however, I will not think myself light, since I have known your partiality. You will want no servant here. Your room will be next to mine, and one man will ferve us. Here is a Library and a Gallery ninety feet long to walk in, and a coach whenever you would take the air with me. Mr. ALLEN tells me, you might on horfeback be here in three days; it is less than 100 miles from Newarke, the road through Leicester, Stow in the Wolde in Gloucestershire, and Cirencefter by Lord Bathurst's. I could engage to carry you to London from hence, and I would accommodate my time and journey to your conveniency.

Is all this a dream? or can you make it a reality? can you give ear to me?

Audistin'? an me ludit amabilis
Infania?

Dear Sir, adieu; and give me a line to Mr.
Allen's at Bath. God preferve you ever.

Ours

LETTER CX.

Nov. 22, 1741.

full and very kind, it is

Y friendly and fatisfactory answer, and all

I can defire. Do but instantly fulfil it.---Only

I hope this will find you before you set out. For I think (on all confiderations) your best way will be to take London in your way. It will fecure you from accidents of weather to travel in the coach, both thither, and from thence hither. But in particular, I think you should take fome care as to Mr. G's executors. And I am of opinion, no man will be more ferviceable in fettling any fuch accounts than Mr. Knapton, who so well knows the trade, and is of so acknowledged a credit in it. If you can stay but a few days there, I should be glad; tho' I would not have you omit any necessary thing to yourself. I wish too you would juft see * * *, tho' when you have pafs'd a month here, it will be time enough, for all we have to do in town, and they will be lefs bufy, prabably, than just before the Session opens, to think of men of letters.

When you are in London I beg a line from you, in which pray tell us what day you shall arrive at Bath by the coach, that we may fend to meet you, and bring you hither.

You will owe me a real obligation by being made acquainted with the master of this house; and by sharing with me, what I think one of the chief fatisfactions of my life, his Friendship. But whether I shall owe you

any

any in contributing to make me a scribler again, I know not.

M

LETTER CXI.

April 23, 1742.

I

Y letters are so short, partly because I could by no length of writings (not even by such as lawyers write) convey to you more than you have already of my heart and esteem; and partly because I want time and eyes. can't fufficiently tell you both my pleasure and my gratefulness, in and for your two last letters, which shew your zeal so strong for that piece of my idleness, which was literally written only to keep me from fleeping in a dull winter, and perhaps to make others sleep unless awaken'd by my Commentator; no uncommon cafe among the learned. I am every day in expectation of Lord Bolingbroke's arrival: with whom I shall seize all the hours I can; for his stay (I fear by what he writes) will be very short.---I do not think it impoffible but he may go to Bath for a few weeks, to fee (if he

• He had concerted the plan of the fourth book of the Dunciad with the Editor the fummer before; and had

now written a great part of it; which he was willing the Editor should fee.

be

be then alive, as yet he is) his old fervant--In that cafe I think to go with him, and if it should be at a season when the waters are beneficial (which agree particularly with him too) would it be an impoffibility to meet you at Mr. Allen's? whose house, you know, and heart are yours. Tho' this is a mere chance, I should not be forry you saw so great a genius, tho' he and you were never to meet again.--Adieu. The world is not what I wish it; but I will not repent being in it while two or three live.

I am, &c.

LETTER CXII.

Bath, Nov. 27, 1742. am still with our

THIS will thew you I

friend, but it is the last day; and I would rather you heard of me pleased, as I yet am, than chagrin'd as I shall be in a few hours. We are both pretty well. I wish you had been more explicite if your leg be quite well. You say no more than that you got home well. I expect a more particular account of you when you have reposed yourself a while at your own fire-side. I shall inquire as foon as I am in London,

0

London, which of my friends have seen you? There are two or three who knew how to value you: I wish I was as sure they would study to serve you.---A project has arisen in my head to make you, in some measure, the Editor of this new edition of the Dunciad, if you have no fcruple of owning some of the graver notes, which are now added to those of Dr. Arbuthnot. I mean it as a kind of prelude, or advertisement to the public, of your Commentaries on the Effays on Man, and on Criticism, which I propose to print next in another. volume proportioned to this. I only doubt whether an avowal of these notes to so ludicrous a poem be suitable to a character so established as yours for more ferious studies. It was a sudden thought fince we parted; and I would have you treat it as no more; and tell me if it is not better to be suppress'd; freely and friendlily. I have a particular reason to make you interest yourself in me and my writings. It will cause both them and me to make the better figure to pofterity. A very mediocre poet, one Drayton, is yet taken some notice of, be cause Selden writ a few notes on one of his

poems.--

a

That is, of the four books complete.

► Added in the three first

books, and diftinguished in this edition of his works.