way (against the cuftom of great wits) to fhew even a great deal of good nature with a great deal of good fenfe. I thank you for the book you promis'd me, by which I find you would not only correct my lines, but my life. As to the damn'd verses I intrusted you with, I hope you will let them undergo your purgatory, to fave them from other people's damning them; fince the criticks, who are generally the first damn'd in this life, like the damn'd below, never leave to bring those above them under their own circumftances. I beg you to perufe my papers, and select what you think best or most tolerable, and look over them again; for I refolve fuddenly to print fome of them, as a harden'd old gamefter will (in fpite of all former ill ufage by fortune) push on an ill hand in expectation of recovering himself; especially fince I have fuch a Croupier or Second to stand by me as Mr. Pope. LETTER XIII. Nov. 20, 1707. MR. Englefyld being upon his journey to London, tells me I muft write to you by him, which I do, not more to comply with his defire, than to gratify my own; tho' I did it fo lately by the meffenger you fent hither: I take it too as an opportunity of fending you the fair copy of the poem * on Dulnefs, which was not then finish'd, and which I should not care to hazard by the common poft. Mr. Englefyld is ignorant of the contents, and I hope your prudence will let him remain fo, for my fake no less than your own; fince if you *The original of it in blots, and with figures of the References from copy to copy, in Mr. Pope's hand, is yet extant among other fuch Brouillons of Mr. Wycherley's poems, corrected by him. should reveal any thing of this nature, it would be no wonder reports fhould be rais'd, and there are thofe (I fear) who would be ready to improve them to my difadvantage. I am forry you told the great man, whom you met in the court of requests, that your papers were in my hands: no man alive fhall ever know any fuch thing from me; and I give you this warning befides, that tho' yourself should fay I had any ways affifted you, I am notwithstanding refolv'd to deny it. The method of the copy I fend you is very different from what it was, and much more regular: for the better help of your memory, I defire you to compare it by the figures in the margin, answering to the fame in this letter. The poem is now divided into four parts, mark'd with the literal figures 1. 2. 3. 4. The first contains the Praise of Dulness, and fhews how upon feveral fuppofitions it paffes for 1. religion, 2. philofophy, 3. example, 4. wit, and 5. the cause of wit, and the end of it. The fecond part contains the Advantages of Dulness; ift, in business; and 2dly, at Court; where the fimilitudes of the Byafs of a bowl, and the Weights of a clock, are directly tending to the subject, tho' introduced before in a place where there was no mention made of thofe advantages (which was your only objection to my adding them). The third contains the Happiness of Dulness in all ftations, and fhews in a great many particulars, that it is fo fortunate as to be esteem'd fome good quality or other in all forts of people; that it is thought quiet, fenfe, caution, policy, prudence, majesty, valour, circumfpection, honefty, etc. The fourth part I have wholly added, as a climax which fums up all the praife, advantage, and happiness of Dulness in a few words, and ftrengthens them by the oppofition of the difgrace, difadvantage, and unhap pinefs of Wit, with which it concludes *. Tho' the whole be as short again as at first, there is not one thought omitted, but what is a repetition of fomething in your first volume, or in this very paper: fome thoughts are contracted, where they feem'd encompafs'd with too many words; and fome new exprefs'd, or added, where I thought there wanted heightning (as you'll fee particularly in the Simile of the clock-weights +), and the verfification throughout is, I believe, fuch as nobody can be shock'd at. The repeated permiffions you give me of dealing freely with you, will (I hope) excufe what I have done : for if I have not spar'd you when I thought feverity would do you a kindness, I have not mangled you where I thought there was no abfolute need of amputation. As to particulars, I can fatisfy you better when we meet; in the mean time pray write to me when you can, you cannot too often. This is totally omitted in the prefent Edition: Some of the lines are thefe : "Thus Dulnefs, the fafe opiate of the mind, Fit for all stations, and in each content, It was originally thus exprefs'd: "As Clocks run fafteft when most lead is on," in a Letter of Mr. Pope to Mr. Wycherley, dated April 3, 1705, and in a paper of verfes of his, To the Author of a poem called Succeffio, which got out in a mifcellany in 1712, three years before Mr. Wycherley died, and two after he had laid afide the whole defign of publishing any poems. These two fimilies of the Byafs of a Bowl, and the Weights of a Clock, were at length put into the firft book of the Dunciad. And thus we have the history of their birth, fortunes, and final efta, blishment. LETTER XIV. From Mr. WYCHERLEY. Nov. 22, 1707. you may fee by my ftyle, I had the happiness and fatisfaction to receive yesterday, by the hands of Mr. Englefyld, your extreme kind and obliging letter of the 20th of this month; which, like all the rest of yours, did at once mortify me, and make me vain; fince it tells me with fo much more wit, fenfe, and kindness than mine can express, that my letters are always welcome to you. So that even while your kindness invites me to write to you, your wit and judgment forbid me; fince I may return you a letter, but never an answer. Now, as for my owning your assistance to me, in overjooking my unmufical numbers, and harsher sense, and correcting them both with your genius, or judgment; I muft tell you I always own it (in fpite of your unpoetick modefty), who would do with your friendship as your charity; conceal your bounty to magnify the obligation; and even whilft you lay on your friend the favour, acquit him of the debt: but that shall not ferve your turn; I will always own 'tis my infallible Pope has, or would redeem me from a poetical damning, the second time; and fave my rhimes from being condemned to the Criticks flames to all eternity; but (by the faith you profefs) you know your works of fupererogation, transferr'd upon an humble, acknowledging finner, may fave even him: having good works enough of your own befides, to enfure yours, and their immortality. And now for the pains you have taken to recommend my Dulness, by making it more methodical, I give you a thousand thanks; fince true and natural Dul ness is thewn more by its pretence to form and method, as the fprightlinefs of wit by its defpifing both. I thank you a thousand times for your repeated invitations to come to Binfield: You will find, it will be as hard for you to get quit of my mercenary kindness to you, as it would for me to deferve, or return yours: however, it shall be the endeavour of my future life, as it will be to demonftrate myself Yours, etc. THE LETTER XV. Nov. 29, 1707. HE Compliments you make me, in regard of any inconfiderable fervice I could do you, are very unkind, and do but tell me in other words, that my friend has fo mean an opinion of me, as to think I expect acknowledgments for trifles: which upon my faith I fhall equally take amifs, whether made to myself, or to any other. For God's fake (my dear friend) think better of me, and believe I defire no fort of favour fo much, as that of ferving you more confiderably than I have been yet able to do. Ishall proceed in this manner with fome others of your pieces; but fince you defire I would not deface your copy for the future, and only mark the repetitions; I muft, as foon as I've mark'd thefe, tranfcribe what is left on another paper; and in that, blot, alter, and add all I can devife, for their improvement. For you are fenfible, the omiffion of repetitions is but one, and the eafieft part, of yours and my defign; there remaining befides to rectify the Method, to connect the Matter, and to mend the Expreffion and Verfification. I will go next upon the poems of Solitude, on the Publick, |