LETTER XCI.

Mr. POPE to Mr. ALLEN.

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Nov. 6, 1736.

for

DO not write too often to you many reafons; but one, which I think a good one, is, that Friends fhould be left to think of one another for certain intervals without too frequent memorandums: it is an exercife of their friendship, and a trial of their memory: and moreover to be perpetually repeating affurances, is both a needlefs and fufpicious kind of treatment with fuch as are fincere: not to add the tautology one must be guilty of, who can make out fo many idle words as to fill pages with faying one thing. For all is faid in this word, I am truly yours.

I am now as bufy in planting for myself as I was lately in planting for another. And I thank God for every wet Day and for every Fog, that gives me the head-ach, but profpers my works. They will indeed outlive me (if they do not die in their Travels from place to place; for my Garden, like my Life, feems, to me, every day to want correction, I hope, at leaft, for the better) but I am pleased to think my Trees will afford fhade and fruit to others, when I fhall want them no more. And it is no fort of grief to me, that those others will not be Things of my own poor body: But it is enough, they are Creatures of the fame Species, and made by the fame hand that made me. I wish (if a wish would transport me) to see you in the fame employment: and it is no partiality even to you, to fay it would be as pleafing to the full to me, if I could improve your works as my own.

Talking of works, mine in profe are above three quarters printed, and will be a book of fifty and more fheets in quarto. As I find, what I imagined, the flowness of fubfcribers, I will do all I can to difappoint you in particular, and intend to publish in January, when the Town fills, an Advertisement, that the book will be delivered by Lady-day, to oblige all that will fubfcribe, to do it. In the mean time, I have printed Receipts, which put an end to any perfons delaying upon pretence of doubt, by determining that time. I fend you a few that you may fee I am in earnest, endeavouring all I can to fave your money, at the fame time that nothing can leffen the obligation to me.

I thank God for your health and for my own, which is better than usual.

I am, &c.

LETTER XCII.

Mr. POPE to Mr. ALLE N.

June 8, 1737

WAS very forry to hear how much concern

I your humanity and friendship betrayed you into

upon the falfe report which occafioned your grief. I am now fo well, that I ought not to conceal it from you, as the juft reward of your goodness which made you fuffer for me. Perhaps when a Friend is really dead (if he knows our concern for him) he knows us to be as much mistaken in our forrow as you now were: fo that, what we think a real evil is, to fuch spirits as fee things truly, no more of moment than a meer imaginary one. It is equally as God pleafes; let us think or call it good or evil,

I wish

I wish the world would let me give myself more to fuch people in it as I like, and discharge me of half the honours which perfons of higher rank beftow on me; and for which one generally pays a little too much of what they cannot beftow, Time and Life. Were I arrived to that happier circumftance, you would fee me at Widcombe, and not at Bath. But whether it will be as much in my power as in my wifh, God knows. I can only fay, I think of it with the pleasure and fincerity becoming one who is, &c.

LETTER XCIII:

Mr. POPE to Mr. ALLEN.

Nov. 24, 1737.

TH

HE event of this week or fortnight has filled every body's mind and mine fo much, that I could not get done what you defired as to Dr. P. but as foon as I can get home, where my books lie, I will fend them to Mr. K. The death of great perfons is fuch a fort of furprize to all, as every one's death is to himself, tho' both fhould equally be expected and prepared for. We begin to esteem and commend our fuperiors, at the time that we pity them, because then they seem not above ourselves. The Queen fhewed, by the confeffion of all about her, the utmoft firmnefs and temper to her laft moments, and thro' the course of great torments. What character hiftorians will allow her, I do not know; but all her domestic fervants, and those nearest her, give her the best teftimony, that of fincere tears. But the Public is

*The Queen's death.

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always

always hard; rigid at beft, even when juft, in its opinion of any one. The only pleasure, which any one, either of high or low rank, muft depend upon receiving, is in the candour or partiality of friends, and that small circle we are converfant in and it is therefore the greateft fatisfaction to fuch as wifh us well, to know we enjoy that. I therefore thank you particularly for telling me of the continuance, or rather increase of those bleffings which make your domeftic life happy. have nothing fo good to add, as to affure you I pray for it, and am always faithfully and affectionately, &c.

LETTER XCIV.

Mr. POPE to Mr. ALLEN.

Twickenham, April 28, 1738.

T is a pain to me to hear your old complaint fo troublesome to you; and the share I have borne, and ftill bear too often, in the fame complaint, gives me a very feeling fenfe of it. I hope we agree in every other fenfation befides this; for your heart is always right, whatever your body may be. I will venture too to fay, my body is the worst part of me, or God have mercy on my foul. I can't help telling you the rapture you accidentally gave the poor woman (for whom you left a Guinea, on what I told you of my finding her at the end of my garden) I had no notion of her want being fo great, as I then told you, when I gave her half a one. But I find I have a pleasure to come, for I will allow her fomething yearly, and that may be but one year, for, I think, by her looks fhe is not lefs than eighty. I am determined to take this cha

rity out of your hands, which, I know, you'll think hard upon you. But fo it fhall be.

Pray tell me if you have any objection to my putting your name into a poem of mine (incidentally, not at all going out of the way for it) provided I say something of you, which most people would take ill, for example, that you are no man of high birth or quality? You must be perfectly free with me on this, as on any, nay, on every other occafion.

I have nothing to add but my wifhes for your health every other enjoyment you will provide for yourself, which becomes a reasonable man. Adieu.

:

I am, &c:

I

LETTER XCV.

Mr. POPE to Mr. ALLEN.

Jan. 20. OUGHT fooner to have acknowledged yours; but I have been severely handled by my Afthma, and, at the fame time, hurried by bufinefs that gave an increase to it by catching cold. I am truly forry to find that neither yours nor Mrs. A's diforder is totally removed: but God forbid your pain should continue to return every day, which is worse by much than I expected to hear. I hope your next will give me a better account. Poor Mr. Bethel too is very ill in Yorkshire. And, I do affure you, there are no two men I wish better to. I have known and efteemed him for every moral virtue these twenty years and more. He has all the charity, without any of the weakness of—— ; and, I firmly believe, never faid a thing he did not think,

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