which nothing but the real refpect I have for you can deferve. May I hope that fome late malevoiencies have loft their effect? indeed it is neither for me, nor my enemies, to pretend to tell you whether I am your friend or not; but if you would judge by probabilities, I beg to know which of your poetical acquaintance has fo little Intereft in pretending to be fo? Methinks no man fhould queftion the real friendship of one who defires no real fervice. I am only to get as much from the Whigs, as I got from the Tories, that is to fay, Civility; being neither fo proud as to be infenfible of any good office, nor fo humble, as not to dare heartily to defpife any man who does me an injustice.

I will not value my felf upon having ever guarded all the degrees of refpect for you; for (to fay the truth) all the world fpeaks well of you, and I fhould be under a neceffity of doing the fame, whether I car'd for you or not.

As to what you have faid of me, I fhall never believe that the Author of Cato can speak one thing and think another. As a proof that I account you fincere, I beg a favour of you: It is, that you would look over the two first books of my translation of Homer, which are in the hands of my Lord Hallifax. I am fenfible how much the reputation of any poetical work will depend upon the character you give it: 'tis there, fore some evidence of the truft I repofe in your good will, when I give you this opportunity of speaking ill of me with juftice; and yet expect you will tell me your trueft thoughts, at the fame time that you tell others your moft favourable ones.

I have a farther request, which I must press with carneftness. My bookfeller is reprinting the Effay on Criticism, to which you have done too much honour

P 4

in your Spectator of No 253. The period in that paper, where you fay, "I have admitted fome ftrokes

of ill nature into that Effay," is the only one I could wish omitted of all you have written: but I wou'd not defire it fhould be fo, unless I had the merit of removing your objection. I beg you but to point out thofe ftrokes to me and you may be affured they fhall be treated without mercy.

never

Since we are upon proofs of fincerity (which I am pretty confident will turn to the Advantage of us both in each others opinion) give me leave to name another paffage in the fame Spectator, which I wish you would alter. It is where you mention an observation upon Homer's Verses of Syfiphus's Stone, as having been made before by any of the Criticks: I happen'd to find the fame in Dvonifius of Halicarnaffus's Treatife, e Zuverε Ovoμalor, who treats very largely upon these Verses. I know you will think fit to foften your expreffion, when you fee the paffage; which you must needs have read tho' it be fince flipt out of your memory. I am with the utmost esteem,

Your, &c:

*Thefe words are fince left out in Mr. Tickel's Edition, but were extant in all during Mr. Addison's life.

LETTER

June 8, 1714.

THE HE queftion you ask in relation to Mr. Addison and Philips, I shall answer in a few words. Mr. Philips did exprefs himself with much indignation against me one evening at Button's Coffee houfe (as I was told) faying, that I was enter'd into a cabal with Dean Swift and others to write against the WhigIntereft, and in particular to undermine his own reputation, and that of his friends Steel and Addison: but Mr. Philips never open'd his lips to my face, on this or any like occafion, tho' I was almost every night in the fame room with him, nor ever offer'd me any indecorum. Mr. Addifon came to me a night or two after Philips had talk'd in this idle manner, and affur'd me of his disbelief of what had been faid, of the friendship we shou'd always maintain, and defir'd I would fay nothing further of it. My Lord Hallifax did me the Honour to ftir in this matter, by fpeaking to several people to obviate a false afperfion, which might have done me no small prejudice with one party. However Philips did all he could, fecretly to continue the report with the Hanover Club, and kept in his hands the fubfcriptions paid for me to him, as Secretary to that Club. The heads of it have fince given him to understand, that they take it ill; but (upon the terms I ought to be with such a man) I wou'd not ask him for this money, but commiffion'd one of the Players, his equals, to receive it. This is the whole matter; but as to the fecret grounds of this malignity, they will make a very

pleasant

pleafant history when we meet. Mr. Congreve and fome others have been much diverted with it, and most of the gentlemen of the Hanover Club have made it the fubject of their ridicule on their Secretary. It is to this management of Philips, that the world owes Mr. Gay's Paftorals. The ingenious author is extreamly your fervant, and would have comply'd with your kind invitation, but that he is just now appointed Secretary to my Lord Clarendon, in his Embaffy to Hanover.

I am fenfible of the zeal and friendship with which I am fure you will always defend your friend in his abfence, from all thofe little tales and calumnies, which a man of any genius or merit is born to. I fhall never complain while I am happy in fuch noble defenders, and in fuch contemptible opponents. May their envy and ill nature ever increase, to the glory and pleasure of those they would injure; may they reprefent me what they will, as long as you think me what I am,

YOU

LETTER XVIII.

Your, &c.

July 13, 1714. OU mention the account I gave you fome time ago of the things which Philips faid in his foolishness: but I can't tell from any thing in your letter, whether you receiv'd a long one from me about a fortnight fince. It was principally intended to thank you for the last obliging favour you did me; and perhaps for that reafon you pass it in filence. I there launch'd into fome account of my temporal affairs,

affairs, and intend now to give you fome hints of my fpiritual. The conclufion of your letter draws this upon you, where you tell me, you pray'd for me. Your proceeding, Sir, is contrary to that of most other friends, who never talk of praying for a man after they have done him a fervice, but only when they will do him none. Nothing can be more kind than the hint you give me of the vanity of human sciences, which I affure you I am daily more convinc'd of; and indeed I have for fome years paft, look'd upon all of 'em no better than amufements. To make them the ultimate end of our purfuit, is a miferable and short ambition, which will drop from us at ev'ry little disappointment here, and even in cafe of no disappointments here, will infallibly defert us hereafter. The utmost fame they are capable of bestowing, is never worth the pains they coft us, and the time they lofe us. If y you attain the top of your defires that way, all those who envy you will do you harm; and of those who admire you, few will do you good. The unfuccessful writers are your declared enemies, and probably the fuccefsful your fecret ones for thofe hate not more to be excell'd, than these to be rival'd: And at the upshot, after a life of perpetual application, to reflect that you have been doing nothing for your felf, and that the fame or lefs induftry might have gain'd you a friendship that can never deceive or end, a fatisfaction which praise can not bestow, nor vanity feel, and a glory which (tho in one respect like fame, not to be had 'till after death,) yet fhall be felt and enjoy'd to eternity. Thefe, dear Sir, are unfeignedly my fentiments, whenever I think at all: for half the things that employ our heads deferve not the name of thoughts, they are only ftronger dreams of impreffions upon the imagination: our

fchemes