ther, but meer vanity; a fecret infiftin g upon what they think their dignity or merit, and an inward expectation of fuch an Over-measure of deference and regard, as anfwers to their own extravagant falfe fcale; and which no body can pay, becaufe none but themfelves can tell, exactly, to what pitch it amounts. I am, &c. Mr. PoPE to EDWARD W Aug. 27, 1714 Hatever ftudies on the one hand, or amufements on the other, it fhalls be my fortune to fall into, I fhall be equally incapable of forgetting you in any of 'em. The Task I undertook, tho' of weight enough in itself, has had a voluntary increafe, by the inlarging my defign of the Notes; and the neceffity, of confulting a number of books has carry'd me to Oxford But I fear, thro' my Lord Harcourt's and Dr. Clark's means, I fhall be more converfant with the pleafures and company of * The Tranflation of Homer's Iliad. the the place, than with the Books and Manufcripts of it. of I find ftill more reafon to complain the negligence of the Geographers in their Maps of old Greece, fince I look'd upon two 1 or three more noted names in the publick libraries here. But with all the care I am capable of, I have fome caufe to fear the Engraver will prejudice me in a few fituations. I have been forced to write to him in fo high a ftyle, that were my epiftle intercepted, it would raife no fmall admiration in an ordinary man.. There is fcarce an order in it of lefs importance, than to remove fuch and fuch mountains, alter the courfe of fuch and fuch rivers, place a large city on fuch a coaft, and raze another in another country. I have fet bounds to the fea, and faid to the land, thus far halt thou advance, and no further. In the mean time, I who talk and command at this rate, am in danger of loofing my horse, and stand in some fear of a country juftice. To dif atm me indeed, may be but prudential,confidering what armies I have at prefent on foot, and in my service: A hundred thoufand Grecians are no contemptible body; for all that I can tell, they may be as for 2 *This relates to the Map of ancient Greece," laid down by qur Author in bis obfervations on the fecond Iliad. K 2 midable midable as four thousand Priefs; and they feem proper forces to fend against those in Barcelona. That fiege deferves as fine a poem as the Iliad, and the machining part of poetry would be the jufter in it, as they fay the inhabitants expect Angels from heaven to their affiftance. May I venture to fay, who am a Papift, and to lay to you who are a Papift, that nothing is more aftonishing to me, than that people fo greatly warm'd with a fenfe of Liberty, fhould be capable of harbouring fuch weak Superftition, and that fo much bravery and so much folly can inhabit the fame breafts? I could not but take a trip to London, oŋ the death of the Queen, mov'd by the common curiofity of mankind, who leave their own bulinefs to be looking upon other mens. I thank God, that as for myself, I am below all the accidents of State changes by my circumstances, and above them by my phi lofophy. Common charity of man to man, and univerfal good will to all, are the points I have moft at heart; and I am fure those are not to be broken for the fake of any governors, or government. I am willing to hope the best, and what I more wish than my own or any particular man's advancement, is, that this turn may put an end entirely to the divifions of Whig and Tory; that the parties may love each other as well 2 tais ་ well as I love them both; or at least hurt each other as little as I would either; and that our own people may live as quietly as we fhall certainly let theirs, that is to fay, that want of power itself in us may not be a furer prevention of harm, than want of will in them. I am fure, if all Whigs and all Tories had the fpirit of one RomanCatbolick that I know, it would be well for all Roman-Catholicks, and if all RomanSdCatholicks had always had that fpirit, it had been well for all others, and we had never been charged with fo wicked a spirit as that of Perfecution. I agree with you in fentiment of the my ftate of our nation fince this change; I find myself just in the fame fituation of mind 2 you defcribe as your own, heartily wishing dthe good, that is the quiet of my country, and hoping a total end of all the unhappy indivifions of mankind by party-fpirit, which at beft is but the madnefs of many for the anigain of a few. I Mr. JERVAS to Mr. POPE. Aug. 20, 1714. Have a particular to tell you at this time, which pleafes me so much, that you must expect a more than ordinary alacrity in every turn. You know I cou'd keep you in fufpenfe for twenty lines, but I will tell' you directly that Mr. Addison and I have had a converfation, that it would have been worth your while to have been plic'd behind the wainscot, or behind fome half-length Picture to have heard. He affur'd me that he wou'd make ufe not only of his interest, but of his art, to do you fome fervice; he did not mean his Art of Poetry, but his Art at Court; and he is fenfible that nothing can have a better air for himfelf, than moving in your favour, especially fince infinuations were fpread that he did not care you should profper too much as a Poet. He protests that it fhall not be his fault, if there is not the beft intelligence in the world, and the most hearty friendship, &c. He owns, he was afraid Dr. Swift might have carry'd you too far among the enemy during the heat of the animofity, but now all |