Thus, let me live unseen, unknown, Steal from the World, and not a Stone Tell where I lie. August 19..1709. IF I were to write to you as often as I think of you, my Letters wou'd be as bad as a Rent-charge; but tho' the one be but too little for your Good-nature, the other wou'd be too much for your Quiet, which is one bleffing Good-nature fhou'd indifpenfably receive from mankind, in return for thofe many it gives. I have been inform'd of late, how much I am indebted to that quality of your's, in fpeaking well of me in my Abfence; the only thing by which you prove your self no Wit or Critic: Tho' indeed I have often thought, that a Friend will fhow-juft as much indulgence (and no more) to my Faults when I am abfent, as he does Severity to 'em when I am prefent. To be very frank with you, Sir, I must own, that where I receiv'd fo much Civility at first, I cou'd hardly have expected fo much Sincerity afterwards. But now I have only to wish, that the laft were but equal to the first, and that as you have omitted nothing to oblige me, fo you wou'd omit nothing to im prove me. I caus'd an Acquaintance of mine to enquire twice of your welfare, by whom I have been inform'd, that you have left your fpeculative Angle in the Widow's Coffee-house, and bidding adieu for fome time to all the Rehearsals, Reviews, Gazettes, &c. have march'd off into Lincolnshire. Thus I find you vary your Life in the Scene at leaft, tho' not in in the Action; for tho' life for the moft part, like an old Play, be ftill the fame, yet now and then a new Scene may make it more entertaining. As for myfelf, I would not have my life a very regular Play, let it be a good merry Farce, a God's name, and a fig for the critical Unities! Yet (on the other fide) I wou'd as foon write like Durfey, as live like Te; whofe beaftly, yet merry, life, is (if you will excufe fuch a fimilitude) not unlike a F---t, at once nasty and laughable. For the generality of men, a true modern Life is like a true modern Play, neither Tragedy, Comedy, nor Farce, nor one, nor all of thefe: every Actor is much better known by his having the fame Face, than by keeping the fame Character: for we change our minds as often as they can their parts, and he who was yesterday Cafar, is to day Sir John Daw. So that one might ask the fame queftion of a modern Life, that Rich did of a modern Play; "Pray do me the favour, "Sir, to inform me; Is this your Tragedy, or your Comedy?" I have dwelt the longer upon this, because I perfuade myself it might be useful, at a time when we have no other Theatre, to divert ourselves at this great one. Here is a glorious ftanding Comedy of Fools, at which every man is heartily merry, and thinks himself an unconcern'd Spectator. This (to our fingular comfort) neither my Lord Chamberlain, nor the Queen herself, can ever shut up, or filence. . While that of Drury (alas!) lies defolate, in the profoundest peace and the melancholy profpect of the Nymphs yet lingring about it's beloved avenues, appears no lefs moving than that of the Trojan Dames lamenting over their ruin'd Ilium! What now can they hope, difpoffefs'd of their antient feats, but to ferve as N 5 Captives : ( Captives to the infulting Victors of the Hay-Market? The afflicted Subjects of France do not, in our Poft-Man, fo greviously deplore the obftinacy of ther arbitrary Monarch, as thefe perifhing people of Drury the obdurate heart of that Pharach, Rich, who, like him, difdains all Proposals of Peace and Accommodation. Several Libels have been fecretly affix'd to the great gates of his imperial palace in Bridges-Street; and a Memorial representing the diftreffes of these perfons, has been accidentally dropt (as we are credibly inform'd by a perfon of quality) out of his firft Minifter the chief Box-keeper's pocket, at a late Conference of the faid Perfon of Quality and others, on the part of the Confederates, and his Theatrical Majesty on his own part. Of this you may expect a copy as foon as it fhall be tranfmitted to us from a good hand. As for the late Congrefs, it is here reported, that is has not been wholly ineffectual; but this wants confirmation; yet we cannot but hope the concurring prayers and tears of fo many wretched Ladies may induce this haughty Prince to Reason, I am, &c. Oct. 19, 1709. T MAY truly fay I am more oblig'd to you this Summer than to any of my Acquaintace, for had it not been for the two kind letters you fent me, I had been perfectly, oblitufque meorum, oblivifcendus & illis. The only companions I had where thofe Mufes of whom Tully fays, Adolefcentiam alunt, Senectutem oblectant, fecundas res ornant, adverfis perfugium ac folatium præbent, delectant domi, non impediunt foris, pernoctant nobifcum, pe regrinantur, rufticantur. Which indeed is as much as ever I expected from them; for the Mufes, if you take them as Companions, are very pleafant and agreeable; but whoever fhould be forc'd to live or depend upon 'em, would find himfelf in a very bad condition. That Quiet, which Cowley calls the Companion of Obfcurity, was not wanting to me, unless it was interrupted by thofe fears you so justly guess I had for our Friend's welfare. 'Tis extremely kind in you to tell me the news you heard of him, and you have deliver'd me from more anxiety than he imagines me capable of on his ac count, as I am convinc'd by his long filence. However the love of fome things rewards itfelf, as of Virtue, and of Mr Wycherley. I am furpriz'd at the danger you tell me has been in, and must agree with you, that our nation would have loft in him alone, more wit and probity, than would have remain'd (for ought I know) in all the reft of it. My concern for his friendship will exeufe mej (fince I know you honour him fo much, and fince you know I love him above all men) if I vent a part of my uneafiness, to you, and tell you, that there has not been wanting one to infinuate malicious untruths of me to Mr Wycherley, which I fear may have had fome effect upon him. If so, he will have a greater punishment for his credulity than I cou'd with him, in that fellow's acquaintance. The lofs of a faithful creature is fomething, tho' of ever fo contemptible an one; and if I were to change my Dog for fuch a Man as the aforefaid, I fhou'd think my Dog undervalu'd: (who follows me about as conftantly here in the country, as I was us'd to do Mr Wycherley in the Town.). Now I talk of my Dog, that I may not treat of a worse subject which my fpleen tempts me to, N 6 I will I will give you some account of him; a thing not wholly unprecedented, fince Montagne (to whom I am but a Dog in comparison) has done the very fame thing of his Cat. Dic mihi quid melius defidiofus agam? You are to know then, that as 'tis Likenefs begets Affection, fo my favourite dog is a little one, a lean one, and none of the finest shap❜d. He is not much a Spaniel in his fawning, but has (what might be worth any man's while to imitate from him) a dumb furly fort of kindness, that rather shows itself when he thinks me illus'd by others, than when we walk quietly and peaceably by ourselves. If it be the chief point of Friendship to comply with a friend's Motions and Inclinations, he poffeffes this in an eminent degree; he lies down when I fit,and walks when I walk, which is more than many good friends can pretend to, witnefs our walk a year ago in St James's Park.-Histories are more full of examples of the Fidelity of Dogs than of Friends, but I will not infift upon many of 'em, because it is poffible fome may be almost as fabulous as thofe of Pylades and Oreftes, &c. I will only fay, for the honour of Dogs, that the two most antient and esteemable books facred and prophane extant, (viz. the Scripture and Homer) have fhewn a particular regard to these animals. That of Toby is the more remarkable, because there was no manner of reason to take notice of the Dog, befides the great humanity of the Author. Homer's account of Ulyffes's Dog Argus is the most pathetic imaginable, all the Circumftances confider'd, and an excellent proof of the old Bard's Good-Nature. Ulyes had left him at Ithaca when he embark'd for Troy, and found him at his return after twenty years, (which by the way is not unnatural as some Critics have faid, fince I remember the dam of my dog was twenty-two years old when the dy'd ; May |