Tate's undertakings. 'Tis one of the beft I ever made, and very pleasant. This, with Hero and Leander, and the piece of Homer, (or, if it be not enough, I will add more) will make a good part of a mifcellany,'

Thofe, Sir, are the very words, and the only ones in that letter relating to that affair; and the Monday following, you came to town. After your arrival, you fhewed Mr Motteaux what you had done (which be told me was to the end of the ftory of Daphne) and demanded, as you mentioned in your letter, twenty guineas, which that bookseller refused. Now, Sir, I the rather believe there was just fo much done, by reafon the number of lines you mention in your letter, agrees with the quantity of lines that fo much of the first book makes; which upon counting the Ovid I had to be in Latin 566, in the English 759; and the bookfeller told me there was no more demanded of him for it.-Now, Sir, what I entreat you would please to confider of is this: that it is reasonable for me to expect at least as much favour from you as a strange bookseller; and I will never believe that it can be in your nature to use one the worfe for leaving it to you; and if the matter of fact as I ftate it be true, (and upon my word what I mention I can fhew you in your letter) then pray, Sir, confider how much dearer I pay than you offered it to the other bookfeller, for he might have had to the end of the ftory of Daphne for twenty guineas, which is in your tran. flation 759 lines.

And then fuppofe twenty guineas more for the fame number

759

That makes for 40 guineas 1518 lines.

and all that I have for fifty guineas are but 1446; fo that, if I have no

more, I pay ten guineas above forty, and have 72 lines lefs for fifty, in proportion, than the other bookseller fhould have had for forty, at the rate you offered him the first part. This is, Sir, what I shall take as a great favour if you please to think of. I had intentions of letting you know this before; but till I had paid the money, I would not ask to fee the book, nor count the lines, leaft it should look like a defign of not keepmy word. When you have looked over the rest of what you have already tranflated, I defire you would fend it ; and I own that if you don't think fit to add fomething more, I must fubmit; 'tis wholly at your choice, for I left it entirely to you; but I believe you cannot imagine I expected fo little : for you were pleased to ufe me much kindlier in Juvenal, which is not reckoned fo eafy to tranflate as Ovid. Sir, I humbly beg your pardon for this long letter, and upon my word I had rather have your good will than any man's alive; and whatever you are pleased to do, will always acknowledge myself, Sir, Your moft obliged humble fervant, J. Tonfon.

To Mr John Dennis*.
Probably, March 1693.4.

My Dear Mr Dennis,

When I read a letter fo full of my commendations as your last, I cannot but confider you as the master of a vaft treasure, who having more than enough for yourself, are forced to ebb out upon your friends. You have indeed the best right to give them, fince you have them in propriety: but they are no more mine when I receive them, than the light of the moon can be allowed to be her own, who fhines but by the reflexion of her brother. Your own poetry is a more powerful example, to prove that the modern writers may enter

into

Editor.

into comparison with the ancients, than any which Perrault could produce in France; yet neither he, nor you, who are a better critic, can perfuade me, that there is any room left for a folid.commendation at this time of day, at least for me.

If I undertake the tranflation of Virgil, the little which I can perform will thow at least, that no man is fit to write after him, in a barbarous tongue. Neither will his machines be of any fervice to a Chriftian poet. We fee how ineffectually they have been tried by Taffo, and by Ariofto. 'Tis ufing them too dully, if we only make devils of his gods; as if, for example, I would raise a storm, and make ufe of Eolus, with this only difference of calling him Prince of the air; what invention of mine would there be in this? or who would not fee Virgil through me; only the fame trick played over again by a bungling juggler? Boileau bas well obferved, that it is an easy matter, in a Christian poem, for God to bring the Devil to reafon. I think I have given a better hint for new machines in my preface to Juvenal; where I have particularly recommended two fubjects, one of king Arthur's conqueft of the Saxons, and the other of the Black Prince in his conqueft of Spain. But the Guardian Angels of monarchies and kingdoms, are not to be touched by every hand; a man must be deeply converfant in the platonic philofophy, to deal with them; and therefore I may reafonably expect that no poet of our age, will prefume to handle those machines, for fear of difcovering his own ignorance; or if he should, he might perhaps be ungrateful enough not to own me for his benefactor.

After I have confeffed thus much of our modern heroick poetry, I cannot but conclude with Mr Rymer, that our English comedy is far beyond any thing of the ancients: and notwithflanding our irregularities, fo

is our tragedy. Shakspeare had a genius for it; and we know, in fpite of Mr Rymer, that genius alone is a greater virtue (if I may fo call it) than all other qualifications put together. You fee what fuccefs this learned critic has found in the world, after his blafpheming Shakspeare. Almost all the faults which he has difcovered are truly there; yet who will read Mr Rymer, or not read Shakspeare ? For my own part, I reverence Mr Rymer's learning, but I deteft his illnature and his arrogance. I indeed, and fuch as I, have reafon to be afraid of him, but Shakspeare has not.

There is another part of poetry, in which the English ftand almost upon an equal foot with the ancients: and it is that which we call Pindarique, introduced, but not perfected, by our famous Mr Cowley: and of this, Sir, you are certainly one of the greatest mafters. You have the fublimity of fenfe as well as found, and know how far the boldness of a poet may lawfully extend. I could with you would cultivate this kind of ode, and reduce it either to the fame measures, which Pindar ufed, or give new measures of your own. For, as it is, it looks like a vast tract of land newly difcovered: the foil is wonderfully fruitful, but unmanured, overstocked with inhabitants, but almost all favages, without laws, arts, arms, or policy.

I remember poor Nat. Lee, who was then upon the verge of madness, yet made a fober and a witty answer to a bad poet, who told him, 'It was' an caly thing to write like a måd man: No,' faid he, it is very difficult to write like a madmar, but it is an eafy matter to write like a fool.' Otway and he are fafe by death from all attacks, but we poor poets militant (to ufe Mr Cowley's expreffion) are at the mercy of wretched fcribblers; and when they cannot fasten upon our verfes, they fall upon our morals, our principles of fate and re

ligion.

ligion. For my principles of religion, I will not justify them to you; I know yours are far different. For the fame reason I fhall fay nothing of my principles of state. I believe you in yours follow the dictates of your reafon, as I in mine do thofe of my confcience. If I thought my felf in an error, I would retract it. I am fure that I fuffer for them; and Milton makes even the devil fay, that no creature is in love with pain. For my morals betwixt man and man, I am not to be my own judge. I ap. peal to the world, if I have deceived or defrauded any man; and for my private converfation, they who fee me every day can be the best witneffes, whether or no it be blameless and inoffenfive. Hitherto I have no reafon to complain that men of either party fhun my company. I have never been an impudent beggar at the doors of noblemen; my vifits have indeed been too rare to be unacceptable; and but just enough to teftify my gratitude for their bounty, which I have frequently received, but always unafked, as themfelves will witnefs.

I have written more than I needed to you on this fubject; for I dare fay you justify me to yourfelf. As for that which I firft intended for the principal fubje&t of this letter, which is my friend's, paffion and his defign of marriage, on better confideration I have changed my mind: for having had the honour to fee my dear friend Wycherly's, letter to him on that occafion, I find nothing to be added or amended. But as well as I love Mr

Wycherly, I confefs I love myself fo well, that I will not fhew how much I am inferiour to him in wit and judgement, by undertaking any thing after him. There is Mofes and the Prophets in his council. Jupiter and Juno, as the poets tell us, made Tirefias their umpire in a certain merry difpute, which fell out in heaven betwixt them. Tirefias, you

To Mr Jacob Tonfon. Friday forenoon, February 1695-6. SIR,

I receiv'd your letter very kindly, because indeed I expected none; but thought you as very a tradefman as Bentley, who curfed our Virgil fo heartily. I shall loofe enough by your bill upon Mr Knight; for after having taken it all in filver, and not in half-crowns neither, but fhillings and fixpences, none of the money will go; for which reafon I have fent it all back again, and as the lefs lofs will receive it in guinneys at 29 nine fhillings each. 'Tis trouble fome to be a lofer, but it was my own fault to accept it this way, which I did to avoyde more trouble.

I am not forry that you will not allow any thing towards the notes; for to make them good, would have coft me half a yeare's time at least. Thofe I write thall be only marginall, to help the unlearned, who underftand not the poeticall fables. The Prefaces, as I intend them, will be fomewhat more learned. It wou'd require feven years to tranflate Virgil exactly. But I promise you once

more

more to do my best in the four reaining books, as I have hitherto done in the foregoing. Upon triall I find all of your trade are sharpers, and you not more than others; there. fore I have not wholly left you. Mr Afton does not blame you for getting as good a bargain as you could, though I cou'd have gott an hundred pounds more; and you might have fpared almost all your trouble, if you had thought fit to publish the propofalls for the first fubfcriptions; for I have guineas offer'd me every day, if there had been room: I believe, modeftly fpeaking, I have refus'd already 25. I miflike nothing in your letter therefore, but onely your up braiding me with the publique encouragement, and my own reputation concern'd in the notes; when I affure you I cou'd not make them to my mind in less than half a year's time. Get the first half of Virgil tranfcrib ed as foon as poffibly you can; that I may put the notes to it; and you may have the other four books which lye ready for you, when you bring the former; that the prefs may ftay as little as poffibly it can. My lord Chesterfield has been to vifite me, but I durft fay nothing of Virgil to him, for feare there fhould be no void place for him: if there be, let me know; and tell me whether you have made room for the duke of Devonshire. Having no filver by me, I defire my lord Derby's money, de ducting your own. And let it be good, if you defire to oblige me, who am not your enemy and may be your friend,

John Dryden. Let me heare from you as fpeedily

in the coffeehouse. His opinion is the fame with mine, that they are better than any which are printed before the book: fo thinks also Mr Wycherly. I have them by me; but do not fend them, till I hear from my lord Clifford, whether my lady will put her name to them or not; therefore I defire they may be printed laft of all the copyes, and of all the book. I have alfo written this day to Mr Chetwood, and let him know, that the book is immediately goeing to the prefs again. My opinion is, that the printer fhou'd begin with the first paftoral, and print on to the end of the Gebrgiques, or farther, if occafion be, till Dr. Chetwood corrects his preface, which he writes me word is printed very false. You cannot take too much care of the printing this edition exactly after my amendments; for a fault of that nature will disoblige me eternally.

I am glad to heare from all hands, that my Ode (for St. Cecilia's Day) is efteem'd the best of all my poetry, by all the town: I thought fo my felf when I writ it; but being old, I miftrufted my own judgement. I hope it has done you fervice, and will do more. You told me not, but the town fays you are printing Ovid de Arte Amandi. I know my tranflation is very uncorrect; but at the fame. time I know, nobody elfe can do it better, with all their paines. If there be any loofe papers left in the Virgil I gave you this morning, look for them, and fend them back by my man: I mifs not any yet: but 'tis poffible fome may be left, because I gave you the book in a hurry. I vow to God, if Everingham takes not care of this impreffion, he fhall never print any thing of mine hereafter: for I will write on, fince I find I can.

I defire you to make fure of the three pounds of fnuff, the fame of which I had one pound from you. When you fend it any morning, I will pay for it altogether. But this is not

the