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LETTER XLIV.

Mr. POPE to Mr. ALLEN.

June 8, 1737.

Was very forry to hear how much concern your humanity and friendship betrayed you into upon the false report which occafioned your grief. I am now fo well, that I ought not to conceal it from you, as the just reward of your goodness which made you Tuffer for me. Perhaps when a Friend is really dead (if he knows our concern for him) he knows us to be as much mistaken in our forrow as you now were: fo that, what we think a real evil is, to fuch spirits as fee things truly, no more of moment than a meer imaginary one. It is equally as God pleases; let us think or call it good or evil.

I wish the world would let me give myself more to fuch people in it as I like, and discharge me of half the honours which perfons of higher rank bestow on me; and for which one generally pays a little too much of what they cannot bestow, Time and Life. Were I arrived to that happier circumstance, you would fee me at Widcombe, and not at Bath. whether it will be as much in my power as in my wifh, God knows. I can only fay, I think of it with the pleasure and fincerity becoming one who is, &c..

But

T

Nov. 24, 1737.

HE event 8) of this week or fortnight has filled every body's mind and miné fo much, that I could not get done what you defired as to Dr. P. but as foon as I can get home, where my books lie, I will fend them to Mr. K. The death of great perfons is fuch a fort of furprise to all, as every one's death is to himself, tho' both fhould equally be expected and prepared for. We begin to esteem and commend our fuperiors, at the time that we pity them, because then they seem not above ourselves. The Queen fhewed, by the confeffion of all about her, the utmost firmness and temper to her last moments, and thro' the courfe of great torments. What character hiftorians will allow her, I do not know; but all her domeftic fervants, and those nearest her, give her the best testimony, that of fincere tears. But the public is always hard; rigid at best, even when juft, in its opinion of any one. The only pleas fure which any one, either of high or low rank, must depend upon receiving, is in the candour or partiality of friends, and that fmall circle we are converfant in; and it is therefore the greatest fatisfaction to fuch as with us well, to know we enjoy that. I therefore thank you particularly for telling me of the continuance, or rather increase of those bleffings which make your domeftic life happy. I have nothing fo good to add, as to assure you I pray for it, and am always faithfully and affectionately, &c.

8) The Queen's death.

LETTER XLVI.

Mr. Po PE to Mr. ALLEN.

Twickenham, April 28, 1738.

T is a pain to me to hear your old complaint fo

and still bear too often, in the fame complaint, gives me a very feeling fense of it. I hope we agree in every other fenfation befides this; for your heart is always right, whatever your body may be. I will venture too to lay my body is the worst part of me, or God have mercy on my foul. I can't help telling you the rapture you accidentally gave the poor woman (for whom you left a Guinea, on what I told you of my finding her at the end of my garden) I had no notion of her want being fo great, as I then told you, when I gave her half a one. But I find I have a pleasure to come, for I will allow her fomething yearly, and that may be but one year, for, I think, by her looks fhe is not lefs than eighty. I am determined to take this charity out of your hands, which, I know, you'll think hard upon you. But fo it fhall be.

Pray tell me if you have any objection to my putting your name into a poem of mine (incidentally, not at all going out of the way for it) provided I fay fomething of you, which most people would take ill, for example, that you are no man of high birth or quality? You must be perfectly free with me on this, as on any, nay, on every other occafion,

I have nothing to add but my wifhes for your health every other enjoyment you will provide for yourself, which becomes a reasonable man. Adieu.

at the fame time, hurried by business that gave an increase to it by catching cold. I am truly forry to find that neither yours nor Mrs. A.'s disorder is totally removed; but God forbid pour pain should continue to return every day, which is worfe by much than I expected to hear. I hope your next will give me a better account. Poor Mr. Bethel too is very ill in Yorkshire. And, I do affure you, there are no two men I wish better to. I have known and esteemed him for every moral virtue these twenty years and more. He has all the charity, without any of the weakness of; and, I firmly believe, never faid a thing he did not think, nor did a thing he could not tell. I am concerned he is in fo cold and remote a place, as in the Wolds of Yorkshire, at a hunting - feat. If he lives till fpring, he talks of returning to London, and, if I poffibly can, I would get him to lye out of it at Twickenham, tho' we went backward and forward every day in a warm coach, which would be the propereft exercise for

both of us, fince he is become fo weak as to be de prived of riding a horfe.

L. Bolingbroke stays a month yet, and I hope Mr. Warburton will come to town before he goes. They will both be pleased to meet each other; and nothing, in all my life, has been fo great a pleasure to my nature, as to bring deferving and knowing men together. It is the greatest favour that can be done, either to great genius's or useful men. I wish too, he were

a while in town, if it were only to lye a little in the way of fome proud and powerful perfons, to fee if they have any of the best fort of pride left, namely, to serve learning and merit, and by that means diftinguish themselves from their predeceffors. I am, &c.

LETTER XLVII.

Mr. Po FE
OPE to

to Mr. ALLEN.

March 6.

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Thank you very kindly for yours. I am fure we fhall meet with the fame hearts we ever met; and I could wish it were at Twickenham, tho' only to see you and Mrs. Allen twice there inftead of once. But, as matters have turned out, a decent obedience to the government has fince obliged me to refide here, ten miles out of the capital; and therefore I must see you here or no where. Let that be an additional reafon for your coming and staying what time you can. The utmoft I can do, I will venture to tell you in your ear. I may flide along the Surrey fide (where no Middlesex juftice can pretend any cognizance) to