wit and judgment forbid me; fince I may return you a letter, but never an answer.

Now, as for your owning your affiftance to me, in overlooking my unmúfical numbers, and harfher fense, and correcting them both with your genius, or judgment; I must tell you, I always own it (in spite of your unpoetic modefty) who would do with your friendship as your charity; conceal your bounty to magnify the obligation; and even while you lay on your friend the favour, acquit him of the debt: But that fhall not serve your turn; I will always own, it is my infallible Pope, has, or would redeem me from a poetical damning, the second time; and fave my rhymes from being condemned to the critics flames to all eternity; but (by the faith you profess) you know your works of fupererogation, transferred upon an humble acknowledging finner, may fave even him; having good works enough of your own befides, to enfure yours, and their immortality.

And now for the pains you have taken to recommend my Dulness, by making it more methodical, I give you a thousand thanks; fince true and natural dulness is fhewn more by its pretence to form and method, as the fprightlinefs' of wit by its defpifing both. I thank you a thousand times for your repeated invitations to come to Binfield: You will

r

find,

By sprightlinefs he must mean extravagance of wit. For sober wit would no more despise method than it would despise words, or any other vehicle it uses, to make itself seen to advantage. W.

find, it will be as hard for you to get quit of my mer

cenary kindness to you, as it would be for me to de

ferve, or return yours: However, it fhall be the en

deavour of my future life, as it will be to demonftrate myfelf

Your, etc.

LETTER XV.

Nov. 29, 1707.

make

regard of any

HE Compliments you me, in

TH

inconfiderable fervice I could do you, are very unkind, and do but tell me in other words, that my friend has fo mean an opinion of me, as to think I expect acknowledgments for trifles; which upon my faith I fhall equally take amifs, whether made to myfelf, or to any other. For God's fake (my dear friend) think better of me, and believe I defire no fort of favour fo much, as that of ferving you more confiderably than I have been yet able to do.

I fhall proceed in this manner with fome others of your pieces; but fince you defire I would not deface your copy for the future, and only mark the repetitions; I muft, as foon as I have marked thefe, tranfcribe what is left on another paper; and in that, blot, alter, and add all I can devife, for their improvement. For you are fenfible, the omiffion of Repetitions is but one, and the easiest part, of yours

and my defign; there remaining befides to rectify the Method, to connect the Matter, and to mend the Expreffion and Verfification. I will go next upon the poems of Solitude, on the Public, and on the mixt Life; the Bill of Fare, the Praises of Avarice, and fome others.

I must take notice of what you say of “ my pains "to make your dulnefs methodical;" and of your hint," that the sprightliness of wit despises method.” This is true enough, if by wit you mean no more than fancy or conceit; but in the better notion of wit, confidered as propriety, furely method is not only neceffary for perfpicuity and harmony of parts, but gives beauty even to the minute and particular thoughts, which receive an additional advantage from those which precede or follow in their due place. You remember a fimile Mr. Dryden* used in conversation, of feathers in the crowns of the wild Indians, which they not only choose for the beauty of their colours, but place them in fuch a manner as to reflect a luftre on each other. I will not disguise any of my fentiments from you; to methodize in your cafe, is full as neceffary as to ftrike out; otherwise you had better destroy the whole frame, and reduce them into fingle thoughts in profe, like Rochefoucault, as I have more than once hinted to you.

*This beautiful fimile is worth recording, for its juftness and elegance. His poems have not a better.

LETTER XVI.

FROM MR. WYCHERLEY.

Feb. 28, 1707-8.

1

HAVE had yours of the 23d of this inftant, for which I give you many thanks, fince I find by it, that even absence (the ufual bane of love or friendfhip) cannot leffen yours, no more than mine. As to your hearing of my being ill, I am glad, and forry for the report: in the first place, glad that it was not true; and in the next, forry that it should give you any disturbance, or concern more than ordinary for me; for which, as well as your concern for my future well-being or life, I think myself most eternally obliged to you; affuring, your concern for either will make me more careful of both. Yet for your fake I love this life fo well, that I fhall the less think of the other; but it is in your power to enfure my happiness in one and the other, both by your society, and good example, fo not only contribute to my felicity here, but hereafter.

Now as to your excufe for the plainnefs of your ftyle, I must needs tell you, that friendship is much more acceptable to a true friend than wit, which is generally false reasoning; and a friend's reprimand often fhews more friendship than his compliment: nay love, which is more than friendship, is often seen by our friends correction of our follies or crimes. Upon

VOL. VII.

D

Upon this test of your friendship I intend to put you when I return to London, and thence to you at Binfield, which, I hope, will be within a month.

Next to the news of your good health, I am pleased with the good news of your going to print fome of your poems, and proud to be known by them to the public for your friend; who intend (perhaps the fame way) to be revenged of you for your kindness; by taking your name in vain in fome of my future madrigals: yet fo as to let the world know, my love or esteem for you are no more poetic than my talent in fcribling. But of all the arts of fiction I defire you to believe I want that of feigning friendship, and that I am fincerely

Your, etc.

I

LETTER XVII.

FROM MR. WYCHERLEY.

May 13, 1708. HAVE received yours of the first of May. Your pastoral muse outshines in her modest and natural drefs all Apollo's court-ladies, in their more artful, laboured, and coftly finery. Therefore I am glad to find by your letter you design your country-beauty of a mufe fhall appear at court and in public: to outfhine all the farded, lewd, confident, affected Towndowdies,

I