on Politics, and rough jefts, we are fo guilty of; while the freedom of the women takes away all formality and constraint. I must own, at the fame time, thefe Beauties are a little too artificial for my tafte : you have seen a French picture, the Original is more painted, and fuch a cruft of powder and effence in their hair, that you can fee no difference between black and red. By difufing itays, and indulging themselves at table, they run out of all shape; but as to that, they may give a good reason, they prefer conveniency to parade, and are, by this means, as ready, as they are generally willing, to be charitable.

I am furprized to find I have wrote fo much scandal; I fancy I am either setting up for a wit, or imagine I must write in this style to a wit; I hope you'll prove a good-natured one, and not only let me hear from you fometimes, but forgive the fmall encouragement you meet with. I won't trouble myself to finish finely; a true compliment is better than a good one; and I can affure you, without any, that I am very fincerely, Sir,

Your, etc.

SIR,

LETTER VI.

TO MR. FENTON.

May 5

fome

HAD not omitted anfwering yours of the 18th of laft month, but out of a defire to give you certain and fatisfactory account, which way, and at what time, you might take your journey. I am now commiffioned to tell you, that Mr. Craggs will ex

pect

* After his fevere difappointment t, occafioned by the death of Mr. Craggs, he brought out his tragedy of Mariamne, 1723, which was acted with great fuccefs at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre, after Cibber had rejected it at Drury Lane, with equal infolence and ill tafte. He confulted his old friend Southerne, on the conduct of this drama; which, and the Siege of Damafcus, Mr. Walpole thinks the two last best of modern tragedies. It produced him 1000l. He dedicated it to Lord Gower, to whom he addressed one of the finest odes in our language. Akenfide was for ever praifing this ode. The Mariamne of Voltaire was first played, and miscarried, in 1722. These two pieces had not the least re femblance to each other. The affistance he gave to Pope in tranf lating the Odyffey, published in 1724, is well known. In 1725 he published an edition of Paradife Loft, revifing and rectifying the punctuation. To which he prefixed, a fhort, but very elegant, account of Milton's Life, and spoke of our great poet's political opinions, with a candour and liberality that does him much credit, confidering they were so oppofite to his own, who was a Nonjuror, and a firm friend to the Stuart family. And, 1729, Fenton gave to the public his, laft work, a magnificent edition of Waller, in quarto, with many notes and illuftrations, of Poems, which, from their nature, being perfonal, required many. He died 1730, at Eafthamftead,

See this explained in the following Note.

pect you on the rifing of the Parliament, which will be as foon as he can receive you in the manner he would receive a man de belles lettres, that is, in tranquillity and full leifure. I dare fay your way of life (which, in my tafte, will be the beft in the world, and with one of the best men in the world) must prove highly to your contentment, And, I must add, it will be still the more a joy to me, as I fhall reap a particular advantage from the good I fhall have done in bringing you together, by feeing it in my own neighbourhood. Mr. Craggs has taken a house close

by

Easthamftead, in the houfe of his friend the Lady Trumbul, whofe family he had for fome time fuperintended, and who treated him with much tenderness and attention. Mr. Harte, who knew many particulars of his life, once told me he would write an account of it. He had a regard for Harte, whose father alfo was a Nonjuror, a man of remarkable piety and integrity. When Judge Jeffries came to Taunton Affizes, 1685, to execute his commiffion on the rebels that had joined Monmouth; old Mr. Harte, at that time minifter of St. Mary's Church at Taunton, waited on him privately, and remonftrated much against the feverities which he was going to inflict. The judge liftened to him calmly and atten. tively; and, though he had never feen him before, to his great furprize, advanced him in a few months to a Prebendal Stall in the Cathedral of Bristol, I thought the reader might not dislike to hear this anecdote of Jeffries, the one only action of his life that I believe does him any credit. WARTON.

с

Mr. Craggs had had no learned education: he wanted to im prove himself in letters, and defired Mr. Pope to chufe him out a polite scholar, by whofe converfation and inftruction he might profit. Mr. Pope recommended Mr. Fenton; but Mr. Craggs's untimely death prevented the two latter from receiving the mutual benefits of this connection. WARBURTON

by mine, whither he proposes to come in three weeks: in the mean time I heartily invite you to live with me; where a frugal and philofophical diet, for a time, may give you a higher relish of that elegant way of life you will enter into after. I defire to know by the first poft how foon I may hope for you.

I am a little fcandalized at your complaint that your time lies heavy on your hands, when the Mufes have put so many good materials into your head to employ them. As to your question, What I am doing? I answer, Juft what I have been doing fome years, my duty; fecondly, relieving myself with necessary amusements, or exercises, which fhall ferve me instead of phyfic as long as they can; thirdly, reading till I am tired; and, laftly, writing when I have no other thing in the world to do, or no friend to entertain in company.

My mother is, I thank God, the easier, if not the better, for my cares; and I am the happier in that regard, as well as in the consciousness of doing my beft. My next felicity is in retaining the good opinion of honeft men, who think me not quite undeferving of it; and in finding no injuries from others hurt me, as long as I know myfelf. I will add the fincerity with which I act towards ingenious and undefigning men, and which makes me always (even by a natural bond) their friend; therefore believe me very affectionately

Your, etc.

I

LETTER VII.

REV. DEAN BERKLEY TO MR. POPE.

Naples, Oct. 22, N. S. 1717.

HAVE long had it in my thoughts to trouble you with a letter, but was difcouraged for want of fomething that I could think worth fending fifteen hundred miles. Italy is fuch an exhausted subject, that, I dare fay, you'd eafily forgive my faying nothing of it; and the imagination of a Poet is a thing so nice and delicate, that it is no eafy matter to find out images capable of giving pleasure to one of the few who (in any age) have come up to that character. I am nevertheless lately returned from an ifland, where I paffed three or four months; which, were it set out in its true colours, might, methinks, amuse you agreeably enough for a minute or two. The island Inarime is an epitome of the whole earth, containing, within the compass of eighteen miles, a wonderful variety of hills, vales, ragged rocks, fruitful plains, and barren mountains, all thrown together in a moft romantic confufion. The air is in the hottest season conftantly refreshed by cool breezes from the fea. The vales produce excellent wheat and Indian corn, but

Afterwards Bishop of Cloyne in Ireland, Author of the Dialogues of Hylas and Philonous, the Minute Philofopher, etc,

WARBURTON.