MY LORD,

LETTER IV.

The Anfwer.

Nov. 20, 1717.

1 AM truly obliged by your kind condolence on my Father's death, and the defire you exprefs that I fhould improve this incident to my advantage. I know your Lordship's friendship to me is fo extenfive, that you include in that with both my fpiritual and my temporal advantage; and it is what I owe to that friendship, to open my mind unreservedly to you on this head. It is true I have lost a parent for whom no gains I could make would be any equivalent. But that was not my only tye; I thank God another ftill remains (and long may it remain) of the fame tender nature: Genitrix eft mihi-and excuse me if I fay with Euryalus, nequeam lacrymas perferre parentis.

A rigid divine may call it a carnal tye, but fure it is a virtuous one at leaft I am more certain that it is a duty of nature to preserve a good parent's life and happincfs, than I am of any speculative point whatever. Ignaram hujus quodcunque pericli Hanc ego, nunc, linquam?

For fhe, my Lord, would think this feparation more grievous than any other, and I, for my part, know as little as poor Euryalus did, of the fuccefs of fuch an adventure (for an adventure it is, and no fmall one, in fpite of the moft pofitive divinity). Whether the change would be to my fpiritual advantage, God only knows this I know, that I mean as well in the religion I now profefs, as I can poffibly ever do in another. Can a man who thinks fo, juftify a change, even if he thought both equally good? To fuch an

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one, the part of Joining with any one body of Chrif tians might perhaps be eafy, but I think it would not be fo, to Renounce the other.

Your Lordship has formerly advis'd me to read the beft controverfies between the Churches. Shall I tell you a fecret? I did fo at fourteen years old (for I loved reading, and my father had no other books); there was a collection of all that had been written on both fides in the reign of King James the Second: I warm'd my head with them, and the confequence was, that I found myself a Papist and a Proteftant by turns, according to the last book I read *. I am afraid most Seekers are in the fame cafe, and when they stop, they are not fo properly converted, as out-witted. You fee how little glory you would gain by my converfion. And after all, I verily believe your Lordship and I are both of the fame religion, if we were thoroughly understood by one another, and that all honeft and reafonable Christians would be fo, if they did but talk enough together every day; and had nothing to do together, but to ferve God, and live in peace with their neighbour.

As to the temporal fide of the question, I can have no difpute with you; it is certain, all the beneficial circumstances of life, and all the fhining ones, lie on the part you would invite me to. But if I could bring myself to fancy, what I think you do but fancy, that I have any talents for active life, I want health for it; and befides, it is a real truth, I have lefs Inclination (if poffible) than Ability. Contemplative life is not only my fcene, but it is my habit too. I begun my life where most people end theirs, with a dif-relish of all that the world calls ambition: I don't know

*This is an excellent defcription of every Reader labouring in religious controverfy, without poffeffing the principles on which a right judgment of the points in question is to be regulated.

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why 'tis called fo, for to me it always feem'd to be rather fooping than climbing. I'll tell you my politick and religious fentiments in a few words. In my politicks, I think no further than how to preserve the peace of my life, in any government under which I live; nor in my religion, than to preserve the peace of my confcience, in any church with which I communicate, I hope all churches and all governments are fo far of God, as they are rightly understood, and rightly administred: and where they are, or may be wrong, leave it to God alone to mend or reform them; which whenever he does, it must be by greater inftruments than I am. I am not a papist, for I renounce the temporal invafions of the papal power, and deteft their arrogated authority over Princes and States. I am a Catholick in the ftricteft fenfe of the word. born under an abfolute prince, I would be a quiet fubject; but I thank God I was not. I have a due sense of the excellence of the British conftitution. In a word, the things I have always wished to see are not a Roman Catholick, or a French Catholick, or a Spanish Catholick, but a true Catholick: and not a King of Whigs, or a King of Tories, but a King of England. Which God of his mercy grant his prefent Majefty may be, and all future Majefties. You fee, my Lord, I end like a preacher this is Sermo ad Clerum, not ad Populum. Believe me, with infinite obligation and fincere thanks, ever Your, etc.

If I was

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LETTER V.

Sept. 23, 1720.

HOPE YOU and the two volumes of Mr. Gay, as inftances (how

have fome time ago receiv'd the Sulphur,

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fmall ones foever) that I wish you both health and diverfion. What I now fend for your perufal, I shall fay nothing of; not to foreftall by a fingle word what you promis'd to fay upon that fubject. Your Lordship may criticise from Virgil to thefe Tales; as Solomon wrote of every thing from the cedar to the hyffop. I have fome cause, since I last waited on you at Bromley, to look upon you as a prophet in that retreat, from whom oracles are to be had, were mankind wise enough to go thither to confult you: The fate of the Southsea scheme has, much fooner than I expected, verify'd what you told me. Moft people thought the time would come, but no man prepared for it; no man confider'd it would come like a Thief in the Night, exactly as it happens in the cafe of our death. Methinks God has punish'd the avaritious, as he often punishes finners, in their own way, in the very fin itself: the thirst of gain was their crime, that thirst continued became their punishment and ruin. As for the few who have the good fortune to remain with half of what they imagined they had (among whom is your humble fervant), I would have them fenfible of their felicity, and convinced of the truth of old Hefiod's (maxim, who, after half his eftate was fwallowed by the Directors of those days, refolved, that half to be more than the whole.

Does not the fate of these people put you in mind of two paffages, one in Job, the other from the Pfalmift? Men fhall groan out of the CITY, and hifs them out of their PLACE.

They have dreamed out their dream, and awakening bave found nothing in their hands.

Indeed the univerfal poverty, which is the confequence of universal avarice, and which will fall hardest upon the guiltless and industrious part of mankind, is truly lamentable. The univerfal deluge of the S. Sea,

contrary to the old deluge, has drowned all except a few Unrighteous men: but it is fome comfort to me that I am not one of them, even tho' I were to survive and rule the world by it. I am much pleas'd with a thought of Dr. Arbuthnot's; he fays the government and South-Sea company have only lock'd up the money of the people, upon conviction of their Lunacy (as is ufual in the cafe of Lunaticks), and intend to reftore them as much as may be fit for fuch people, as fast as they shall see them return to their fenfes.

The latter part of your letter does me so much honour, and fhews me so much kindness, that I must both ́ be proud and pleas'd, in a great degree; but I affure you, my Lord, much more the laft than the first. For I certainly know, and feel, from my own heart, which truly respects you, that there may be a ground for your partiality, one way; but I find not the leaft fymptoms in my head, of any foundation for the other. In a word, the beft reafon I know for my being pleas'd, is, that you continue your favour towards me; the best I know for being proud, would be that you might cure me of it; for I have found you to be fuch a physician as does not only repair but improve. I am, with the fincerest esteem, and most grateful acknowledgment, Your, etc.

LETTER VI.

From the Bishop of ROCHESTER.

THE Arabian Tales, and Mr. Gay's books, I receiv'd not till Monday night, together with your letter; for which I thank you. I have had a fit of the gout upon me ever fince I returned hither from Weftminfter on Saturday night laft: it has found its way