the Tatler, which I fuppofe you have feen. This is the newest thing I can tell you of, except it be of the Peace, which now (moft people fay) is drawing to fuch a conclufion, as all Europe is, or muft be fatisfy'd with; fo Poverty you fee, which makes peace in Westminster-hall, makes it likewife in the camp or field, throughout the world. Peace then be to you, and to me, who am now grown peaceful, and will have no conteft with any man, but him who fays he is more your friend or humble fervant, than Your, &c. LETTER XIX. Am glad you receiv'd the * May 20, 1709. Mifcellany, if it were I only how you that there are as bad poets in This modern custom this nation as your fervant. of appearing in mifcellanies, is very useful to the poets, who like other thieves, efcape by getting into a crowd, and herd together like Banditti, fafe only in their multitude. Methinks Strada has given a good description of these kind of collections; Nullus bodie mortalium aut nafcitur, aut moritur, aut præliatur, aut rufticatur, aut abit peregrè, aut redit, aut nubit, aut eft, aut non eft, (nam etiam mortuis ifti canunt) cui non illi extemplò cudant Epicedia, Ge * Jacob Tonfon's fixth Vel, of Mifcellany Poems. nethliaca, nethliaca, Protreptica, Panegyrica, Epithalamia, Vaticinia, Propemptica, Soterica, Parænetica, Nanias, Nugas. As to the fuccefs which you fay may part has met with, it is to be attributed to what you was pleas'd to fay of me to the world; which you do well to call your prophecy, fince whatever is faid in my favour, must be a prediction of things that are not yet; you, like a true Godfather, engage on my part for much more than ever I can perform. My paftoral mufe, like other country girls, is but put out of countenance, by what you courtiers fay to her; yet I hope you would not deceive me too far, as knowing that a young fcribbler's vanity needs no recruits from abroad: for nature like an indulgent mother kindly takes care to fupply her fons with as much of their own, as is neceffary for their fatisfaЄtion. If my verfes fhould meet with a few flying commendations, Virgil has taught me that a young author has not too much reafon to be pleas'd with them, when he confiders that the natural confequence of praife is envy and calumny. -Si ultra placitum laudarit, Baccare frontem When once a man has appear'd as a poet, he may give up his pretenfions to all the rich and thriving arts: thofe who have once made their court to thofe miftreffes without portions, the mufes, are never like to fet up for fortunes. But for my part, I fhall be fatisfy'd if I can lofe my time agreeably this way, without lofing my reputation: as for gaining any, I am as indifferent in the matter as Falftaffe was, and may fay of fame as he did of honour, "If it comes, "it comes unlook'd for; and there's an end en't." I can can be content with a bare faving game, without being thought an eminent hand, (with which title Jacob has graciously dignify'd his adventurers and voluntiers in poetry.) Jacob creates poets, as Kings fometimes do knights, not for their honour, but for their money. Certainly he ought to be efteem'd a worker of miracles, who is grown rich by poetry. What Authors lofe, their Bookfellers have won, T I am your, &c. LETTER XX. From Mr. Wycherley. May 26, 1709. HE laft I receiv'd from you was dated the z zd of May. I take your charitable hint to me very kindly, wherein you do like a true friend, and a true chriftian, and I fhall endeavour to follow your advice, as well as your example.-As for your wishing to fee your friend an Hermit with you, I cannot be faid to leave the world, fince I fhall enjoy in your con verfation all that I can defire of it; nay, can learn more from you alone, than from my long experience of the great, or little vulgar in it. As to the fuccefs of your poems in the late mifcellany, which I told you of in my laft; upon my word I made you no compliment, for you may be affur'd that all fort of readers like them, except they are writers too; but for them, (I'muft needs fay) the more they like them, they ought to be the lefs pleas'd with 'em fo that you do not come off with a bare faving game (as you call it) but have gain'd fo much credit at first, that you must needs fupport it to the laft fince you fet up with fo great a stock of good fenfe, judgment and wit, that your judgment enfures all that your wit ventures at. The falt of your wit has been enough to give a relifh to the whole infipid hotch-poth it is mingled with; and you will make Jacob's Ladder raife you to immortality, by which others are turn'd off fhamefully to their damnation (for poetick thieves as they are) who think to be fav'd by others good works, how faulty foever their own are: but the coffee houfe wits, or rather anti-wits the criticks, prove their judgments by approving your wit; and even th news-mongers and poets will own, you have more invention than they; nay, the detracters or the envious, who never speak well of any body, (not even of those they think well of in their abfence) yet will give you even in your absence their good word, and the criticks only hate you, for being forc'd to fpeak well of you whether they will or no: All this is true, upon the word of Your, &c. MY * LETTER XXI. From Mr. Wycherley. Aug. 11, 1709. Y letters, fo much inferior to yours, can only make up their scarcity of fenfe by their number of lines; which is like the Spaniards paying a debt of gold with a load of brafs money. But to be a plain dealer, I muft tell you, I will revenge the D raillery raillery of your letters by printing them, (as Dennis did mine) without your knowledge too, which wou'd be a revenge upon your judgment for the raillery of your wit; for fome dull rogues (that is the moft in the world) might be fuch fools as to think what you faid of me was in earneft: It is not the first time, you great wits have gain'd reputation by their paradoxical or ironical praifes; your forefathers have done it, Erafmus and others. For all mankind who know me muft confess, he must be no ordinary genius, or little friend, who can find out any thing to commend in me seriously; who have given no fign of my judgement but my opinion of yours, nor mark of my wit, but my leaving off writing to the publick now you are beginning to fhew the world what you can do by yours: whofe wit is as fpiritual as your judgment infallible: in whose judgment I have an implicit faith, and shall always fubfcribe to it to fave my works, in this world, from the flames and damnation.-Pray prefent my moft humble service to Sir William Trumbull; for whom and whose judgment I have fo profound a refpect, that his example had almost made me marry, more than my Nephew's ill carriage to me; having once refolv'd to have reveng'd my felf upon him by my marriage, but now am refolv'd to make my revenge greater upon him by His marriage. LETTER |