What you mention of the friendly office you endeavour'd to do betwixt Mr. Addison and me, deferves acknowledgments on my part. You thoroughly know my regard to his character, and my propenfity to testify it by all ways in my power. You as thoroughly know the fcandalous meanness of that proceeding which was ufed by Philips, to make a man I fo highly value, fufpect my difpofitions towards him. But as, after all, Mr. Addison must be the judge in what regards himfelf, and has feem'd to be no very just one to me: so, I must own to you, I expect nothing but civility from him, how much foever I wish for his friendship. As for any offices of real kindness or service which it is in his power to do me, I fhould be ashamed to receive them 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, or envying another's reputation as a poet. So I leave it to time to convince him as to both, to fhew him the fhallow depths of thofe half-witted creatures who misinform'd him, and to prove that I am incapable of endeavouring to leffen a person whom I would be proud to imitate, and therefore asham'd to flatter. In a word, Mr. Addifon is fure of my refpe&t at all times, and of my real friendship whenever he fhall think fit to know me for what I am.

ence.

For all that pafs'd betwixt Dr. Swift and me, you know the whole (without referve) of our correfpondThe 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 must have leave to be grateful to him, and to any one who serves 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 than the fame liberty.-A curfe on the word Party, which I have been forced to use so often in this period! I wish the present reign may put an end to the diftinction, that there may be no other for the future than that of Honeft and Knave, Fool and Man of fense; these two forts must always be enemies; but for the reft, may all people do as you and I, believe what they please, and be friends.

I am, etc.

I

LETTER

XXIV.

To the Earl of HALLIFAX.

My LORD,

Dec. 1, 1714.

AM obliged to you both for the favours you have done me, and for thofe you intend me. I diftruft neither your will nor your memory, when it is to do good; and if ever I become troublesome or folicitous, it must not be out of expectation, but out of gratitude. Your lordship may either caufe me to live agreeably in the town, or contentedly in the country, which is really all the difference I fet between an easy fortune and a small one. It is indeed a high ftrain of generofity in you, to think of making me eafy all my life, only because I have been so happy as to divert you fome few hours: but if I may have leave to add, it is because you think me no enemy to my native country, there will appear a better reafon; for I must of confequence be very much (as I fincerely am)

Yours, etc.,

I

LETTER XXV.

Dr. PARNELLE to Mr. POPE.

AM writing you a long letter, but all the tedioufnefs I feel in it is, that it makes me during the time think more intently of my being far from you.

I

fancy, if I were with you, I could remove some of the uneasiness which you may have felt from the oppofition of the world, and which you should be ashamed to feel, fince it is but the teftimony which one part of it gives you that your merit is unquestionable. What would you have otherwife, from ignorance, envy, or thofe tempers which vie with you in your own way? I know this in mankind, that when our ambition is unable to attain its end, it is not only wearied, but exasperated too at the vanity of its labours; then we speak ill of happier ftudies, and fighing condemn the excellence which we find above our reach.

My Zoilus +, which you us'd to write about, I finish'd last spring, and left in town. I waited till I came up to fend it you, but not arriving here before your book was out, imagin'd it a loft piece of labour. If you will still have it, you need only write me word.

I have here seen the First Book of Homer ‡, which came out at a time when it could not but appear as a kind of fetting up against you. My opinion is, that you may, if you please, give them thanks who writ it. Neither the numbers nor the spirit have an equal mas

*This and the three Extracts following, concerning the Tranflation of the first Iliad, fet on foot by Mr. Addifon, Mr. Pope has omitted in his firft Edition.

+ Printed for B. Lintot, 1715, 8o, and afterwards added to the last edition of his poems.

Written by Mr. Addison, and published in the name of Mr. Tickell.

tery with yours; but what furprises me more is, that a scholar being concerned, there should happen to be some mistakes in the author's fenfe; fuch as putting the light of Pallas's eyes into the eyes of Achilles, making the taunt of Achilles to Agamemnon (that he fhould have fpoils when Troy fhould be taken) to be a cool and ferious 'propofal; the tranflating what you call Ablution by the word offals, and so leaving Water out of the rite of luftration, etc. but you must have taken notice of all this before. I write not to inform you, but to fhew I always have you at heart.

I am, etc.

EXTRACT from a LETTER of the

Rev. Dr. BERKLEY, Dean of London-derry.
July 7, 1715.

Some days ago, three or four gentlemen and myself, exerting that right which all readers pretend to over authors, fate in judgment upon the two new Tranflations of the firft Iliad. Without partiality to my countrymen, I affure you, they all gave the preference where it was due; being unanimoufly of opinion, that yours was equally juft to the fense with Mr.

and without comparison more easy, more poetical, and more fublime. But I will fay no more on fuch a threadbare fubject, as your late performance is at this time.

I am, etc.

EXTRACT from a LETTER of

Mr. GAY to Mr. POPE.

July 8, 1715.

I have juft fet down Sir Samuel Garth at the Opera, He bid me tell you, that every body is pleas'd with your tranflation, but a few at Button's; and that Sir Richard Steele told him, that Mr. Addison said the other translation was the best that ever was in any language*. He treated me with extreme civility, and out of kindness gave me a fqueeze by the fore finger. -I am inform'd that at Button's your character is made very free with as to Morals, etc. and Mr. Addifon fays, that your tranflation and Tickell's are both very well done, but that the latter has more of Homer. I am, etc.

EXTRACT from a LETTER of.

Dr. ARBUTHNOT to Mr. POPE.

July 9, 1715.

-I congratulate you upon Mr. T's firft book. It does not indeed want its merit; but I was ftrangely disappointed in my expectation of a tranflation nicely true to the Original; whereas in those parts where the greateft exactnefs feems to be demanded, he has been the least careful, I mean the hiftory of ancient ceremonies and rites, etc. in which you have with great judgment been exact.

I am, etc.

* Sir Richard Steele afterwards, in his Preface to an Edition of the Drummer, a Comedy by Mr. Addifon, fhews it to be his opinion, that "Mr. Addison himself was the perfon who tranflated "this book."