And as for the laft, what can you expect from a Man who has not talk'd these five Days? Who is withdrawing his Thoughts as far as he can, from all the present World, it's Customs, and it's Manners, to be fully poffefs'd and abforp'd in the paft? When People talk of going to Church, I think of Sacrifices and Libations; when I fee the Parfen, I addrefs him as Chryfes, Prieft of Apollo; and instead of the Lord's Prayer, I begin,

God of the Silver Bow, &c.

While you in the World are concern'd about the Proteftant Succeffion, I confider only how Menelaus may recover Helen, and the Trojan War be put to a fpeedy Conclufion. I never inquire if the Queen be well or not, but heartily wish to be at Hector's Funeral. The only Things I regard in this Life, are, whether my Friends are well? Whether my Tranflation go well on? Whether Dennis be writing Criticisms? Whether any body will answer him, fince I don't? And whether Lintott be not yet broke ?

I am, &c.

To the fame.

AUGUST 16, 1714.

Thank you for your good Offices which are numberlefs. Homer advances fo faft, that he begins to look about for the Ornaments he is to appear in, like a modish modern Author,

Picture in the Front,

With Bays and wicked Ryme upon't.

I have the greatest Proof in nature at present of the amusing Power of Poetry; for it takes me up fo intirely, that I scarce fee what paffes under my Nofe, and hear nothing that is faid about me. Το follow Poetry as one ought, one muft forget Father and Mother, and cleave to it alone. My Rêverie has been fo deep, that I have fcarce had an Interval to think myself uneafy in the want of your Company I now and then just miss you as I ftep into Bed; this minute indeed I want extremely to fee you, the next I fhall dream of nothing but the taking of Tray, or the Recovery of Brifeis.

I fancy no Friendship is so likely to prove lasting as ours, because I am pretty sure there never was a Friendship of fo eafy a Nature. We neither of us demand any mighty Things from each other; what Vanity we have, expects it's Gratification from other People. It is not I, that am to tell you what an Artist you are, nor is it you that are to tell me what a Poet I am; but 'tis from the World abroad we hope (piously hope) to hear these Things. At home we follow our Business, when we have any; and think and talk most of each other when we have none. 'Tis not unlike the happy Friendship of a flay'd Man and his Wife, who are feldom fo fond as to hinder the Business of the House from going on all Day, or fo indolent as not to find Confolation in each other every Evening. Thus well-meaning Couples hold in Amity to the laft, by not expecting too much from human Nature; while romantic Friendships, like violent Loves, begin with Dif quiets, proceed to Jealoufies, and conclude in Animofities. I have liv'd to fee the fierce Advancement, the fudden Turn, and the abrupt Period, of three or four of these enormous Friendships, and am perfectly convinc'd of the Truth of a Maxim we once agreed in, That nothing hinders the conftant Agreement

I 3

Agreement of People who live together, but meer Vanity; a fecret infifting upon what they think their Dignity or Merit, and an inward Expectation of fuch an Över-measure of Deference and Regard, "as anfwers to their own extravagant falfe Scale; and which no body can pay, because none but themfelves can tell, exactly, to what pitch it amounts.

I am, &c.

Mr POPE to EDWARD BLUNT, Efq;

WE

AUG. 27, 1714.

Hatever Studies on the one hand, or Amufements on the other, it fhall be my Fortune to fall into, I fhall be equally incapable of forgetting you in any of 'em. The Task I undertook, tho of Weight enough in itself, has had a voluntary Increafe, by the inlarging my Defign of the Notes; and the Neceffity of confulting a Number of Books has carry'd me to Oxford: But I fear, thro' my Lord Harcourt's and Dr Clarke's Means, I fhall be more converfant with the Pleafures and Company of the Place, than with the Books and Manuscripts of it.

I find ftill more Reafon to complain of the Negligence of the Geographers in their Maps of old Greece, fince I look'd upon two or three more noted Names in the public Libraries here. But with all the Care I am capable of, I have fome Caufe to fear the Engraver will prejudice me in a few Situations. I have been forc'd to write to him in fo high a Style, that were my Epiftle intercepted, it would raise no fmall Admiration in an

*The Tranflation of Homer's Iliad.

ordinary

ordinary Man. There is fcarce an Order in it of lefs Importance, than to remove fuch and fuch Mountains, alter the Courfe of fuch and fuch Rivers, place a large City on fuch a Coaft, and raze another in another Country. I have fet Bounds to the Sea, and faid to the Land, Thus far fhalt thou advance, and no further *. In the mean time, I who talk and command at this rate, am in danger of lofing my Horfe, and ftand in fome Fear of a Country Juftice. To difarm me, indeed, may be but prudential, confidering what Armies I have at prefent on Foot, and in my Service: A hundred thoufand Grecians are no contemptible Body; for all that I can tell, they may be as formidable as four thoufand Priests; and they feem proper Forces to fend against thofe in Barcelona. That Siege deferves as fine a Poem as the Iliad, and the machining part of Poetry would be the jufter in it, as they fay the Inhabitants expect Angels from Heaven. to their Affiftance. May I venture to fay, who am a Papist, and fay to you who are a Papist, that nothing is more aftonifhing to me, than that People fo greatly warm'd with a Senfe of Liberty, fhould be capable of harbouring fuch weak Superstition, and that fo much Bravery and fo much Folly can inhabit the fame Breafts?

I could not but take a Trip to London, on the Death of the Queen, mov'd by the common Curiofity of Mankind, who leave their own Bufinefs to be looking upon other Mens. I thank God, that as for myself, I am below all the Accidents of Statechanges by my Circumstances, and above them by my Philofophy. Common Charity of man to man, and univerfal good Will to all, are the Points I have

* This relates to the Map of ancient Greece, laid down by our Author in his Obfervations on the fecond Iliad. I: 4

most

moft at heart; and I am fure thofe are not to be broken for the fake of any Governors, or Government. I am willing to hope the best, and what I more wish than my own or any particular man's Advancement, is, that this Turn may put an end entirely to the Divifions of Whig and Tory; that the Parties may love each other as well as I love them both; or at least hurt each other as little as I would either; and that our own People may live as quietly as we fhall certainly let theirs; that is to fay, that want of Power itself in us may not be a furer Prevention of Harm, than want of Will in them. I am fure, if all Whigs and all Tories had the Spirit of one Roman Catholic that I know, it would be well for all Roman Catholics; and if all Roman Catholics had always had that Spirit, it had been well for all others, and we had never been charg'd with fo wicked a Spirit as that of Perfecution.

I agree with you in my Sentiment of the State of our Nation fince this Change: I find myself just in the fame fituation of Mind you defcribe as your own, heartily wifhing the Good, that is, the Quiet of my Country, and hoping a total End of all the unhappy Divifions of Mankind by Party-fpirit, which at beft is but the Madnefs of many for the Cain of a few.

I am, &c.

Mr JERVAS to Mr POPE.

AUGUST 20. 1714

I HAVE a Particular to tell you at this time, which pleases me fo much, that you must expect a more than ordinary Alacrity in every Turn. You know I cou'd keep you in fufpenfe for twenty