think, nor did a thing he could not tell. I am concerned he is in fo cold and remote a place, as in the Wolds of Yorkshire, at a hunting feat. If he lives till fpring, he talks of returning to London, and, if I poffibly can, I would get him to lye out of it at Twickenham, tho' we went backward and forward every day in a warm coach, which would be the propereft exercife for both of us, fince he is become fo weak as to be deprived of riding a horfe.

L. Bolingbroke ftays a month yet, and I hope Mr. Warburton will come to town before he goes. They will both be pleased to meet each other; and nothing, in all my life, has been fo grcat a pleafure to my nature, as to bring deferving and knowing men together. It is the greatest favour that can be done, either to great genius's or useful men. I wish too, he were a while in town, if it were only to lye a little in the way of fome proud and powerful perfons, to fee if they have any of the beft fort of pride left, namely, to ferve learning and merit, and by that means diftinguifh themselves from their predeceffors.

I am, &c.

LETTER XCVI.

Mr. POPE to Mr. ALLEN.

ITHANK

March 6.

you very kindly for yours. I am

we ever

met; and I could wifh it were at Twickenham, tho' only to see you and Mrs. Allen twice there inftead of once. But, as matters have turned out, a decent obedience to the government has fince ob

liged me to refide here, ten miles out of the capital ; and therefore I must see you here or no where. Let that be an additional reason for your coming and staying what time you can.

The utmost I can do, I will venture to tell you in your ear. I may flide along the Surrey fide (where no Middlefex juftice can pretend any cognizance) to Batterfea, and thence cross the water for an hour or two, in a close chair, to dine with you, or fo. But to be in town, I fear, will be imprudent, and thought infolent. At least, hitherto, all comply with the proclamation *.

I write thus early, that you may let me know if your day continues, and I will have every room in my house as warm for you as the owner always would be. It may poffibly be, that I fhall be taking the fecret flight I fpeak of to Batterfea, before you come, with Mr. Warburton, whom I have promised to make known to the only great man in Europe, who knows as much as He. And from thence we may return the 16th, or any day, hither, and meet you, without fail, if you fix your day.

I would not make ill health come into the scale, as to keeping me here (tho', in truth, it now bears very hard upon me again, and the leaft accident of cold, or motion almost, throws me into a very dangerous and fuffering condition.) God fend you long life, and an eafier enjoyment of your breath than I now can expect, I fear, &c.

*On the Invafion, at that time threatened from France and the Pretender.

LET.

LETTERS

O F

Mr. РОРЕ

то

Mr. WARBURTO N.

I

LETTER XCVII.

April 11, 1739.

Have juft received from Mr. R. two more of your Letters*. It is in the greatest hurry imaginable that I write this, but I cannot help thanking you in particular for your Third Letter, which is fo extremely clear, fhort, and full, that I think Mr. Crouzaz† ought never to have another answer, and deferved not fo good an one. I can only fay, you do him too much honour, and me too much right, fo odd as the expreffion feems, for you have made my fyftem as clear as I ought to have done and could not. It is indeed the fame fyftem as mine, but il

* Commentaries on the Effey on Man.

† A German profeffor, who wrote remarks upon the philofophy of that Eay.

3

luftrated

luftrated with a ray of your own, as they fay our natural body is the fame ftill when it is glorified.

I

am fure I like it better than I did before, and fo will every man elfe. I know I meant just what you explain, but I did not explain my own meaning fo well as you. You understand me as well as I do myfelf, but you exprefs me better than I could exprefs myfelf. Pray accept the fincereft acknowledgments. I cannot but with these letters were put together in one book, and intend (with your leave) to procure a tranflation of part, at least, or of all of them into French*; but I fhall not proceed a step without your confent and opinion, &c.

TH

LETTER XCVIII.

May 26, 1739.

HE diffipation in which I am obliged to live through many degrees of civil obligation, which ought not to rob a man of himself who paffes for an independent one, and yet make me every body's fervant more than my own: This, Sir, is the occafion of my filence to you, to whom I really have more obligation than to almoft any man. By writing, indeed, I propofed no more than to tell you my fenfe of it: As to any corrections of your Letters I could make none, but what refulted from inverting the Order of them, and those expreffions relating to myself which I thought exaggerated. I could not find a word to alter in the laft letter, which I return'd immediately to the Bookfeller. I muft particularly thank you for the mention you

*They were all tranflated into that language by a French gentleman of condition, who is now in an emipent station in his own country.

have

have made of me in your Poftfcript * to the last Edition of the Legation of Mofes. I am much more pleased with a compliment that links me to a virtuous Man, and by the beft fimilitude, that of a good mind (even a better and stronger tye than the fimilitude of ftudies) than I could be proud of any other whatfoever. May that independency, charity, and competency attend you, which fets a good prieft above a bishop, and truly makes his Fortune; that is, his happiness in this life as well as in the other.

I

LETTER XCIX.

Twitenham, Sept. 20, 1739.

Received with great pleasure the paper you fent me; and yet with greater, the profpect you give me of a nearer acquaintance with you when you come to Town. I fhall hope what part of your time you can afford me, amongst the number of thofe who efteem you, will be past rather in this place than in London; fince it is here only I live as I ought, mihi et amicis. I therefore depend on your promife; and fo much as my conftitution fuffers by the winter, I yet affure you, fuch an acquifition will make the fpring much the more welcome to me, when it is to bring you hither, cum zephyris et hirundine prima.

As foon as Mr. R. can tranfmit to me an entire copy of your Letters, I wish he had your leave fo to do; that I may put the book into the hands of a

* He means, a Vindication of the Author of the Divine Legation, against fome papers in the Weekly Mifcellany: in which the Editor applied to his own cafe thofe lines in the Epiftle to Dr. Arbuthnot,

Me let the tender office long engage, &c.

French