I thank you for the Book. you promis'd me, by which I find you would not only correct my Lines, but my Life.

As to the damn'd Verfes I entrusted you with, I hope you will let them undergo. your Purgatory, to fave them from other. People's damning them; fince the Critics, who are generally the first damn'd in this Life, like the damn'd below, never leave. to bring those above them under their own Circumftances. I beg you to peruse my Papers, and felect what you think beft, or moft tolerable, and look over them again, for I refolve fuddenly to print fome of them, as a harden'd old Gamester will (in fpite of all former ill ufage by Fortune) push on an ill Hand, in expectation of recovering himself; efpecially, fince I have fuch a Croupier or Second to ftand by me as Mr. Pope.

Mr. POPE to Mr. WYCHERLEY.

MR

Nov. 20. 1707.

R. Englefyld being upon his Journey to London, tells me I muft write to you by him, which I do, not more to comply with his defire, than to gratify my own; tho' I did it fo lately by the Meffenger you fent hither: I take it too as an opportunity of fending you the fair Copy of the Poem (a) on Dulness, which was not then finish'd, and which I fhould not care to hazard by the common Poft. Mr. Englefyld is ignorant of the Contents, and I hope your Prudence will let him remain fo, for my fake no less than your own: Since if you fhould reveal any thing of this nature, it would be no wonder Reports should be rais'd, and there are those (I fear) who would be ready to improve them to my difadvantage.

I am forry you told the great Man, whom you met in the Court of Requests, that your Papers were in my Hands': Noci Man alive fhall ever know any fuch thing from me; and I give you this warning befides, that tho' your felf should fay I had

(a) The Original of it in Blots, and with Figures of the References from Copy to Copy, in Mr. Pope's Hand, is in the Harley-Library, among other fuch Brouillons of Mr. Wycherley's Poems, corrected by him. Vid. Lett. Ap. 10, 1705-6. Note (a)

any

any way affifted you, I am notwithstanding refolv'd to deny it.

The method of the Copy I fend you is very different from what is 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, mark'd with the literal Figures I. II. III. IV. The firft contains the praise of Dulness, and shews how upon feveral fuppofitions, it paffes for 1. Religion. 2. Philofophy. 3. Example. 4. Wit. And 5. The cause of Wit, and the end of it. The fecond Part contains the advantages of Dulnefs: 1ft, In Bufinefs; and 2dly at Court; where the Similitudes of the Byafs of a Bowl, and the Weights of a Clock, are directly tending to illuftrate thofe advantages of Dulnefs, tho' introduced before in a place where there was no mention made of them; (which was your only objection to my add ing them.) The third contains the happinefs of Dulness in all Stations, and fhews in a great many Particulars, that it is font fortunate, as to be efteem'd fome good Quality or other in all forts of People; that it is thought Quiet, Senfe, Caution, Policy, Prudence, Majefty, Valour, Circumfpection, Honefty, &c. The fourth Part

I

I have wholly added, as a Climax which fums up all the praife, advantage, and happiness of Dulnefs in a few words, and ftrengthens them all by the oppofition of the difgrace, difadvantage, and unhappiness of Wit, with which it concludes (b).

Tho the whole be as fhort again as at firft, there is not one Thought omitted, but what is a Repetition of fomething in your firft Volume, or in this very Paper: Some Thoughts are contracted, where they feem'd encompass'd with too many words; and fome new exprefs'd, or added, where I thought there wanted heightning (as you'll fee parti cularly in the Simile of the Clock-Weights (c):

(b) This is totally omitted in the present Edition: Some of the Lines in the H. M. are these.

Thus Dulness, the fafe Opiate of the Mind,
The laft kind refuge sweary 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, unbated, undifturb'd it lives,
And if each writing Author's beft pretence,
Be but to teach the ignorant more Sense 3
Then Dulness was the Caufe they wrote before,
As 'tis at laft the Caufe they write no more;
So Wit, which moft to fcorn it does pretend,
With Dulness firft began, in Dulness laft muft End.
(c) It was originally thus exprefs'd:

As Clocks run fafteft when moft Lead is on. We find it fo in a Letter of Mr. Pope to Mr. Wycherley, dated April 3, 1705 and in a paper of Veries of his, To the Author of a Poem call'd Succeffio, which got out in a Mifcellany in 1712, three Years before Mr. Wycherley died, and two after he had laid afide the whole defign of publishing any Poems.

and

and the Verfification throughout, is, I believe fuch, as no Body can be fhock'd at. The repeated permiffions you give me of dealing freely with you, will (I hope) excufe what I have done; for if I have not fpar'd you when I thought Severity would do you a kindnefs, I have not mangled you where I thought there was no abfolute 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.

7

Mr. WYCHERLEY'S Anfwer.

You may fee

Nov. 22, 1707.

fee by my Stile, I had the happiness and fatisfaction to receive yesterday (by the hand of that Wagg, Mr. Englefyld your extream kind and obliging Letter of the 20th of this Month; which like all the rest of yours, did at once mor tify me, and make me vain; fince it tells me with fo much more Wit, Senfe and Kindness than mine can exprefs, that my Letters are always welcome to you. So that even whilst your Kindness invites me to write to you, your Wit and Judgment

D

forbids'