turned to Noah, and just made him know it had found no reft abroad.

There is nothing in it that pleases me, but when you tell me you had no fea-ficknefs. I beg your next may give me all the pleasure it can, that is, tell me any that you receive. You can make no difcoveries that will be half fo valuable to me as thofe of your own mind. Nothing that regards the states or kingdoms you pafs through, will engage fo much of my curiosity or concern, as what relates to yourfelf: your welfare, to fay truth, is more at my heart than that of Christendom.

I am fure I may defend the truth, though perhaps not the virtue, of this declaration. One is ignorant, or doubtful at best, of the merits of differing religions and governments: but private virtues one can be fure of. I therefore know what particular Person has defert enough to merit being happier than others, but not what Nation deferves to conquer or opprefs another. You will fay, I am not public-fpirited; let it be fo, I may have too many tenderneffes, particular regards, or narrow views; but at the fame time I am certain that whoever wants thefe, can never have a public fpirit; for (as a friend of mine fays) how is it poffible for that man to love twenty thousand people, who never loved one?

I communicated your letter to Mr. C—*; he thinks of you and talks of you as he ought, I mean

as

VOL. VII.

Craggs, probably.

as I do, and one always thinks that to be just as it ought. His health and mine are now fo good, that we wish with all our fouls you were a witness of it. We never meet but we lament over you: we pay a kind of weekly rites to your memory, where we ftrow flowers of rhetoric, and offer fuch libations to your name as it would be profane to call Toafting. The Duke of B- -m is fometimes the High Priest of your praises; and upon the whole, I believe there are as few men that are not forry at your departure, as women that are; for, you know, most of your sex want good sense, and therefore must want generofity: you have fo much of both, that, I am fure, you pardon them; for one cannot but forgive whatever one despises. For my part, I hate a great many women for your fake, and undervalue all the rest. 'Tis you are to blame, and may God revenge it upon you, with all thofe bleffings and earthly profperities, which, the Divines tell us, are the cause of our perdition; for if he makes you happy in this world, I dare trust your own virtue to do it in the other. I am Your, etc.

Mr. WORTLEY was appointed ambaffador to Conftantinople, under the great feal, bearing date June 5, 1716. He returned to England Oct. 30, 1718; after which, by Pope's entreaty, Lady Montagu's fummer refidence was fixed at Twickenham. This funfhine of delight and friendship was foon clouded with fufpicion, and ended, on Pope's part, with the bittereft enmity.

LETTER XXIII.

TO MRS. ARABELLA FERMOR *.

ON HER MARRIAGE.

YOU

are by this time fatisfied how much the tendernefs of one man of merit is to be preferred to the addreffes of a thoufand. And by this time the gentleman you have made choice of is fenfible, how great is the joy of having all thofe charms and good qualities which have pleafed fo many, now applied to please one only. It was but juft, that the fame Virtues which gave you reputation, fhould give you happiness; and I can wish you no greater, than that you may receive it in as high a degree yourself, as fo much good humour must infallibly give it to your husband.

It may be expected, perhaps, that one who has the title of Poet fhould fay fomething more polite on this occafion but I am really more a well-wisher to your felicity, than a celebrater of your beauty. Befides, you are now a married woman, and in a way to be a great many better things than a fine lady; fuch as an excellent wife, a faithful friend, a tender parent, and at laft, as the confequence of them all, a faint in heaven. You ought now to hear nothing but

that,

*This Letter, though very elegant and well-turned, muft yield to Waller's Letter to Sacchariffa, on her marriage. WARTON.

that, which was all you ever defired to hear, (whatever others may have spoken to you,) I mean Truth: and it is with the utmost that I affure you, no friend you have can more rejoice in any good that befals you, is more fincerely delighted with the profpect of your future happiness, or more unfeignedly defires a long continuance of it.

I hope you will think it but juft, that a man who will certainly be spoken of as your admirer, after he is dead, may have the happiness to be esteemed, while he is living,

Your, etc.

I RETURN you the book you were pleased to fend

me, and with it your obliging letter, which deferves my particular acknowledgment: for, next to the pleasure of enjoying the company of fo good a friend, the welcomeft thing to me is to hear from him. I expected to find, what I have met with, an admirable genius in those Poems, not only because they were Milton's, or were approved by Sir Hen.

Wooton,

POPE.

* Secretary of State to King William the Third. Sir William Trumbull was by far, excepting Walsh, the moft respectable and valuable of Pope's early correfpondents. Cromwell and Wycherley were old debauchees.

L'Allegro, Il Penferofo, Lycidas, and the Masque of Comus.

POPE.

From hence it appears, that these four exquifite Poems of Milton were read, and relished, and recommended by our Author,