it will certainly by that means come into print, and I would correct it more, unless you will do it for me (and that I shall like as well:) Upon the whole, I earnestly wish your coming over hither, for this reason among many others, that your influence may be join'd with mine to suppress whatever we may judge proper of his papers. To be plunged in my Neighbour's and my papers, will be your inevitable fate as foon as you come. That I am an author whose characters are thought of some weight, appears from the great noise and bustle that the Court and Town make about any I give: and I will not render them less important, or less interesting, by sparing Vice and Folly, or by betraying the cause of Truth and Virtue. I will take care they shall be such, as no man can be angry at but the persons I would have angry. You are sensible with what decency and justice I paid homage to the Royal Family, at the fame time that I fatirized false Courtiers, and Spies, &c. about 'em. I have not the courage however to be such a Satirift as you, but I would be as much, or more, a Philosopher. You call your fatires, Libels; I would rather call my fatires, Epistles: They will confift more of Morality than of Wit, and grow graver, which you will call duller. I shall

{

leave it to my Antagonists to be witty (if they can)

can) and content myself to be useful, and in the right. Tell me your opinion as to Lady -----'s or Lord *'s performance ? they are certainly the Top-wits of the Court, and you may judge by that single piece what can be done against me; for it was labour'd, corrected, præ-commended and poft-disapprov'd, so far as to be dif-own'd by themselves, after each had highly cry'd it up for the others. I have met with some complaints, and heard at a distance of some threats, occasion'd by my verses: I sent fair messages to acquaint them where I was to be found in town, and to offer to call at their houses to fatisfy them, and so it dropp'd. It is very poor in any one to rail and threaten at a distance, and have nothing to say to you when they fee you.---I am glad you persist and abide by so good a thing as that Poem, in which I am immortal for my Morality: I never took any praise so kindly, and yet, I think, I deserve that praise better than I do any other. When does your collection come out, and what will it confift of? I have but last week finished another of my Epistles, in the order of the system; and this week (exercitandi gratia) I have tranf

The ironical libel on

a See the Epistle written on this occafion at the end of Dr. Delany. the fecond Vol. of Letters.

lated (or rather parody'd) another of Horace's, in which I introduce you advising me about my expences, housekeeping, &c. But these things •shall lie by, till you come to carp at 'em, and alter rhymes, and grammar, and triplets, and cacophonies of all kinds. Our Parliament will fit till Midsummer, which, I hope, may be a motive to bring you rather in summer than fo late as autumn: you us'd to love what I hate, a hurry of politics, &c. Courts I fee not, Cóurtiers I know not, Kings I adore not, Queens I compliment not; so I am never like to be in fashion, nor in dependance. I heartily join with you in pitying our poor Lady for her unhappiness, and should only pity her more, if she had more of what they at Court call Happiness. Come then, and perhaps we may go all together into France at the end of the fea fon, and compare the Liberties of both kingdoms. Adieu. Believe me, dear Sir (with a thousand warın wishes, mix'd with short fighs) ever yours.

LETTER

2

I

LETTER LXVI.

To Mr. POPE.

Dublin, May 1, 1733..

Answer your Letter the fooner because I have

a particular reafon for doing so. Some weeks ago came over a Poem call'd, The Life and Character of Dr. S. written by himself. It was reprinted here, and is dedicatad to you. It is grounded upon a Maxim in Rochefoucault, and the dedication, after a formal story, says, that my manner of writing is to be found in every line. I believe I have told you, that I writ a year or two ago near five hundred lines upon the fame Maxim in Rochefoucault, and was a long time about it, as that Impostor says in his Dedication, with many Circumstances, all pure invention. I defire you to believe, and to tell my friends, that in this spurious piece there is not a single line, or a bit of a line, or thought, any way resembling the genuine Copy, any more than it does Virgil's Æneis; for I never gave a Copy of mine, nor lent it out of my fight. And although I shew'd it to all common acquaintance indifferently, and some of them (especially one or two females) had got many lines by heart, here and there, and repeated them often; yet it happens that not one single line or thought is contained in this Imposture, although it appears that they who counterfeited me, had heard of the true one. But even this trick shall not provoke me to print the true one, which indeed is not proper to be seen, till I can be seen no more: I therefore defire you will undeceive my friends, and I will order an Advertisement to be printed here, and transmit it to England, that every body may know the delufion, and acquit me, as, I am fure, you must have done yourself, if you have read any part of it, which is mean, and trivial, and full of that Cant that I most despise : I would fink to be a Vicar in Norfolk rather than be charged with such a performance. Now I come to your letter.

When I was of your age, I thought every day of death, but now every minute; and a continual giddy disorder more or less is a greater addition than that of my years. I cannot affirm that I pity our friend Gay, but I pity his friends, I pity you, and would at least equally pity myself, if I liv'd amongst you; because I should have seen him oftener than you did, who are a kind of Hermit, how great a noife foever you make by your Ill-nature in not letting the honest Villains of the times enjoy themselves in

this world, which is their only happiness, and terrifying