plainly. Sickness is a fort of early old Age; it teaches us a diffidence in our earthly State, and infpires us with the Thoughts of a Future, better than a thousand Volumes of Philofophers and Divines. It gives fo warning a Concuffion to thofe props of our Vanity, our Strength and Youth, that we think of fortifying ourselves within, when there is fo little Dependance upon our Out-works. Youth at the very best is but a betrayer of Human Life in a gentler and smoother manner than Age: 'Tis like a Stream that nourishes a Plant upon a Bank, and caufes it to flourish and bloffom to the Sight, but at the fame Time is undermining it at the Root in fecret. My Youth has dealt more fairly and openly with me, it has afforded feveral Profpects of my Danger, and given me an Advantage not very common to young Men, that the Attractions of the World have not dazzled me very much; and I begin where most People end, with a full Conviction of the emptiness of all forts of Ambition, and the unfatisfactory Nature of all human Pleasures. When a smart fit of Sickness tells me this fcurvy Tenement of my Body will fall in a little Time, I am e'en as unconcern'd as was that honest Hibernian, who being in bed in the great Storm fome Years ago, and told the Houfe would tumble over his Head, made anfwer, What care I for the Houfe? I am only a Lodger. I fancy 'tis the best time to die when one is in the beft Humour, and fo exceffively weak as I now am, I may say with Confcience, that I am not at all uneafy at the Thought that many Men, whom I never had any Efteem for, are likely to enjoy this World after me. When I reflect what an inconfiderable little Atom every fingle Man is, with refpect to the whole Creation, methinks 'tis a fhame to be concern'd at the removal of fuch a trivial Animal as I am. The Morning aftermy Exit, the Sun will rife as bright as ever, the Flowers finell as fweet, the Plants fpring as green, the the World will proceed in it's old Course, People will laugh as heartily, and marry as faft as they were us'd to do. The memory of Man, (as it is elegantly exprefs'd in the Wifdom of Solomon) paffeth away as the remembrance of a Gueft that tarrieth but one day. There are reafons enough, in the fourth Chapter of the fame Book, to make any young Man contented with the profpect of Death. For honourable Age is not that which flandeth in length of Time, or is measured by number of Years. But Wisdom is the gray hair to Men, and an unspotted Life is old Age. He was taken away speedily, left Wickedness fhould alter his Understanding, or Deceit beguile his Soul, &c. I am I Your, &c. Mr POPE to Mr STEEL E. Nov. 7. 1712. Was the other Day in company with five or fix Men of fome Learning; where chancing to mention the famous Verfes which the Emperor Adrian spoke on his death-bed, they were all agreed that 'twas a piece of Gaiety unworthy of that Prince in those Circumftances. I could not but differ from this Opi nion: Methinks it was by no means a gay, but a very ferious Soliloquy to his Soul at the point of his Departure; in which fenfe I naturally took the Verfes at my first reading them when I was very young, and before I knew what Interpretation the World generally put upon them. Animula vagula, blandula, «Alas, "Alas, my foul! Thou pleafing Companion of this "Body, thou fleeting Thing that art now deferting "it! Whither art thou flying? To what unknown << Scene? All trembling, fearful, and penfive. "Now what is become of thy former Wit and Humour? Thou shalt jeft and be gay no more." I confefs I cannot apprehend where lies the trifling in all this? 'Tis the most natural and obvious Reflection imaginable to a dying Man: And if we confider the Emperor was a Heathen, that Doubt concerning the future Fate of his Soul will seem so far from being the effect of want of Thought, that 'twas fcarce reasonable he should think otherwife; not to mention that here is a plain Confeffion included of his belief in it's Immortality. The diminutive Epithets of vagula, blandula, and the reft, appear not to me as Expreffions of Levity, but rather of Endearment and Concern; fuch as we find inCatullus, and the Authors of Hendeca-fyllabi after him, where they are used to exprefs the utmost Love and Tendernefs for their Miftreffes. If you think me right in my Notion of the last Words of Adrian, be pleased to infert it in the Spectator, if not, to fupprefs it. I am Your, &c. ADRIANI morientis ad ANIMAM, AH Tranflated. H fleeting Spirit! wand'ring Fire, Muft thou no more this Frame infpire? Whither, Whither, ab whither art thou flying! To what dark, undiscover'd Shore? Thou feem'ft all trembling, fhiv'ring, dying, And Wit and Humour are no more! Mr STEELE to Mr POPE. Nov. 12. 1712. HAVE read over your Temple of Fame twice, and cannot find any thing amifs of weight enough to call a Fault, but fee in it a thousand thousand Beauties. Mr Addifon fhall fee it to-morrow: After his perufal of it, I will let you know his Thoughts. I defire you would let me know whether you are at leifure or not? I have a Design which I fhall open a Month or two hence, with the Affiftance of the few like yourself. If your Thoughts are unengaged, I fhall explain myself further. I am Your, &c. Mr POPE to Mr STEELE. Nov. 16. 1712. YOU oblige me by the Indulgence you have fhewn the Poem I fent you, but will oblige me much more by the kind Severity I hope for from you. No Errors are so trivial, but they deserve to be mended; but fince you fay you fee nothing that may be call'd a Fault, can you but think it fo, that I have confined the attendance of * Guardian Spirits to Heaven's Favourites only? I could point you to *This is not now to be found in the Temple of Fame, of which Poem he speaks here. H feveral, feveral, but 'tis my business to be informed of thofe Faults I do not know, and as for those I do, not to talk of 'em, but to correct 'em. You speak of that Poem in a Style I neither merit, nor expect; but I affure you, if you freely mark or dash out, I fhall look upon your blots to be it's greatest Beauties. I mean, if Mr Addifon and your felf fhou'd like it in the Whole; otherwise the trouble of Correction is what I would not take, for I was really fo diffident of it, as to let it lie by me these + two Years, just as you now fee it. I am afraid of nothing fo much as to impofe any thing on the World which is unworthy of it's Acceptance. As to the laft period of your Letter, I fhall be very ready and glad to contribute to any defign that tends to the advantage of Mankind, which I am fure all your's do. I wish I had but as much capacity as leifure, for I am perfectly idle (a fign I have not much capacity). If you will entertain the best Opinion of me, be pleafed to think me your friend. Affure Mr Addifon of my moft faithful Service, of every one's Efteem he must be affur'd already. I am Your, &c. Mr POPE to Mr STEEL E. Nov. 29, 1712. AM forry you publifh'd that Notion about Adrian's Verfes as mine; had I imagin'd you wou'd ufe my Name, I fhou'd have express'd my fentiments with more modesty and diffidence. I only fent it to have your Opinion, and not to publish my own, which + Hence tappears this Poem was writ before the Author was 22 Years old, |