SIR, LETTER THE VII. Barrells, March 22d, 1747-8. THE apprehenfion that the farmer who carried Inigo Jones's defigns, and a letter in the book from me to you, may have delivered them to a wrong perfon at Birmingham, is the occafion of my troubling you with this, to let you know that I did not fail to fend it the very firft market day after I received the favour of yours; and he fays he delivered it to a man at the post-house, but the post-mistress (who, they tell me, is not the mildest nor moft obliging dame) affured Parfon Holyoak, fhe received no fuch thing; and upon his afking her, if the happened to have any letter fince, directed for me, fhe faid, No! neither did fhe know me, or would trouble herself about it. Which I mention, that in cafe you write, you will be pleased to fend your's to Mafter Franky Holyoak, at Mr. Bolton's, wholesale Toymaker, upon SnowHill, in Birmingham. This (if you did not receive the book) will ferve, I hope, to convince you, Sir, that I did my part, being incapable of neglecting to do what my friends defire. 1 I acquainted you in my laft that I was fame, but I am now much better, and always Your obliged humble servant, H. LUXBOROUGH. SIR, IT Barrells, Eafter Sunday, 1748. T is rather to oblige the ambulatory old gentlewoman who delivers you your letters with fo much alacrity, than it is to oblige her best master, that I write again fo foon; for I am too fenfible my letters will but ill repay the pleafure I receive from his; fo that I ought to make a longer paufe, and not interrupt my friends in better company, better thoughts, and better diverfions, as Swift expreffes it. If that confideration was juft, which made him pause a few weeks betwixt his letters, I ought to paufe years, or rather never write at all; that would be more polite; but it would make me fancy myfelf ungrateful, and confequently make me hate myfelf. It is therefore felf-love which urges me to take this early opportunity of returning thanks for your laft letter, wrote on Lady-Day. However depreffed your spirits might be when you wrote it, it revived mine; for it is not in the power even of the north-east wind to deprefs your genius; and to that we owe thoughts which muft please, however negligently they may be dreffed: - the ftiffen-bodied gown would not add charms, I believe, to a beautiful woman, no more than Voiture's laboured turns of expreffion add to his ftile and friendship undoubtedly fhews itself in the best light, when least adorned by art. Therefore I hope you will never deprive me of the pleasure your letters give me, nor defer it, because your spirits may not just then allow you to fend them out in their best apparel; it is fufficient you can do fo; and they'll always be as welcome to me in their common garb, which is yet richer than you feem to imagine. I follow the rule I give, and write what comes uppermoft; but it is in me a fault, as I am not privileged to do fo by any of the gifts of nature, except artless fincerity be one. I read your four fonnets with much pleasure; and am obliged to you for the trouble of tranfcribing them: they are truly poetical, yet have an ease as well as delicacy in the turn of thought and expreffion, which muft, I believe, be agreeable to all, whether good judges by their kill and learning, or only judges of good fenfe and nature. If Dodley gives a fecond edition of his well-chofen collection, I hope you will not let your School-miftrefs be unaccompanied by all her parent's offspring. Now that the boisterous baneful month of March is over, and that the fun resumes his power, I hope, and shall expect to fee the productions of your imagination, as much as I fhall expect to fee those of my parterre, my fhrubbery, or grove; and if joined to that fatisfaction I have your company here, I fhall give double praises to the returning fpring. Mr. Whiftler, or any friend of yours, will be perfectly welcome; but remember, that though I fhall be a great gainer by his conversation, I shall also be a lofer by his hearing mine, and his feeing this poor hermitage; of both which he may perchance have formed an advantageous idea, by your partial account of them; and that idea will inftantly be deftroyed, unless you have been as filent as Mr. Outing was about the Leafowes, before I had feen it: his caution was well judged, but wrong placed. But to fhew you that I do not prefer fame (especially unmerited fame) to pleasure and improvement, I desire you to bring him, though at the expence of his being undeceived. I have read over his Shuttlecock feveral times, and each time time with redoubled pleasure. 'Tis certainly a beautiful poem: I own myself a very indifferent judge, but it pleases me. It is an uncommon performance, and what many older and more famed poets would be proud of, whatever juvenile faults there may be in it; but, I think, the author's youth may rather be remarked by the great spirit and vivacity of his thoughts, than by any errors in his judgment; but if any such there be, you are his friend, and will have a very eafy task in your criticism, if you should object to a few words, in order to let it appear perfect to the world, if our prefent world is elegant. enough to be worthy of it. Its name, and part of its character, had reached my ears before I faw it, but not from you. I think his fimilies exceeding apt, and his digreffions juft and lively: if fo flight a fubject, at so early an age, could be worked up fo well, he certainly is capable of raifing the intrinfic value of any more weighty, or more lofty subject he undertakes. Your remark upon Fitzofborne's Letters is moft juft; for letters that are, or even seem to be, wrote for the prefs, never please like others : yet they are, I think, wrote in good language, and fhew, I believe, polite learning and judg ment; and the stile would be unexceptionable, I fancy, in Essays; but familiar letters require a 10 more |