more familiar addrefs. I find feveral more are promised, if thefe fucceed. I wish fome laborious pen may not be writing in the name of that author, and overwhelm us with his fuppofed letters: these, however, are genuine, as I fuppofe, though I never heard of that gentleman; and am obliged to you for your explanation of the character of Mezentius; that, in particular, might prevent the real names being published: they would have made the book infinitely more interefting; but if that could not be, I don't know whether feigned but common modern names, might not have pleafed better, as they would have seemed real.

You are welcome to Inigo Jones's designs, as long as they can be of fervice to you; and in return, I beg the favour of you to fend me the height and thickness of your wall that has arches funk in it, and the depth, breadth, and height of those arches; and let me know whether they are plaistered on the infide, and if any ornament is on the top, or only a coping: it is to build in fummer a bit of wall (as you advised) to fkreen me from the cottage that is contiguous to my garden, in lieu of the garden-feat which you and we all thought did not answer the hopes I had of it. If I do build that feat, it fhall be to terminate fome walk or view.

The

The

The chimney in my study was not exactly in the middle of the room; which has occafioned my moving it twelve inches, and confequently moving Pope's buft to be in the center. lines wrote over it are put up again, (which, you know, are out of Virgil) but the ftucco at the back of it must be new done, and the flat pieces of wainscot that make the margins of it, were never ornamented. Perhaps you would invent fome more elegant ornament, if you would bestow a thought upon it; or the ftucco might be juft as before, only fome foliage or other carving, to drop down the fides. Mifs Merediths write word, that the present fashion at London, is all lead carving, which ladies do themselves, by cutting India, or other thin lead with fciffors, and fhaping it into flowers, knots, &c. and fixing it to a wire, which is afterwards nailed on in the form defigned; and the carving is either gilt, or elfe painted the colour of the ftucco or wainscot, according as fuits the place.

I fend this to the Birmingham poft-office, (as you ordered) by a chance person. If you write an answer foon, pray direct it to Mr. Ironmonger, Master of the Caftle-Inn, to be forwarded to me, (for Franky Holyoak is at home) and there is no poft nor certain convey

ance

ance from Birmingham to Henley where you will direct it to be left for me.

SIR,

I have left myself no room, and the perfon who carries this, leaves me no time, but just to affure you in the cover of my letter, that I am, (though not ceremoniously, yet very fincerely) Sir,

Your obliged humble fervant,

H. LUXBOROUGH,

P. S. I have writ a line to Mr. Ironmonger, to defire he'll fend your letter, if any comes, to the Henley Poft-house for me, by fome fafe conveyance.

SIR,

LETTER

IX.

Barrells, April 28th, 1748.

WO of your letters lie before me; of which I am not a little proud: I am also

well pleased with myself for having refrained

from troubling you with an answer to the first,

till I had received the fecond; which was not till last night. You will allow this to be fome merit; at least, you would allow it, if you knew how great is my propenfity to write to you; it being always with the selfish view of procuring in return fome compofition of yours. My felfdenial this time has been great, but it is well rewarded by the favour of your last letter, and Mr. Whistler's Flower-Piece; the moral of which is perfectly juft, and the thought very genteel and elegant. In this, as well as in his other Poem which you fent me, I think one may observe a great delicacy of imagination: the words altered with a pencil feem to be much for the better, especially the first line. As for his fentiment on enjoying things by reflection, I am not yet a convert to it, but am rather of your mind, that an absent pleasure is equi"valent to a prefent pain." For instance, if I was fond of London and its amusements, or had a tafte for public places, I feel that it would give me pain to fee St. James's, Vauxhall, Ranelagh, &c. &c. represented in so lively a manner as I fee them through an optical glass which I have lately purchased, now that I am abfent from them: but as I never was fond of a crowd, I enjoy thofe places as much as I defire in this reflected way, without wifhing myself at them;

66

and

and I can look on the buildings and gardens of Stowe in the fame manner, and with pleasure, because I never was there. But were you to present me with the Views of the Leafowes, I own I should not put them into my show-box without pain, nor fee them well represented without regret; as it would remind me of the agreeable day I spent there, and my loft plea fure.

Your friend Mr. Graves's Lamentation is very pretty and pathetic, and feems to come from the heart; he muft, I think, be very fincerely and very strongly in love; and yet I cannot but think that very inconfiftent with his parting voluntarily from his Lucy, and with his fending her to London, without any jealoufy and I confefs I alfo think it inconfiftent that a man, who may be supposed to despise the opinion of the world, (fince he marries fo much below himself, and what the world would recommend) should part from her he fo dearly loves, only to give her an education proper to please that world which he feems to defpife; for it is plain, fhe pleases him without that education. How does he know, but that by lofing her rural innocent air, however fhe may improve in her dancing-master's opinion, she may leffen in his, and her acquired charms may not C 2. please