LETTER IV. FROM THE SAME. June 8, 1737. I WAS very forry to hear how much concern your humanity and friendship betrayed you into upon the false report which occafioned your grief. I am now fo well, that I ought not to conceal it from you, as the just reward of your goodness which made you fuffer for me. Perhaps when a Friend is really dead (if he knows our concern for him) he knows us to be as much mistaken in our sorrow as you now were: fo that, what we think a real evil is, to fuch fpirits as fee things truly, no more of moment than a mere imaginary one. It is equally as God pleases: let us think or call it good or evil. I wish the world would let me give myself more to fuch people in it as I like, and discharge me of half the honours which persons of higher rank bestow on me; and for which one generally pays a little too much of what they cannot bestow, Time and Life. Were I arrived to that happier circumftance, you would fee me at Widcombe, and not at Bath. But whether it will be as much in my power as in my wifh, God knows. I can only fay, I think of it with the pleasure and fincerity becoming one who is, etc. LETTER V. FROM THE SAME. November 24, 1737. THE event of this week or fortnight has filled every body's mind and mine so much, that I could not get done what you defired as to Dr. P. but as foon as I can get home, where my books lie, I will fend them to Mr. K. The death of great perfons is fuch a fort of furprize to all, as every one's death is to himself, though both should equally be expected and prepared for. We begin to esteem and commend our fuperiors, at the time that we pity them, because then they seem not above ourselves. The Queen fhewed *, by the confeffion of all about her, the utmost firmnefs and temper to her last moments, and through the course of great torments. What character hifto rians will allow her, I do not know; but all her domestic fervants, and those nearest her, give her the best testimony, that of fincere tears. But the Public is always hard; rigid at best, even when juft, in its opinion of any one. The only pleasure which any one, either of high or low rank, must depend upon receiving, is in the candour or partiality of friends, and that small circle we are converfant in: and it is there fore * This encomium on Queen Caroline does not feem to agree with what he has faid of her in other parts of his works. fore the greatest fatisfaction to fuch as wish us well, to know we enjoy that. I therefore thank you particularly for telling me of the continuance or rather increase of those bleffings which make your domeftic life happy. I have nothing fo good to add, as to affure you I pray for it, and am always faithfully and affectionately, etc. LETTER VI. FROM THE SAME. Twickenham, April 28, 1738. IT is a pain to me to hear your old complaint is fo troublesome to you; and the fhare I have born, and still bear too often, in the fame complaint, gives me a very feeling sense of it. I hope we agree in every other fenfation befides this; for your heart is always right, whatever your body may be. I will venture to fay, my body is the worst part of me, or God have mercy on my foul. I can't help telling you the rapture you accidentally gave the poor woman (for whom you left a Guinea, on what I told you of my finding her at the end of my garden); I had no notion of her want being fo great, as I then told you, when I gave her half a one. But I find I have a pleasure to come, for I will allow her fomething yearly, yearly, and that may be but one year, for, I think, by her looks she is not less than eighty. I am determined to take this charity out of your hands, which, I know, you'll think hard upon you. But so it shall be. Pray tell me if you have any objection to my putting your name into a poem of mine, (incidentally, not at all going out of the way for it,) provided I fay fomething of you, which most people will take ill, for example, that you are no man of high birth or quality? You must be perfectly free with me on this, as on any, nay, on every other occafion. I have nothing to add but my wifhes for your health; every other enjoyment you will provide for yourself, which becomes a reasonable man. Adieu. I am, etc. LETTER VII. FROM THE SAME. January 20. OUGHT fooner to have acknowledged yours; but I I have been severely handled by my Asthma, and, at the fame time, hurried by business that gave an increase to it by catching cold. I am truly forry to find that neither yours nor Mrs. A's disorder is totally removed but God forbid your pain should continue better account. to return every day, which is worse by much than I expected to hear. I hope your next will give me a Poor Mr. Bethel too is very ill in Yorkshire. And, I do affure you, there are no two men I wish better to. I have known and esteemed him for every moral virtue these twenty years and more. He has all the charity, without any of the weakness of; and, I firmly believe, never faid a thing he did not think, nor did a thing he could not tell. I am concerned he is in fo cold and remote a place, as in the Wolds of Yorkshire, at a hunting feat. If he lives till fpring, he talks of returning to London, and, if I poffibly can, I would get him to lie out of it at Twickenham, though we went backward and forward every day in a warm coach, which would be the propereft exercise for both of us, fince he is become fo weak as to be deprived of riding a horse. L. Bolingbroke stays a month yet, and I hope Mr. Warburton will come to town before he goes. They will both be pleased to meet each other; and nothing in all my life has been fo great a pleasure to my nature, as to bring deferving and knowing men together. It is the greatest favour that can be done, either to great geniufes or useful men. I wish too, he were a while in town, if it were only to lie a little in the way of fome proud and powerful perfons, to see if they have any of the best fort of pride left, namely, |