cution. It is certainly to be lamented, that if any man does but endeavour to diftinguish himself, or gratify others by his ftudies; he is immediately treated as a common enemy, instead of being look'd upon as a com mon friend; and affaulted as generally, as if This whole design were to prejudice the State, and ruin the publick. I will venture to say, no man ever role to any degree of perfe&tion in writing, but thro' obftinacy and an inveterate refolution against the ftream of mankind: So that if the world has receiv'd any benefit from the labours of the Learned, argit was in its own defpite. For when first they effay their parts, all people in general are prejudiced against new beginners; and go when they have got a little above contempt,' then fome particular perfons who were benfore unfortunate in their own attempts, are Renfworn foes to them, only because they fucmceed. Upon the whole, one may fay of 9% the best writers, that they pay a levere fine for their fame, which it is always in the power of the most worthless part of mankind notto levy upon them when they please.

I

To Mr. JERVA S.

July 28, 1714 Am juft enter'd upon the old way of life again, fleep and mufing. It is my employment to revive the old of past ages to the prefent, as it is yours to transmit the young of the prefent, to the future. I am copying the great Mafter in one art, with the fame love and diligence with which the Painter hereafter will copy you in another

Thus I fhould begin my Epiftle to you, if it were a Dedicatory one. But as it is a friendly letter, you are to find nothing mentioned in your own praife but what only one in the world is withefs to, your particular good-natur'd offices to me. Whatever mankind in general would allow you, that I am not to give you to your face; and if I were to do it in your abfence, the world would tell me I am too partial to be permitted to pals any judgment of you.

So you see me cut out from any thing but common acknowledgments, or common difcourfe. The firft you wou'd take ill, tho' I told you but half what I ought; fo in fhort the laft only remains.

And

And as for the last, what can you expect from a man who has not talk'd thefe five days? who is withdrawing his thoughts as far as he can, from all the prefent world, its customs and its manners, to be fully poffeft and abforpt in the paft? When people talk of going to Church, I think of Sacrifices and Libations; when I fee the parfon, I addrefs him as Chryfes priest of Apollo'; and instead of the Lord's Prayer, I begin

God of the Silver Bow, &c.

While you in the world are concerned about the Protestant Succeffion, I confider only how Menelaus may recover Helen, and the Trojan war be put to a fpeedy conclusion. I never inquire if the Queen be well or not, but heartily wish to be at Hector's fu neral. The only things I regard in this life, are, whether my friends are well? whether my Tranflation go well on? whether Dennis be writing criticifms? whether any body will answer him, fince I don't? and whether Lintott be not yet broke?

I am, &c.

To

I

August 16, 1714.

Thank you for your good offices which are numberlefs. Homer advances fo falt that he begins to look about for the ornaments he is to appear in, like a modifh modern author,

I

od

――― Picture in the Front,

With bays and wicked ryme upon't.

4.

I have the greatest proof in nature at prefent of the amufing power of Poetry's for it takes me up fo intirely, that I fcarce fee what paffes under my nofe, and hear nothing that is faid about me. To follow Poetry as one ought, one must forget father and mother, and cleave to it alone. My Reverie has been fo deep, that I have fcarce had an interval to think myfelf uneafy in the want of your company. I now and then juft mifs you as I ftep into bed; this minute indeed I want extremely to fee you, the next I fhall dream of nothing but the taking of Troy, or the recovery of Brifeis. I fancy

I fancy no friendship is fo likely to prove lafting as ours, because I am pretty fure there never was a friendship of fo cafy a nature. We neither of us demand any mighty things from each other; what Vanity we have, expects its gratification from other people. It is not I, that am to tell you what an Artist you are, nor is it you that are to tell me what a Poet I am; but 'tis from the world abroad we hope (pioufly hope) to hear these things. At home we follow our bufinefs, when we have any; and think and talk most of each other when we have none. 'Tis not unlike the happy friendship of a ftay'd man and his wite, who are feldom fo fond as to hinder the bufinefs of the house from going on all day, or fo indolent as not to find confolation in each other every evening. Thus well-meaning couples hold in amity to the laft, by not expecting too much from? human nature; while romantick friendThips, like violent loves, begin with dif quiets, proceed to jealoufies, and conclude in animofities. I have liv'd to fee the fierce advancement, the fudden turn, and the abrupt period, of three or four of thefe enormous friendships, and am perfectly con vinced of the truth of a Maxim we once agreed in, That nothing hinders the conftant agreement of people who live toge

K

ther,