing of you in your critical capacity, from the innocent air and tranquillity of our Foreft, when you do me the favour to vifit it. In the mean time, it would do well by way of preparative, if you would duly and constantly every morning read over a pastoral of Theocritus or Virgil; and let the lady Isabella put your Macrobius and

Aulus