LETTERS

FROM

MR. POPE

ΤΟ

MARTHA AND TERESA BLOUNT

AT

LETTER I.

TO MRS. MARTHA BLOUNT.

MADAM,

May 25, 1712

T last I do myself the honour to send you the Rape of the Lock; which has been fo long coming out, that the lady's charms might have been half decayed, while the poet was celebrating them, and the printer publishing them. But yourself and your fair sister must needs have been furfeited already with this trifle; and therefore you have no hopes of entertainment but from the reft of this book wherein (they tell me) are fome things that may be dangerous to be looked upon: however, I think you may venture, though you fhould blufh for it, fince blushing becomes you the best of any lady in England,

and

*The Rape of the Lock, enlarged into five Cantos, and enriched with the machinery of the Sylphs.

and then the most dangerous thing to be looked upon is yourself. Indeed, Madam, not to flatter you, our virtue will be fooner overthrown by one glance of yours, than by all the wicked poets can write in an age, as has been too dearly experienced by the wickedeft of them all, that is to fay, by, Madam,

Your most obedient, etc.

LETTER II.

TO THE SAME.

DEAR MADAM,

Bath, Sept. 4.*

THANK you for many things, and particularly for your Letters. That which gave me an account of my mother's tolerable health, told me no more than three others told me; yet it fatisfied me much more, as being from you. To think that a perfon whom we wifh fo much our friend as to take a concern in all that concerns us, fhould be cordially affected with things, is a greater and more tender pleasure than any of the fame cares or teftimonies from others. I left Lord Cobham's, as I told you, not without a wifh that yourself

*As the greater part of thefe Letters are without dates, it has been found impoflible to place them in the exact order of writing. Some arrangement, however, has been attempted, in cases where the contents pointed at the connections of time, place, or subject. From the mention of Prefton in this Letter, it appears to have been written fome years after the rebellion of 1715.

C.

yourself and Mrs. Howard had feen it with me. I paffed by the door of my Lord Deloraine's, which is a neat ftone-houfe, with a view to the Downs, but low fituated. I can't help telling you one circumftance, that, as I travelled all alone, made me contemplative. I was drawn by a horse now employed by Lord C. in rolling the gardens, which was the fame in former days on which the Earl of Derwentwater rid at Preston. It made me reflect, that man himself is as blind and unknowing of his fate, as the beast he beftrides equally proud and prancing in his glory, and equally ignorant whither or to what he is running. I lay one night at Roufham, which is the prettieft place for water-falls, jetts, ponds inclosed with beautiful fcenes of green and hanging wood, that ever I faw. I faw. I lay next at Mr. Howe's, in Gloucefterfhire; a fine thing of another kind, where Nature has done every thing, and luckily, for the mafter has ten children. But it might be made very grand, merely by taking away part of what is there already.

:

I called at Sir William Codrington's*, defigning but for half a day, and it not being a mile out of the way; but found it impoffible (without more violence than ought ever to be offered to good nature) to get from thence till just now. My reception there will furnish matter for a letter to Mr. Bethel. It was perfectly in

his

A beautiful feat at Durhams, eight miles from Bath, on the Oxford road.

hys fpirit: all his fifters, in the first place, infifted I fhould take phyfic, preparatory to the waters, and truly I made use of the time, place, and perfons, to that end. My Lady Cox, the first night I lay there, mixed my electuary, Lady Codrington pounded fulphur, Mrs. Bridges Bethel ordered broth. Lady Cox marched first up-flairs with the phyfic in a gallipot; Lady Codrington next, with the vial of oyle; Mrs. Bridget third, with pills; the fourth fifter, with spoons and tea-cups. It would have rejoiced the ghost of Dr. Woodward* to have beheld this proceffion; and I should be inclined to think it might bring Mr. Bethel this way two hundred miles about, if I would promise but to do the fame thing on my return home t. By this means I have an opportunity of aftonishing Dr. Arbuthnot, to fee me begin the waters without any phyfic, and to fet him and Mr. Gay in an uproar about me, and my wilfulness: I may even hope to be as famous as yourself. I was much pleafed with what happened on Mr. B.'s fifters all taking phyfic fome days together (which I was told there, and gives a perfect character of the great tafte of the family to it). A country wench in the house thanked God heartily, that she was not born a gentlewoman, and declared fhe would not be one for the world. Their houfe is pretty enough, the fituation

* Dr. Woodward died April 25, 1728.

romantic,

C.

It is a strange proof of Pope's gallantry, as well as of the delicacy of the age, that he fhould entertain his mistress with a circumftantial account of his taking phyfic.