it fhou'd be one to you to fay, that I fit up till two a-clock over Burgundy and Champagne; and am become fo much a rake, that I fhall be afhamed in a short time to be thought to do any fort of bufinefs. I fear I must get the gout by drinking, purely for a fashionable pretence to fit ftill long enough to tranflate four books of Homer. I hope you'll by that time be up again, and I may fucceed to the bed and couch of my predeceffor: Pray cause the stuffing to be repaired, and the crutches fhortened for me. The calamity of your gout is what all your

friends, that is to fay all that knowur

you, muft share in; we defire you in your turn to condole with us, who are under a perfecution, and much afflicted with a distemper which proves grievous to many poets, a Criticifm. We have indeed fome relieving intervals of laughter, (as you know there are in fome diseases;) and it is the opinion of divers good gueffers, that the laft fit will not be more violent than advantageous; for poets affail'd by critics, are like men bitten by Tarantula's, they dance on fo much the fafter.

Mr. Thomas Burnet hath play'd the precurfor to the coming of Homer, in a treatife, called Homerides. He has fince rifen very much in his criticisms, and after affaulting Homer, made a daring attack upon

the

*the* What-d'ye-call-it, Yet is there not a proclamation iffued for the burning of Homer and the Pope by the common hangman; nor is the What dye call it yet filenc'd by the Lord Chamberlain. They fhall furvive the conflagration of his father's works, and live after they and he are damned; (for that the B-p of S. already is fo, is the opinion of Dr. Sacheverel and the Church of Rome.) I am, &c.

C

Mr.POPE to the Earl of B----.

LEKIN MY LORD,

I

F your Mare could fpeak, fhe wou'd give you a an account of the extraordinary company fhe had on the road; which fince fhe cannot do, I will.

It was the enterprizing Mr. Lintott, the redoubtable rival of Mr. Tonfon, who mounted on a stonehorfe,(no difagreeable companion to your Lordship's mare) overtook me in Windfor-foreft. He faid, he heard I defign'd for Oxford, the feat of the mufes, and would, as my bookfeller, by all means, accompany me thither.

I ask'd him where he got his horfe? He anfwered, he got it of his publisher: "For that rogue my printer, (faid he) difap.

In one of his Papers call'd The Grumbler, long fince dead.

pointed

"pointed me: I hoped to put him in good *humour by a treat at the tavern, of a "brown fricaffee of rabbits which cost two "fhillings, with two quarts of wine, be

fides my converfation. I thought myself "cockfure of his horfe, which he readily "promifed me, but faid, that Mr. Tonfon had just such another defign of going to "Cambridge, expecting there the copy of a Comment upon the Revelations and if Mr. Tonfon went, he was preingaged to "attend him, being to have the printing of "the faid copy."

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So in fhort, I borrow'd this stonehorse of my publisher, which he had of Mr. Oldmixon for a debt; he lent me too the e pretty boy you fee after me; he was a smutty dog yesterday, and coft me near two hours to wash the ink off his face but the Des vil is à fair-condition'd Devil, and very forward in his catechife: if you have any more bags, he fhall carry them.

ad

I thought Mr. Lintott's civility not to be neglected, fo gave the boy a fmall bagg, containing three fhirts and an Elvezir Virgils and mounting in an inftant proceeded on the road, with my man before, my courteous ftationer befide, and the aforefaid Devil behind.

Mr. Lintott began in this manner. "Now damn them! what if they should put it into the news-paper, how you and I went "together

6 together to Oxford? why what would I care? If I fhould go down into Suffex," they would fay I was gone to the fpeaker. But what of that? if my fon were but big enough to go on with the bufinefs, by G-d I would keep as good company "as old Facob."

Hereupon I enquir'd of his fon." The "lad (fays he) has fine parts, but is fome what fickly, much as you are —

Ifpare for nothing in his education at Westmin fter. Pray don't you think Westminster to be the best school in England? most of the late Miniftry came out of it, fo "did many of this Ministry; I hope the boy will make his fortune."

Don't you defign to let him pafs a year at Oxford? To what purpofe? (faid he) "the Universities do but make Pedants, "and I intend to breed him a man of Bu finefs."

3

As Mr. Lintott was talking, I obferv'd he fate uneasy on his faddle, for which I exprefs'd fome folicitude: Nothing, fays he, I can bear it well enough; but fince we have the day before us, methinks it would be very pleafant for you to reft a while under the Woods. When we were alighted, "See here, what a mighty pretty Horace ĺ L st have in my pocket: what if you amus'd "yourself in turning an Ode, till we mount

again? Lord! if you pleas'd, what a

"clever

"clever Mifcellany might you make at lei"fure hours." Perhaps I may, faid 1, if we ride on; the motion is an aid to my fancy; a round trot very much awakens my fpirits. Then jog on apace, and I'll think as hard as I can.

Silence enfu'd for a full hour; after which Mr. Lintott lugg'd the reins, ftcpt fhort, and broke out, "Well, Sir, how far "have you gone?" I answered feven miles. "Z-ds, Sir, faid Lintott, I thought you "had done feven ftanza's. Oldfworth in «a ramble round Wimbleton-bill, would "tranflate a whole Ode in half this time. "I'll fay that for Oldsworth, (tho' I loft by "his Timothy's) he tranflates an Ode of

Horace the quickest of any man in England, "I remember Dr. King would write verfes "in a tavern three hours after he could n't "fpeak; and there's Sir Richard in that

rumbling old Chariot of his, between "Fleet-ditch and St. Giles's pound fhall "make you half a Fob."

Pray Mr. Lintott (faid I) now you talk of Tranflators, what is your method of managing them?" Sir (reply'd he) those are "the faddeft pack of rogues in the world: "In a hungry fit, they'll fwear they under

ftand all the languages in the universe : I "have known one of them take down a "Greek book upon my counter and cry,

Ay this is Hebrew, I must read it from the

"latter