Queen's Grace to him. I had notice the night before I began my journey, that Her Majefty had not only directed his pardon, but order'd a Writ for reverfing his Out-lawry. * LETTER IX. Your, &c. To General Anthony Hamilton † upon his having translated into French Verse the Effay on Criticism. 08. 10, 1713. IF I could as well express, or (if you will allow me to say it) tranflate the fentiments of my heart, as you have done thofe of my head, in your excellent verfion of my Effay; I fhould not only appear the best writer in the world, but what I much more defire to be thought, the most your servant of any. man living. 'Tis an advantage very rarely known, to receive at once a great honour and a great improvement. This Sir, you have afforded me, having at the fame time made others take my fenfe, and taught me to understand my own; if I may call that my own which is indeed more properly yours. Your verses are no more a tranflatiom of mine, than Virgils are of Homer's; but are like his, the juftest Imitation and the nobleft Commentary. + Author of the Memoirs of the Count de Grammont, Contas, and other pieces of note in French. In In putting me into a French dress, you have not only adorned my outfide, but mended my fhape; and if I am now a good figure, I must confider you have naturaliz'd me into a country, which is famous for making every man a fine gentleman. It is by your means, that (contrary to moft young travellers) I am come back much better than I went out. I cannot but wish we had a bill of commerce for tranflation established the next Parliament, we could not fail of being gainers by that, nor of making ourfelves amends for any thing we have loft by the war. Nay tho' we fhould infift upon the demolishing of Boileau's works, the French, as long as they have writers of your form, might have as good an equivalent. Upon the whole, I am really as proud, as our Minifters ought to be, of the terms I have gain'd from abroad; and I defign like them, to publish speedily to the world the benefits accruing from them; for I cannot refift the temptation of printing your admirable tranílation here*; to which if you will be fo obliging to give me leave to prefix your name, it will be the only addition you can make to the honour already done me. I am, Your, &c. * This was never done, for the two printed French Verfions are neither of this band. The one was done by Monfieur Roboton, private Secretary to King George the Arft, printed in 4o at Amfterdam and at London 1717. The other by the Abbe Refnel, in 8° with a large Preface and Notes, at Paris, 1730. LETTERS TO and FROM Mr. STEELE, Mr. ADDISON, Mr. CONGREVE, &c. From 1712 to 1715. LETTER I. Mr. Steele to Mr. Pope. June 1, 1712. Am at a folitude, an house between Hampstead and London wherein Sir Charles Sedley died. This circumftance fet me a thinking and ruminating upon the employments in which men of wit exercise themselves. It was faid of Sir Charles, who breath'd his laft in this room, Sedley has that prevaling gentle art, } This was an happy talent to a man of the town, but I dare fay, without prefuming to make uncharitable conjectures on the author's prefent condition, he would rather have had it faid of him that he had pray'd, Oh thou my voice infpire, Who touch'd Ifaiah's hallow'd lips with fire! I have turn'd to every verse and chapter, and think you have preferv'd the fublime heavenly spirit throughout the whole, especially at Hark a glad voice There andThe lamb with wolves fhall graze He wipes the tears for ever from our eyes. You have exprefs'd it with a good and pious, but not fo exalted and poetical a spirit as the prophet, The Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces. If you agree with me in this, alter it by way of paraphrafe or otherwise, that when it comes into a volume it may be amended. Your poem is already: better than the Pollio. I am Your, &c. LETTER II, The Answer. June 18, 1712. Y OU have oblig'd me with a very kind letter, by which I find you fhift the fcene of your life from from the town to the country, and enjoy that mix'd ftate which wife men both delight in, and are qualify'd for. Methinks the moralifts and philofophers have generally run too much intó extremes in commending intirely either folitude, or publick life. In the former, men for the most part grow useless by too much reft, and in the latter are destroy'd by much precipitation; as waters lying ftill, putrify and are good for nothing, and running violently on do but the more mischief in their paffage to others, and are swallow'd up and loft the fooner themfelves. Thofe indeed who can be ufeful to all states, fhould be like gentle ftreams, that not only glide thro' lonely valleys and forefts amidst the flocks and the fhepherds, but vifit populous towns in their courfe, and are at once of ornament and service to them. But there are another fort of people who feem defign'd for folitude, fuch I mean as have more to hide than to fhow: As for my own part, I am one of those of whom Seneca fays, Tam umbratiles funt, ut putent in turbido effe quicquid in luce eft. Some men like fome pictures, are fitter for a corner than a full light; and I believe such as have a natural bent to folitude (to carry on the former fimilitude) are like waters which may be forc'd into fountains and exalted into a great height, may make a noble figure and a louder noife, but after all they would run more fmoothly, quietly and plentifully, in their own natural courfe upon the ground. The The foregoing Similitudes our Author badput into verfe fome years before and inferted into Mr. Wycherley's poem en Mixt Life: We find them in the Verfification very diftina from the rest of that poem. See his pofthumous Works, 8° Page 3d and 4th. |