I think it a charity and an obligation; which I fhall always acknowledge, with all fort of gratitude to you for it; who am, &c.

All the news I have to fend you, is, that poor Mr. Betterton is going to make his Exit from the stage of this world, the Gout being gotten up into his head, and (as the Physicians fay) will certainly carry him off fuddenly.

I

LETTER XXVI.

May 2, 1710.

Am forry you perfift to take ill my not accepting your invitation, and to find (if I mistake not) your exception not unmix'd with fome fufpicion. Be certain I fhall most carefully observe your requeft, not to cross over, or deface the copy of your papers for the future; and only to mark in the margin the Repetitions. But as this can ferve no further than to get rid of thofe repetitions, and no way rectify the Method, nor connect the Matter, nor improve the poetry in expreffion or numbers, without further blotting, adding, and altering; fo it really is my opinion and defire, that you should take your papers out of my hands into your own, and that no alterations may be made but when both of us are prefent; when you may be fatisfied with every blot, as well as E 4 every

every addition, and nothing be put upon the papers but what you fhall give your own fanction and affent to, at the fame time.

Do not be fo unjust, as to imagine from hence that I would decline any part of this task; on the contrary you know, I have been at the pains of transcribing some pieces, at once to comply with your defire of not defacing the copy, and yet to lofe no time in proceeding upon the correction. I will go on the fame way, if you pleafe; tho' truly it is (as I have often told you) my fincere opinion, that the greater part would make a much better figure as Single Maxims and Reflections in prose, after the manner of your favourite Rochefoucault, than in verfe: And this, when nothing more is done but marking the repetitions in the margin, will be an eafy task to proceed upon, notwithstanding the bad Memory you complain of. I am unfeignedly, dear Sir, Your, &c,

A. POPE.

a Mr. Wycherley lived | cccv111 of thefe Maxims five years after, to Decem- in Profe were found among ber, 1715, but little pro- his papers, which having the grefs was made in this de- misfortune to fall into the fign, thro' his Old age, and hands of a Mercenary, were the increase of his infirmi- publifhed in 1728 in octies. However, fome of the tavo, under the Title of Verfes, which had been The Pofthumous Works of touch'd by Mr. P. with William Wycherley, Efq. P.

LETTERS

LETTERS

TO AND FROM

W. WALSH', Efq;

From the Year 1705 to 1707.

LETTER I.

Mr. WALSH to Mr. WYCHERLEY.

April 20, 1705.

I

b

Return you the Papers you favour'd me with, and had fent them to you yesterday

morning, but that I thought to have brought them to you last night myself. I have read

2 Of Abberley in Wor- | Mr. Dryden (in his Poftcestershire, Gentleman of fcript to Virgil) the best Crithe Horse in Queen Anne's tic of our Nation in his reign, Author of feveral time. beautiful pieces in Profe and Verfe, and in the opinion of

P.

' Mr. Pope's Paftorals. P.

them

them over feveral times with great fatisfaction, The Preface is very judicious and very learned; and the Verfes very tender and eafy. The Author feems to have a particular genius for that kind of poetry, and a Judgment that much exceeds the years you told me he was of, He has taken very freely from the ancients, but what he has mixed of his own with theirs, is not inferior to what he has taken from them. "Tis no flattery at all to fay, that Virgil had written nothing fo good at his age. I fhall take it as a favour if you will bring me acquainted with him and if he will give himself the trouble any morning to call at my houfe, I fhall be very glad to read the verses over with him, and give him my opinion of the particulars more largely than I can well do in this letter. I am, Sir, &c.

I

LETTER II.

Mr. WALSH to Mr. PoP E.

June 24, 1706,

Receiv'd the favour of your letter, and shall be very glad of the continuance of a correfpondence by which I am like to be so great a © Sixteen. P.

gainer,

to

gainer. I hope, when I have the happiness of feeing you again in London, not only to read over the verfes I have now of yours, but more that have written fince; for I make no you doubt but any one who writes fo well, muft write more. Not that I think the most volu→ minous poets always the beft; I believe the contrary is rather true. is rather true. I mention'd fomewhat you in London of a Paftoral Comedy, which I should be glad to hear you had thought upon fince. I find Menage in his obfervations upon Taffo's Aminta, reckons up fourscore pastoral plays in Italian: and in looking over my old Italian books, I find a great many paftoral and pifcatory plays, which, I fuppofe, Menage reckons together. I find alfo by Menage, that Taffo is not the first that writ in that kind, he mentioning another before him which he himfelf had never feen, nor indeed have I. But as the Aminta, Paftor Fido, and Filli di Sciro of Bonarelli are the three beft, fo, I think, there is no dispute but Aminta is the best of the three: not but that the difcourfes in Paftor Fido are more entertaining and copious in feveral people's opinion, tho' not fo proper for paftoral: and the fable of Bonarelli more furprizing. I do not remember many in other languages, that have written in this kind with fuccefs, Racan's Bergeries are much inferior to his lyric poems;