fplit' afunder; every one was folicitous for the fafety of his neighbour, and called to one another throughout the field. No answer being returned to those who called to our lovers, they ftepped to the place where they lay; they perceived the barley all in a smoke, and then spied this faithful pair, John with one arm about Sarah's neck, and the other held over her, as if to fcreen her from the lightning. They were both ftruck in this tender pofture. Sarah's left eyebrow was finged, and there appeared a black spot on her breaft; her lover was all over black, but not the leaft figns of life were found in either. Attended by their me. lancholy companions, they were conveyed to the town, and the next day interred in Stanton-Harcourt church-yard. My Lord Harcourt, at Mr Pope's and my request, has caufed a ftone to be placed over them, upon condition that we fhould furnish the epitaph; which is as follows:

When eastern lovers feed the funeral fire,
On the fame pile the faithful pair expire:
Here pitying Heav'n that virtue mutual found,
And blafted both, that it might neither wound.
Hearts fe fincere th' Almighty faw well pleas'd,
Sent his own lightning, and the victims feiz'd.

But my Lord is apprehenfive the country people will not understand this; and Mr Pope fays he will make one with fomething of fcripture in it, and with as little poetry as Hopkins and Sternhold.

I am, &c.

LETTER II.

The three following letters were wrote by a young lady of a good family, and very genteely bred, (but afterwards reduced,) to a gentleman going abroad, under whofe care and protection he was defirous of retiring, in the capacity of a housekeeper, from the frowns of the world.

SIR,

NO circumftance is more fhocking than that of being obliged to strangers for relief; and, however confcious I may be of my own innocence and well-meaning, the prefumption of addreffing a gentleman in this manner may be a fufficient reafon to prevent my receiving fuch a fhare of credit, as, were I known to you, I might with juftice pretend to. I have had the misfortune to receive an education greatly above the rank that Heaven has allotted me, and I now, too foon, at the age of eighteen, have ftruggled through more difficulties than you would chufe to be acquainted with; and it would but ill become me to fhock the man to whom I wish to be obliged. It is now fome time fince I formed the defign to leave England, and withdraw myfelf from the acquaintance of those that have known me in a higher state. I can be content in a decent retirement, and fhall endeavour to do my duty in the ftation I pretend to. Chance has directed me to you; and it is without a blush (and furely no one fhould be ashamed of fo innocent a boldness) that I offer myself to attend you abroad in the quality of a housekeeper. My character and story you fhall be acquainted with; the first will be no difcredit to me, and the latter, perhaps, may raise a compaffion in you that may

be ferviceable to me. If you approve my defign, or have any curiofity to hear more, I would beg the favour of you to advertise, that the letter directed to Tom's was received, and I will then venture to trouble you again.

LETTER III.

I

SIR,

HAVE fo few obligations to the world, that I am at times furprifed at myself to find that the idea of gratitude shall be known to me, and yet I feel a thankfulness in me for the notice you have taken of my (perhaps indifcreet) application. A thousand distracting thoughts have got the better of my judgment; and though I know where you live, and am fully convinced that you would fcorn to mean me an injury, yet a certain prejudice of education forbids me to pursue what I defigned, and I fhall now folicit nothing more from you than a pardon for having raifed your expectation, and engaged your curiofity to be acquainted with a ftory that a womanish pride will, perhaps, for ever prevent being known. I flattered myfelf, when I wrote before, that I had been miftrefs of more refolution; but my fears ftartle me, and I am fo convinced of the ill methods I have taken to be acquainted with you, (and your knowledge of the world muft neceffarily encourage fúch fufpicions of me,) that no temptation can now be fufficient to make me difcover myself. I am aflamed of what has happened, and feel a refentment to myself for having dared to alarm your good nature with fears of an unfortunate young woman. I will flatter myfelf you feel for me; and the tenderness and humanity that I believe you mafter of fhall at leaft be thus far fatisfied, that I will hereafter, if ForR

tune has any favours to bestow on me, give you the fatisfaction of knowing who I am, and by what accident I thought of applying to you. Adieu ! Je me flatte que le bon Dieu aura pitie de mon innocence, car je n'ai jamais beaucoup fait de mal.

LETTER IV.

SIR,

TERE I in the leaft inclined to difcover myself, fo immediate an answer to your advertisement might in juftice be efteemed a forwardness; but as my refolution is fixed, it will bear a better interpretation, and ought to be looked on as a decent regard for the person that seems to bear a fhare in my misfortune. You may with great reafon reproach me for having drawn you into fo idle a correfpondence; and the perfuafion I have of your goodness and humanity are to me ftrong tef timonials that your inquiry is not the effect of a giddy or ill meaning curiofity, but proceeds from the true principles of virtue, and from a design of giving me all the affistance I can wifh..I must own, that neceffity first tempted me to apply; and tho' I am determined to ftop fhort, and give a check to my ill judged fcheme, yet I will ever encourage myself in a thankfulness to you, and compliment my own judgment for having fo eafily difcovered the perfections of fo amiable a character. My pen feems pleafed with the office of writing to you, and I am now prepared to run greater lengths than Patience might excufe. We are all fond of doing what is most pleafing to us, and it is a flattering of my vanity in the fuppofition of my having engaged your good wishes. My ftory, which is full of a variety of shocking circumftances and diftrefs, added to a too fenfible feeling, has fo furuifhed me

with expreffions, that I fhould conceive a hatred to myself were I capable of a farther attempt to make an impreffion on you. Adieu! I fhall for ever love and honour your generous defign, and will always have this fhare of merit with you, and no neceffity nor other unfortunate circumstance fhall again force me to give an alarm to your humanity, or expofe me to myfelf for having dared to raise your curiofity to the knowledge of that which charity for every well-meaning perfon commands me to conceal.

Vous allez vers la reputation vers le credit, et moi j'en reviens.

LETTER V.

The following most charming and affectionate letter, univerfally admired, was written by Mr Pope to the Bishop of Rochester, about a month before his banishment.

ONCE

NCE more I write to you as I promised, and this once I fear will be the laff; the curtain will foon be drawn between my friend and me, and nothing left but to wish you a long good night. May you enjoy a state of repofe in this life, not unlike that fleep of the foul which fome have be. lieved is to fucceed it, where we ly utterly forgetful of that world from which we are gone, and ripening for that to which we are to go. If you retain any memory of the past, let it only image to you what has pleafed you beft; fometimes pre fent a dream of an abfent friend, or bring you back an agreeable converfation. But, upon the whole, I hope you will think lefs of the time paft than of the future; as the former has been lefs kind to you than the latter infallibly will be. Do