PRAY

LETTER XII. .

In the Stile of a Lady, by Mr. Pope.

RAY what is your Opinion of Fate? for I mult confefs, I am one of thofe that believe in Fate and Predeftination-No, I cannot go as far as that; but, I own, I am of Opinion one's Stars may incline, though not compel one; and that is a Sort of Free-will; for we may be able to refift Inclination, but not Compulfion.

Don't you think they have got into the most pr pofterous Fashion this Winter that ever was, of flouncing the Petticoat fo very deep, that it looks like an entire Coat of Luteltring?

It is a little cool indeed for this Time of the Year,, but then, my Dear, you'll allow it has an extreme clean pretty Look.

Ay, fo has my Muflin Apron; but I would not chufe to make it a Winter's Suit of Cloaths

Well, now I'll fwear, Child, you have put me in mind of a very pretty Drefs; let me die if I don't think. a Muflin Flcunce made very full, would give one a very agreeable Flirtation Air.

Well, I fwear it would be charming and I should. like it of all Things- Do you think there are any fuch Things as Spirits?

Do you believe there is any fuch Flace as the Elyfian Fields? O Gad, that would be charming! I wish I were to go to the Elyfian Fields when I die, and then I fhould not care if I were to leave the World To-nforrow: But is one to meet there with what one has loved most in this World?

Now you must tell me this pofitively. To be fure you can, or what do I correspond with you for, if you won't tell me all; you know I abominate Referve.

LETTER XIII.

To Mrs. Rowe, on the Vanity of all fublunary Enjoyments.

EOPLE feem at prefent more bufily employed in preparing for the King's Birth Day, than for their own laft; and appear to be in greater Anxiety for a Seat in the Dancing-Room, than for a Seat in Paradife.

I

I was laft Night with - ; a Barge of Mufic followed us; but in the Midft of this Gaiety your Letter was not the only Thing that put me in mind of Mortaity: I had fuch a violent Pain in my Head, that neither the Wit of the Company, the Softness of the Mufic, nor the Beauty of the Evening could give me any fincere De light.- If Pleasure be the Lot of Man, it must be in fomething beyond the Grave; for on this Side, conftant Experience tells us, all is Vanity.

But this Confeffion has hardly any Influence on human Conduct; for People in a high Rank must often act against their Reafon, to avoid being thought unfash ionable; and for Fear of being thought mad by the modifh World, moft act in a Manner which they are fenfible is being truly fo, to be in Vogue with their polite Cotemporaries.

I cannot forbear thinking with myfelf, that if a Being, endued with Reafon and a Capacity of judging, (an Inhabitant of another Planet, and an utter Stranger to our Nature) could take a View of our Actions, he would be at a Lefs what to imagine we were; and had he no Informer, but was to judge by our Conduct, he would certainly either imagine that we were a Species who were infured always to live in the World we now inhabit; or else, that after enjoying ourselves here as long as we could, we were to be infenfible for ever, without the leaft Expectation of a future Judgment, Punishment, or Reward.

You would hardly make an Apology for defiring me to write to you, if you knew how much Pleafure the Injunction gives to, Yours unalterably,

LETTER

CLEOR A.

XIV.

From Mr. Locke directed thus:

For Anthony Collins, Efq; to be delivered to him after my Deceafe.

BY

you

Dear Sir, my Will will fee that I had fome Kindness for ****. And I know no better Way to take Care of him than to put him, and what I defigned for him,

into

into your Hands and Management: The Knowledge I have of your Virtue of all Kinds, fecures the Truft which by your Permiffion I have placed in you; and the peculiar Efteem and Love i have obferved in the young Man for you, will difpofe him to be ruled and influenced by you; fo that of that I need fay nothing. But there is one Thing, which it is neceflary for me to recommend to your efpecial Care and Memory ****.

May you live long and happy in the Enjoyment of Health, Freedom, Content, and all thofe Bleffings which Providence has bestowed on you, and your Virtue inti-. tles you to. I know you loved me living; and will preferve my Memory now I am dead. All the Ufe to be made of it is, that this Life is a Scene of Vanity, that foon paffes away; and affords no folid Satisfaction, but in the Confcioufnefs of doing well, and in the Hopes of another Life. This is what I can fay upon Experience. and what you will find to be true, when you come to make up the Account. Adieu, I leave my best Wishes with you. JOHN LOCKE.

LETTER XV.

Earl of Rochefter to the Honourable Henry Saville.

Harry,

YOU

OU cannot shake off the Statesman entirely; for, perceive you have no Opinion of a Letter, that is not aloft a Gazette: Now to me, who thinks the World as giddy as myself, I care not which Way it runs, and am fond of no News, but the Profperity of my Friends, and the Continuance of their Kindness to me, which is the only Error I wish to continue in them: For my own Part, I am not at all ftung with my Lord M's mean Ambition, but I aspire to my Lord L 's generous Philofophy: They who would be great in our little Government, feem as ridiculous to me as School-Boys, who_with_ much Endeavour, and fome Danger, climb a Crab-Tree, and venture their Necks for Fruit, which folid Pigs would difdain, if they were not ftarving. Thefe Reflections, how idle

foever they feem to the bufy, if taken into Confideration, would fave you many a weary Step in the Day, and help Gy to many an Hour's Sleep, which he wants in the Night; but G- -y would be rich; and, by my Truth, there is fome Seafe in that: Pray remember me to him, and tell him, I with him many Millions, that his Soul may find Reft. You write me Word, that I'm out of Favour with a certain Poet, whom I have ever admired, for the Difproportion of him and his Attributes. He is a Rarity which I cannot but be fond of, as one would be of a Hog that could fiddle, or a finging Owl. If he falls upon me at the Blunt, which is his very good Weapon in Wit, I will forgive him if you pleafe, and leave the Repartee to Black Will, with a Cudgel. And now, my dear Harry, if it may agree with your Affairs to fhew yourself in the Country this Summer, contrive fuch a Crew together as may not be afhamed of paffing by Woodstock, and if you can debeauch Alderman G- -y, we will make a Shift to delight his Gravity. I am forry for the declining Dfs, and would have you be generous to her at this Time: For that is true Pride, and I delight in it. ROCHESTER.

LETTER XVI.

Earl of Rochester to the Honourable Henry Saville.

Dear Saville,

THIS

HIS Day I received the unhappy News of my own Death and Burial. But hearing what Heirs and Succeffors were decreed in my Place, and chiefly in my Lodgings, it was no fmall Joy to me that those Tidings proved untrue. My Paffion for living is fo increa fed, that I omit no Care of myfelf, which, before, I never thought Life worth the Trouble of taking. The King, who knows me to be an ill-natured Man, will not think it an eafy Matter for me to die, now I live chiefly out of Spite. Dear Mr. Saville, afford me fome News from your Land of the Living. And tho' I have little Curiofity to hear who is well, yet I would be glad my

few

few Friends were so, of whom you are no more the leaft than the leaneft. I have better Compliments for you, but that may not look fo fincere as I would have you believe I am, when I profefs myfelf

Your faithful affectionate humble Servant,

ROCHESTER.

THO

LETTER XVII.

To CLE ORA.

Auguft 11, 1771. HO' it is but a few Hours fince I parted from my Cleora, yet I have already, you fee, taken up my Pen to write to you: You must not expect, however, in this, or in any of my future Letters, that I fay fine Things to you, fince I only intend to tell you true ones. My Heart is too full to be regular, and too fin'cere to be ceremonious. I have changed the Manner, not the Stile of my former Converfation: And I write to you, as I used to talk to you, without Form or Art. Tell me then, with the fame undiffembled Sincerity, what Effect this Abfence has upon your ufual Chearfulness? As I will honeftly confefs, on my own Part. that I am too interested to wish a Circumstance, fo little confiftent with my Repofe, fhould be altogether reconcileable to yours, I have attempted, however, to pursue your Advice, and divert myself by the Subject you recommend to my Thoughts: But it is impoflible, I perceive, to turn off the Mind at once from an Object which it has long dwelt upon with Pleafure. My Heart, like a poor Bird which is hunted from her Neft, is ftill returning to the Place of its Affections, and, after fome vain Efforts to fly off, fettles again where all its Cares and all its Tenderness are centered. Adieu.

LET