a Libel'. I will confult my fafety fo far as I think becomes a prudent man: but not fo far as to omit any thing which I think becomes an honeft one. As to perfonal attacks beyond the law, every man is liable to them; as for danger within the law, I am not guilty enough to fear any. For the good opinion of all the world, I know, it is not to be had for that of worthy men, I hope I fhall not forfeit it;

for that of

the Great, or thofe in power, I may wish I had it; but if through misrepresentations (too common about perfons in that station) I have it not, I fhall be forry, but not miferable in the want of it.

It is certain, much freer Satirifts than I have enjoyed the encouragement and protection of the Princes under whom they lived. Auguftus and Mæcenas made Horace their companion, though he had been in arms on the fide of Brutus ; and, allow me to remark, it was out of the fuffering Party too, that they favoured and distinguished Virgil. You will not suspect me of comparing myself with Virgil and Horace, nor even with another Court-favourite, Boileau. I have always been too modest to imagine my Panegyrics were incenfe worthy of a Court; and that, I hope, will be thought the true reason why I have never offered any. I would only have observed, that it was under the greatest Princes and best Ministers, that moral Satirifts were most encouraged; and that then poets exercised the fame jurisdiction over the Fol

1 See the Letter to a Noble Lord, vol. iii. p. 339.

lies,

W.

It may

lies, as Hiftorians did over the Vices of men. also be worth confidering, whether Auguftus himself makes the greater figure, in the writings of the former, or of the latter? and whether Nero and Domitian do not appear as ridiculous for their false Tafte and Affectation, in Perfius and Juvenal, as odious for their bad Government in Tacitus and Suetonius? In the first of these reigns it was, that Horace was protected and careffed: and in the latter that Lucan was put to death *, and Juvenal banished.

I would not have faid fo much, but to fhew you my whole heart on this fubject; and to convince you, I am deliberately bent to perform that Requeft which you make your laft to me, and to perform it with Temper, Juftice, and Refolution. As your Approbation (being the teftimony of a found head and an honeft heart) does greatly confirm me herein, I wish you may live to see the effect it may hereafter have upon me, in fomething more deferving of that approbation. But if it be the Will of God (which, I know, will also be yours) that we must feparate, I hope it will be better for You than it can be for me. You are fitter

to

*We must be compelled to own, that the integrity of Lucan and Juvenal, though not their Genius, was fuperior to that of Horace and Virgil; and that the Death of one, and the Exile of *the other, confers on them more real honour, than all the favors lavished on the other two great Court Poets. Lucan, notwithftanding Quintilian thinks he ought to be numbered rather among Hiftorians than Poets, is a writer that abounds in new and noble images, and in manly, patriotic fentiments.

to live, or to die, than any man I know. Adieu, my dear friend! and may God preferve your life eafy, or make your death happy".

LETTER LI.

MR. MALLET TO LORD BOLINGBROKE.

WHAT you are pleased to observe concerning the work I am engaged in, (the Life of Marl borough,) is a truth never out of my thoughts; whether I am alone or in company. When I am obliged to mix with the very futile converfation of the dulleft of mankind, those who think and talk only from Magazines and Newspapers, even then, the recalling from time to time what I have learnt from your Lordship's conversation, preserves the tone of my mind, and brings up thofe trains of ideas which your Lordship's conversation has impreffed deeply. But I am haftening home, to give myself up entirely to what will require all my application, as well as my feverest attention; and next week I propose myself the honour of kiffing your Lordship's hands at Batterfea.

Every mark of the friendship your Lordship is pleased to honour me with, will be received by me

This excellent perfon died Feb. 1734-5.

with

with equal regard and fatisfaction. Nor can it be otherwise. No man ever reverenced the virtues, or admired the talents of another, more fincerely than I admire those which place you at the head of all your contemporaries; and yet (for the fake of my country) I could almost wish (I know your Lordship does heartily) that I had reason to fhare this veneration, amongst many, which is almost confined to one.

Warburton's impudent edition (for he has enlarged into nine volumes what the Author could but just with fome art fpin into fix) I ran over during the two days I have stay'd in Bath, and I entirely agree with what` your Lordship has refolved upon it. He has not only changed the fituation of many verses in his Author, but has certainly fathered upon him fome of his own. I know them by the mark of the beast.

Extract of a Letter of Dr. Warburton.

"With regard to Mr. Mallet's declaration, there "is only one way to convince me he is not the Au"thor of that infamous Libel, which is, by taking an "opportunity of difowning it publicly. I think my "honour concerned that it be publicly known, that I "had no hand in the Letter to Lord Bolingbroke, "merely on account of the Apollo Story, and I fhall ❝ do it on the first occafion. If Mr. M. does not do "the fame with regard to this Libel, I fhall confider "him as the Author of it, and act in confequence of

"this belief.

This I defire you would let Mr. Mallet

"know, and, if he chufes, let him have a tranfcript of what I here fay." On the back of the copy of

of this Letter Mr. Mallet wrote, "N. B. Inever took "the flightest notice of this impudent and filly threaten66 ing Letter from Warburton. The writer I had no " reafon to be afraid of-the man I abhorred. A "head filled with paradoxes unproved and unprove"able; a heart overflowing with virulence and the "moft ftudious malice. N. B. I never wrote a "pamphlet, nor a fentence in any pamphlet, concerning this wrong-headed dogmatical pedant."

LETTER LII.

FROM MR. GAY TO MR. POPE,

ON THE THREE HOURS AFTER MARRIAGE.

Dear Pope,

oo late I fee, and confefs myself mistaken in rela

tion to the Comedy; yet I do not think, had I followed your advice, and only introduced the mummy, that the abfence of the crocodile had faved it. I can't help laughing myself, (though the vulgar do not confider it was defigned to look ridiculous,) to think how the poor monster and mummy were dashed at their reception; and when the cry was loudeft, I

thought