prudence will let him remain fo, for my fake no less than your own: fince, if you should reveal any thing of this nature, it would be no wonder reports should be raised, and there are fome (I fear) who would be ready to improve them to my disadvantage. I am forry you told the great man, whom you met in the court of requests, that your papers were in my hands; no man alive fhall ever know any fuch thing from me; and I give you this warning befides, that though yourself fhould fay I had any ways affifted you, I am notwithstanding refolved to deny it.

The method of the copy I fend you is very different from what it was, and much more regular: for the better help of your memory, I defire you to compare it by the figures in the margin, anfwering to the fame in this letter. The poem is now divided into four parts, marked with the literal figures 1, 2, 3, 4. The first contains the praife of Dulness, and fhews upon several suppositions it paffes for 1. religion; 2. philosophy; 3. example; 4. wit; and 5. the cause of wit, and the end of it. The second part contains the advantages of Dulness; 1ft, in business; and

how upon

2dly, at Court, where the fimilitudes of the Bias of a bowl, and the Weights of a clock, are directly tending to the fubject, though introduced before in a place where there was no mention made of those advantages (which was your only objection to my adding them). The third contains the happiness of Dulness in all stations, and fhews in a great many particulars,

7

culars, that it is fo fortunate as to be esteemed some good quality or other in all forts of people; that it is thought quiet, fenfe, caution, policy, prudence, majesty, valour, circumfpection, honesty, &c. The fourth part I have wholly added, as a climax which fums up all the praise, advantage, and happiness of Dulness in a few words, and strengthens them by the oppofition of the difgrace, difadvantage, and unhappiness of Wit, with which it concludes P.

Though the whole be as fhort again as at first, there is not one thought omitted, but what is a repetition of something in your first volume, or in this very paper: Some thoughts are contracted, where they seemed encompaffed with too many words; and fome new expreffed or added, where I thought there wanted heightening, (as you'll fee particularly in the Simile of the clock-weights,) and the verfification

through

This is totally omitted in the prefent Edition: Some of the lines are thefe :

"Thus Dulness, the fafe opiate of the mind,

The laft kind refuge weary wit can find ;
Fit for all ftations, and in each content,

Is fatisfy'd, fecure, and innocent;

No pains it takes, and no offence it gives,

Unfear'd, unhated, undisturb'd it lives," &c. WARBURTON.
It was originally thus expreffed:

"As clocks run fastest when most lead is on."

in a letter of Mr. Pope's to Mr. Wycherley, dated April 3, 1705, and in a Paper of verses of his, To the Author of a Poem called Succeffio, which got out in a Mifcellany in 1712 three years before Mr. Wycherley died, and two after he had laid aside the whole defign of publishing any poems.

POPE.

Thefe

throughout is, I believe, fuch as nobody can be shocked at. The repeated permiffions you give me of dealing freely with you, will (I hope) excuse what I have done for if I have not fpared you when I thought severity would do you a kindness, I have not mangled you where I thought there was no absolute need of amputation. As to particulars, I can fatisfy you better when we meet; in the mean time pray write to me when you can, you cannot too often.

LETTER XIV.

FROM MR. WYCHERLEY.

Nov. 22, 1707.

you may fee by my style, I had the happiness and fatisfaction to receive yesterday, by the hands of Mr. Englefyld, your extreme kind and obliging letter, the 20th of this month; which, like all the rest of yours, did at once mortify me, and make me vain; fince it tells me, with fo much more wit, fenfe, and kindness than mine can exprefs, that my letters are always welcome to you. So that even whilft kindness invites me to write to you, your

your

wit

These two fimilies of the Bias of a Bowl, and the Weights of a Clock, were at length put into the first book of the Dunciad. And thus we have the history of their birth, fortunes, and final establishWARBURTON.

ment.

VOL. VII.

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

Now, as for your owning your affistance to me, in overlooking my unmufical numbers, and harsher 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 shall not ferve your turn; I will always own, it is my infallible Pope has, or would redeem me from a poetical damning, the fecond 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 ensure 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 dulnefs is fhewn more by its pretence to form and method, as the sprightlinefs of wit by its defpifing both. I thank you a thousand times for your repeated invitations to come to Binfield: You will

find,

By sprightliness he must mean extravagance of wit. For fober wit would no more despise method than it would defpife words, or any other vehicle it ufes, to make itself seen to advantage.

WARBURTON.

find, it will be as hard for you to get quit of my mercenary kindness to you, as it would be for me to deserve, or return yours: However, it shall be the endeavour of my future life, as it will be to demonftrate myself.

LETTER XV.

Your, etc.

Nov. 29, 1707.

regard of any

you, are very

THE Compliments you make me, in inconfiderable fervice I could do 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 my. felf 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 eafieft part, of yours