ferve you,

treat at Binfield in the worft of Times at your Service. If you are a Tory, or thought fo by any Man, I know it can proceed from nothing but your Gratitude to a few People, who endeavour'd to and whofe Politics were never your Concern. If you are a Whig, as I rather hope, and as I think your Principles and mine (as Brother Poets) had ever a Biafs to the Side of Liberty, I know you will be an honeft Man and an inoffensive one. Upon the whole, I know you are incapable of being fo much of either Party as to be good for nothing. Therefore once more, whatever you are, or in whatever State you are, All Hail!

One or two of our old Friends complain'd, they had heard nothing from you fince the Queen's Death; I told 'em, no Man living lov'd Mr Gay better than I, yet I had not once written to him in all his Voyage. This I thought a convincing Proof, how truly one may be a Friend to another without telling him fo every Month. But they had Reasons too themfelves to alledge in your Excufe, as Men who really value one another will never want fuch as make their Friends and themfelves eafy. The late univerfal Concern in Public Affairs, threw us all into a hurry of Spirits; even I, who am more a Philofopher than to expect any thing from any Reign, was born away with the Current, and full of the Expectation of the Succeffor: During your Journies I knew not whither to aim a Letter after you, that was a fort of shooting flying: add to this the Demand Homer had upon me, to write fifty Verses a Day, befides learned Notes, all which are at a Conclufion for this Year. Rejoice with me, O my Friend, that my Labour is over; come and make merry with me in much Feafting, for I to thee, and thou to me. We will feed among the Lilies. By the Lilies, I mean the La

dies, with whom I hope you have fed to Satiety: Haft thou paffed thro' many Countries, and not tafted the Delights thereof? Haft thou not left to thy Iffue in divers Lands, that German Gays and Dutch Gays may arife, to write Paftorals, and fing their Songs in ftrange Countries? Are not the Blou zelinda's of the Hague as charming as the Rofalinda's of Britain? Or have the two great Paftoral Poets of our, Nation renounced Love at the fame time? For Philips, Immortal Philips, Hanover Philips, hath de ferted, yea, and in a rustic manner, kicked his Rofalinda.- Dr Parnelle and I have been infeparable ever fince you went. We are now at the Bath, where (if you are not, as I heartily hope, better engag'd) your coming would be the greatest Pleafure to us in the World. Talk not of Expences: Homer fhall fupport his Children. I beg a Line from you directed to the Poft-houfe in Bath. Poor Parnelle is in an ill State of Health.

Pardon me if I add a word of Advice in the poetical way. Write fomething on the King, or Prince, or Princess. On whatsoever Foot you may be with the Court, this can do no Harmfhall never know where to end, and am confounded in the many things I have to fay to you, tho' they all amount but to this, that I am entirely, as

ever,

-

Your, &c.

Dear Sir,

London, Nov. 8, 1718.

I AM extremely glad to find by a Letter of your's to Mr Fortefcue, that you have receiv'd one from me; and I beg you to keep, as the greatest of Curio

fities,

fities, that Letter of mine which you receiv'd and I never writ.

But the truth is, that we were made here to expect you in a fhort time, that I was upon the Ramble moft part of the Summer, and have concluded the Seafon in Grief, for the Death of my poor Father.

I fhall not enter into a Detail of my Concerns and Troubles, for two Reafons; because I am really afflicted and need no Airs of Grief, and because they are not the Concerns and Troubles of any but myself. But I think you (without too great a Compliment) enough my Friend, to be pleas'd to know he died eafily, without a Groan, or the Sickness of two Minutes; in a word, as filently and peacefully as he liv'd.

Sic mihi contingat vivere, ficque mori ! ·

I am not in the Humour to fay gay Things, nor nor in the Affectation of avoiding them. I can't pretend to entertain either Mr Pulteney or you, as you have done both my Lord Burlington and me, by your Letter to Mr Lowndes. I am only forry you have no greater Quarrel to Mr Lowndes, and with you paid fome hundreds a Year to the Landtax. That Gentleman is lately become an inoffenfive Perfon to me too; fo that we may join heartily in our Addreffes to him, and (like true Patriots) rejoice in all that Good done to the Nation and Government, to which we contribute nothing ourselves:

I fhould not forget to acknowledge your Letter fent from Aix; you told me then, that Writing was not good with the Waters, and I find, fince you are of my Opinion, that 'tis as bad without the Waters. But I fancy, it is not writing but thinking, that is fo bad with the Waters and then you might write without any

manner

manner of Prejudice, if you writ like our Brother Poets of thefe Days.

I have no Story to tell that is worth your hearing: You know I am no Man of Intrigue; but the Duchefs of Hamilton has one which fhe fays is worth my hearing, that relates to Mr Pulteney and your felf; and which the promises, if you won't tell me, fhe will. Her Grace has won in a Raffle a very fine Tweezercafe; at the Sight of which my Tweezercafe, and all other Tweezercafes on the Globe, hide their diminish'd Heads.

That Duchefs, Lord Warwick, Lord Stanhope, Mrs Bellenden, Mrs Lepell, and I can't tell who elfe, had your Letters. Dr Arbuthnot and I expect to be treated like Friends. I would fend my Services to Mr Pulteney, but that he is out of Favour at Court; and make fome Compliment to Mrs Pulteney, if she were not a Whig. My Lord Burlington tells me fhe has as much outfhin'd all the French Ladies, as fhe did the English before: I am forry for it, because it will be detrimental to our holy Religion, if heretical Women should eclipse those Nuns and orthodox Beauties, in whofe Eyes alone lie all the Hopes we can have, of gaining fuch fine Gentlemen as you to our Church.

Your, &c.

I wish you Joy of the Birth of the young Prince, because he is the only Prince we have, from whom you have had no Expectations, and no Difappoint

ments.

I

Dear Sir,

Think it obliging in you to defire an Account of my Health. The truth is, I have never been

in a worse State in my Life, and find whatever I

have

have try'd as a Remedy, fo ineffectual, that I give myself entirely over. I wish your Health may be fet perfectly right by the Waters, and be affur'd I not only wish that, and every thing elfe for you, as common Friends wifh, but with a Zeal not usual among those we call fo. I am always glad to hear often from you; always glad to fee you, whatever Accidents or Amusements have interven'd to make me do either lefs than usual. I not only frequently think of you, but conftantly do my best to make others do it, by mentioning you to all your Acquaintance. I defire you to do the fame for me to those you are now with: Do me what you think Juftice in regard to thofe who are my Friends; and if there are any, whom I have unwillingly deferv'd fo little of, as to be my Enemies, I don't defire you to forfeit their Opinion or your own Judgment in any cafe. Let Time convince thofe who know me not, that I am an inoffenfive Perfon; tho' (to fay truth) I don't care how little I am indebted to Time, for the World is hardly worth living in, at leaft to one that is never to have Health a Week together. I have been made to expect Dr Arbuthnot in Town this Fortnight, or elfe I had written to him. If he, by never writing to me, feems to forget me, I confider I do the fame feemingly to him, and yet I don't believe he has a more fincere Friend in the World than I am; therefore I will think him mine. I am his, Mr Congreve's, and

Your, &c.

London, Sept. 11, 1722.

Dear GAY,

I

Thank

I would do

for remembring me. you my beft to forget myself, but that I find your Idea is fo clofely connected to me that I must for

get