fhould renounce the devil and all his works, but that you would be delighted to find him your friend, merely for his own fake; therefore prepare yourself for some civilities.

I have done Homer's head, fhadowed and heightened carefully; and I inclose the outline of the fame fize, that you may determine whether you would have it fo large, or reduced to make room for feuillage or laurel round the oval, or about the fquare of the Bufto? perhaps there is fomething more folemn in the image itself, if I can get it well performed.

If I have been inftrumental in bringing you and Mr. Addison together with all fincerity, I value myfelf upon it as an acceptable piece of fervice to fuch a one as I know you to be.

Your, etc.

SUFFICIENT juftice does not seem to be done to Jervas, all whofe Letters evince the man of fenfe, kindness, benevolence, and fincerity.

I

LETTER XXIII.

MR. POPE's ANSWER.

August 27, 1714. AM just arrived from Oxford, very well diverted and entertained there. Every one is much concerned for the Queen's death. No panegyrics ready yet for the King.

I admire your whig-principles of refiftance exceedingly, in the spirit of the Barcelonians: I join in your wish for them. Mr. Addison's verfes on Liberty, in his Letter from Italy, would be a good form of prayer in my opinion, O Liberty! thou Goddess heavenly bright! etc.

What you mention of the friendly office you en deavoured to do betwixt Mr. Addison and me, deferves acknowledgments on my part. You thoroughly know my regard to his character, and my propenfity to testify it by all ways in my power. You as thoroughly know the fcandalous meannefs of that proceeding which was used by Philips, to make a man I fo highly value, fufpect my difpofitions towards him. But as, after all, Mr. Addison must be the judge in what regards himself, and has feemed to be no very just one to me; fo, I must own to you, I expect nothing but civility from him, how much foever I wish for his friendship. As for any offices of real kindness

or fervice which it is in his power to do me, I should be ashamed to receive them from any man who had no better opinion of my Morals, than to think me a Party-man: nor of my Temper, than to believe me capable of maligning, or envying another's reputation as a poet. So I leave it to time to convince him as to both, to fhew him the fhallow depths of those halfwitted creatures who mif-informed him, and to prove that I am incapable of endeavouring to leffen a person whom I would be proud to imitate, and therefore afhamed to flatter. In a word, Mr. Addifon * is fure of my respect at all times, and of my real friendship, whenever he fhall think fit to know me for what

I am.

For all that paffed betwixt Dr. Swift † and me, you know the whole (without referve) of our correfpond

ence.

* Lady Wortley Montagu, in one of her sprightly and elegant Letters to Pope, says, "I received the news of Mr. Addifon's being declared Secretary of State with the lefs furprize, in that I know that poft was offered to him before. At that time he declined it; and I really believe he would have done well to have declined it now: fuch a poft as that, and fuch a wife as the Countess, do not seem to be, in prudence, eligible for a man that is asthmatic; and we may see the day when he will be glad to refign them both. It is well that he laid aside the thoughts of the voluminous Dictionary, of which I have heard you, or somebody else, frequently make mention.-Conftantinople, 1717.”

WARTON.

In a Letter to her daughter, the Countefs of Bute, she speaks, as she ever did, with warmth and affection, of Addison,—“ He was always your father's friend," &c.

† There is a curious account given by Dr. Kennet, respecting Swift's interesting himself so much in favour of Pope,

ence.

The engagements I had to him, were fuch as the actual fervices he had done me in relation to the fubfcription for Homer, obliged me to. I must have leave to be grateful to him, and to any one who serves me, let him be never fo obnoxious to any party: nor did the Tory-party ever put me to the hardship of afking this leave, which is the greatest obligation I owe to it; and I expect no greater from the Whig-party than the fame liberty.A curfe on the word Party, which I have been forced to use so often in this period! I wish the present reign may put an end to the diftinction, that there may be no other for the future than that of Honeft and Knave, Fool and Man of sense these two forts must always be enemies; but for the reft, may all people do as you and I, believe what they pleafe, and be friends. I am, etc.

*

by getting fubfcriptions. He fays, "Dr. Swift entered the room, and had a bow from all prefent, except myfelf, who, I muft confefs, could not but despise him. He inftructed a young Nobleman, that the best poet in England was Mr. Pope, a Papift, who had begun a translation of Homer, for which he must have them all fubfcribe," &c. See Johnfon's Life of Pope.

* Unfortunately it did not put an end to party-distinctions; but, by profcribing the Tories, heightened and continued the ani mofity of both parties. WARTON.

The fame idea was held out at the commencement of the reign of George I. and George II. Swift, fpeaking of the acceffion of George II. writes thus to Dr. Sheridan :

"The talk is now of a moderating scheme, wherein nobody shall "be used the better or the worfe for being called a Whig or Tory, "and the King hath received both with great equality; fhewing "civilities to feveral who are openly known to be the latter. I "prevailed with a dozen, that we should go in a line to kifs the "King and Queen's hands. We have now done with repining, if we are used well, and not baited as formerly," &c.

LETTER XXIV.

TO THE EARL OF HALLIFAX,

My Lord,

December 1, 1714.

I

you

have

I diftruft

AM obliged to you both for the favours done me, and for those you intend me. neither your will nor your memory, when it is to do good and if ever I become troublesome or folicitous, it must not be out of expectation, but out of gratitude. Your Lordship may either caufe me to live agreeably in the town, or contentedly in the country, which is really all the difference I set between an easy fortune and a small one. It is indeed a high strain of generofity in you, to think of making me eafy all my life, only because I have been so happy as to divert you some few hours: but if I may have leave to add, it is because you think me no enemy to my native country, there will appear a better reason; for I must of confequence be very much (as I fincerely am)

Yours, etc.