reflection evident, the Tragedy of Cato having juft eight times (as he quaintly expreffes it) visited the prefs. He has alfo endeavoured to show, that every particular paffage of the play alludes to fome fine part of tragedy, which, he fays, I have injudicioufly and profanely abused b Sir Samuel Garth's poem upon my Lord Clare's house, I believe, will be published in the Eafterweek.

Thus far Mr. Gay, who has in his letter foreftall'd all the fubjects of diverfion; unless it fhould be one to you to fay, that I fit up till two a clock over Burgundy and Champagne; and am become so much a rake, that I shall be afhamed in a short time to be thought to do any fort of bufinefs. I fear I must get the gout by drinking; purely for a fashionable pretence to fit ftill long enough to tranflate four books of Homer. I hope you'll by that time be up again, and I may fucceed to the bed and couch of my predeceffor: pray cause the stuffing to be repaired, and the crutches fhorten'd for me. The calamity of your gout is what all your friends, that is to fay, all that know you, must fhare in; we defire you in your turn to condole

b This curious piece was

written by one Griffin a

entituled, A compleat Key player, affifted by Lewis

to the What-d'ye-call-it,

Theobald. P.
X 3

with

with us, who are under a perfecution, and much afflicted with a diftemper which proves mortal to many poets, a Criticism. We have indeed fome relieving intervals of laughter (as you know there are in fome diseases) and it is the opinion of divers good gueffers, that the laft fit will not be more violent than advantageous; for poets affail'd by critics, are like men bitten by Tarantula's, they dance on so much the fafter.

Mr. Thomas Burnet hath play'd the precurfor to the coming of Homer, in a treatise called Homerides. He has fince rifen very much in his criticisms, and, after affaulting Homer, made a daring attack upon the What-d'ye-call-it. Yet is there not a Proclamation iffued for the burning of Homer and the Pope by the common hangman; nor is the What-d'ye-call-it yet filenced by the Lord chamberlain.

c

Your, &c.

LETTER XXX.

Mr. CONGREVE to Mr. POPE.

May 6.

I

Have the pleasure of

have always been obliged to

In one of his papers called The Grumbler. P.

you for your

friendship

friendship and concern for me, and am more
affected with it, than I will take upon me to
exprefs in this letter. I do affure you there is
no return wanting on my part, and am very
forry I had not the good luck to see the Dean
before I left the town: it is a great pleasure to
me, and not a little vanity to think that he
miffes me.
As to my health, which you are
so kind to enquire after, it is not worse than in
London: I am almost afraid yet to say that it
is better, for I cannot reasonably expect much
effect from these waters in so short a time; but
in the main they seem to agree with me. Here
is not one creature that I know, which, next to
the few I would chufe, contributes very much
to my fatisfaction. At the fame time that I re-
gret the want of your coverfation, I please my-
self with thinking that you are where you firft
ought to be, and engaged where you cannot do
too much. Pray, give my humble fervice, and
best wishes to your good mother. I am forry
you don't tell me how Mr. Gay does in his
Health: I should have been glad to have heard
he was better. My young Amanuenfis, as you
call him, I am afraid, will prove but a wooden
one: and you know ex quovis ligno, &c. You
will pardon Mrs. R's pedantry, and believe

me to be

Your, &c.

X 4

P. S.

P. S. By the inclofed you will fee I am like to be imprefs'd, and enroll'd in the Lift of Mr. Curll's Authors; but, I thank God! I fhall have your Company. I believe it high time you should think of adminiftring another Emetic.

LETTERS

LETTERS

TO AND FROM

SEVERAL PERSONS.

From 1714 to 1721.

LETTER I.

The Rev. Dean BERKLEY to Mr. POPE.

A

Leghorn, May 1, 1714.

SI take ingratitude to be a greater crime than impertinence, I chufe rather to run the rifque of being thought guilty of the latter, than not to return you my thanks for a very agreeable entertainment you just now gave me. I have accidentally met with your Rape of the Lock here, having never seen it before. Style, painting, judgment, fpirit, I had already admired in other of your writings; but in this I am charm'd with the magic of your invention, with all thofe images, allufions, and inexplicable