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all is fafe, and you are efcap'd even in his opinion. I promis'd in your name, like a good Godfather, not that you should renounce the devil and all his works, but that you would be delighted to find him your friend merely for his own fake; therefore prepare yourself for fome civilities.

I have done Homer's head, fhadow'd and heighten'd carefully; and I inclofe the outline of the fame fize, that you may determine whether you wou'd have it fo large, or reduc'd to make room for a feuillage or laurel round the oval, or about the fquare of the Bufto? perhaps there is fomething more folemn in the Image itself, if I can get it well performed.

If I have been inftrumenal in bringing you and Mr. Addison together with all fincerity, Ivalue myself upon it as an acceptable piece of fervice to fuch a one as I know you to be.

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Your, &c.

Mr. PO PE's Anfwer.

Aug. 27, 1714. Am juft arriv'd from Oxford, very well e diverted and entertain'd there all very honeft fellows much concern'd for

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the Queen's death. No panegyricks ready yet for the King.

I admire your Whig-principles of Refift ance exceedingly, in the fpirit of the Barcelonians. I join in your wifh for them. Mr. Addison's verfes on Liberty, in his let ter from Italy, would be a good form of prayer in my opinion, O Liberty! thou Goddess heavenly bright! &c.

What you mention'd of the friendly office you endeavour'd to do betwixt Mr. Addifon and me, deferves acknowledgments on my part. You thoroughly know my regard to his character, and my propensity to teftify it by all ways in my power. You as thoroughly know the fcandalous meannefs of that proceeding which was used by Philips, to make a man 1 fo highly value, fufpect my difpofitions. toward him. But as, after all, Mr. Addifon must be the judge in what regards himfelf, and has feem'd to be no very just one to me; fo I muft own to you I expect nothing but civility from him, how much foever I wish for his friendship: And as for any offices of real kindness or service which it is in his power to do me, I should be ashamed to receive 'em from any man who had no better opinion of my morals, than to think me a party-man; nor of my temper, than to believe me capable of maligning,

ligning or envying another's reputation as a Poet. So I leave it to Time to convince him as to boh, to fhew him the fhallow depths of thofe half-witted creatures who mit inform'd him, and to prove that I am incapable of endeavouring to leffen a perfon whom I would be proud to imitate, and therefore afham'd to flatter. In a word, Mr. Addifon is fure of my refpet at all times, and of my real friendlhip whenever he fhall think fit to know me for what I

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For all that pafs'd betwixt Dr. Swift and ̈· me, you know the whole (without referve) of our correfpondence: The engagements I had to him were fuch as the actual fervices he had done me, in relation to the fubfcription for Homer, obliged me to. I muft have leave to be grateful to him, and. : to any one who ferves me, let him be never fo obnoxious to any party nor did the Tory-party ever put me to the hardship of asking this leave, which is the greatest obligation I owe to it; and I expect no greater from the Whig-party then the fame: liberty. A curle on the word Party, which I have been forced to use so often in this period! I wifh the prefent Reign may put an end to the diftinction, that there may be no other for the future than that of honest and knave, fool and men of sense ;** L

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these two forts must always be enemies, but for the reft, may all People do as you and I, believe what they pleafe and be friends.

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October 10, 1714.

Have been acquainted by one of my friends who omits no opportunities of gratifying me, that you have lately been pleas'd to speak of me in a manner which nothing but the real refpect I have for you can deferve. May I hope that fome late malevolencies have loft their effect? Indeed it is neither for me, nor my enemies, to pretend to tell you whether I am your friend or not; but if you would judge by probabilities, I beg to know which of your poetical acquaintance has fo little Intereft in pretending to be fo? Methinks no man fhould queftion the real friendship of one who defires no real fervice: I am only to get as much from the Whigs, as I got by the Tories, that is to fay, Civility; being neither to proud as to be infenfible of any good office, nor fo humble, as

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Mr. POPE, &c. zsimbas od 22874, 970 1 o not to dare heartily to defpife any man who does me an injuftice.

ad 1. bis I will not value myfelf upon having ever guarded all the degrees of refpect for you; for (to fay the truth) all the world fpeaks well of you, and I fhould be under a neceffity of doing the fame, whether I cared for you or not.

As to what you have faid of me, I fhall never believe that the Author of Cato can fpeak one thing and think another. As a -proof that I account you fincere, I beg a favour of you: It is, that you would look over the two firft books of my tranflation of Homer, which are now in the hands of my Lord Halifax. I am fenfible how much the reputation of any poetical work will depend upon the character you give it: 'tis therefore fome evidence of the truft I repofe in your good will, when I give you this opportunity of fpeaking ill of me with juftice, and yet expect you will tell me your trueft thoughts, at the fame time that you tell others your most favourable ones.

I have a farther request, which I must prefs with earneftnefs. My Bookfeller is reprinting the Effay on Criticism, to which you have done too much honour in your Spectator of No 2 253. The period in that paper, where you lay, "I have admitted

fome ftrokes of ill nature into that Ellay,"

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