defer. I hope the air of this forest may perfectly recover you, and wish you would to that end try it sooner than the end of the month; if you desire Mr. Thorold, he will at a day's warning take a place for you. My father joins in this request, and Mr. Englefyld is overjoy'd with the hopes of seeing you at his house. When I have your company I cannot but be well, and hope from the knowledge of this, that you can't be very ill in mine. I beg you to believe no man can take a greater interest in your welfare, or be more heartily affected towards you than myself; who am, with all the efteem and tenderness of a friend, dear Sir, Your faithful humble fervant, A. POPE. LETTER XII. TO THE SAME. DEAR SIR, January 25, 1711. IF F my letter pleas'd you, yours overjoy'd me; and I expect impatiently your kind vifit: a little room and a little heart are both at your fervice, and you may be secure of being easy in 'em at least, tho' not happy. For you shall go just your own way, and keep your own hours, which is more than can be done often in places of greater entertainment—As to your your letter of Critical Remarks on Dryden's Virgil, I can only fay, most of what you obferve are true enough, but of no great confequence (in my opinion at least). Line 250. "And fanctify the fhame"-feems to me very beautiful; and fo does-"'tis doubly to be "dead." Line 946. "And bandy'd words still beat "about his ears."-This I have thought grofs as well I agree with you that the 993d line," And "clos'd her lids at last in endless night"-is contradictory to the sense of Virgil; for fo, as you fay, Iris might have been fpar'd. And in the main 'tis to be confefs'd that the tranflator has been freer with the character of Dido than his modest author wou'd allow. as you. I am just taking horse to see a friend five miles off, that I may have no little vifits abroad to interrupt my happiness at home when you are here. So that I can but just affure you, how pleas'd I am in the expectation of it, and how fincerely I fhall ever be, dear Sir, Your most oblig'd and affectionate servant, A. POPE. P. S. Pray bring a very confiderable number of pint bottles with you; this might feem a strange odd requeft, if you had not told me you wou'd stay but as many days as you brought bottles; therefore you can't bring too many, tho' we are here no drunkards. 'Tis a fine thing to have a learned quotation for every occafion, and Horace helps me to one now: L 3 Non -Non ego te meis Immunem meditor tingere poculis, And to another, Ep. 5. 1. 1. Ode 12. 1. 4. Hæc ego procurare & idoneus imperor, & non And once more, Sat. 2. 1. 2. -bene erat, non pifcibus urbe petitis, Sed pullo atque hado; tum penfilis uva fecundas Nil mihi refcribas, attamen ipfe veni. P. S. Mr. Lintot favoured me with a fight of Mr. Dennis's piece of fine fatire before 'twas published; I defire you to read it, and give me your opinion, in what manner fuch a critick ought to be anfwered? I SEND this only to let you know how much our whole family defire to hear of your fafe arrival in London, and the continuance of your health : you have without compliment obliged us all fo *Remarks on the Effay on Criticism. much much by your friendly acceptance of fo poor an entertainment here, that you could by nothing have obliged us more, but by ftaying longer. But I take fo fhort a vifit only as an earnest of a more kind one hereafter; as we just call upon a friend fometimes only to tell him he fhall fee us again.-All you faw in this country charge me to affure you of their humble fervice, and the ladies in particular, who look upon us as but plain country-fellows fince they faw you, and heard more civil things in that fortnight, than they expect from the whole fhire of us, in an age. The trophy you bore away from one of 'em, in your fnuff-box, will doubtless preserve her memory, and be a teftimony of your admiration, for ever : "As long as Mocha's happy tree fhall grow, "While berries crackle, or while mills fhall go; "While smoaking streams from silver spouts shall glide, "Or China's earth receive the fable tide; "While coffee fhall to British nymphs be dear; "While fragrant steams the bended head fhall chear; "Or grateful bitters shall delight the taste, "So long her honour, name, and praise, shall last !” Pray give my service to all my few friends, and to Mr. Gay in particular. Farewell; that is, drink ftrong coffee. Ingere tibi calices amariores. I am, with all fincerity, dear Sir, Your most faithful friend, and humble fervant, July 15th, 1711. A. POPE. LETTER XIV. [The following Letter to Pope's early Correspondent, Cromwell, has been omitted in the editions of Pope's Works. It is here retained, as being curious, and illustrative of Cromwell's particularities, as well as on account of the contraft it forms to the more laboured epiftles. It appears to have been written in the thoughtlefs gaiety of the moment, and is therefore a more natural transcript of Pope's feelings. Certainly it is such as no one need be ashamed of; and it is in fome degree interesting, from the reafons which have been mentioned. At the fame time a very few indelicate paffages, which youth might excufe, have been expunged.] MR. POPE TO HENRY CROMWELL, ESQ. SIR, April 25, 1708. THIS Letter greets you from the shades ; Strong drink was drunk, and gambols play'd, And two substantial meals a-day were made. From me and from my holiness, To you, and to your gentleness, How much I wish you health and happiness; And |