a degree equal even to yours, and a tye of friendhip approaches near to the tenderness of nature: yet, God knows, no man living is lefs fit to comfort you, as no man is more deeply fenfible than myself of the greatness of the lofs. That very virtue, which fecures his present ftate from all the forrows incident to ours, does but aggrandize our sensation of its being remov'd from our fight, from our affection, and from our imitation; for the friendship and fociety of good men does not only make us happier, but it makes us better. Their death does but complete their felicity before our own, who probably are not yet arrived to that degree of perfection which merits an immediate reward. That your dear brother and my dear friend was fo, I take his very removal to be a proof; Providence would certainly lend virtuous men to a world that so much wants them, as long as in its justice to them it could spare them to us. May my foul be with those who have meant well, and have acted well to that meaning! and, I doubt not, if this prayer be granted, I shall be with him. Let us preferve his memory in the way he would beft like, by recollecting what his behaviour would have been, in every incident of our lives to come, and doing in each juft as we think he would have done; fo we shall have him always before our eyes, and in

our

our minds, and (what is more) in our lives and manners. I hope when we shall meet him next, we shall be more of a piece with him, and confequently not to be evermore separated from him. I will add but one word that relates to what remains of yourself and me, fince fo valued a part of us is gone; it is to beg you to accept, as yours by inheritance, of the vacancy he has left in a heart, which (while he could fill it with fuch hopes, wishes, and affections for him as fuited a mortal creature) was truly and warmly his; and fhall (I affure you in the fincerity of forrow for my own lofs) be faithfully at your service while I continue to love his memory, that is, while I continue to be myself.

LET

LETTERS

TO AND FROM

Dr. ATTERBURY, Bishop of ROCHESTER.

From the Year 1716 to 1723.

LETTER I.

The Bishop of ROCHESTER to Mr. POPE.

I

Decemb. 1716.

Return your a Preface, which I have read twice with pleasure. The modesty and good sense there is in it, must please every one that reads it: And fince there is nothing that can offend, I fee not why you should balance a moment about printing it-always provided, that there is nothing faid there which you may have occafion to unfay hereafter of which

you yourself are the beft and the only judge. This is my fincere opinion, which I give, because you afk it: and which I would not give, tho' ask'd, but to a man I value as much as I do you; being fenfible how improper it is, on many accounts, for me to interpofe in things of this nature; which I never understood well, and now understand somewhat lefs than ever I did. But I can deny you nothing; especially fince you have had the goodness often, and patiently, to hear what I have faid against rhyme, and in behalf of blank verfe; with little difcretion perhaps, but, I am fure, without the least prejudice: being myself equally incapable of writing well in either of those ways, and leaning therefore to neither fide of the question, but as the appearance of reason inclines me. Forgive me this error, if it be one; an error of above thirty years standing, and which therefore I shall be very loth to part with. In other matters which relate to polite writing, I fhall feldom differ from you: or, if I do, fhall, I hope, have the prudence to conceal my opinion. I am, as much as I ought to be, that is, as much as any man can be,

Your, &c.

VOL. VIIL

G

LET

1

LETTER IL

The Bishop of ROCHESTER to Mr. POPE

Feb. 18, 1717.

Hop'd to find you laft night at Lord Bathurst's, and came but a few minutes after you had left him. I brought Gorboduc a with me; and Dr. Arbuthnot telling me he should fee you, I depofited the book in his hands: out of which, I think, my Lord Bathurst got it, before we parted, and from him therefore you are to claim it. If Gorboduc fhould still miss his way to you, others are to answer for it; I have delivered up my truft. I am not forry your b Alcander is burnt; had I known your intentions, I would have interceded for the first page, and put it, with your leave, among my curiofities. In truth, it is the only inftance of that kind I ever met with, from a person good for any thing else, nay for every thing else to which he is pleas'd to turn himself. Depend upon it, I shall see with great pleasure at Bromley; and there is no request

a A Tragedy written in the Reign of Edward the fixth (and much the best performance of that Age) by Sackvil, afterwards Earl of Dorfet, and Lord Treasurer

you

to Queen Elizabeth. It was then very scarce, but lately reprinted by R. Dodsley in Pall-mall. P.

b An Heroic Poem writ at 15 years old. P.