while. At this time the more I love you, the more I can spare you; which alone will, I dare fay, be a reason to you, to let me have you back the fooner. The minute I loft you, Euftathius with nine hundred pages, and nine thousand contractions of the Greek character, arose to my view! Spondanus, with all his auxiliaries, in number a thousand pages, (value three fhillings,) and Dacier's three volumes, Barne's two, Valterie's three, Cuperus, half in Greek, Leo Allatius, three parts in Greek; Scaliger, Macrobius, and (worse than them all) Aulus Gellius! All these rushed upon my foul at once, and whelmed me under a fit of the head ach. Dear Sir, not only as you are a friend, and a good-natured man; but as you are a christian and a divine, come back speedily, and prevent the increase of my fins; for at the rate I have begun to rave, I shall not only damn all the poets and commentators, who have gone before me, but be damned myself, by all who come after me. To be ferious, you have not only left me to the laft degree impatient for your return, who at all times fhould have been fo; (though never fo much as fince I knew you in best health here ;) but you have wrought feveral miracles upon our family; you have made old people fond of a young and gay perfon; and inveterate papists of a clergyman of the church of England; even nurse herself is in danger of being in love in her old age, and (for aught I know) would even marry Dennis for your fake, because he is your man,

and

and loves his mafter. In fhort, come down forthwith, or give me good reafons for delaying, though but for a day or two, by the next poft. If I find them just, I will come up to you, though you know how precious my time is at prefent; my hours were never worth fo much money before; but perhaps you are not fenfible of this, who give away your own works. You are a generous author; I, a hackney fcribbler; you are a Grecian, and bred at an Univerfity; I, a poor Englishman, of my own educating; you are a reverend parfon; I, a wag: in fhort, you are Dr. Parnelle, (with an E at the end of your name,) and I,

Your most obliged and affectionate friend,

and faithful fervant.

My hearty fervice to the Dean, Dr. Arbuthnot, Mr. Ford, and the true genuine fhepherd J. Gay, of Devon. I expect him down with you.

I

Dear Sir,

TO THE SAME.

WRITE to you with the fame warmth, the fame zeal of good-will and friendship with which I used to converse with you two years ago, and can't think myself absent, when I feel you so much at my heart;

VOL. VIII.

Χ

the

the picture of you, which Jervas brought me over, is infinitely less lively a representation, than that I carry about with me, and which rises to my mind whenever I think of you. I have many an agreeable reverie through those woods and downs where we once rambled together; my head is fometimes at the Bath, and sometimes at Letcomb, where the Dean makes a great part of my imaginary entertainment, this being the cheapest way of treating me; I hope he will not be displeased at this manner of paying my respects to him, instead of following my friend Jervas's example, which, to fay the truth, I have as much inclination to do, as I want ability. I have been ever fince December laft in greater variety of business than any fuch men as you (that is divines and philofophers) can poffibly imagine a reasonable creature capable of. Gay's play, among the reft, has coft much time and long-fuffering, to ftem a tide of malice and party, that authors have raised againft it; the best revenge upon fuch fellows is now in my hands, I mean your Zoilus, which really tranfcends the expectation I had conceived of it. I have put it into the prefs, beginning with the poem Batrachom; for you feem by the first paragraph of the dedication to it, to defign to prefix the name of fome particular perfon. I beg therefore to know for whom you intend it, that the publication may not be delayed on this account; and this as foon as poffible. Inform me alfo upon what terms I am to deal with the bookfeller, and

whether

whether you design the copy-money for Gay, as you formerly talked; what number of books you would have yourself, etc. I fcarce fee any thing to be altered in this whole piece; in the poems you fent, I will take the liberty you allow me; the story of Pandora, and the Eclogue upon Health, are two of the most beautiful things I ever read. I don't fay this to the prejudice of the reft, but as I have read these oftener. Let me know how far my commiffion is to extend, and be confident of my punctual performance of whatever you enjoin. I must add a paragraph on this occafion, in regard to Mr. Ward, whose verses have been a great pleasure to me; I will contrive they shall be so to the world, whenever I can find a proper opportunity of publishing them.

I fhall very foon print an entire collection of my own madrigals, which I look upon as making my last will and teftament, fince in it I shall give all I ever intend to give (which I'll beg yours and the Dean's acceptance of); you must look on me no more as a poet, but a plain commoner, who lives upon his own, and fears and flatters no man. I hope before I die to discharge the debt I owe to Homer, and get upon the whole juft fame enough, to ferve for an annuity for my own time, though I leave nothing to pofterity.

I beg our correspondence may be more frequent than it has been of late. I am fure my esteem and love for you never more deserved it from you, or more prompted it from you. I defired our friend

Jervas (in the greatest hurry of my business) to say a great deal in my name, both to yourself and the Dean, and must once more repeat the affurances to you both, of an unchanging friendship, and unalterable esteem. I am, dear Sir, most entirely,

Your, etc.

LETTER CIX.

TO THE SAME.

Dear Mr. Archdeacon,

HOUGH my proportion of this epiftle fhould be

THOUGH

but a sketch in miniature, yet I take up half this page, having paid my club with the good company both for our dinner of chops and for this paper. The poets will give you lively descriptions in their way; I fhall only acquaint you with that which is directly my province. I have just set the last hand to a couplet, for fo I may call two nymphs in one piece. They are Pope's favourites; and though few, you will guess must have coft me more pains than any nymphs can be worth. He is fo unreasonable as to expect that I fhould have made them as beautiful upon canvafs as he has done upon paper. If this fame Mr. Pfhould omit to write for the dear frogs, and the Pervigilium, I must intreat you not to let me languish for them, as I have done ever fince they croffed the feas. Remember by what neglects, etc. we missed

them