arrant an Author as even to defire, that if I am in the wrong, all mankind fhould be fo.

I am mightily pleased with a faying of Monfieur Tourreil: When a man writes, he ought to animate "himself with the thoughts of pleasing all the world: "but he is to renounce that defire or hope, the very "moment the book goes out of his hands.

I write this from Binfield, whither I came yeflerday, having past a few days in my way with my Lord Bolingbroke; I go to London in three days time, and will not fail to pay a visit to Mr. M

whom

I faw not long fince at my Lord Halifax's. I hoped from thence he had fome hopes of advantage from the prefent adminiftration: for few people (I think) but I, pay respects to great men without any profpects. I am in the fairest way in the world of being not worth a groat, being born both a Papist and a Poet, This puts me in mind of re-acknowledging your continued endeavours to enrich me: But I can tell you 'tis to no purpose, for without the Opes, æquum mi animum ipfe parabo.

T

* LETTER XXVIII.

To Mr. Congreve.

March 19, 1714-15. HE Farce of the What-d'ye call it has occafioned many different fpeculations in the town. Some look'd upon it as a meer jeft upon the Tragic poets, others as a fatire upon the late War. Mr. Cromwell hearing none of the words, and feeing the action to be tragical, was much aftonished to find the audience laugh; and fays the Prince and Princess mult doubt

lefs

lefs be under no lefs amazement on the fame account, Several templers and others of the more vociferous kind of critics, went with a refolution to hifs, and confelt they were forced to laugh so much, that they forgot the defign they came with. The Court in general has in a very particular manner come into the jeft, and the three first nights (notwithstanding two of them were court-nights) were diftinguifhed by very full audiences of the firft Quality. The common people of the pit and gallery, received it at firft with great gra vity and fedatenefs, fome few with tears; but after the third day they alfo took the hint, and have ever fince been very loud in their claps. There are ftill fome fober men who cannot be of the general opinion, but the laughers are fo much the majority, that one or two critics feem determined to undeceive the town at their proper coft, by writing grave differtations against it : to encourage them in which laudable defign, it is refolved a Preface fhall be prefixt to the Farce, in vindication of the nature and dignity of this new way of writing.

Yefterday Mr. Steele's affair was decided: I am forry I can be of no other opinion than your's, as to his whole carriage and writings of late. But certainly he has not only been punished by others, but fuffered much even from his own party in the point of character, nor (I believe) received any amends in that of intereft, as yet, whatever may be his profpects for the future.

This Gentleman, among a thousand others, is a great inftance of the fate of all who are carried away by party-fpirit, of any fide. I wish all violence may fucceed as il: but am really amazed that fo much of that fower and pernicious quality fhould be joined with

fo

fo much natural good humour as I think Mr. Steele

is poffeffed of.

I am, &c.

* LETTER XXIX.

To Mr. Congreve.

April 7, 1715:

R. Pope is going to Mr. Jervas's, where Mr. Addifon is fitting for his picture; in the mean time amidst clouds of Tobacco at a coffee-house I write this letter. There is a grand revolution at Will's, Morice has quitted for a coffee-house in the city, and Titcomb is reftored to the great joy of Cromwell, who was at a great lofs for a perfon to converse with upon the fathers and church-history; the knowledge I gain from him, is entirely in painting and poetry; and Mr. Pope owes all his skill in aftronomy to him and Mr. Whifton, fo celebrated of late for his difcovery of the longitude in an extraordinary copy of verfes*. Mr. Rowe's Jane Gray is to be play'd in Eafter-week, when Mrs. Oldfield is to perfonate a character directly oppofite to female nature; for what woman ever despised Sovereignty? You know Chaucer has a tale where a knight faves his head, by dif covering it was the thing which all women moft coveted. Mr. Pope's Homer is retarded by the great rains that have fallen of late, which causes the fheets to be long a drying: this gives Mr. Lintot great uneafiness, who is now endeavouring to corrupt the Curate of his parish to pray for fair weather, that his work may go on.

*Call'd, An Ode on the Longitude, in Swift and Pope's Mifcellanies.

There

There is a fix-penny Criticifm lately published upon the tragedy of the What-d'ye-call it, wherein he with much judgment and learning calls me a blockhead, and Mr. Pope a knave. His grand charge is against the Pilgrims Progrefs being read, which he fays is directly level'd at Cato's reading Plato; to back this cenfure, he goes on to tell you, that the Pilgrims Progrefs being mentioned to be the eighth edition, makes the reflection evident, the Tragedy of Cato having juft eight times (as he quaintly expreffes it) vifited the prefs. He has alfo endeavoured to fhow, that every particular paffage of the play alludes to fome fine part of tragedy, which he fays I have injudiciously and profanely abused*. Sir Samuel Garth's poem upon my lord Clare's house, I believe will be published in the Eafterweek.

Thus far Mr. Gay, who has in his letter foreftall'd all the fubjects of diverfion; unless it fhould be one to you to fay, that I fit up till two a clock over Burgundy and Champagne; and am become fo much a rake, that I fhall be afhamed in a fhort time to be thought to do any fort of bufinefs. I fear I must get the gout by drinking; purely for a fashionable pre tence to fit ftill long enough to tranflate four books of Homer. I hope you'll by that time be up again, and may fucceed to the bed and couch of my predeceffor: pray caufe the ftuffing to be repaired, and the crutches fhortened for me. The calamity of your gout is what all your friends, that is to fay all that know you, muft fhare in; we defire you in your turn to condole with us, who are under a perfecution, and much afflicted with a diftemper which proves mortal to ma:

Ι

*This curious piece was entituled, A compleat Key to the What-d'ye-call it, written by one Griffin a Player, affifted by Lewis Theobald.

ny

ny poets, a Criticifm. We have indeed fome relieving intervals of laughter, (as you know there are in fome diseases) and it is the opinion of divers good gueffers, that the laft fit will not be more violent than advantageous; for poets affail'd by critics, are like men bitten by Tarantula's, they dance on fo much the faster.

Mr. Thomas Burnet hath plaid the precursor to the coming of Homer, in a treatife called Homerides. He has fince rifen very much in his criticisms, and afer affaulting Homer, made a daring attack upon the What-d'ye-call-it. Yet is there not a Proclamation iffued for the burning of Homer and the Pope by the common hangman; nor is the What-d'ye callit yet filenced by the Lord chamberlain.

*

Your, &c.

I

Mr. Congreve to Mr. Pope.

May 6. Have the pleasure of your very kind letter, I have always been obliged to you for your friendship and concern for me, and am more affected with it, than I will take upon me to exprefs in this letter. I do affure you there is no return wanting on my part, and am very forry I had not the good luck to fee the Dean before I left the town: it is a great pleasure to me, and not a little vanity to think that he miffes me. As to my health, which you are fo kind to enquire after, it is not worse than in London: I am almost afraid yet to

* In one of his Papers called The Grumbler.

fay