I could make a return to fo much profuseness of Wit and humanity together; which, though they feldom accompany each other in other men, are in you fo equally met, I know not in which you most abound. But so much for my opinion of you, which is, that your Wit and Ingenuity is equalled by nothing but your Judgment or Modefty, which (though it be to please myself) I muft no more offend than I can do either right.

Therefore I will fay no more now of them, than that your good wit never forfeited your good judgment, but in your partiality to me and mine; fo that if it were poffible for a hardened fcribler to be vainer than he is, what you write of me would make me more conceited than what I fcrible myfelf: yet, I must confefs, I ought to be more humbled by your praise than exalted, which commends my little fense with fo much more of yours, that I am difparaged and disheartened by your commendations; who give me an example of your wit in the first part of your letter, and a definition of it in the laft; to make writing well (that is, like you) more difficult to me than ever it was before. Thus the more great and juft your example and definition of wit are, the lefs I am capable to follow them. Then the best way of fhewing my judgment, after having feen how you write, is to leave off writing; and the best way to fhew my friendship to you, is to put an end to your trouble, and to conclude. Yours, etc.

LETTER III.

March 25, 1705.

I write to you, I forefee a long letter,

WHEN I write to

and ought to beg your patience before-hand; for if it proves the longeft, it will be of courfe the worst I have troubled you with. Yet to exprefs my gratitude at large for your obliging letter, is not more my duty than my intereft; as fome people will abundantly thank you for one piece of kindness, to put you in mind of beftowing another. The more favourable you are to me, the more diftinctly I fee my faults: Spots and blemishes, you know, are never fo plainly discovered as in the brighteft funfhine. Thus I am mortified by thofe commendations which were defigned to encourage me: for praise to a young wit, is like rain to a tender flower; if it be mode.rately bestowed, it chears and revives; but if too lavifhly, over-charges and depreffes him. Most men in years, as they are generally difcouragers of youth, are like old trees, that, being 'paft bearing themfelves, will fuffer no young plants to flourish beneath them but, as if it were not enough to have outdone all your coëvals in wit, you will excel them in

good

The perpetual attempt to be witty and brilliant; the accumulation of fimile upon fimile; the point, the antithefis, the cant of fatire, and severity on authors, and critics, and women, are fufficiently difgufting in the Letters of this vain old man.

WARTON.

you

good-nature too. As for my green essays *, if find any pleasure in them, it must be fuch as a man naturally takes in obferving the first shoots and buddings of a tree which he has raised himself; and 'tis impoffible they fhould be efteemed any otherwise, than as we value fruits for being early, which neverthelefs are the most infipid, and the worst of the In a word, I muft blame you for treating me with fo much compliment, which is at best but the fmoke of friendship. I neither write nor converse with you, to gain your praife, but your affection. Be fo much my friend as to appear my enemy, and tell me my faults, if not as a young man, at least as an unexperienced Writer. I am, &c.

year.

LETTER IV.

FROM MR. WYCHERLEY.

March 29, 1705.

YOUR letter of the twenty-fifth of March I have received, which was more welcome to me than any thing could be out of the country, though it one's rent due that day; and I can find no fault with it, but that it charges me with want of fincerity, or justice, for giving you your due; who fhould not let your modefty be fo unjust to your

were

His Paftorals, written at fixteen years of age.

merit,

POPE.

merit, as to reject what is due to it, and call that compliment, which is fo fhort of your defert, that it is rather degrading than exalting you. But if compliment be the smoke only of friendship, (as you fay,) however, you must allow there is no fmoke but there is fome fire; and as the facrifice of incenfe offered to the Gods would not have been half fo fweet to others, if it had not been for its smoke; fo friendfhip, like love, cannot be without fome incenfe, to perfume the name it would praise and immortalize. But fince you fay you do not write to me to gain my praife, but my affection, pray how is it poffible to have the one without the other? we must admire before we love. You affirm, you would have me fo much your friend as to appear your enemy, and find out your faults rather than your perfections; but (my friend) that would be fo hard to do, that I, who love no difficulties, can't be perfuaded to it. Befides, the vanity of a scribler is such, that he will never part with his own judgment to gratify another's; especially when he must take pains to do it: and though I am proud to be of your opinion, when you talk of any thing or man but yourself, I cannot fuffer you to murder your fame with your own hand, without oppofing you; especially when you say your last letter is the worst (fince the longest) you have favoured me with; which I therefore think the best; as the longeft life (if a good one) is the beft; as it yields the more variety, and is the more exemplary; as a

chearful

chearful fummer's day, though longer than a dull one in the winter, is lefs tedious and more entertaining. Therefore let but your friendship be like your letter, as lasting as it is agreeable, and it can never be tedious, but more acceptable and obliging to

Your, etc.

LETTER V.

FROM MR. WYCHERLEY.

April 7, 1705.

HAVE received your's of the fifth, wherein your modefty refuses the juft praises I give you, by which you lay claim to more, as a bishop gains his bishopric by saying he will not episcopate; but I must confefs, whilst I displease you by commending you, I please myself; just as incense is sweeter to the offerer than the deity to whom 'tis offered, by his being fo much above it: For indeed every man partakes of praise he gives, when it is fo juftly given.

the

As to my enquiry after your intrigues with the Mufes, you may allow me to make it, fince no old man can give fo young, so great, and able a favourite of theirs, jealousy. I am, in my enquiry, like old Sir Bernard Gascoign, who used to say, that when he

grown too old to have his vifits admitted alone by the ladies, he always took along with him a young

man