ship; for that, I hope, will last all my life; the other, I cannot answer for. What if they should both grow greater after my death? alas! they would both be of no advantage to me! Therefore think upon it, and love me as well as ever you can, while I live.

Now I talk of Fame, I fend you my Temple of Fame, which is juft come out: but my fentiments about it you will fee better by this Epigram:

What's Fame with Men, by cuftom of the Nation,
Is call'd in Women only Reputation:

About them both why keep we fuch a pother?
Part you with one, and I'll renounce the other.

ALL

LETTER XVIII.

LL the pleasure or ufe of familiar letters, is to give us the affurance of a friend's welfare; at leaft 'tis all I know, who am a mortal enemy and despiser of what they call fine letters. In this view, I promife you, it will always be a fatisfaction to me to write letters and to receive them from you; because I unfeignedly have your good at my heart, and am that thing, which many people make only a subject to difplay their fine sentiments upon, a Friend: which is a character that admits of little to be faid, till fomething

may be done. Now let me fairly tell you, I don't like your style: 'tis very pretty, therefore I don't like it; and if you writ as well as Voiture, I would not give a farthing for fuch letters *, unless I were to fell them to be printed. Methinks I have loft the Mrs. L* I formerly knew, who writ and talked like other people (and fometimes better). You must allow me to say, you have not said a sensible word in all your letter, except where you speak of fhewing kindness and expecting it in return: but the addition you make about your being but two and twenty, is again in the style of wit and abomination. To fhew you how very unfatisfactorily you write, in all your letters you've never told me how you do. Indeed I fee it was abfolutely neceffary for me to write to you, before you continued to take more notice of me, for I ought to tell you what you are to expect; that is to fay, Kindness, which I never failed (I hope) to return; and not Wit, which if I want I am not much concerned, because Judgment is a better thing; and if I had, I would make use of it rather to play upon those I defpifed, than to trifle with those I loved. You fee, in short, after what manner you may most agreeably write to me tell me you are my friend, and you can be no more at a lofs about that article. As I have opened

my

* Pope feems here unconsciously to have defcribed his own character as a Letter-writer. What he fays is, however, very juft and fenfible; and he would have been a more interefting writer, if he had at all times remembered his own advice.

my mind upon this to you, it may alfo ferve for

Mr. H*, who will fee by it what manner of letters he must expect if he correfponds with me. As I am too seriously yours and his fervant to put turns upon you inftead of good wishes, fo in return I would have nothing but honest plain Howd'ye's and Pray remember me's; which not being fit to be fhewn to any body for wit, may be a proof we correfpond only for ourselves, in mere friendliness; as doth, God is my witness,

Your, etc.

LETTER XIX.†

IT is with infinite fatisfaction I am made acquainted that your brother will at laft prove your relation, and has entertained fuch fentiments as became him in

your

* I do not know to whom this is written; but it appears, the Lady, thinking fhe was writing to a man of wit, thought it neceffary she should endeavour to fhew her own, and was probably more unfortunate than Pope.

This Letter, which must have been written very early, is evidently addreffed to the young Lady whofe untimely fate Pope afterwards pathetically lamented, in Verses to an "Unfortunate Lady." This was perhaps Pope's earliest attachment, and it has been faid the attachment was mutual, and that she was herfelt deformed. I do not think there are any grounds for believing either.

fo

your concern. I have been prepared for this by degrees, having feveral times received from Mrs. * that which is one of the greatest pleasures, the knowledge that others entered into my own sentiments concerning you. I ever was of opinion that you wanted no more to be vindicated than to be known. As I have often condoled with you in your adversities, so I have a right, which but few can pretend to, of congratulating on the prospect of your better fortunes and I hope, for the future, to have the concern I have felt for you overpaid in your felicities. Though you modestly say the world has left you, yet, I verily believe, it is coming to you again as fast as it can: for, to give the world its due, it is always very fond of Merit when 'tis paft its power to oppofe it.. Therefore, if you can, take it into favour again upon its repentance, and continue in it. But if you are refolved in revenge to rob the world of fo much example as you may afford it, I believe your design will be vain; for even in a monastery your devotions cannot carry you fo far toward the next world as to make this lofe the fight of you; but you'll be like a star, that, while it is fixed to heaven, fhines over all the earth.

Wherefoever Providence fhall difpofe of the most valuable thing I know, I fhall ever follow you with iny fincerest wishes, and my best thoughts will be perpetually waiting upon you, when you never hear of me nor them. Your own guardian angels cannot be more conftant, nor more filent. I beg you will never

ceafe

cease to think me your friend, that you may not be guilty of that which you never yet knew to commit, an injuftice. As I have hitherto been so in spite of the world, fo hereafter, if it be poffible you should ever be more opposed, and more deferted, I fhould only be fo much the more

Your faithful, etc.

LETTER XX.*

CAN fay little to recommend the letters I fhall write to you, but that they will be the most impartial representations of a free heart, and the trueft copies you ever faw, though of a very mean original. Not a feature will be foftened, or any advantageous light employed to make the ugly thing a little lefs hideous; but you fhall find it, in all respects, most horribly like. You will do me an injustice if you look upon any thing I fhall fay from this inftant, as a compliment either to you or to myfelf: whatever I write will be the real thought of that hour; and I know you'll no more

expect

*To Lady M. W. Montagu. Her beauty, accomplishments, fuperior birth, &c. feem to have made fuch a fudden impreffion on Pope's fufceptible bofom, that for a moment the charms of Teresa and Martha Blount were forgotten, and loft in the blaze of fuperior clegance and fashion.