have the Advantage of Poets; you are Master of an Art that muft profper and grow rich, as long as people love, or are proud of themselves, or their own perfons. However, you have ftay'd long enough, methinks, to have painted all the numberlefs Hiftories of old Ogygia. If you have begun robe Hiftorical, I recommend to your hand the story which every pious Irishman ought to begin with, that of St. Patrick: To the end you may be obliged (as Dr. P. was, when he tranflated the Batrachomuomachia) to come into England to copy the Frogs, and fuch other Vermine as were never feen in that land fince the time of that Confeffor.

I long to fee you a Hiftory Painter. You have already done enough for the Private, do fomething for the Publick; and be not confined, like the reft, to draw only fuch filly ftories as our own faces tell of us. The Ancients too expect you fhould do them right; thofe Statues from which you learned your beautiful and noble Ideas, demand it as a piece of Gratitude from you, to make them truly known to all nations, in the account you intend to write of their Characters. I hope you think more warmly than ever of that noble defign.

As to your enquiry about your Houfe, when I come within the walls, they put

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me in mind of those of Carthage where your Friend, like the wandring Trojan, Animum Pictura pascit inani.

For the fpacious Manfion, like a Turkish Caravanferah, entertains the Vagabond with only bare Lodging. I rule the Family very ill, keep bad Hours, and lend out your Pictures about the Town. See what it is to have a Poet in your Houfe! Frank indeed does all he can in fuch a Circumftance, for confidering he has a wild Beast in it, he conftantly keeps the Door chain'd. Every time it is open'd, the Links rattle; the rufty Hinges roar, the House seems fo fenfible that you are its fupport, that it is ready to drop in your Abfence; but I ftill truft my felf under its Roof, as depending that Providence will preferve fo many Raphaels, Titian and Guido's, as are lodg'd in your Cabinet. Surely the Sins of one Poet can hardly be fo heavy, as to bring an old House over the Heads of fo many Painters. In a word, your House is falling, but what of that? I am only a Lodger.

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Mr. Secretary Craggs, to Mr. Pope.

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Paris, Sept. 2, 1716. AST poft brought me the favour of your letter of the 10th Aug. O. S. It would be taking too much upon me to decide, that 'twas a Witty one; I never pretend to more judgment than to know what pleafes me, and can affure you, it was a very Agreeable one. The proof I can give you of my fincerity in this Opinion, is, that I hope and defire you would not stop at this, but continue more of them.

I am in a place where Pleafure is con tinually flowing. The Princes fet the Example, and the Subjects follow at a distance. The Ladies are of all parties, by which means the converfation of the Men is very much foftened and fashioned from thofe blunt difputes on Politicks, and rough Jefts, we are fo guilty of, while the Freedom of the Women takes away all Formality and Conftraint. I must own, at the fame time, thefe Beauties are a little too artificial for my Tafte; you have seen a French Picture, the Original is more painted, and fuch a cruft of Powder and cffence in their Har that you can fee no difference betw

black and red. By difufing Stays, and indulging themselves at a Table, they are run out of all Shape; but as to that, they may give a good reafon, they prefer Conveniency to Parade, and are by this means as ready, as they are generally willing to be Charitable.

I am furpriz'd to find I have wrote fo much Scandal; I fancy I am either fetting up for a Wit, or imagine I muft write in this Style to a Wit; I hope you l prove a good natured one, and not only let me hear from you fometimes, but forgive the fmall Encouragement you meet with. If you'll compleat your favours, pray give my humble Services to Lords Wck, Stand H-y. I have had my hopes and fears they would have abufed me before this Time; I am fure it is not my business to meddle with a neft of Bees (I fpeak only of the Honey.) I won't trouble my felf to finish finely, a true Compliment is better than a good one, and I can affure you without any, that I am very fincerely,

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The Revd Dean BERKLEY, to Mr. POPE.

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Naples, Oct. 22, N. S. 1717.

Have long had it in my thoughts to trouble you with a Letter, but was difcou raged for want of fomething that I could think worth fending fifteen hundred Miles. Italy is such an exhausted Subject, that, I dare fay, you'd easily forgive my faying nothing of it; and the imagination of a Poet is a thing fo nice and delicate, that it is no easy matter to find out Images capable of giving Pleafure to one of the few, who (in any Age) have come up to that Character. I am nevertheless lately returned from an Ifland, where I paffed three or four Months, which, were it fet out in its true Colours, might methinks amufe you agreeably enough for a minute or two. The Inland Inarime is an Epitome of the whole Earth, containing within the compafs of eighteen Miles, a wonderful variety of Hills, Vales, ragged Rocks, frnitful Plains, and barren Mountains, all thrown together in a most romantic Confu

Afterwards Bishop of Cloyne in Ireland, a celebrated Metaphyfician, Author of the Dialogues of Hylas and Philonnfes, the Minute Philofopher, &c.

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fion.