Wit and Faith lay to the word They: when that was beyond contradiction removed (the very grammar ferving to confute them) then the objection was against the fimile itfelf; or if that fimile will not be objected to (fenfe and common reafon being indeed a little stubborn, and not apt to give way to every body) next the mention of Superftition must become a crime; as if Religion and fhe were fifters, or that it were scandal upon the family of Chrift, to fay a word against the devil's baftard. Afterwards, more mifchief is difcover'd in a place that feemed innocent at first, the two lines about Schifmatics. An ordinary man would imagine the author plainly declared against thofe fchifmatics, for quitting the true faith out of a contempt of the understanding of fome few of its believers: but thefe believers are called dull, and because I say that those schifmatics think fome believers dull, therefore these charitable interpreters of my meaning will have it, that I think all believers dull. I was lately telling Mr. ** thefe objections who affured me I had faid nothing which a catholic need to disown; and I have caufe to know that gentleman's fault (if he has any) is not want of zeal: He put a notion into my head, which, I confefs, I can't but acquiefce in; that when a fett of people are piqued at any truth which they think to their own difadvantage, their method of revenge on the truth-speaker is to attack his reputation a byway, and not openly to object to the place they are really galled by: what these therefore (in his opinion) are in earneft angry at, is, that Erafmus, whom their tribe oppreffed and perfecuted, fhould be vindicated after an age of obloquy by one of their own people, willing to utter an honest truth in behalf of the dead, whom no man fure will flatter, and to whom few will do justice. Others, you know, were as angry that I mentioned Mr. Walsh with honour; who as he never refused to any one of merit of any party party the praise due to him, fo honeftly deserved it from all others, tho' of ever fo different interests or fentiments. May I be ever guilty of this fort of liberty, and latitude of principle! which gives us the hardiness of speaking well of those whom envy oppreffes even after death. As I would always fpeak well of my living friends when they are abfent, nay because they are abfent, so would I much more of the dead, in that eternal abfence; and the rather because I expect no thanks for it. Thus, Sir, you see I do in my conscience perfift in what I have written; yet in my friendship I will recant and alter whatever you pleafe, in cafe of a fecond edition (which I think the book will not fo foon arrive at, for Tonfon's printer told me he drew off a thousand copies in this firft impreffion, and, I fancy, a treatise of this nature, which not one gentleman in threescore even of a liberal education can understand, can hardly exceed the vent of that number.) You fhall find me a true Trojan in my faith and friendship, in both which I will perfevere to the end Your, &c. I LETTER IV. To my Lord LANSDOWN. Binfield, Jan. 10, 1712. Thank you for having given my poem of Windfor foreft its greatest ornament, that of bearing your name in the front of it. 'Tis one thing when a perfon of true merit permits us to have the honour of drawing him as like as we can; and another, when we make a fine thing at random, and perfuade the next vain creature we can find that 'tis his own likeness; likeness; which is the cafe every day of my fellow fcriblers. Yet, my Lord, this honour has given me no more pride than your honours have given you; but it affords me a great deal of pleasure, which is much better than a great deal of pride; and it indeed would give me some pain, if I was not fure of one advantage; that whereas others are offended if they have not more than justice done them, you would be difpleafed if you had fo much: therefore I may fafely do you as much injury in my word, as you do yourself in your own thoughts. I am fo vain as to think I have fhewn you a favour, in fparing your modefty, and you cannot but make me some return for prejudicing the truth to gratify you: This I beg may be the free correction of these verses, which will have few beauties, but what may be made by your blots. I am in the circumftance of an ordinary painter drawing Sir Godfrey Kneller, who by a few touches of his own could make the piece very valuable, I might then hope, that many years hence the world might read, in conjunction with your name, that of I Your Lordship's, &c. LETTER V. The Hon. J. C. to Mr. POPE. May 23, 1712. AM very glad for the fake of the widow, and for the credit of the deceased, that* Betterton's remains are fallen into fuch hands as may render them reputable to the one, and beneficial to the other. * A Tranflation of fome part of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the Prologues, &c. printed in a Mifcellany with fome works of Mr. Pope, in 2 Vol. 12° by B. Lintot. P. Befides Befides the public acquaintance I long had with that poor man, I alfo had a flender knowledge of his parts and capacity by private conversation, and ever thought it pity he was neceffitated by the ftraitness of his fortune, to act (and especially to his latest hours) an imaginary and fictitious part, who was capable of exhibiting a real one, with credit to himfelf, and advantage to his neighbour. I hope your health permitted you to execute your defign of giving us an imitation of Pollio; I am fatisfied 'twill be doubly divine, and I fhall long to fee it. I ever thought church-mufic the most ravishing of all harmonious compofitions, and muft alfo believe facred fubjects, well handled, the most infpiring of all poetry. But where hangs the Lock now? (tho' I know, that rather than draw any juft reflection upon yourfelf of the leaft fhadow of ill-nature, you would freely have fupprefs'd one of the best of poems.) I hear no more of it-will it come out in Lintot's Mifcellany or not? I wrote to Lord Petre upon the fubject of the Lock, fome time fince, but have as yet had no answer, nor indeed do I know when he'll be in London. I have, fince I faw you, correfponded with Mrs. W. I hope fhe is now with her Aunt, and that her journey thither was fomething facilitated by my writing to that lady as preffingly as poffible, not to let any thing whatever obftruct it. I fent her obliging anfwer to the party it most concern'd; and when I hear Mrs. W. is certainly there, I will write again to my Lady, to urge as much as poffible the effecting the only thing that in my opinion can make her niece eafy. I have run out my extent of paper, and am Your, &c. LET IT LETTER VI. The Anfwer. May 28, 1712. T is not only the difpofition I always have of converfing with you, that makes me fo fpeedily anfwer your obliging letter, but the apprehenfion left your charitable intent of writing to my lady A. on Mrs. W.'s affair fhould be fruftrated, by the fhort ftay fhe makes there. She went thither on the 25th with that mixture of expectation and anxiety, with which people usually go into unknown or half-difcover'd countries, utterly ignorant of the difpofitions of the inhabitants, and the treatment they are to meet with. The unfortunate of all people are the moft unfit to be left alone; yet, we fee, the world generally takes care they fhall be fo; whereas, if we took a confiderate profpect of the world, the business and study of the happy and easy should be to divert and humour, as well as comfort and pity, the diftreffed. I cannot therefore excufe fome near Allies of mine for their conduct of late towards this lady, which has given me a great deal of anger as well as forrow all I fhall fay to you of them at present is, that they have not been my Relations thefe two months. The confent of opinions in our minds, is certainly a nearer tye than can be contracted by all the blood in our bodies; and I am proud of finding I have fomething congenial with you. Will you permit me to confefs to you, that all the favours and kind offices you have fhewn towards me, have not so strongly cemented me yours, as the discovery of that generous and manly compaffion you manifested in the case of this unhappy lady? I am afraid to infinuate to you how much I efteem |