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Nov. 2, 17130 I to find that you have laid fo, good, a Have receiv'd your letter, and am glad fcheme for your great undertaking, 's I queftion not but the Profe will require as much care Poetry, but the variety. as the will give your felf fome relief, and more pleafute to your readers.

You gave me leave once to take the liberty of a friend, in advifing you not to content your self with one half of the Nation for your Admirers, when you might command them all: If I might take the freedom to repeat it, I would on this occafion. Į think you are very happy that you are out of the Fray, and I hope all your undertak ings will turn to the better account for it.

You fee how I prefume on your friendship in taking all this freedom with you, but I already fancy that we have lived many years together, in an unreferved converfation, and that we may do many more, is the sincere wish of

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Mr. POPE to Mr. ADDISON.

YOUR laft is

OUR laft is the more obliging, as it hints at fome little niceties in my conduct, which your candor and affection prompt you to recommend to me, and which (fo trivial as things of this nature feem) are yet of no flight confequence, to people whom every body talks of, and every body as he pleafes. 'Tis a fort of Tax that attends an eftaté in. Parnaffus, which is often rated much higher than in proportion to the small poffeffion an author holds. For indeed an author who is once come upon the town, is enjoy'd without being thanked for the pleafure, and fometimes ill-treated by those very perfons that first debauch'd him. Yet to tell you the bottom of my heart, I am no way difpleas'd that I have offended the violent of all Parties already; and at the fame time I affure you confcientiously, I feel not the leaft malevolence or refentment against any of thofe who mifreprefent me, or are diflatisfied with me. This frame of mind is fo eafy, that I am perfectly content with my condition.

As

As I hope and would flatter myself, that you know me and my thoughts fo entirely as never to be miftaken in either, fo 'tis a pleasure to me that you guess'd fo right in regard to the Author of that Guardian you mentioned. But I am forry to find it has taken air that I have fome hand in thofe Papers, because I write fo very few as neither to deferve the credit of fuch a report with fome people, nor the difrepute of it with others. An honeft Jacobite fpoke to me the fenfe or nonfenfe of the weak part of his Party very fairly, that the good people took it ill of me, that I writ with Steele, tho' upon never fo indifferent fubje&s—— This I know you will laugh at as well as I do: yet I doubt not but many little calumniators and perfons of fower difpofitions will take occafion hence to befpatter me. I confefs I fcorn narrow fouls, of all parties, and if I renounce my reafon in religious matters, I'll hardly do it in any other.

I can't imagine whence it comes to pafs that the few Guardians I have written are fo generally known for mine that in particular which you mention I never discovered to any man but the publisher, till very lately yet almost every body I met told

me of it:

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The true reafon that Mr. Steele laid down the Paper, was a quarrel between him and Jacob Tonfon. He flood engaged to his bookfeller, in articles of penalty, for all the Guardians; and by defifting two days and altering the title of the paper to that of the Englishman, was quit of his obligation these papers being printed by Buckley.

As to his taking a more Politick turn, I cannot any way enter into that fecret, nor have I been let into it, any more than into the rest of his politicks. Tho' 'tis said, he will take into thefe papers also several subjects of the politick kind, as before: But I affure you as to myself, I have quite done with 'em, for the future. The little I have done, and the great refpe&t I bear Mr. Steele as a Man of Wit, has rendered me a fufpected Whig to fome of the Violent, but (as old Dryden faid before me) 'Tis not the Violent I defign to please.

I generally employ the mornings in painting with Mr. Jervas *; and the evenings in the converfation of fuch, as I think can most improve my mind, of whatever Party or Denomination they are. I ever must set the highest value upon men of truly great,

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*See Mr. Pope's Epiftle to him in Verfe, writ about this time.

that

that is honeft Principles, with equal capacities. The best way I know of overcoming Calumny and Misconstruction, is by a vigorous perfeverance in every thing we know to be right, and a total neglect of all that can enfue from it. 'Tis partly from this maxim that I depend upon your friendship, because I believe it will do juftice to my intention in every thing; and give me leave to tell you, that (as the world goes) this is no fmall affurance I repose in you. I am

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Your, &c.

To the fame.

Dec. 14, 1713. Have been lying in wait for my own

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watching what thoughts came up in the whirl of the fancy, that were worth communicating to you in a letter. But I am at length convinc'd that my rambling Ahead can produce nothing of that forts fo I must e'en be contented with telling you the old ftory, that I love you heartily. I have often found by experience, that na

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