fiftent with common justice and charity, and always as much as becomes a chriftian and honeft man. Tho' I find it an unfortunate thing to be bred a Papift here, where one is obnoxious to four parts in five as being fo too much, and to the fifth part as being fo too little; I fhall yet be eafy under both their mistakes, and be what I more than feem to be, for I fuffer for it. God is my witnefs, that I no more envy you Proteftants your places and poffeffions, than I do our Priests their charity or learning. I am ambitious of nothing but the good opinion of good men, on both fides; for I know that one virtue of a free fpirit is more worth, than all the virtues put together of all the narrow-foul'd people in the world. I am Your, &c. The Reverend Dean BERKLEY ito Mr. POPE.. Leghorne, May 1, 1714. SI take Ingratitude to be a greater As crime than Impertinence, I chufe ra ther to run the rifque of being thought guilty of the latter, than not to return H 2 you you my thanks for a very agreeable enterrainment you just now gave me. I have accidentally met, with your Rape of the Lock here, having never feen it before. Style, Painting, Judgment, Spirit, I had already admired in others of your Writings; but in this I am charmed with the magic of your Invention, with all thofe images, allufions, and inexplicable beauties, which you raife fo furprizingly, and at the fame time fo naturally, out of a trifle. And yet I cannot fay that I was more pleafed with the reading of it, than I am with the pretext It gives me to renew in your thoughts the remembrance of one who values no happinefs beyond the friendship of men of wit, learning and good nature. I remember to have heard you mention fome half-formed defign of coming to Italy. What might we not expect from a Mufe that fings fo well in the bleak climate of England, if he felt the fame warm Sun, and breath'd the fame Air with Virgil and Horace? A There are here an incredible number of Poets, that have all the inclination but want the genius, or perhaps the art, of the Ancients. Some among them who underftand English, begin to relifh our Authors; and I am informed that at Florence they have tranflated Milton into Italian Verfe. If one who knows fo well how to write like the old Latin Poets, came among them; it wou'd probably be a means to retrieve them from their cold, trivial conceits, to an imitation of their Predeceffors. As Merchants, Antiquaries, Men of Pleafure, &c. have all different views in travelling; I know not whether it might not be worth a Poet's while, to travel, in order to ftore his mind with ftrong Images of Nature. Green fields and groves, flow'ry meadows and purling ftreams, are no where in fuch perfection as in England: But if you wou'd know lightfome days, warm funs, and blue skies, you must come to Italy; and to enable a man to defcribe rocks and precipices, it is abfolutely neceffary that he pafs the Alps. You will eafily perceive that it is felf-intereft makes me fo fond of giving advice to one who has no need of it. If you came into these parts, I fhou'd fly to fee you. I am here (by the favour of my good friend the Dean of St. Patrick's) in quality of Chaplain to the Earl of Peterborough, who about three months fince left the greatest part of his family in this town. God knows how long we fhall ftay here. I am Mr. POPE to the Honour TH able June 8, 1714. HE Queftion you ask in relation to Mr. Ad- and Philips, I fhall anfwer in a few words. Mr. Philips did exprefs himself with much indignation against me one evening at Button's Coffee-house (as I was told) faying, That I was entered into a Cabal with Dean Swift and others to write against the Whig-Intereft, and in particular to undermine his own reputation, and that of his friends Steel and Addifon." But Mr. Philips never open'd his lips to my face, on this or any like occafion, tho' I was almost every night in the fame room with him, nor ever offer'd me any indecorum. Mr. Addifon came to me a night or two af ter Philips had talk'd in this idle manner, and affur'd me of his disbelief of what had been faid, of the friendship we fhou'd always maintain, and defir'd I wou'd fay nothing further of it. My Lord Hallifax did me the honour to stir in this matter, by fpeaking to feveral people to obviate a falfe afperfion, which might have done me no fmall prejudice with one Party. However Philips did all he he could, fecretly to continue the report with the Hanover Club, and kept in his hands the Subfcriptions paid for me to him, as Secretary to that Club. The heads of it have fince given him to understand, that they take it ill; but (upon the terms I ought to be with a man whom I think a fcoundrel) I wou'd not even ask him for this money, but commiffioned one of the Players, his equals, to receive it. This is the whole matter; but as to the fecret grounds of Philips's malignity, they will make a very pleasant Hiftory when we meet. Mr. Congreve and fome others have been much diverted with it, and most of the Gentlemen of the Hanover Club have made it the subject of their ridicule on their Secretary. It is to this management of Philips, that the world owes Mr. Gay's Paftorals. The ingenious Author is extreamly your fervant, and would have comply'd with your kind invitation, but that he is just now appointed Secretary to my Lord Clarendon, in his Embally to Hanover. I am fenfible of the zeal and friendship with which I am fure you will always defend your friend in his abfence, from all thofe little tales and calumnies, which a Man of any genius or merit is born to. It fhall never complain while I am happy in fuch noble defenders, and in fuch con temptible |
