being lent her by that Gentleman, he took the liberty to print; as appears by the following, which we shall give at length, both as it is fomething Curious, and as it may ferve for an Apology for ourselves.

A

هاتر

June 27, 1727.

T

FTER fo long a filence, as the many and great oppreffions I have figh'd under has occafion'd, one is at a loss how to begin a letter to fo kind a friend as your felf. But as it was always my refolution, if I muft fink, to do it as decently [that is, as filently] as I could: fo when I found my felf plung'd into unforefeen, and unavoidable ruin, I retreated from the world, and in a manner buried my felf in a dif mal place, where I knew none, nor none knew me. In this dull unthinking way, I have protracted a lingring death [for life it cannot be call'd] ever fince you faw me, fequefter'd from company, depriv'd of my books, and nothing left to converse with but the Letters of my dead, or abfent friends, amongst which latter I always plac'd yours, and Mr. Pope's in the firft rank. I lent

fome

fome of them indeed to an ingenious per fon, who was fo delighted with the fpecimen, that he importuned me for a fight of the reft, which having obtained, he convey'd them to the Prefs, I must not say altogether with my confent, nor wholly without it. I thought them too good to be loft in oblivion, and had no caufe to apprehend the disobliging of any. The publick, viz. all perfons of tafte and judgment, wou'd be pleas'd with fo agreeable an Amusement; Mr. Cromwell cou'd not be angry, fince it was but juftice to his merit, to publifh the folemn, and private profeffions of Love, Gratitude, and Veneration, made him by fo celebrated an Author; and furely Mr. Pope ought not to refent the publication, fince the early pregnancy of this Genius was no difhonour to his character. And yet had either of you been afk'd, common modesty wou'd have oblig'd you to refufe, what you wou'd not be difpleas'd swith, if done without your knowledge: And befides to end all difpute, you had been pleas'd to make me a free gift of them, to do what I pleas'd with them: and every one knows that the perfon to whom a Letter is addrefs'd, has the fame right to dif pofe of it, as he has of goods purchas'd with his money. I doubt not but your generofity and honour will do me the A 2 right,

right, of owning by a line, that I came I hon eftly by them. I flatter my felf, in a few months I fhall again be visible to the s world, and whenever thro' good providence that Turn shall happen, I fhall joyfully acquaint you with it, there being none more truly your oblig'd Servant, than, Sir,

Your faithful, and

moft humble Servant,

E. THOMAS.

P.S. A Letter, Sir, directed to Mrs. Tho mas, to be left at my house, will be fafely 9-stranfmitted to her, by

E. CURLL.

W

To Mr. POPE.

Epfom, July 6th, 1727.

HEN thefe Letters were firft printed, I wond'red how Curll cou'd come by 'em, and cou'd not but laugh at the pompous title; fince whatever you wrote to me was humour, and familiar Kaillery. As foon as I came from Epfom,

heard

9

1

heard you had been to fee me, and I writ £ you a short letter from Will's, that I long'd to fee you. Mr. Ds, about that time, charg'd me, with giving 'em to a Mistress, which I pofitively denied; not in the least, at that time, thinking of it: but fometime after, finding in the news-papers Letters from Lady Packington, Lady Chudleigh, and Mr. Norris, to the fame Sapho or E. T. I began to fear that I was guilty. I have never feen thefe Letters of Curll's, nor would go to his fhop about 'em; I have not feen this Sapho, alias E. T. these feven years; ----- her writing, That I gave her em, to do what he wou'd with 'em, is ftraining the point too far: I thought not of it; nor do I think he did then: But fevere Neceffity, which catches hold of a Twig, has produc'd all this; which has lain hid, and forgot by me, fo many years. Curll fent me a Letter laft week, defiring a pofitive answer about this matter, but finding I wou'd give him none, he went to E. T. and writ a Poftfcript, in her long romantick Letter, to direct my Answer to his house, but they not expecting an Anfwer, fent a young man to me, whose s name, it feems, is Pattison: I told him I fhould not write any thing, but I believ'd it might be so, as fhe writ in her Letter. I am extremely concern'd, that my former Indifcre

Indifcretion in putting 'em into the hands of this Preticufe, fhou'd have given you fo much disturbance; for the last thing I fhou'd do wou'd be to disoblige you; for whom I have ever preferv'd the greatest esteem, and shall ever be, Sir,

Your faithful Friend, and

moft bumble Servant,

HENRY CROMWELL.

T

To Mr. POPE.

August 1, 1727.

HO' I writ my long Narrative from Epfom till I was tir'd, yet was I nor fatisfied; left any doubt fhou'd rest upon your mind. I cou'd not make proteftations of my Innocence of a grievous crime; but I was impatient till I came to Town, that I might send you thofe Letters, as a clear evidence, that I was a perfect stranger to all their proceeding: Shou'd I have protefted against it, after the printing, it might have been taken for an attempt to decry

his