I am much more concerned to hear that fome of your Clergy are offended* at a verfe or two of mine", because I have refpect for your Clergy (though the Verfes are harder upon ours). But if they do not blame you for defending those verses, I will wrap my: felf up in the layman's cloak, and fleep under your

fhield.

I am forry to find by a letter two posts fince from Mr. Allen, that he is not quite recovered yet of all remains of his indifpofition, nor Mrs. Allen quite well. Don't be difcouraged from telling me how you are for no man is more yours than, etc.

I'

LETTER XXIV.

I was not afhamed to be fo behind-hand with you, that I can never pretend to fetch it up, (any more than I could in my present state, to overtake you in a race,) I would particularize which of your letters I fhould have answered first. It must fuffice to fay I have received them all; and whatever very little re

fpites

* It was furely impoffible for them not to take offence, at one of the fevereft, and, we hope, undeserved farcasms ever caft on their order. And it is not a little furprising that the friend under whofe guidance our poet had now placed himself, did not prevail on him to fupprefs thefe injurious lines.

Ver. 355 to 358. fecond book of the Dunciad.

W.

fpites I have had, from the daily care of

my malady,

have been employed in revifing the papers on the Ufe of Riches, which I would have ready for your last revise against you come to town, that they may be begun with while you are here.-I own, the late encroachments upon my conftitution make me willing to fee the end of all further care about me or my works. I would reft for the one, in a full refignation of my being to be difpofed of by the Father of all mercy; and for the other (though indeed a trifle, yet a trifle may be fome example) I would commit them to the candour of a fenfible and reflecting judge, rather than to the malice of every fhort-fighted and malevolent critic, or inadvertent and cenforious reader. And no hand can set them * in fo good a light, or so well turn their best fide to the day, as your own. This obliges me to confefs I have for fome months thought myself going, and that not flowly, down the hill. The rather as every attempt of the physicians, and still the last medicines more forcible in their nature, have utterly failed to serve me. I was at laft, about seven days ago, taken with fo violent a fit at Battersea, that my friends Lord M. and Lord B. fent for present help to the furgeon; whose bleeding me, I am perfuaded, faved my life, by the inftantaneous effect it had; and

which

* Without incurring, I hope, the cenfure of being affhort-fighted and malevolent critic, I venture to fay, that our author's fond expectation of his commentator's fetting his works in the best light, I was extremely ill-founded.

which has continued fo much to amend me, that I have paffed five days without oppreffion, and recovered, what I have three months wanted, fome degree of expectoration, and fome hours together of fleep. I am now got to Twitenham, to try if the air will not take fome part in reviving me, if I can avoid colds: and between that place and Battersea with my Lord B. I will pass what I have of life, while he stays (which I can tell you, to my great fatisfaction, will be this fortnight or three weeks yet). What if you came before Mr. Allen, and staid till then, instead of postponing your journey longer? Pray, if you write, just tell him how ill I have been, or I had wrote again to him: but that I will do, the first day I find myself alone with pen, ink, and paper, which I can hardly be, even here, or in any spirits yet to hold a pen. You fee I say nothing, and yet this writing is labour

to me.

LETTER XXV.

I am, etc.

April 1744.

I

AM forry to meet you with fo bad an account of myself, who should otherwise with joy have flown to the interview. I am too ill to be in town; and within this week fo much worse, as to make my

journey

journey thither, at prefent, impracticable, even if there was no Proclamation in my way. I left the town in a decent compliance to that; but this additional prohibition from the highest of all powers I must bow to without murmuring. I wish to see you here. Mr. Allen comes not till the 16th, and you will probably chuse to be in town chiefly while he is there. I received yours juft now, and I writ to hinder

from printing the Comment on the Ufe of Riches too haftily, fince what you write me, intending to have forwarded it otherwise, that you might revise it during your stay. Indeed my present weakness will make me less and less capable of any thing. I hope at least, now at first, to see you for a day or two here at Twitenham, and concert measures how to enjoy for the future what I can of your friendship.

• He died May 30. following.

I am, etc.

W.