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are as bad Poets in this Nation as your Servant. This modern Custom of appears ing in Miscellanies, is very ufeful to the Poets, who, like other Thieves, escape by getting into la Crowd, and herd together like Banditti, fafe only in their Multitude, Methinks Strada has given a good Defcription of these kind of Collections Nullus hodie mortalium aut nafcitur, aut moritur, aut præliatur, aut rufticatur, aut abit peregrès aut redit, aut nubit; aut eft, aut non eft, (nam etiammortuis ifti canunt) cui non illi extemplò çudant Epicadia, Genethliaca, Protreptica, Panegyrica, Epithalamia, Vaticina, Propemptica, Saterica, Paranotica, Nanias, Nugas. As to the fuccefs which you fay my part has met with, it is to be attributed to what you were pleas'd to fay of me to the World, which you do well to call your Prophefy, fince whatever is faid in my favour, must be a Prediction of things that are not yet; you, like a true Godfather, engage on my part for much more than ever I can perform. My Paftoral Mufe, like other Country Girls, is but put out of Countenance, by what you Courtiers fay to her; yet I hope you would not deceive me too far, as knowing that a young Scribler's Vanity needs no Recraits from abroad: for Nature, like an indulgent Mother, kindly takes care to fup

ply

ply her Sons with as much of their own, as is neceffary for their Satisfaction. If my Verfes fhould meet with a few flying Commendations, Virgil has taught me that a young Author has not too much reafon to be pleas'd with them, when he confiders, that the natural confequence of Praife, is Envy and Calumny.

-Si ultra placitum laudarit, Baccare frontem
Cingite, ne Vati noceat mala lingua futura:

When once a Man has appear'd as a Poet, he may give up his Pretenfions to all the rich and thriving Arts: Those who have once made their court to those Miftreffes without Portions, the Mufes, are never like to fet up for Fortunes. But for my part, 1 fhall be fatisfy'd if I can lofe e my Time agreeably this way, without lofing my reputation: As for gaining any, I am as indifferent in the Matter as Falstaffe was, and may fay of Fame as he did of Honour, If it comes,it comes unlook'd for ; and there's an end on't. I can be content with a bare faving Game, without being thought an Eminent Hand, (with which Title Jacob has graciously dignify'd his adventurers and voluntiers in Poetry.). Jacob creates Poets, as Kings fometimes do Knights, not for their honour, but for money. Certainly he ought

ought to be esteem'd a worker of Miracles, who is grown rich by Poetry.

What Authors lofe, their Bookfellers have won; So Pimps grow rich, while Gallants are undone. I am your; &c.

Mr. WYCHERLEY to Mr. POPE.

TH

May 26, 1709.

HE laft I receiv'd from you, was dated the 22d of May. I take your charitable hint to me very kindly, wherein you do like a true Friend, and a true Chriftian, and I fhall endeavour to follow your Advice, as well as your Example.As for your wishing to fee your Friend an Hermit with you, I cannot be faid to leave the World, fince I fhall enjoy in your converfation, all that I can defire of it; nay, can learn more from you alone, than from my long Experience of the great, or little Vulgar in it.

As to the Success of your Poems in the late Mifcellany, I told you of in my laft ; (upon my word) I made you no Compliment, for you may be affur'd, that all forts of Readers like them, except they are Writers

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Writers too; but for them, (I must needs fay) the more they like them, they ought to be the lefs pleas'd with 'em : So that you do not come off with a bare Saving Game (as you call it) but have gain'd fo much Credit at firft, that you must needs fupport it to the laft: Since you fet up with fo great a Stock of good Senfe, Judgment and Wit, that your Judgment enfures all that your Wit ventures at. The Salt of your Wit has been enough to give a relish to the whole infipid Hotch-Potch it is mingled with; and you will make Facob's Ladder raife you to Immortality, by which others are turn'd off fhamefully, to their Damnation (for poetick Thieves as they are) who think to be fav'd by others good Works, how faulty foever their own are: But the Coffee houfe Wits, or rather Anti-Wits, the Critics, prove their Judgments by approving your Wit; and even the News-Mongers and Poets will own, you have more Invention than they; nay, the Detracters or the Envious, who never fpeak well of any body, (not even ofthofe they think well of in their abfence) yet will give you (even in your abfence) their good Word; and the Criticks only hate you,

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for being forc'd to speak well of you whether they will or no; and all this is true, upon the word of,

•Tour, &c.

Mr. WYCHERLEY to Mr. POPE.

M

Aug. 11, 1709.

Y Letters, fo much inferior to yours, can only make up their fcarcity of Senfe by their number of Lines; which is like the Spaniards paying a debt of Gold with a load of brafs Money. But to be a Plain-dealer, I must tell you, I will revenge the raillery of your Letters upon mine, by printing them, (as Dennis did mine) without your knowledge too, which wou'd be a revenge upon your Judgment, for the raillery of your Wit: For fome dull Rogues (that is, the most in the World) might be fuch Fools as to think what you faid of me, earneft: It is not the first time, you great Wits have gain'd Reputation by their paradoxical or ironical Praifes; your Forefathers have done it, Erasmus and others. For all Mankind who know me muft confefs, he must be no ordinary Genius, or little Friend, who can find out any thing

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