-

will take a special care that my Difaffection to the world may not be imputed to my Age, for I have credible witnesses ready to depofe, that it hath never varied from the twenty-first to the f--ty-eighth year of my life (pray fill that blank charitably). I tell you after all, that I do not hate mankind, it is vous autres who hate them, because you would have them reafonable Animals, and are angry at being disappointed: I have always rejected that definition, and made another of my own. I am no more angry with than I was with the Kite that last week flew away with one of my chickens; and yet I was pleased when one of my fervants fhot him two days after. This I fay, because you are so hardy as to tell me of intentions to write Maxims in oppofition to Rochefoucault, who is my favourite, because I found my whole character in him; however I will read him again, because it is poffible I may have fince undergone fome alterations.-Take care the bad Poets do not out-wit you, as they have ferved the good ones every age, whom they have provoked to tranfmit their names to pofterity. Mævius is as well known as Virgil, and Gildon will be as well known as you, if his name gets into your Verfes and as to the difference between good and bad fame *, 'tis a perfect trifle.

in

your

I afk

d This, methinks, is no great compliment to his own heart. W.

* "I defire Fame," fays a certain Philofopher: "Let this occur: if I act well I fhall have the esteem of all my acquaintance; and what is all the reft to me?"

I ask a thousand pardons, and fo leave you for this time, and will write again without concerning myself whether you write or no.

I am, etc.

LETTER XIV.

December 10, 1725.

I

FIND myself the better acquainted with you for a long Abfence, as men are with themfelves for a long Affliction: Abfence does but hold off a Friend, to make one fee him the more truly. I am infinitely more pleased to hear you are coming near us, than at any thing you seem to think in my favour; an opinion which has perhaps been aggrandized by the distance or dulness of Ireland, as objects look larger through a medium of Fogs: and yet I am infinitely pleased with that too. I am much the happier for finding (a better thing than our Wits) our Judgments jump, in the notion that all Scribblers fhould be paft by in filence. To vindicate one's felf against fuch nafty flander, is much as wife as it was in your countryman, when the people imputed a ftink to him, to prove the contrary by fhewing his backfide. So let Gildon and Philips reft in peace! What Virgil had to do with Mævius*, that he fhould wear him upon his

* Or Pope with Tibbald, Concanen, and Smedley, &c.

fleeve

fleeve to all eternity, I don't know. I've been the longer upon this, that I may prepare you for the reception both you and your works may poffibly meet in England. We your true acquaintance will look upon you as a good man, and love you; others will look upon you as a Wit, and hate you. So you know the worst; unless you are as vindicative as Virgil, or the aforefaid Hibernian.

I wish as warmly as you for an Hospital in which to lodge the Defpifers of the world; only I fear it would be filled wholly like Chelsea, with maimed Soldiers, and fuch as had been difabled in its service. I would rather have thofe, that out of fuch generous principles as you and I, defpife it, fly in its face, than retire from it; it would vex one more to be knocked on the head with a Piss-pot *, than by a Thunderbolt. As to greater Oppreffors, they are like Kites or Eagles, one expects mischief from them; but to be squirted to death (as poor Wycherley faid to me on his death-bed) by Apothecaries Apprentices, by the understrappers of under-fecretaries to secretaries who were no fecretaries—this would provoke as dull a dog as Ph-s himself.

So

*Here is one of thofe vulgar and difgufting images on which our Author too much delighted to dwell. Dr. Delany, from his partiality to Swift, is of opinion, that the Dean caught his love of grofs and filthy objects from Pope. The contrary feems to be the fact. One would think this love contagious; fee two paffages in the View of Lord Bolingbroke's Philofophy, Letter II. pages 67

So much for enemies, now for friends.

Mr. L thinks all this indifcreet: the Dr. not fo; he loves mischief the best of any good-natured man in England. Lord B. is above trifling: when he writes of any thing in this world, he is more than mortal: if ever be trifles, it must be when he turns a Divine, Gay is writing Tales for Prince William: I fuppofe Mr. Philips will take this very ill, for two reafons; one that he thinks all childish things belong to him, and the other because he'll take it ill to be taught that one may write things to a child without being childifh. What have I more to add? but that Lord Oxford defires earnestly to see you: and that many others whom you do not think the worst of, will be gratified by it: none more, be affured, than Yours, etc.

P. S. Pope and you are very great Wits, and I think very indifferent Philofophers: if you defpifed the world as much as you pretend, and perhaps believe, you would not be fo angry with it. The founder of your fect*, that noble Original whom you

think

* Very different is the opinion that Lord Shaftesbury has given of Seneca, the perfon here alluded to. ""Tis not," fays he finely, "the perfon, character, or genius, but the ftile and manner of this great man, which we prefume to cenfure. We acknowledge his noble fentiments and worthy actions: we own the Patriot and good Minifter: but we reject the Writer. Where an univerfal Monarchy was actually established, and the interest of a whole world concerned; he furely must have been esteemed a Guardian Angel, who, as a Prime Minifter, could, for feveral

years,

think it so great an honour to resemble, was a slave to the worst part of the world, to the Court; and all his big words were the language of a flighted Lover, who defired nothing so much as a reconciliation, and feared nothing fo much as a rupture. I believe the world hath ufed me as fcurvily as moft people, and yet I could never find in my heart to be thoroughly angry with the fimple, falfe, capricious thing. I fhould blufh alike to be discovered fond of the world, or piqued at it. Your definition of Animal rationis capax, instead of the common one Animal Rationale, will not bear examination: define but Reason, and you will fee why your distinction is no better than that of the Pontif Cotta; between mala ratio, and bona ratio. But enough of this: make us a vifit, and I'll fubfcribe to any fide of these important questions which you please. We differ lefs than you imagine, perhaps, when you wished me banished again: but I am not less true to you and to Philosophy in England, than I was in France.

Yours, etc. B.

years, turn the very worst of Courts, and worft-conditioned of all Princes, to the fatherly care and just government of mankind, Such a Minister was Seneca, under an Agrippina and a Nero." Characteristics, vol. iii. p. 23.

f Seneca.

W.