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before I had executed half my design; for the machinery was entirely wanting to complete it.

The machinery, Madam, is a term invented by the critics to signify that part which the deities, angels, or demons are made to act in a poem. For the ancient poets are, in one respect, like many modern young ladies. Let an action be never so trivial in itself, they always make it appear of the utmost importance.1 These machines I determined to raise on a very new and odd foundation, the Rosicrucian doctrine of Spirits. I know how disagreeable it is to make use of hard words before a lady, but 'tis so much the concern of a poet to have his works understood, and particularly by your sex, that you must give me leave to explain two or three difficult terms.

The Rosicrucians 2 are a people I must bring you acquainted with. The best account I know of them is in a French book called Le Comte de Gabalis, which, both in its title and size, is so like a novel that many of the fair sex have read it for one by mistake. According to these gentlemen, the four elements are inhabited by Spirits, which they call Sylphs, Gnomes, Nymphs, and Salamanders. The Gnomes, or demons of Earth, delight in mischief; but the Sylphs, whose habitation is in the Air, are the best conditioned creatures imaginable. For they say any mortals may enjoy the most intimate familiarities with these gentle spirits, upon a condition very easy to all true Adepts an inviolable preservation of chastity.

As to the following Cantos, all the passages of them are as fabulous as the Vision at the beginning, or the Transformation

1 This, we may, with some probability, take to be a sort of sly revenge, skilfully contrived, on Miss Fermor for her resentment at the part she was made to play in the Rape of the Lock as it first appeared.

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2 Literally the Dew-Cross (Ros-Crux) alchymists, or searchers after the "philosopher's stone; so styled because they held dew to be the most powerful solvent of the Cross, their cabalistic term for the grosser part of the atmosphere, by the proper solution of which they expected to find the grand object of all their vain labours-Gold.

CONGRATULATES MISS FERMOR ON HER MARRIAGE. 383

at the end (except the loss of your hair, which I always mention with reverence). All the human persons are as fictitious as the airy ones; and the character of Belinda, as it is now managed, resembles you in nothing but in beauty. If this poem had as many graces as there are in your person or in your mind, yet I could never hope it should pass through the world half so uncensured as you have done. But let its fortune be what it will, mine is happy enough to have given me this occasion of assuring you that I am, with the truest esteem, Madam, your most obedient, humble servant.

TO MISS ARABELLA FERMOR.1

1714.

You are by this time satisfied how much the tenderness of one man of merit is to be preferred to the addresses of a thousand. And, by this time, the gentleman you have made choice of is sensible how great is the joy of having all those charms and good qualities, which have pleased so many, now applied to please one only. It was but just that the same virtues, which give you reputation, should give you happiness; and I can wish you no greater than that you may receive it in as high a degree yourself, as so much good humour must infallibly give it to your husband.

It may be expected, perhaps, that one who has the title of poet should say something more polite on this occasion; but I am really more a well-wisher to your felicity than a celebrator of your beauty. Besides, you are now a married woman, and in a

1 On her marriage. This letter was prefixed to the 1714 edition of the Rape of the Lock, and was published with the consent of the lady. See letter to Caryll, January 9, 1713-14.-C. W. D.

way to be a great many better things than a fine lady; such as an excellent wife, a faithful friend, a tender parent, and at last, as a consequence of them all, a saint in heaven. You ought now to hear nothing but that which was all you ever desired to hear (whatever others may have spoken to you)-I mean, truth. And it is with the utmost that I assure you, no friend you have can more rejoice in any good that befalls you, is more sincerely delighted with the prospect of your future happiness, or more unfeignedly desires a long continuance of it.

I hope you will think it but just that a man, who will certainly be spoken of as your admirer after he is dead, may have the happiness to be esteemed one while he is living.

TO DR. PARNELL.1

Binfield near Oakingham, Tuesday [May ?], 1714.

I believe the hurry you were in hindered your giving me a word by the last post, so that I am yet to learn whether you got well to town, or continue so there. I very much fear both for your health and your quiet-and no man living can be more truly concerned in anything that touches either than myself. I would comfort myself, however, with hoping that your business may not be unsuccessful, for your sake; and that, at least, it may soon be put into other proper hands. For my own, I beg earnestly of you to return to us as soon as possible. You know how very much I want you, and that, however your business may depend upon any other, my business depends entirely upon you, and yet still I hope you will find your man even though I lose you the meanwhile. At this time, the more I love

1 Published by Goldsmith in his Life of Parnell.

BLASPHEMES HOMER AND HIS COMMENTATORS.

385

you, the more I can spare you, which alone will, I dare say, be a reason to you to let me have back the sooner.1 you

The minute I lost you, Eustathius, with nine hundred pages, and nine hundred contractions of the Greek character,2 arose to my view, Spondanus, with all his auxiliaries, in number a thousand pages (value three shillings), and Dacier's three volumes, Barnes's two, Valterie's three, Cuperus (half in Greek), Leo Allatius (three parts in Greek), Scaliger, Macrobius, and (worse than them all) Aulus Gellius! All these rushed on my soul at once, and whelmed me under a fit of the headache. I cursed them all religiously, damned my best friends among the rest, and even blasphemed Homer himself. Dear Sir, not only as you are a friend, and a good-natured man, but as you are a Christian and a divine, come back speedily, and prevent the increase of my sins; for, at the rate I have to rave, I shall not only damn all the poets and commentators who have gone before me, but be damned myself by all who come after me. To be serious, you have not only left me to the last degree impatient for your return, who at all times should have been so (though never so much as since I knew you in best health here), but you have wrought several miracles upon our family. You have made old people [his parents] fond of a young and gay person, and inveterate papists [fond] of a clergyman of the Church of England. Even nurse herself is in danger of being in love in her old age,

3

1 He may mean that he was too much occupied with the Homer to have leisure for friendly society, which was yet a reason for Parnell's speedy return, because his help was essential.-E.

2 Enstathius, the most considerable scholiast or commentator on Homer, Archbishop of Thessalonica, lived in the XII. century. Aulus Gellius, of the second century, was the author of the famous miscellany of extracts from Greek and Latin writers, Noctes Attica ("Nights at Athens ")-The Saturnalia of Macrobius (of the fifth century) is also a miscellany of antiquarian (Greek and Latin) literature and criticism. Of the modern commentators mentioned, the most learned and famous is Scaliger (the elder), author of De Arte Poetica, d. 1558.

3 Pope's nurse, Mary Beach, to whom he always showed great kindness. Dennis was, no doubt, an Irish servant of Parnell's.-Croker.

and (for all I know) would even marry Dennis for your sake, because he is your man, and loves his master.

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In short, come down forthwith, or give me good reasons for delaying, though but for a day or two, by the next post. If I find them just, I will come up to you, though you know how precious my time is at present. My hours were never worth so much money before but, perhaps, you are not sensible of this, who give away your own works.1 You are a generous author, I a hackney scribbler; you are a Grecian and bred at a University, I a poor Englishman of my own educating; you are a reverend parson, I a wag. In short, you are Dr. Parnelle (with an e at the end of your name), and I your most obliged and affectionate friend, and faithful servant.

My hearty service to the Dean, Dr. Arbuthnot, Mr. Ford, and the true genuine "Shepherd," J. Gay of Devon. I expect him down with you.

To DR. ARBUTHNOT.

Binfield, July 11, 1714.

I have been so much afflicted with the headache, in the hot weather, that I have had perpetual opportunities of reflecting on those elegant verses of Dr. Scriblerus, which you favoured us with. This is not a time for us to make others live, when we

1 He made Pope a present of the Essay on the Life and Writings of Homer, prefixed to the translation of the Iliad. Parnell was a man of private fortune, and had considerable landed property in Ireland, and at Congleton in Cheshire. He lived expensively, and sometimes beyond his means.-E. The present MP. for Cork, it is believed, derives his descent from the poet.

2 The same (on the dust-plague) which Arbuthnot sent to Swift, June 26, 1714. The Satire of Martin Scriblerus was principally the work of Arbuthnot See Life and Writings of Swift.

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