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LETTER VIII.

1

O&. 26, 1705.

HAVE now changed the fcene from the town to the country; from Will's coffee-house to Windfor Foreft. I find no other difference than this, betwixt the common town-wits, and the downright country-fools, that the first are pertly in the wrong, with a little more flourish and gaiety; and the last neither in the right nor the wrong, but confirmed in a ftupid fettled medium betwixt both. However, methinks, these are most in the right, who quietly and easily refign themselves over to the gentle reign of dulnefs, which the Wits must do at last, though after a great deal of noise and refiftance. Ours are a fort of modeft inoffenfive people, who neither have sense nor pretend to any, but enjoy a jovial sort of dulness: They are commonly known in the world by the name of honest, civil gentlemen: They live much as they ride, at random; a kind of hunting life, pursuing with earnestness and hazard something not worth the catching; never in the way, nor out of it. I can't but prefer folitude to the company of all thefe; for though a man's felf may poffibly be the worst fellow to converse with in the world, yet one would

In this Letter he has excelled Wycherley in his own way of ftriving to be always witty and fatirical. WARTON.

would think the company of a perfon whom we have the greatest regard to and affection for, could not be very unpleasant. As a man in love with a mistress, defires no converfation but hers, fo a man in love with himself (as moft men are) may be best pleafed with his own. Befides, if the trueft and moft useful knowledge be the knowledge of ourfelves, folitude conducing most to make us look into ourfelves, fhould be the most inftructive state of life.

We fee nothing more commonly, than men, who, for the fake of the circumftantial part and mere outfide of life, have been half their days rambling out of their nature, and ought to be fent into folitude to study themselves over again. People are ufually fpoiled, instead of being taught, at their coming into the world; whereas, by being more converfant with Obfcurity, without any pains, they would naturally follow what they were meant for. In a word, if a man be a coxcomb, Solitude is his beft School; and if he be a fool, it is his beft Sanctuary.

These are good reafons for my own stay here, but I wish I could give you any for your coming hither, except that I earnestly invite you. And yet I can't help faying I have fuffered a great deal of difcontent that you do not come, though I fo little merit that you fhould.

I must complain of the fhortnefs of your last. Those who have most wit, like those who have most money, are generally most sparing of either.

LETTER IX.

FROM MR. WYCHERLEY.

Nov. 5, 1705.

YOURS of the 26th of October I have received, as I have always done yours, with no little fatiffaction, and am proud to discover by it, that you find fault with the fhortnefs of mine, which I think the best excufe for it: And though they (as you fay) who have most wit or money are most sparing of either; there are fome who appear poor to be thought rich, and are poor, which is my cafe. I cannot but rejoice that you have undergone fo much discontent for want of my company: But if you have a mind to punish me for my fault (which I could not help) deyour coming to town, and you will do it effectu

fer

you

ally. But I know your charity always exceeds your revenge, fo that I will not defpair of seeing you, and, in return to your inviting me to your forest, invite to my forest, the town; where the beasts that inhabit, tame or wild, of long ears or horns, pursue one another either out of love or hatred. You may have the pleasure to see one pack of blood-hounds purfue another herd of brutes, to bring each other to their fall, which is their whole fport: Or if you affect a lefs bloody chace, you may fee a pack of spaniels, called lovers, in a hot pursuit of a two-legged vixen,

who only flies the whole loud pack to be fingled out by one dog, who runs mute to catch her up the fooner from the reft, as they are making a noise to the lofs of their game. In fine, this is the time for all forts of sport in the town, when those of the country cease; therefore leave your forefts of beasts for ours of brutes, called men, who now in full cry (packed by the court or country) run down in the house of commons a deferted horned beast of the Court, to the fatisfaction of their spectators: Besides, (more for your diverfion,) you may fee not only the two great play-houfes of the nation, thofe of the lords and commons, in difpute with one another; but the two other play-houses in high conteft, because the members of one house are removed up to t'other, as it is often done by the court for reasons of state. Infomuch that the lower houfes, I mean the play-houses, are going to act tragedies on one another without doors, and the Sovereign is put to it (as it often happens in the other two houses) to filence one or both, to keep peace between them. Now I have told you all the news of the town.

I am, etc.

* Perhaps he here alludes to the difmiffal, about this time, of Sir Nathan Wright, who had been Keeper of the Great Seal. For an account of the feuds of the two Theatres, that of Drury Lane, and that in Lincoln's Inn Fields, fee Cibber's very entertaining Life, vol. i.

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LETTER X.

FROM MR. WYCHERLEY.

Feb. 5, 1705-6.

HAVE received your kind letter, with my paper' to Mr. Dryden corrected. I own you have made more of it by making it less, as the Dutch are said to burn half the spices they bring home, to inhance the price of the remainder, fo to be greater gainers by their lofs (which is indeed my cafe now). You have pruned my fading laurels of fome fuperfluous, faplefs, and dead branches, to make the remainder live the longer; thus, like your master Apollo, you are at once a poet and a phyfician.

Now, Sir, as, to my impudent invitation of you to the town, your good nature was the first cause of my confident request; but excufe me, I muft (I fee) fay no more upon this fubject, fince I find you a little too nice to be dealt freely with; though you have given me fome encouragement to hope, our friendship might be without fhynefs, or criminal modesty; for a friend, like a mistress, though he is not to be mercenary, to be true, yet ought not to refuse a friend's kindness because it is small or trivial: I have told you (I think) what a Spanish lady faid to her

poor

The fame which was printed in the year 1717, in a miscellany of Bern. Lintot's, and in the pofthumous works of Mr. Wycher

ley.

WARBURTON.