of twenty years may be fet against the omiffion of (perhaps) one month: And if you complain of this to any other, 'tis you are in the spleen, and not I in the wrong. If you think this letter fplenatick, confider I have just receiv'd the News of the death of a Friend, whom I efteem'd almost as many years as you; poor Fenton: He died at Easthamfead, of Indolence and Inactivity; let it not be your fate, but ufe Exercise. I hope the Duchefs will take care of you in this refpect, and either make you gallop after her, or teize you enough at home to ferve instead of Exercife abroad. Mrs. Howard is fo concern'd about you, and fo angry at me for not writing to you, and at Mrs. Blount for not doing the same, that I am piqu'd with Jealoufy and Envy at you, and hate you as much as if you had a great Place at Court; which you will confefs a proper caufe of Envy and Hatred, in any Poet-militant, or unpenfion'd. But to fet matters even, I own I love you; and own, I am as I ever was, and just as I ever shall be,

Yours, &c.

Twicken

I

Dear Sir,

Twickenham, Oct. 16, 1727.

HAVE many years ago magnify'd in my own mind, and repeated to you, a ninth Beatitude, added to the eight in the Scripture, Bleed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be difappointed. I could find in my heart to congratulate you on this happy difmiffion from all Court-Dependance; I dare fay I fhall find you the Better and the Honefter Man for it, many years hence; very probably the health fuller, and the chear fuller into the bargain. You are happily rid of many curfed ceremonies, as well as of many ill and vicious habits, of which few or no men escape theInfection, who are hackney'dand tramelled in the ways of a court. Princes indeed, and Peers (the Lackies of Princes) and Ladies (the Fools of Peers) will fmile on you the lefs; but Men of Worth, and real Friends, will look on you the better. There is a thing the only thing which Kings and Queens cannot give you, (for they have it not to give) Liberty, which is worth all they have; and which, as yet, I hope Englishmen need not ask from their hands. You will enjoy That, and your own Integrity, and the fa

tisfactory

tisfactory Consciousness of having not merited fuch Graces from them, as they beflow only on the mean, lervile, flattering, interested, and undeferving. The only Steps to their favour are fuch complacencies, fuch compliances, fuch diftant decorums, as delude them in their Vanities, or engage them in their Paffions. He is their Greatest favourite, who is their FalSeft and when a man, by fuch vile Gradations, arrives at the height of Grandeur and Power, he is then at beft but in a circumftance to be hated, and in a condition. to be hanged, for ferving their Ends: So many a Minifter has found it!

I believe you did not want Advice, in the letter you fent by my Lord Grantham. I prefume you writ it not, without: And you cou'd not have better, if I guess right at the perfon who agreed to your doing it, in respect to any Decency you ought to obferve: for I take that perfon to be a perfect Judge of Decencies and Forms. I am not without fears even on that perfon's account: I think it a bad Omen: but what have I to do with Court-Omens? -- Dear Gay, adieu. I can only add a plain, uncourtly Speech: While you areno body's Servant, you may be any one's Friend; and as fuch I embrace you, in all conditions of life. While I have a shilling, you shall have fix-pence, nay eight pence,

pence, if I can contrive to live upon a groat. I am faithfully

Your, &c.

Aug. 18.

I

Dear Gay,

F my friendship were as effectual as it is fincere, you would be one of those people who would be vaftly advantag'd and enrich'd by it. I ever honour'd those Popes who were moft famous for Nepotism; 'tis a fign that the old fellows loved Somebody, which is not ufual in fuch advanced years. And I now honour Sir Robert Walpole, for his extenfive Bounty and Goodness to his private Friends and Relations. But it vexes me to the heart when I reflect, that my friendship is fo much lefs effectual than theirs; nay fo utterly ufelefs that it cannot give you any thing, not even a Dinner, at this distance, nor help the General, whom I greatly love, to catch one fifh. My only confolation is to think you happier than myfelf, and to begin to envy you, which is next to hating (an excellent Remedy for Love.) How comes it that Providence has been fo unkind to me, (who am a greater object of compaffion than any fat man alive) that I am forc'd to drink wine, while you

riot in water, prepar'd with oranges by the hand of the Duchess of Queensberry? that I am condemn'd to live on a High-way fide, like an old Patriarch, receiving all Guests, where my Portico (as Virgil has it) Mane falutantum totis vomit ædibus undam, while you are rapt into the Idalian Groves, fprinkled with Rofe-water, and live in Burrage, Balm and Burnet up to the chin, with the Duchefs of Queensberry? that I am doom'd to the drudgery of dining at Court with the Ladies in waiting at Windfor, while you are happily banish'd with the Duchefs of Queensberry? So partial is Fortune in her difpenfations! for I deferv'd ten times more to be banish'd than you, and I know fome Ladies, who merit it bet ter than even her Grace. After this I muft not name any, who dare do fo much for you, as to fend you their Services: But one there is, who exhorts me often to write to you, I fuppofe to prevent or excufe her not doing it herfelf; fhe feems (for that is all I'll fay for a Courtier) to wifh you mighty well. Another who is no Courtier frequently mentions you, and does certainly wish you well I fancy, after all, they both do fo.

I writ to Mr. Fortescue and told him the pains you took to fee him. Dr. A. for all

that