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As a King's Favourite, or as a King.

This proceeding, join'd to that natural vanity which first makes a man an author, is certainly enough to render him a coxcomb for life. But I muft grant it is a juft judgment upon poets, that they whofe chief pretence is Wit, fhou'd be treated as they themselves treat Fools, that is, be cajoll'd with praises. And I believe, Poets are the only poor fellows in the world whom any body will flatter.

I would not be thought to say this, as if the obliging letter you fent me deferv'd this imputation, only it put me in mind of it; and I fancy one may apply to one's friend what Cæfar said of his wife. 68 was not fufficient that he knew her to be chaft him"felf, but the fhou'd not be fo much as fufpected."

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As to the wonderful discoveries, and all the good news you are pleas'd to tell me of my felf; I treat it, as you who are in the secret treat common news, as groundless reports of things at a distance; which I who look into the true fprings of the affair, in my own breast, know to have no foundation at all. For Fame, tho' it be (as Milton finely calls it) the laft infirmity of noble minds, is scarce fo ftrong a temptation as to warrant our lofs of time here: it can never make us lie down contentedly on a death-bed, (as fome of the Ancients are said to have done with that thought.) You Sir have your felf taught me, that an easy fituation at that hour, can procced from no ambition lefs noble than that of an eternal felicity, which is unattainable by the strongest endeavours of the wit, but may be gain'd by the fincere intentions of the heart only. As in the next world, fo in this, the only folid bleflings are owing to the goodness of

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the mind, not the extent of the capacity: friendship here is an emanation from the fame fource as beatitude there: the fame benevolence and grateful difpofition that qualifies us for the one, if extended farther, makes us partakers of the other. The utmoft point of my defires in my present state terminates in the fociety and good-will of worthy men, which I look upon as no ill earnest and foretaste of the fociety and alliance of happy fouls hereafter.

The continuance of your favours to me is what not only makes me happy, but causes me to fet fome value upon my felf as a part of your care. The i ftances I daily meet with of these agreeable awakenings of friendship, are of too pleafing a nature not to be acknowledged whenever I think of you. I am.

Your, &c.

I

* LETTER V.

April 30, 1713. Have been almost every day employ'd in following your advice and amufing my felf in painting, in which I am moft particularly obliged to Mr. Jervas who gives me daily instructions and examples. As to poetical affairs, I am content at present to be a bare looker-on, and from a practitioner turn an admirer, which is (as the world goes) not very ufual. Cato was not fo much the wonder of Rome in his days, as he is of Britain in ours; and tho' all the foolifh industry poffible has been used to make it thought a party-play, yet what the author once faid of another may

may the moft properly in the world be apply'd to him, on this occafion.

Envy itself is dumb, in wonder loft,

And Factions ftrive, who shall applaud him most.

The numerous and violent claps of the Whig-party on the one fide of the theatre, were eccho'd back by the Tories on the other; while the author sweated behind the fcenes with concern to find their applause proceeding more from the hand than the head. This was the cafe too of the prologue writer, who was clapp'd into a stanch whig, at almost ev'ry two lines. I believe you have heard, that after all the applauses of the oppofite faction, my lord Bolingbroke fent for Booth who play'd Cato, into the box, between one of the acts, and prefented him with fifty guinea's; in acknowledgment (as he expreft it) for defending the cause of liberty fo well against a Perpetual Dictator. The whigs are unwilling to be diftanc'd this way, and therefore defign a prefent to the fame Cato very peedily in the mean time they are getting ready as good a sentence as the former on their fide: fo betwixt them, 'tis probable that Cato (as Dr. Garth expreft it) may have fomething to live upon, after he dies. I am

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*LETTER VI.

From Sir William Trumbull.

Easthampstead, Feb. 22, 1714-15. Am fenfibly oblig'd, dear Sir, by your kind prefent of the Temple of Fame, into which you are already enter'd, and I dare prophecy for once (tho' I am not much given to it) that you will continue there, with thofe,

Who ever new, not subject to decays,

Spread and grow brighter with the length of days.

There was nothing wanting to compleat your obliging remembrance of me, but your accompanying it with your poem; your long abfence being much the feverelt part of the winter. I am truly forry that your time, which you can imploy fo much better, fhould be fpent in the drudgery of correcting the printers; for as to what you have done your self, there will nothing of that nature be neceffary. I wish you could find a few minutes leifure to let me hear from you fometimes, and to acquaint me how your Homer draws on towards a publication, and all things relating thereunto.

I intreat you to return my humble fervice to Mr. Jervas. I ftill flatter my self that he will take an opportunity, in a proper feason, to fee us, and review his picture, and then to alter fome things, fo as to please himself; which I know will not be, till every thing in it is perfect; no more than I can be, till you believe me to be with that fincerity and efteem

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that I am, and will ever continue, your most faithful friend.

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LETTER VII.

Decemb. 16, 1715.

T was one of the Enigma's of Pythagoras, "When "the winds rife, worship the Eccho." A modern "writer explains this to fignify," when popular tumults begin, retire to folitudes, or fuch places where Ec"cho's are commonly found, rocks, woods, &c." I am rather of opinion it fhould be interpreted," when "rumours increase, and when there is abundance of "noife and elamour, believe the fecond report: "This I think agrees more exactly with the eccho, and is the more natural application of the fymbol. However it be, either of these precepts is extreamly proper to be followed at this season; and I cannot but applaud your refolution of continuing in what you call your cave in the foreft, this winter; and preferring the noise of breaking ice to that of breaking statelmen, the rage of ftorms to that of parties, the fury and ravage of floods and tempefts, to the precipitancy of fome, and the ruin of others, which I fear will be our daily prospects in London."

I fincerely with my felf with you, to contemplate the wonders of God in the firmament, rather than the madness of man on the earth. But I never had fo much caufe as now to complain of my poetical ftar, that fixes me at this tumultuous time, to attend the gingling of rymes and the measuring of fyllables: to be almoft the only trifler in the nation; and as ri

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