felf who passes for an independent one, and yet make me every body's servant more than my own: This, Sir, is the occafion of my filence to you, to whom I really have more obligation than to almost any man. By writing, indeed, I proposed no more than to tell you my fenfe of it: As to any corrections of your Letters I could make none, but what resulted from inverting the Order of them, and those expreffions relating to myself which I thought exaggerated. I could not find a word to alter in the last letter, which I return'd immediately to the Bookfeller. I must particularly thank you for the mention you have made of me in your Poftscript to the last Edition of the Legation of Moses. I am much more pleased with a compliment that links me to a virtuous Man, and by the best similitude, that of a good mind (even a better and stronger tye than the fimilitude of studies) than I could be proud of any other whatsoever. May that independency, charity, and competency attend you, which fets a good priest above a bishop, and truly makes his Fortune: that is, his happiness in this life as well as in the other.

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LETTER XCIX.

Twitenham, Sept. 20, 1739.

Received with great pleasure the paper you sent me; and yet with greater, the profpect you give me of a nearer acquaintance with you when you come to Town. I shall hope what part of your time you can afford me, amongst the number of those who esteem you, will be past rather in this place than in London; fince it is here only I live as I ought, mihi et amicis. I therefore depend on your promife; and so much as my constitution fuffers by the winter, I yet affure you, such an acquifition will make the spring much the more welcome to me, when it is to bring you hither, cum zephyris et hirundine prima.

As foon as Mr. R. can tranfmit to me an entire copy of your Letters, I with he had your leave so to do; that I may put the book into the hands of a French gentleman to tranflate, who, I hope, will not fubject your work to as much ill-grounded criticism, as my French translator has fsubjected mine. In earnest, I am extremely obliged to you, for thus espoufing the cause of a stranger whom you judged

Refnel, on whose very Crouzaz founded his only faulty and absurd tranflation plausible objections.

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to be injured; but my part, in this sentiment, is the least. The generosity of your conduct deserves esteem, your zeal for truth deserves affection from every candid man: And as such, were I wholly out of the cafe, I should esteem and love you for it. I will not therefore use you so ill as to write in the general style of compliment; it is below the dignity of the occafion: and I can only say (which I say with fincerity and warmth) that you have made me, &c,

:

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LETTER C.

Jan. 4, 1739.

Tis a real truth that I should have written to you oftner, if I had not a great respect for you, and owed not a great debt to you. But it may be no unnecessary thing to let you know that most of my friends also pay you their thanks; and fome of the most knowing, as well as most candid Judges think me as much beholden to you as I think myself. Your Letters meet from such with the Approbation they merit, and I have been able to find but two or three very flight Inaccuracies in the

On the Essay on Man.

whole whole book, which I have, upon their observation, altered in an exemplar which I keep against a second Edition. My very uncertain state of health, which is shaken more and more every winter, drove me to Bath and Bristol two months fince; and I shall not return towards London till February. But I have received nine or ten Letters from thence on the success of your book, which they are earnest to have translated. One of them is begun in France. A French gentleman, about Monfieur Cambis the Ambassador, hath done the greatest part of it here. But I will retard the Impreffion till I have your directions, or till I can have a pleasure I earnestly wish for, to meet you in town, where you gave me some hopes you fometimes pafs'd a part of the spring, for the best reason, I know, of ever visiting it, the conversation of a few Friends. Pray, fuffer me to be what you have made me, one of them, and let my house have its share of you: or, if I can any way be instrumental in accommodating you in town during your stay, I have lodgings and a library or two in my disposal; which, I believe, I need not offer to a man to whom all libraries ought to be open, or to one who wants them so little; but that 'tis poffible you may be as much a stranger to this The Commentary on the Effay on Man.

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town, as I wish with all my heart I was, I see by certain squibs in the Mifcellanies that you have as much of the uncharitable spirit pour'd out upon you, as the Author you defended from Crouzaz. I only wish you gave them no other anfwer than that of the fun to the frogs, thining out, in your second book, and the completion of your argument. No man is, as he ought to be, more, or fo much a friend to your merit and character, as, Sir, Your, &c.

LETTER CI.

Jan. 17, 1739-40.

Hough I writ to you two posts ago, I ought to acknowledge now a new and unexpected favour of the Remarks on the fourth epistle; which (though I find by yours, attending them, they were fent last month) I received but this morning. This was occafioned by no fault of Mr. R. but the neglect, I believe, of the person to whose care he configned them. I have been full three months