1

mercenary pen will never bear a fecond impreffion. You will find, by the event, that I guess well. I wish you a great deal of fuccefs, and shall be willing to fee your proposals, if you fend any abroad.

I am your friend and servant,

THO. SWIFT.

LETTER II.

Mr. HUGHES to Mr. WATTS*.

DEAR SIR,

London, May 30, 1696.

THOUGH nothing could be more acceptable

to me than your laft letter, yet I wish you had employed the former part of it on a better fubject, and not in loading me with compli

*Afterwards the Rev. Ifaac Watts, D.D. He was at this time refident with his father at Southampton, after having received an academical education at London, under the tuition of the Rev. Mr. Thomas Rowe. Mr. Watts began to preach in 1698, and in 1702 fucceeded Dr. Ifaac Chauncy, in his ministerial office at London, which he held till his death, Nov. 25, 1748. When this letter was written, the author's age was 18, and Mr. Watts's 21.

ments

ments as unexpected as undeserved. The poifon is the more dangerous because the lefs fufpected, for you have fhown fuch an extreme addrefs, that seeming to fay little, you have faid all. I thought, after that free confeffion I had made, your friendship would have reftrained you from tempting my vanity with fuch unneceffary praises on a trifle I owned myself too much inclined to be fond of; nay, to deal freely, I found my infirmity at that time fo prevailing, that I could hardly perfuade myself at firft that you complimented. But I will leave this fubject, fince to be over-obftinate in refufing praise is not always an argument of modefty, any more than a man's declaiming against himself in company, only because he would be contradicted. I give you many thanks for that teftimony of your gratitude, as you are pleased to call it, and though I must own it a little incorrect, yet you may believe me, if I tell you that I think it has fome beauties which deferve a particular admiration. As for your request, that I would criticise on it, I hope you will excufe me when I have declared to you, that I have neither judgment nor illnature enough for fuch an undertaking. Per

V. I.

C

haps

haps too there is a grain of policy in the cafe, and I am unwilling to deftroy the good opinion you feem to have of my abilities, by putting me on fuch an attempt. In hopes that you will not, on your part, neglect this paper-correfpondence begun between us, nor fail to make me an expected return, I here fend you fome verfes that were written fome time ago, and given, together with a drawing, to a lady who is a great admirer of those two fifter-arts. I fhould perhaps difcover too much of my vanity, if I fhould tell you that, in some of the lines, I have imitated the incomparable Waller; but a little ambition, you know, is neceffary to poets, and though I had reafon enough not to expect the fame fuccefs, that Horace prophefies of the imitators of Pindar, yet I have fometimes been inclined to fancy the defign, and fome of the verfes, particularly the fix laft, not altogether unlike him,

VERSES prefented to a lady with a drawing (by the author) of Cupid.

When generous Dido in difguife carefs'd
This god, and fondly clasp'd him to her breaft,
Soon the fly urchin ftorm'd her tender heart,
And amorous flames difpers'd through every

part.

In vain she strove to check the new-born fire,
It fcorn'd her weak effays, and rofe the higher :
In vain from feafts and balls relief fhe fought,
The Trojan youth alone employ'd her thought:
Yet fate oppos'd her unrewarded care,
Forfaken, fcorn'd, the perish'd in despair.

No fuch event, fair nymph, you need to fear, Smiles, without darts, alone attend him here; Weak and unarm'd, not able to surprise,

He waits for influence from your conqu❜ring

LETTER III.

Mr. HUGHES to Mr. WATTS.

DEAR SIR,

London,

1697

I CANNOT eafily fignify to you with what

eagerness I fnatch this occafion of making the moft unfeigned acknowledgments, for the many obligations you have been pleased to lay upon me; a duty which your modesty would never permit me to do in your prefence, and which my gratitude, the best quality I can boaft, will not let me omit, now I have you at this advantage.

I know you are in pain, for fear I am preparing for you a banquet of your own praises, a food which moft other people can devour very heartily, and be in no danger of a furfeit; and had I any quarrel against you, I would not defire' a better revenge, and yet would fay nothing that fhould look the leaft like flattery fo that you are now wholly at my mercy, and in no capacity of defending yourfelf, or putting

by