alone abundantly fatisfies me, and convinces to the heart; which is, that * young as I am, and old as you are, I am your entirely affectionate, &c.

I

LETTER VII.

June 23, 1705. Should believe my felf happy in your good opinion, but that you treat me fo much in a style of compliment. It has been obferved of women, that they are more fubject in their youth to be touched with vanity, than men, on account of their being generally treated this way; but the weakest women are not more weak than that clafs of men, who are thought to pique themselves upon their wit. The world is never wanting, when a coxcomb is accomplishing himself, to help to give him the finishing stroke.

Every man is apt to think his neighbour overftock'd with vanity, yet I cannot but fancy there are ceriain times, when most people are in a difpofition of being informed; and 'tis incredible what a vaft good a little truth might do, spoken in fuch feafons. A fmall alms will do a great kindness, to people in extream neceffity.

I could name an acquaintance of yours, who would at this time think himfelf more obliged to you for the information of his faults, than the confirmation of his follies. If you would make thofe the fubject of a letter, it might be as long as I could wish your letters always were.

*Mr. Wycherley was at this time about seventy years old, Mr. Pope under feventeen.

I do not wonder you have hitherto found fome difficulty (as you are pleased to fay) in writing to me, fince you have always chofen the task of commending me take but the other way, and I dare engage will find none at all. you

As for my verfes which you praise so much, I may truly say they have never been the caufe of any vanity in me, except what they gave me when they firft occafioned my acquaintance with you. But I have several times fince been in danger of this vice, as often I mean as I received any letters from you. Tis eertain, the greateft magnifying glaffes in the world are a man's own eyes when they look upon his own person; yet even in thofe, I cannot fancy my felf fo extremely like Alexander the great, as you would perfuade me. If I must be like him, 'tis you will make me fo, by complimenting me into a better opinion of my felf than I deferve: They made him think he was the fon of Jupiter, and you affure me I am a man of parts. But is this all you can fay to my honour? you faid ten times as much before, when you call'd me your friend. After having made me believe I poffefs'd a fhare in your affection, to treat me with compliments and fweet fayings, is like the proceeding with poor Sancho Panca: they perfuaded him that he enjoy'd a great dominion, and then gave him nothing to fubfift upon but wafers and marmalade. In our days, the greatest obligation you can lay upon a wit, is to make a fool of him. For as when madmen are found incurable, wife men give them their way, and please them as well as they can; fo when those incorrigible things Poets are once irrecoverably be mus'd, the best way both to quiet them, and fecure your felf from the effects of their frenzy,

is to feed their vanity, (which indeed for the most part is all that is fed in a poet.)

You may believe me, I could be heartily glad that all you fay were as true apply'd to me, as it would be to your felf, for feveral weighty reafons; but for none fo much as that I might be to you what you deserve; whereas I can now be no more than is confiftent with the small tho' utmost capacity of, &c.

I

LETTER VIII.

Oct. 26, 1705.

Have now changed the scene from the town to the country; from Will's coffee-house to Windfor foreft. I find no other difference than this, betwixt the common town-wits, and the downright country fools; that the first are pertly in the wrong, with a little more flourish and gaiety; and the laft neither in the right nor the wrong, but confirmed in a ftupid, fettled medium betwixt both. However, methinks these are most in the right, who quietly and easily refign themselves over to the gentle reign of dulnefs, which the Wits muft do at laft tho' after a great deal of noise, and refiftance. Ours are a fort of modeft inoffenfive people, who neither have sense, nor pretend to any, but enjoy a jovial fort of dulnefs: They are commonly known in the world by the name of honeft, civil gentlemen: They live much as they ride, at random ; a kind of hunting life, purfuing with earneftness and hazard, fomething not worth the catching; never in the way, nor out of it. I can't but prefer

prefer folitude to the company of all thefe; for tho' a man's felf may poffibly be the worft fellow to converse with in the world, yet one would think the company of a perfon whom we have the greatest regard to and affection for, could not be very unpleafant. As a man in love with a mistress, defires no converfation but hers, fo a man in love with himfelf, (as moft men are) may be beft pleased with his own. Befides, if the trueft and most useful knowledge be the knowledge of our felves, folitude conducing moft to make us look into our felves, fhould be the most inftructive state of life. We fee nothing more commonly, than men, who for the fake of the circumftantial part and meer outfide of life, have been half their days rambling out of their nature, and ought to be fent into folitude to ftudy themselves over again. People are usually spoiled instead of being taught, at their coming into the world; whereas by being more converfart with Obfcurity, without any pains, they would naturally follow what they were meant for. In a word, if a man be a coxcomb, Solitude is his best School; and if he be a fool, it is his beft Sanctuary.

These are good reasons for my own stay here, but I wish I could give you any for your coming hither, except that I earneftly invite you. And yet I can't help faying I have fuffered a great deal of difcontent that you do not come, tho' I fo little merit that you should.

I must complain of the fhortness of your laft. Thofe who have moft wit, like those who have inoft money, are generally moft fparing of either.

LETTER

Y

LETTER IX.

From Mr. Wycherley.

Nov. 5, 1705.

Ours of the 26th of October I have received, as I have always done yours, with no little fatiffaction, and am proud to discover by it, that you find fault with the fhortness of mine, which I think the best excufe for it: And tho' they (as you fay) who have moft wit or money are molt fparing of either; there are fome who appear poor to be thought rich, and are poor, which is my cafe. I cannot but rejoice that you have uudergone fo much discontent for want of my company; but if you have a mind to punish me for my fault, (which I could not help) defer your coming to town, and you will do it effectually. But I know your charity always exceeds your revenge, fo that I will not despair of feeing you, and, in return to your inviting me to your foreft, invite you to my foreft, the town; where the beasts that inhabit, tame or wild, of long ears or horns, pursue one another either out of love or hatred. You may have the pleafure to fee one pack of bloodhounds purfue another herd of brutes, to bring each other to their fall, which is their whole sport: Or if you affect a lefs bloody chace, you may lee a pack of spaniels, called Lovers, in a hot purfuit of a two-legged vixen, who only flies the whole loud pack to be fingled out by one dog, who runs mute to catch her up the fooner from the reft, as they are making a noife to the lofs of their game. In fine, this is the time for all forts of sport in the town, when those of the country cease; there

fore