with my Lord Bolingbroke; I go to London in three days time, and will not fail to pay a vifit to Mr. M----, whom I saw not long fince at my Lord Hallifax's. I hoped from thence he had some hopes of advantage from the present administration for few people (I think) but I, pay respects to great men without any profpects. I am in the fairest way in the world of being not worth a groat, being born both a Papift and a Poet. This puts me in mind of reacknowledging your continued endeavours to enrich me. But, I can tell you, 'tis to no purpofe, for without the Opes, æquum mi animum ipfe parabo.

THE

LETTER XXVIII.

To Mr. CONGREVE.

March 19, 1714-15.

a

HE Farce of the What-d'ye-call it a has occafioned many different fpeculations in the town. Some look'd upon it as a mere jest upon the Tragic poets, others as a fatire upon the late War. Mr. Cromwell, hearing none of the words, and seeing the action to be tragical, was much astonished to find the audience laugh; a Written by Gay. X

VOL. VII.

and

and fays the Prince and Princess must doubtless be under no lefs amazement on the fame account. Several templars and others of the more vociferous kind of critics, went with a refolution to hiss, and confefs'd they were forced to laugh fo much, that they forgot the defign they came with. The Court in general has in a very particular manner come into the jest, and the three first nights (notwithstanding two of them were court-nights) were distinguished by very full audiences of the firft Quality. The common people of the pit and gallery received it at firft with great gravity and fedateness, fome few with tears; but after the third day they alfo took the hint, and have ever fince been very loud in their claps. There are ftill some sober men who cannot be of the general opinion; but the laughers are fo much the majority, that one or two critics feem determined to undeceive the town at their proper coft, by writing grave differtations against it: to encourage them in which laudable defign, it is resolved a Preface fhall be prefix'd to the Farce, in vindication of the nature and dignity of this new way of writ ing.

Yefterday Mr. Steele's affair was decided: I am forry I can be of no other opinion than yours, as to his whole carriage and writings of late. But certainly he has not only been punished by others,

I

1

others, but fuffered much even from his own. party in the point of character, nor (I believe) received any amends in that of intereft, as yet, whatever may be his prospects for the future.

This Gentleman, among a thousand others, is a great inftance of the fate of all who are carried away by party-fpirit, of any fide. I wish all violence may fucceed as ill: but am really amazed that so much of that four and pernicious quality should be joined with so much natural good humour as, I think, Mr. Steele is poffeffed of.

I am, &c.

LETTER XXxix.

To Mr. CONGRE VE.

April 7, 1715.

MR. Pope is going to Mr. Jervas's, where

Mr. Addison is fitting for his picture; in the mean time amidst clouds of Tobacco at a coffee-house I write this letter. There is a grand revolution at Will's; Morice has quitted for a coffee-houfe in the city, and Titcomb is restored, to the great joy of Cromwell, who was at a great loss for a person to converse with upon the fathers and church-history; the

X 2

know

་

knowledge I gain from him, is entirely in painting and poetry; and Mr. Pope owes all his skill in aftronomy to him and Mr. Whiston, fo celebrated of late for his discovery of the longitude in an extraordinary copy of verses. Mr. Rowe's Jane Gray is to be play'd in Eafter-week, when Mrs. Oldfield is to perfonate a character directly oppofite to female nature; for what woman ever despised Sovereignty? You know Chaucer has a tale where a knight faves his head, by discovering it was the thing which all women most coveted. Mr. Pope's Homer is retarded by the great rains that have fallen of late, which causes the sheets to be long a drying: this gives Mr. Lintot great uneafinefs, who is now endeavouring to corrupt the Curate of his parish to pray for fair weather, that his work may go on. There is a fix-penny Criticifm lately published upon the tragedy of the What-d'ye-call it, wherein he with much judgment and learning calls me a blockhead, and Mr. Pope a knave. His grand charge is against the Pilgrim's Progrefs being read, which, he fays, is directly levell'd at Cato's reading Plato; to back this cenfure, he goes on to tell you, that the Pilgrim's Progress being mentioned to be the eighth edition, makes the

Call'd, An Ode on the Longitude, in Swift and Pope's Mifcellanies. P.

reflection

reflection evident, the Tragedy of Cato having juft eight times (as he quaintly expresses it) vi- · fited the prefs. He has alfo endeavoured to show, that every particular paffage of the play alludes to fome fine part of tragedy, which he fays, I have injudiciously and profanely abused. Sir Samuel Garth's poem upon my Lord Clare's house, I believe, will be publish'd in the Eafter-week.

Thus far Mr. Gay, who has in his letter foreftall'd all the subjects of diverfion; unless it should be one to you to fay, that I fit up till two a clock over Burgundy and Champagne; and am become so much a rake, that I shall be afhamed in a fhort time to be thought to do any sort of business. I fear I must get the gout by drinking; purely for a fashionable pretence to fit ftill long enough to tranflate four books of Homer, I hope you'll by that time be up again, and I may fucceed to the bed and couch of my predeceffor: pray cause the stuffing to be repaired, and the crutches shorten'd for me, The calamity of your gout is what all friends, that is to say, all that know you, must fhare in; we defire you in your turn to condole

This curious piece was entituled, A compleat Key to the What-d'ye-call it,

your

written by one Griffin a Player, affifted by Lewis Theobald. P.