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ought. His health and mine are now fo good, that we wish with all our fouls, you were a witness of it. We never meet but we lament over you: we pay a kind of weekly rites to your memory, where we ftrow flowers of rhetorick, and offer fuch libations to your name, as it would be prophane to call Toafting. The Duke of B-----m is fometimes the High Prieft of your praises; and upon the whole, I believe there are as few Men that are not forry at your departure, as Women that are for you know most of your Sex want good fenfe, and therefore must want generofity. You have fo much of both, that I am fure you pardon them; for one cannot but forgive whatever one defpifes. For my part I haté a great many women for your fake, and undervalue all the reft. 'Tis you are to blame, and may God revenge it upon you with all those bleffings and earthly profperities, which the Divines tell us are the caufe of our Perdition; for if he makes you happy in this world, I dare truft your own virtue to do it in the other. I am

Your, &c.

LETTERS

LETTERS

To the Honourable

ROBERT DIGBY

From Mr POPE.

To the Honourable ROBERT DIGBY.

Dear Sir,

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Chifwick, Jan. 2, 1717.

Had pleas'd myself fooner in writing to you, but that I have been your Succeffor in a Fit of Sickness, and am not yet so much recovered, but that I have Thoughts of ufing your * Phyficians. They are as grave Perfons as any of the Faculty, and (like the Antients) carry their own Medicaments about with

* Affes.

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them.

them. But indeed the Moderns are fuch Lovers of Raillery, that nothing is grave enough to efcape them. Let 'em laugh, but People will still have their Opinions. As they think our Doctors Affes to them, we'll think them Affes to our Doctors.

I am glad you are fo much in a better State of Health, as to follow me to jeft about it. My Concern, when I heard of your Danger, was fo very ferious, that I almost take it ill Dr Evans fhould tell you of it, or you mention it. I tell you fairly, if you and a few more fuch People were to leave the World, I would not give Six-pence to ftay

in it.

I am not so much concern'd as to the point, whether you are to live fat or lean. Moft Men of Wit or Honefty are ufually decreed to live very lean, fo I'am inclined to the Opinion that 'tis decreed you fhall, fhall. However be comforted, and reflect that you'll make the better Bufto for it.

'Tis fomething particular in you, not to be fatisfied with fending me your own Books, but to make your Acquaintance continue the Frolic. Mr Wharton forced me to take Gorboduc, which has fince done me great Credit with feveral People, as it has done Dryden and Oldham fome Diskindness, in fhewing there is as much difference between their Gorboduc, and this, as between Queen Anne and King George. It is truly a Scandal, that Men fhould write with Contempt of a Piece which they never once faw; as those two Poets did, who were ignorant even of the Sex, as well as Senfe of Gorboduc.

Adieu! I am going to forget you This Minute you took up all my Mind, the next I fhall think of nothing but the Terms of Agamemnon, and the Recovery of Brifeis. I fhall be Achilles's humble Servant these two Months (with the good Leave of

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all my Friends). I have no Ambition fo ftrong at prefent, as that noble one of Sir Salathiel Lovel Recorder of London, to furnish out a decent and plentiful Execution, of Greeks and Trojons. It is not to be exprest how heartily I with the Death of all Homer's Heroes, one after another. The Lord preferve me in the Day of Battle, which is just approaching ! Dear Sir, join in your Prayers for me, and know me to be always (whether I live, die, or am damn'd as a Poet)

Your's most faithfully

Dear Sir,

To

To the fame.

London, March 31, 1718.

O convince you how little Pain I give myfelf, in correfponding with Men of Good-nature, and good Understanding, you fee I omit to answer your Letters till a time, when another Man would be ashamed to own he had receiv'd them. If there

fore you are ever moved on my Account by that Spirit, which I take to be as familiar to you as a Quotidian Ague, I mean the Spirit of Goodness, pray never ftint it, in any fear of obliging me to a Civility beyond my natural Inclination: I dare truft you, Sir, not only with my Folly when I write, but with my Negligence when I do not; and expect equally your Pardon for either.

E z

If I knew how to entertain you thro' the rest of this Paper, it should be spotted and diverfified with Conceits all over; you fhould be put out of Breath with Laughter at each Sentence, and pause at each Period, to look back over how much Wit you had pafs'd. But I have found by Experience, that People now a-days regard Writing as little as they do Preaching. The moft we can hope is to be heard, juft with Decency and Patience, once a Week by Folks in the Country; here in Town we hum over a piece of fine Writing, and we whistle at a Sermon. The Stage is the only place we seem alive at: There indeed we ftare, and roar, and clap Hands for King George and the Government. As for all offer Virtues but this Loyalty, they are an obfolete Train, fo ill-drefs'd, that Men, Women and Children hifs 'em out of all good Company. Humility knocks fo fneekingly at the Door, that every Footman out-raps it, and makes it give way to the free Entrance of Pride, Prodigality, and Vain-glory.

'My Lady Scudamore, from having rufticated in your Company too long, really behaves herself scandaloufly among us. She pretends to open her Eyes for the fake of feeing the Sun, and to fleep becaufe it is Night; drinks Tea at nine in the Morning, and is thought to have faid her Prayers before; talks without any manner of Shame of good Books, and has not feen Cibber's Play of the Non-Juror. I rejoiced, the other Day, to fee a Libel on her Toilette, which gives me fome Hope that you have at leaft a Tafte of Scandal left you, in Defect of all other Vices.

Upon the whole Matter, I heartily with you well; but as I cannot entirely defire the Ruin of all the Joys of this City, fo all that remains is to wish you wou'd keep your Happiness to yourselves,

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