I LETTER XIX. . May 20, 1709. Am glad you receiv'd the a Miscellany, if it were only to thew you that there are as bad poets in this nation as your fervant. This modern custom of appearing in mifcellanies, is very useful to the poets, who, like other thieves, efcape by getting into a crowd, and herd together like Banditti, fafe only in their multitude. Methinks Strada has given a good description of these kind of collections; Nullus hodie mortalium aut nafcitur, aut moritur, aut præliatur, aut rufticatur, aut abit peregre, aut redit, aut nubit, aut eft, aut non eft, (nam etiam mortuis ifti canunt) cui non illi exemplo cudant Epicedia, Genethliaca, Protreptica, Panegyrica, Epithalamia, Vaticinia, Propemptica, Soterica, Parænetica, Nanias, Nugas. As to the fuccefs, which, you say, my part has met with, it is to be attributed to what you was pleas'd to fay of me to the world; which you do well to call your prophecy, fince whatever is faid in my favour, must be a prediction of things that are not yet; you, like a true Godfather, engage on my part for much more than ever I can Jacob Tonfon's fixth Vol. of Mifcellany Poems. P. 3 perform. perform. My pastoral Muse, like other country girls, is but put out of countenance, by what you courtiers say to her; yet I hope you would not deceive me too far, as knowing that a young fcribler's vanity needs no recruits from abroad for nature, like an indulgent mother, kindly takes care to fupply her fons with as much of their own, as is neceffary for their fatisfaction. If my verses should meet with a few flying commendations, Virgil has taught me, that a young author has not too much reason to be pleas'd with them, when he confiders that the natural confequence of praife is envy and calumny. Si ultra placitum laudarit, baccare frontem Cingite, ne vati noccat mala lingua futuro. When once a man has appeared as a poet, he may give up his pretenfions to all the rich and thriving arts: those who have once made their court to thofe miftreffes without portions, the Mufes, are never like to fet up for fortunes. But for my part, I shall be fatisfy'd if I can lose my time agreeably this way, without losing my reputation as for gaining any, I am as indifferent in the matter as Falstaffe was, and may fay of fame as he did of honour, "If it comes, "it comes unlook'd for; and there's an end "on't." I can be content with a bare saving game, game, without being thought an eminent hand, (with which title Jacob has graciously dignify'd his adventurers and volunteers in poetry.) Jacob creates poets, as Kings fometimes do knights, not for their honour, but for their money. Certainly he ought to be efteem'd a worker of miracles, who is grown rich by poetry. What Authors lofe, their Bookfellers have won, LETTER XX. From Mr. WYCHERLEY. May 26, 1709. HE laft I received from you was dated TH the 22d of May. I take your charitable hint to me very kindly, wherein you do like a true friend, and a true christian, and I fhall endeavour to follow your advice, as well as your example.—As for your wishing to see your friend an Hermit with you, I cannot be faid to leave the world, fince I fhall enjoy in your conversation all that I can defire of it; nay, can learn more from you alone, than from my long long experience of the great, or little vulgar in it. up As to the success of your poems in the late mifcellany, which I told you of in my last; upon my word I made you no compliment, for you may be affur'd that all forts of readers like them, except they are writers too; but for them (I must needs fay) the more they like them, they ought to be the lefs pleas'd with 'em fo that you do not come off with a bare faving game (as you call it) but have gain'd fo much credit at first, that you must needs fupport it to the laft: fince fet you with fo great a stock of good sense, judgment, and wit, that your judgment enfures all that your wit ventures at. The falt of your wit has been enough to give a relish to the whole infipid hotch-potch it is mingled with; and you will make Jacob's Ladder raise you to immortality, by which others are turned off fhamefully to their damnation (for poetic thieves as they are) who think to be faved by others good works, how faulty foever their own are: but the coffeehouse wits, or rather anti-wits the critics, prove their judgments by approving your wit; and even the news-mongers and poets will own, you have more invention than they; nay, the detractors or the envious, who never fpeak well of any body (not even of those they think well of of in their absence) yet will give you even in your absence their good word; and the critics only hate you, for being forced to speak well of you whether they will or no: All this is true the word of upon Your, &c. LETTER XXI. From Mr. WYCHERLEY. Aug. 11, 1709. Y letters, fo much inferior to yours, can M'only make up their fearcity of fenfe by their number of lines; which is like the Spaniards paying a debt of gold with a load of brass money. But to be a plain dealer, I must tell you, I will revenge the raillery of your letters by printing them (as Dennis did mine) without your knowledge too, which would be a revenge upon your judgment for the raillery of your wit; for fome dull rogues (that is the most in the world) might be fuch fools as to think what you faid of me was in earnest: It is not the first time your great wits have gained reputation by their paradoxical or ironical praises; your forefathers have done it, Erafmus and others. For all mankind who know me must |