am deliberately bent to perform that Request which you make your laft to me, and to perform it with Temper, Justice, and Refolution. As your approbation (being the teftimony of a found head and an honeft heart) does greatly confirm me herein, I wish you may live to see the effect it may hereafter have upon me, in fomething more deferving of that approbation. But if it be the Will of God (which, I know, will also be yours) that we must separate, I hope it will be better for You than it can be for me. You are fitter to live, or to die, than any man I know. Adieu, my dear friend! and may God preserve your life easy, or Most of the following Letters and Notes, as far as the Letters to AARON HILL, in this Volume, were published in two fmall volumes, which have been spoken of, intitled "Additions to Pope's Works." It is probable, Dr. Warton, or his Brother, were the Editors; at leaft, he has filently adopted the Notes, word for word. As the greater part of the original Letters are to be seen in the British Museum, there can be no doubt of their authenticity. They are fufficiently trifling; yet as they serve to illuftrate circumstances relating to Literature, they are here retained. * First published in 1759. Pulverem Olympicum LETTER XXVI. MR. MALLET TO LORD BOLINGBROKE. WHAT you are pleased to observe concerning the work I am engaged in, (the Life of Marl borough,) is a truth never out of my thoughts; whether I am alone or in company. When I am obliged to mix with the very futile converfation of the dulleft of mankind, those who think and talk only from Magazines and Newspapers, even then, the recalling from time to time what I have learnt from your Lordship's converfation, preferves the tone of my mind, and brings up thofe trains of ideas which your Lordship's conversation has impressed deeply. But I am haftening home, to give myself up entirely to what will require all my application, as well as my feverest attention; and next week I propofe myself the *Motto to "Additions." The Duchefs of Marlborough gave a thousand pounds for a Life of the Duke, to be written by Glover and Mallet. Glover declined the office. This Mallet had, it seems, the “ pen of a ready writer;" for he was employed afterwards to vilify Pope's memory. the honour of kiffing your Lordship's hands at Battersea. Every mark of the friendship your Lordship is pleafed to honour me with, will be received by me with equal regard and fatisfaction. Nor can it be otherwife. No man ever reverenced the virtues, or admired the talents of another, more fincerely than I admire those which place you at the head of all your contemporaries; and yet (for the fake of my country) I could almost wifh (I know your Lordship does heartily), that I had reafon to fhare this veneration, amongst many, which is almost confined to one. Warburton's impudent edition (for he has enlarged into nine volumes what the Author could but just with fome art fpin into fix), I ran over during the two days I have ftay'd in Bath, and I entirely agree with what your Lordfhip has refolved upon it. He has not only changed the fituation of many verses in his Author, but has certainly fathered upon him some of his own. I know them by the mark of the beast. Extract of a Letter of Dr. Warburton. "With regard to Mr. Mallet's declaration, there "is only one way to convince me, he is not the "Author of that infamous Libel, which is, by taking an opportunity of difowning it publicly. I think honour concerned, that it be publicly known my "that of "that I had no hand in the Letter to Lord Bolingbroke, "merely on account of the Apollo Story, and I fhall "do it on the firft occafion. If Mr. M. does not do "the fame with regard to this Libel, I shall confider "him as the Author of it, and act in confequence of "this belief. This I defire you would let Mr. Mallet "know, and, if he chooses, let him have a tranfcript " of what I here fay." On the back of the copy this Letter Mr. Mallet wrote, "N. B. I never took "the flightest notice of this impudent and filly threat"ening Letter from Warburton. The writer I had no " reason to be afraid of-the man I abhorred. A "head filled with paradoxes unproved and unprove. "able; a heart overflowing with virulence and the "moft ftudious malice. N. B. I never wrote a "pamphlet, nor a fentence in any pamphlet, concern"ing this wrong-headed, dogmatical pedant." |