ing I wou'd give him none, he went to E. T. and writ a Poftfcript, in her long romantic Letter, to direct my Anfwer to his house, but they not expecting an Anfwer, fent a young man to me, whofe name, it feems, is Pattiffon: I told him, I fhou'd not write any thing, but I believ'd it might be fo, as the writ in her Letter. I am extremely concern'd, that my former Indifcretion in putting 'em into the hands of this Preticule, thou'd have given you fo much difturbance; for the laft thing I thou'd do wou'd be to difoblige you, for whom I have ever preferv'd the greateft efteem, and fhall ever be, Sir,

T

Your faithful Friend, and

most bumble Servant,

HENRY CROMWELL,

To Mr POPE.

Augrist 1, 17277

HO' I writ my long Narrative from Epfom till I was tir'd, yet was I not atisfied left any doubt fhou'd rest upon your mind. I cou'd not make proteftations of my Innocence of a grievous crime; but I was impatient till I came to Town, that I might fend you thofe Letters, as a clear evidence, that I was a perfect ftranger to

all

all their proceeding: Shou'd I have protested against it, after the printing, it might have been taken for an attempt to decry his purchase; and as the little exception you have taken, has ferv'd him to play his game upon us, for these two years; a new incident from me might enable him to play it on for two more: The great value fhe expreffes for all you write, and her paffion for having 'em, I believe, was what prevail'd upon me to let her keep 'em. By the interval of twelve years at leaft, from her poffeffion, to the time of printing 'em, 'tis manifeft, that I had not the leaft ground to apprehend fuch a defign: But as People in great ftraits, bring forth their hoards of old Gold, and most valued Jewels, fo Sapho had recourfe to her hid treasure of Letters, and play'd off, not only your's to me, but all thofe to herself (as the Lady's laft-ftake) into the press. As for me, I hope, when you fhall cooly confider the many thousand inftances of our being deluded by the females, fince that great Original of Adam by Eve, you will have a more favourable thought of the undefigning error of

Your faithful Friend,

and humble Servant,

HENRY CROMWELL

Now, fhould our Apology for this Publication be as ill receiv'd, as the Lady's feems to have been by the Gentlemen concerned; we shall at least have Her Comfort of being Thank'd by the rest of the world. Nor has Mr. P. himself any great caufe to think it much Offence to his Modefty, or Reflexion on his Judgment; when we take care to inform the Public, that there are few Letters of his in this Collection which were not written under Twenty years of Age: On the other hand, we doubt not the Reader will be much more furpriz'd to find, at that early period, fo much variety of Style, Affecting Sentiment, and fuftness of Criticism, in pieces which must have been writ in hafte, very few perhaps ever re-view'd, and none intended for the Eye of the Public. LETTERS

(1)

LETTERS

OF

Mr.Wycherley and Mr. Pope,

From the Year 1704 to 1710.

* Mr. POPE to Mr. WYCHERLEY.

I

Decemb. 26. 1704.

T was certainly a great Satisfaction to me to fee and converfe with a Man,

whom in his Writings I had fo long known with Pleafure: But it was a high addition to it, to hear you, at our very firft meeting, doing juftice to your dead friend Mr. Dryden. I was not so happy as to know him; Virgilium tantum vidi·

Had I been born early enough, I must have known and lov'd him: For I have been affur'd, not only by your felf, but by Mr.

* The Author's Age then Sixteen.

B

Congreve

Congreve and Sir William Trumbul,that his perfonal Qualities were as amiable as his Poetical, notwithstanding the many libellous Mifrepresentations of them, (againft which the former of thefe Gentlemen has told me he will one day vindicate him*. I suppose those Injuries were begun by the Violence of Party, but 'tis no doubt they were continu'd by Envy at his fuccefs and fame: And thofe Scriblers who attack'd him in his latter times, were only like Gnats in a Summer's Evening, which are never very troublefome but in the finest and moft glorious Seafon; (for his Fire, like the Sun's, fhin'd cleareft towards its fet/ting.)

You must not therefore imagine, that when you told me of my own Performances that they were above thofe Criticks, I was fo. vain as to believe it; and yet I may not be fo humble as to think my felf quite below their Notice. For Critics, as they are Birds of Prey, have ever a natural Inclination to Carrion: And though. fuch poor Writers as I, are but Beggars, however no Beggar is fo poor but he can keep a Cur, and no Author is fo beggarly but he can keep a Critic. So. I'm far from

*He fince did fo, in his Dedication to the Duke of Newcattle, prefix'd to Tonfon's Duodecimo Edition of Dryden's Plays, 1717.

think

thinking the Attacks of fuch people either any honour or difhonour, even to me, much lefs to Mr. Dryden. I think with you, that whatever leffer Wits have rifen fince his Death, are but like Stars appearing when the Sun is fet, that twinkle only in his Abfence, and with the Rays they have borrowed from him. Our Wit (as you call it) is but Reflection or Imitation, therefore fcarce to be call'd ours. True Wit, E believe, may be defin'd a Juftnefs of Thought, and a Facility of Expreffion; or (in the Midwives Phrafe) a perfect Conception, with an eafy Delivery. However this is far from a compleat Definition; pray help me to a better, as I doubt not you can.

I

I am, &c.

Mr. WYCHERLEY to Mr. POPE.

Jan. 25, 1704-5.

HAVE been fo bufy of late in correcting and tranfcribing fome of my Madrigals, for a great Man or two who defir'd to see them, that I have (with your Pardon) omitted to return you an Answer to your moft ingenious Letter: So Scriblers to the Publick, like Bankers to the Publick, are profufe in their voluntary Loans

B 2

to