helped to turn a mill in order to gain a livelihood. Terence was a flave, and Boethius died in gaol.

Among the Italians, Paulo Burghese, almost as good a poet as Taffo, knew fourteen different trades, and yet died because he could get employment in none. Taffo himself, who had the most amiable character of all poets, has often been obliged to borrow a crown from fome friend, in order to pay for a month's fubfiftence; he has left us a pretty fonnet, addreffed to his cat, in which he begs the light of her eyes to write by, being too poor to afford himfelf a candle. But Bentivoglio, poor Bentivoglio! chiefly demands our pity. His comedies will laft with the Italian language; he dissipated a noble fortune in acts of charity and benevolence; but falling into mifery in his old age, was refufed to be admitted into an hofpital which he himfelf had

erected.

In Spain it is faid, the great Cervantes died of hunger; and it is certain, that the famous Camoens ended his days in an hofpital.

If we turn to France, we' fhall there find even ftronger inftances of the ingratitude of the public. Vaugelas, one of the politeft writers, and one of the honefteft men of his time, was furnamed the Owl, from his being obliged to keep within all day, and venture out only by night, through fear of his creditors. His laft will is very remarkable; after having bequeathed all his worldly fubftance to the discharging his debts, he goes on thus; but as there ftill may remain fome creditors unpaid, even after all that I have fhall have been difpofed of, in fuch a cafe, it is my laft will, that my body should be fold to the furgeons to the beft advantage, and that the purchase fhould go to the discharging thofe debts which I owe to fociety; fo that if I

could

could not, while living, at leaft when dead, I may be useful.

Caffander was one of the greatest geniuffes of his time, yet all his merit could not procure him a bare fubfiftence. Being by degrees driven into an hatred of all mankind from the little pity he found amongst them, he even ventured at last ungratefully to impute his calamities to Providence. In his laft agonies when the priest intreated him to rely on the juftice of heaven, and ask mercy from him that made him; If God, replies he, has fhewn me no juftice here, what reafon have I to expect any from him hereafter? But being answered, that a fufpenfion of juftice was no argument that fhould induce us to doubt of its reality; let me intreat you, continued his confeffor, by all that is dear, to be reconciled to God, your father, your maker, and friend. No, replied the exafperated wretch, you know the manner in which he left me to live; (and pointing to the ftraw on which he was ftretched) and you fee the manner in which he leaves me to die!

But the sufferings of the poet in other countries is nothing when compared to his diftreffes here; the names of Spencer and Otway, Butler and Dryden, are every day mentioned as a national reproach, fome of them lived in a ftate of precarious indigence, and others literally died of hunger.

At present the few poets of England no longer depend on the great for fubfiftence, they have now no other patrons but the public, and the public, collectively confidered, is a good and a generous mafter. It is indeed, too frequently mistaken as to the merits of every candidate for favour; but to make amends, it is never miftaken long. A performance

formance indeed may be forced for a time into reputation, but deftitute of real merit it foon finks; time, the touchstone of what is truly valuable, will foon discover the fraud, and an author fhould never arrogate to himself any fhare of fuccefs, till his works have been read at least ten years with fatisfaction.

A man of letters at prefent, whofe works are valuable, is perfectly fenfible of their value. Every polite member of the community by buying what he writes, contributes to reward him. The ridicule therefore of living in a garret, might have been wit in the laft age, but continues fuch no longer, because no longer true. A writer of real merit now may easily be rich if his heart be fet only on fortune: and for those who have no merit, it is but fit that such should remain in merited obfcurity. He may now refufe an invitation to dinner, without fearing to incur his patron's difpleasure, or to starve by remaining at home. He may now venture to appear in company with juft fuch cloaths as other men generally wear, and talk even to princes with all the confcious fuperiority of wifdom. Though he cannot boast of fortune here, yet he can bravely affert the dignity of independence.

Adieu.

LETTER

LXXXIV.

FROM THE SAME.

I HAVE interested myself so long in all the concerns of this people, that I am almoft become an Englishman; I now begin to read with pleasure of

their taking towns or gaining battles, and fecretly with disappointment to all the enemies of Britain. Yet ftill my regard to mankind fills me with concern for their contentions. I could wish to see the disturbances of Europe once more amicably adjusted; I am an enemy to nothing in this good world but war; I hate fighting between rival ftates; I hate it between man and man; I hate fighting even between women !

I already informed you, that while Europe was at variance, we were alfo threatened from the ftage with an irreconcileable oppofition, and that our finging women were refolved to fing at each other to the end of the feafon. O my friend, thofe fears were juft. They are not only determined to fing at each other to the end of the feafon, but what is worfe, to fing the fame fong, and what is still more insupportable, to make us pay for hearing.

If they be for war, for my part I fhould advise them to have a public congrefs, and there fairly fquall at each other. What fignifies founding the trumpet of defiance at a diftance, and calling in the town to fight their battles. I would have them come boldly into one of the moft open and frequented ftreets, face to face, and there try their fkill in quavering.

However this may be, refolved I am that they fhall not touch one fingle piece of filver more of mine. Though I have ears for mufic, thanks to Heaven, they are not altogether affes ears. What! Polly and the Pick-pocket to night, Polly and the Pick-pocket to-morrow night, and Polly and the Pick-pocket again; I want patience. I will hear no more. My foul is out of tune, all jarring difcord, and confufion. Reft, reft ye dear three clinking fhillings in my pocket's bottom; the mufic you make is more harmonious to my fpirit, than cat

gut,

gut, rofin, or all the nightingales that ever chirruped in petticoats.

But what raises my indignation to the greatest degree, is that this piping does not only pefter me on the stage, but is my punithment in private converfation. What is it to me, whether the fine pipe of one, or the great manner of the other be preferable? what care I if one has a better top, or the other a nobler bottom? how am I concerned if one fings from the ftomach, or the other fings with a fnap? Yet paltry as these matters are, they make a fubject of debate wherever I go, and this mufical difpute, especially among the fair fex, almoft always ends in a very unmufical altercation.

Sure the spirit of contention is mixed into the very conftitution of the people; divifions among the inhabitants of other countries arife only from their higher concerns, but fubjects the most contemptible are made an affair of party here, the fpirit is carried even into their amufements. The very ladies, whofe duty should seem to allay the impetuofity of the oppofite fex, become themselves party champions, engage in the thickeft of the fight, fcold at each other, and thew their courage, even at the expence of their loyers and their beauty.

There are even a numerous fet of poets who help to keep up the contention, and write for the ftage. Miftake me not, I do not mean pieces to be acted upon it, but panegyrical verfes on the performers, for that is the most univerfal method of writing for the stage at present. It is the bufinefs of the ftage poet therefore to watch the appearance of every new player at his own houfe, and fo come out next day with a flaunting copy of newspaper verses. In these Nature and the actor may be fet to run races, the player always coming off victorious; or Nature may miitake him for herfelf; or old Shakespear may put VOL. III. Z

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