Mr. WYCHERLEY to Mr. POPE.

You give

*

April 27, 1710;

OU give me an account in your Letter, of the trouble you have undergone for me, in comparing my Papers you took down with you, with the old printed Volume, and with one another of that Bundle you have in your hands ; amongst which (you fay) you find numerous repetitions, of the fame Thoughts and Subjects; all which I must confess my want of Memory has prevented me from imagining; as well as made me capable of committing them; fince, of all Figures, that of Tautology, is the laft I would ufe, or leaft forgive my felf for; but feeing is believing; wherefore I will take fome pains to examine and compare thofe Papers in your hands, with one another, as well as with the former printed Copies or Books, of my danin'd Mifcellanies; all which (as bad a Memory as I have) with a little more pains and care, I think I can remedy; therefore I would not have you give

*The Truth of this may be feen in the whole printed Volume of his Mifcellanies in Folio, in 1704, in almoft every Page.

your

your felf more trouble about them, which may prevent the pleasure you have, and may give the World, in Writing upon new Subjects of your own, whereby you will much better entertain your felf and others. Now as to your Remarks upon the whole Volume of my Papers; all that I defire of you, is to mark in the Margin (without defacing the Copy at all) either any Repetition of Words, Matter, or Senfe, or any Thoughts, or Words too much repeated; which if you will be fo kind as to do for me, you will fupply my want of Memory, with your good One, and my Deficiencies of Senfe, with the Infallibility of yours; which if you do, you will moft infinitely oblige me, who almoft repent the trouble I have given you, fince so much. Now as to what you call Freedom with me, (which you defire me to forgive) you may be affur'd I would not forgive you unless you did ufe it; for I am fo far from thinking your Plainnefs a Fault, or an Of fence to me, that I think it a Charity and an Obligation; which I fhall always acknowledge, with all fort of Gratitude to you for it, who am therefore

(Dear Mr. Pope)

Tour moft obliged humble Servant

W. WYCHERLEY.

All the News I have to fend you, is, that poor Mr. Betterton is going to make his Exit from the Stage of this World, the Gout being gotten up into his Head, and (as the Phyficians fay) will certainly carry him off fuddenly.

I

Mr. POPE's Answer.

May 2, 1710.

AM forry you perfift to take ill my

not accepting your Invitation, and to find (if I miftake not) your Exception not unmixt with fome Sufpicion. Be certain I fhall moft carefully obferye your Requeft, not to cross over, or deface the Copy of your Papers for the future, and only to mark in the Margin the Repetitions: But as this can ferve no further than to get rid of thofe Repetitions, and no way rectify the Method, nor connect the Matter, nor improve the Poetry in Expreffion or Numbers, without further blotting, adding, and altering; fo it really is my opinion, and defire, that you fhould take your Papers out of my hands into your own; and that no Alterations may be made but when

both

both of us are prefent; when you may be fatisfied with every Blot, as well as every Addition, and nothing be put upon the Papers, but what you fhall give your own fanction and affent to, at the fame time.

Do not be fo unjuft, as to imagine from hence that I would decline any part of this Task On the contrary you know, I have been at the pains of transcribing fome Pieces, at once to comply with your defire of not defacing the Copy, and yet to lofe no Time in proceeding upon the Correction. I will go on the fame way if you please; tho' truly it is (as I have often told you) my fincere opinion, that the greater part would make a much better Figure as Single Maxims and Reflections in Profe, after the manner of your Favourite Rochefoucaut, than in Verfe: * And this, when nothing more is done but marking the Repetitions in the Margin, will be an eafy Task for your felf to proceed upon, notwithstanding the bad Memory you com→ plain of,

I am unfeignedly, dear Sir,

Your, &c.

* But little Progrefs was made in this Defign, by Mr. Wycherley, thro' his old Age, and the Increase of his Infir mities. He died 1715, and was buried in the Vault of St. Paul's, Church Covent Garden,

LET

I

Ap. 20. 1705.

Return you the † Papers you favour'd me with, and had fent them to you yesterday morning, but that I thought to have brought them to you last night my felf. I have read them over several

*Of Abberley in Worcestershire, Gentleman of the Horfe in Queen Anne's reign, Author of feveral beautiful pieces in Profe and Verfe, and in the Opinion of Mr. Dryden, (in his Poftfcript to Virgil,) the Beft Critic of our Nation in bis Time. Mr. Pope's Paftorals.

T

times