LETTERS FROM MR. POPE ΤΟ MRS. NEWSHAM, MR. AND MRS. KNIGHT, AND MRS. NUGENT*. *The Reader will foon difcover that thefe female names may be comprized in one. C. LETTERS FROM MR. POPE ΤΟ MRS. NEWSHAM, MR. AND MRS. KNIGHT, AND MRS. NUGENT. LETTER I. TO MRS. NEWSHAM, AT CHADSHUNT, WARWICKSHIRE, MADAM, Twit'nam, Dec. 21. HAVING been long and closely confined at home in attending a moft dangerous illness of my mother, (whofe life was wholly despaired of, and, through several relapses fince, very precarious,) I never heard till laft week what I fincerely condole with you upon. I cannot help breaking through the ceremony of the world, and writing as if I had the title of a relation to you. I thank God I am of that frame, that I can and do Newfham Efq. of Chad *Mrs. Newfham was the wife of shunt in Warwickshire, and was afterwards married to John Knight, Efq. Pope correfponded with both families. C. do feel very fenfibly for my friends in fuch circumftances. I cannot exprefs.how much; nor will words leffen whatever you feel. I will leave this fubject. When you care to hear more from me, I fhall wish to write to you; and am, indeed, with all the good wishes of a friend, fincerely. I HOPE you are so good a relation as to think it a reasonable impediment to my writing to you, (which I purposed as foon as you got into Warwickshire,) that my mother was very ill. She is now fo much better, that I begin to look with more cheerfulness on the coming part of my life: contrary to most fons, I think, of all friends, a friend of one's family is the beft; they are generally the fureft, for merit feldom gets the better of blood. The world of late has been fo bad, that it has feemed unwilling to attribute much merit to thofe who love us naturally, as kindred (and above all, parents) do: The true reafon of which I fear is, that we are too ready to depreciate the kindneffes we receive, to excuse our own careless, if not ungrateful, returns to them. But though our relations be obliged to be kind to us, are we therefore not obliged to be grateful to them? For my part I am fo unfashionable unfashionable as to think my Mother the best friend I have, for she is certainly the most partial one. Therefore as the thinks the best of me, fhe must be the kindeft to me. And I am morally certain fhe does that without any difficulty, or art, which it would coft the devil and all of pains for any body else to do. In this domeftic way of thinking, you will not take me too much for a complimental perfon, if I, seriously and heartily, wish to know from you that Mr. Newfham is in a better ftate. of health. I am truly forry that you can't pass the winter here, especially when it is occafioned by fuch an obftacle: but I know from myfelf (who am like on the fame account to fee very little of the town this winter), that there is more true fatisfaction in doing right, and in acting tenderly, than in all the vain, empty things, which the lovers of the town (the Cornishes of the world) can call pleafures. They hate the very thoughts of paradife, because it is defcribed as a garden: and have no opinion of heaven, but as they fancy it like an Opera. I would not say this before Mr. Elliot *, who has bought (at my inftigation) the marble for the Statue †, upon *Edward Elliot, of Port Elliot, Efq. who married Harriet, fifter of Mr. Secretary Craggs. C. Mrs. Newfham was alfo fifter to Mr. Secretary Craggs, and it is his monument which is the subject of this and fome of the following letters. It was executed by Guelphi, whom Lord Burlington invited into the kingdom, and for whom he performed many works in London and at Chifwick. He was alfo fome time employed in repairing the antiques at Lord Pomfret's at Eafton-Nefton, now at Oxford. |