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-noM to ftoitier de foda

I thank you for the Book you promis'd me, by which I find you would not only correct my Lines, but my Life.

As to the damn'd Verfes I entrusted you with, I hope you will let them undergo your Purgatory, to fave them from other People's damning them; fince the Criticks, who are generally the firft damn'd in this Life, like the Damn'd below, never leave to bring those above them under their own Circumftances. I beg you to perufe my Papers, and felect what you think beft, or moft tolerable, and look over them again; for I refolve fuddenly to print fome of them, as a harden'd old Gamefter will (in fpite of all former ill ufage by Fortune) push on an ill Hand, in expectation of re covering himself; efpecially, fince I have fuch a Croupier or Second to ftand by me as Mr. Pope.

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MR

Nov. 20. 1707:

"R. Englefyld being upon his Journey
to London, tells me I must write
to you by him, which I do, not more to
comply with his defire, than to gratify my
own; tho' I did it fo lately by the Mef
fenger you fent hither: I take it too as
an opportunity of fending you the fair
Copy of the Poem (a) on Dulness, which
was not then finish'd, and which I fhould
not care to hazard by the common Poft.
Mr. Englefyld is ignorant of the Contents,
and I hope your prudence will let him re-
main fo, for my fake no lefs than your
own: Since if you fhould reveal any thing
of this nature, it would be no wonder Re-
ports fhould be rais'd, and there are thofe
I fear) who would be ready to improve
them to my disadvantage. I am forry you
told the great Man, whom you met in
the Court of Requests, that your Papers
were in my hands: No Man alive fhall
ever know any fuch thing from me; and

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(a) The Original of it in Blots, and with Figures of the
References from Copy to Copy, in Mr. Pope's Hand, is in the
Harley Library, among other fuch Brouillon's of Mr. Wycher-
ley's Poems, corrected by him. Vid. Lett. Ap. 1o, 1708.
Note (4.)

I

I give you this warning befides, that tho your felf fhould fay I had any way aflifted you, I am notwithstanding refolv'd to deny it.

of

The method of the Copy I fend you is very different from what it was, and much more regular: For the better help your Memory, I defire you to compare it by the Figures in the Margin, anfwering to the fame in this Letter. The Poem is now divided into four Patt mark'd with the literal Figures I. II. III. IV. The firftcontains the Praife of Dulnefs,and shews how upon feveral fuppofitions, it paffes for 1. Religion. 2. Philofophy. 3. Example. 4. Wit. And s. The caufe of Wit, and the end of it. The fecond Part contains the Advantages of Dulness: 1ft, In Bufinefs; and 2dly, at Court; where the Similitudes of the Byafs of a Bowl, and the Weights of a Clock, are directly tending to illuftrate thofe advantages of Dulnefs, tho' introduced before in a place where there was no mention made of them; (which was your only objection to my adding them.) The third contains the Happinefs of Dulnefs in all Stations, and fhews in a great many Particulars, that it is fo fortunate, as to be efteen'd fome good Quality or other in all forts of People; that it is thought Quiet, Senfe, Caution, Policy,

Policy, Prudence, Majefty, Valour, Circumfpection, Honefty, &c. The fourth Part I have wholly added, as a Climax which fums up all the praise, advantage, and happiness of Dulnefs in a few words, and ftrengthens them all by the oppofition of the difgrace, difadvantage, and unhappiness of Wit, with which it concludes (b) de

Tho' the whole be as fhort again as at first, there is not one Thought omitted, but what is a Repetition of something in your firft Volume, or in this very Paper Some Thoughts are contracted, where they seem'd encompass'd with too many words; and fome new express'd, or added, where I thought there wanted heightning, (as you'll fee particularly in the Simile of the Clock-Weights ;(c)

(6) This is totally omitted in the present Edition: Some of the Lines in the H. M. are these.

Thus Dulness, the fafe Opiate of the Mind, The last kind refuge weary Wit can find, fiations, and in each content,

Is fatisfy'd, fecure, and innocent;

No pains it takes, and no offence it gives,

Un fear'd, unbated, undisturb'd it lives, &c.

() It was originally thus exprefs'd:

As

run fastest when moft Lead is on."

We find it fo in a Letter of Mr. Pope to Mr. Wycherley, dated April 3, 1705. and in a paper of Verses of his, To the Author of a Poem call'd Succeffio, which got out in a Mifcellany in 1712, three Years before Mr. Wycherley died, and two after he had laid afide the whole defign of publish ing any Poems.

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and the Verfification throughout, is, I believe fuch, as no body can be fhock'd at. The repeated Permillions you give me of dealing freely with you, will (I hope) ex cufe what I have done; for if I have not fpar'd you when I thought Severity would do you a kindness, I have not mangled you where I thought there was no abfolute need of Amputation. As to Particulars, I can fatisfy you better when we meet; in the mean time, pray write to me when you can, you cannot too often.

L.

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Mr. WYCHERLEY'S Answers

YOU

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Nov. 22, 1707

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OU may fee by my Stile, I had the happiness and fatisfaction to receive yesterday (by the hands of that Wagg, Mr. Englefyld your extreme kind and obliging Letter of the 20th of this Month; which, like all the reft of yours, did at once mortify me, and make me vain; fince it tells me with fo much more Wit, Senfe and Kindness than mine can exprefs, that my Letters are "So

that evenways welcome to you.

that even whilft your Kindnefs invites me to write to you, your Wit and Judgment

D

forbids

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