the priest with Spanish blacking for fhoes instead of a wash-ball, and with lamp-black powdered his perriwig. But thefe were fayings of men delighting in their own conceits more than in the truth for it is well known, that great was my care and skill in thefe my crafts; yea, I once had the honour of trimming Sir Thomas himself, without fetching blood. Furthermore, I was fought unto to geld the Lady Frances her fpaniel, which was wont to go aftray he was called Toby, that is to fay, Tobias. And, thirdly, I was intrufted with a gorgeous pair of fhoes of the faid lady, to fet an heel-piece thereon; and I received fuch praife therefore, that it was faid all over the parish, I fhould be recommended unto the king to mend fhoes for his majefty: whom God preferve! Amen. Pope. § 38. Cruelty to Animals. Montaigne thinks it fome reflection upon human nature itself, that few people take delight in feeing beasts carefs or play together, but almost every one is pleafed to fee them lacerate and worry one another. I am forry this temper is become almost a diftinguishing character of our own nation, from the obfervation which is made by foreigners of our beloved paftimes, bearbaiting, cock-fighting, and the like. We fhould find it hard to vindicate the deftroying of any thing that has life, merely out of wantonnefs: yet in this principle our children are bred up; and one of the firft pleasures we allow them, is the licence of inflicting pain upon poor animals: almoft as foon as we are fenfible what life is ourfelves, we make it our fport to take it from other creatures. I cannot but believe a very good ufe might be made of the fancy which children have for birds and infects. Mr. Locke takes notice of a mother who permitted them to her children, but rewarded or punifhed them as they treated them well or ill. This was no other than entering them betimes into a daily exercife of humanity, and improving their very diver. fion to a virtue. I fancy, too, fome advantage might be taken of the common notion, that 'tis ominous or unlucky to deffroy fome forts of birds, as fwallows and martins. This opinion might poffibly arife from the confidence thefe birds feem to put in us by building under our roofs; fo that it is a kind of violation of the laws of hofpitality to murder them. As for Robin red-breafts in particular, it is not improbable they owe their fecurity to the old ballad of "The children in the wood." "However it be, I don't know, I fay, why this prejudice, would go, might not be made to conwell improved and carried as far as it duce to the prefervation of many innocent creatures, which are now exposed to all the wantonnefs of an ignorant barbarity. the misfortune, for no manner of reaThere are other animals that have fon, to be treated as common enemies, wherever found. The conceit that a lives in ten of the whole race of them : cat has nine lives has coft at least nine fcarce a boy in the streets but has in who was famous for killing a monster this point outdone Hercules himself, that had but three lives. Whether the unaccountable animofity against this ufeful domestic may be any cause of the general perfecution of owls (who are a fort of feathered cats) or whether it be only an unreafonable pique the moderns have taken to a ferious counte nance, I fhall not determine: though I am inclined to believe the former; fince I obferve the fole reafon alledged for the deftruction of frogs is becaufe they are like toads. Yet, amidst all the misfortunes of thefe unfriended creatures, 'tis fome happiness that we have not yet taken a fancy to eat them: for fhould our countrymen refine upon the French never fo little, 'tis not to be conceived to what unheard-of torments, owls, cats, and frogs, may be yet reserved. another fucceffion of fanguinary sports; When we grow up to men, we have in particular, hunting. I dare not at tack a diverfion which has fuch autho rity and cuftom to fupport it; but muft have leave to be of opinion, that example and number of the chafers, the agitation of that exercife, with the not a little contributes to refift those checks, checks, which compaffion would naturally fuggeft in behalf of the animal purfued. Nor fhall I fay, with Monfieur Fleury, that this fport is a remain of the Gothic barbarity; but I muft animadvert upon a certain custom yet in ufe with us, and barbarous enough to be derived from the Goths, or even the Scythians: I mean that favage compliment our huntsmen pass upon ladies of quality, who are prefent at the death of a flag, when they put the knife in their hands to cut the throat of a helplefs, trembling, and weeping creature. Queftuque cruentus, Atque imploranti fimilis. But if our fports are deftructive, our gluttony is more fo, and in a more inhuman manner. Lobfters roafted alive, pigs whipped to death, fowls fewed up, are teftimonies of our outrageous luxury. Those who (as Seneca expreffes it) divide their lives betwixt an anxious confcience, and a naufeated ftomach, have a juft reward of their gluttony in the diseases it brings with it: for human favages, like other wild beats, find fnares and poifon in the provifions of life, and are allured by their appetite to their deftruction. I know nothing more fhocking, or horrid, than the profpect of one of their kitchens covered with blood, and filled with the cries of the creatures expiring in tortures. It gives one an image of a giant's den, in a romance, beftrewed with the fcattered heads and mangled limbs of thofe who were flain by his cruelty. Pope. § 39. Paftoral Comedy. I have not attempted any thing of a paftoral comedy, because, I think, the tate of our age will not relish a poem of that fort. People feck for what they call wit, on all fubjects, and in all places; not confidering that nature loves truth fo well, that it hardly ever admits of flourishing. Conceit is to nature what paint is to beauty; it is not only needlefs, but impairs what it would improve. There is a certain majefty in fimplicity, which is far above all the quaintnefs of wit: info. much that the critics have excluded wit from the loftieft poetry, as well as the loweft, and forbid it to the epic no lefs than the pastoral. I fhould certainly difplease all thofe who are charmed with Guarini and Bonarelli, and imitate Taffo not only in the fimplicity of his thoughts, but in that of the fable too. If furprising difcoveries fhould have place in the story of a paftoral comedy, I believe it would be more a greeable to probability to make them the effects of chance than of defign; intrigue not being very confiftent with that innocence, which ought to conftitute a fhepherd's character. There is nothing in all the Aminta (as I remember) but happens by mere accident; unless it be the meeting of Aminta with Sylvia at the fountain, which is the contrivance of Daphne; and even that is the moft fimple in the world. the contrary is obfervable in Paftor Fido, where Corifca is fo perfect a miftrefs of intrigue, that the plot could not have been brought to pafs without her. I am inclined to think the paltoral comedy has another difadvantage, as to the manners: its general defign is to make us in love with the innocence of a rural life, fo that to introduce shepherds of a vicious character muft in fome measure debafe it'; and hence it may come to pafs, that even the virtuous characters will not fhine fo much, for want of being oppofed, to their contraries. Ibid. $40. Dogs. Plutarch, relating how the Athenians were obliged to abandon Athens in the time of Themistocles, fteps back again. out of the way of his history, purely to defcribe the lamentable cries and howlings of the poor dogs they left behind. He makes mention of one, that followed his mafter across the fea to Salamis, where he died, and was honoured with a tomb by the Athenians, who gave the name of The Dog's Grave to that part of the island where he was buried. This refpect to a dog, in the moft polite people in the world, is very obfervable. A modern inftance of gratitude to a dog (though we have but few fuch) is, that the chief order of Denmark (now injuriously called the order of the Elephant) was inftituted X x 4 'in in memory of the fidelity of a dog, named Wild - brat, to one of their kings, who had been deferted by his fubjects: he gave his order this motto, or to this effect (which ftill remains) "Wild-brat was faithful." Sir William Trumbull has told me a story, which he heard from one that was prefent: King Charles I. being with fome of his court during his troubles, a difcourfe arose what fort of dogs deferved pre-eminence, and it being on all hands agreed to belong either to the fpaniel or grey-hound, the king gave his opinion on the part of the grey-hound, becaufe (faid he) it has all the goodnature of the other without the fawning. A good piece of fatire upon his courtiers, with which I will conclude my difcourfe of dogs. Call me a Cynic, or what you pleafe, in revenge for all this impertinence, I will be contented; provided you will but believe me, when I fay a bold word for a Chriftian, that, of all dogs, you will find none more faithful than, Yours, &c. Pope. 41. Lady Mary Wortley Montague. The more I examine my own mind, the more romantic I find myfelf. Methinks it is a noble fpirit of contradiction to fate and fortune, not to give up thofe that are fnatched from us; but to follow them the more, the farther they are removed from the fenfe of it. Sure, flattery never travelled fo far as three thousand miles; it is now only for truth, which overtakes all things, to reach you at this distance. 'Tis a generous piece of popery, that purfues even thofe who are to be eternally abfent into another world: whether you' think it right or wrong, you'll own the very extravagance a fort of piety. I can't be fatisfied with ftrewing flowers over you, and barely honouring you as a thing loft; but must confider you as a glorious though remote being, and be fending addreffes after you. You You have carried away fo much of me, that what remains is daily languishing and dying over my acquaintance here; and, I believe, in three or four months more I fhall think Aurat Bazar as good a place as Covent-Garden, You may imagine this is raillery; but I am really fo far gone, as to take pleasure in reveries of this kind. Let them fay I am romantic; fo is every one said to be, that either admires a fine thing, or does one. On my conscience, as the world goes, 'tis hardly worth any body's while to do one for the honour of it: glory, the only pay of generous actions, is now as ill paid as other just debts; and neither Mrs. Macfarland, for immolating her lover, nor you, for conftancy to your lord, muft ever hope to be compared to Lucretia or Portia. I write this in fome anger; for having, fince you went, frequented thofe people moft, who feemed moft in your favour, I heard nothing that concerned you talked of fo often, as that you went away in a black full-bottomed wig; which I did but affert to be a bob, and was anfwered, "Love is blind." I am perfuaded your wig had never fuffered this criticism, but on the fcore of your head, and the two eyes that are in it. Pray, when you write to me, talk of yourfelf; there is nothing I fo much defire to hear of: talk a great deal of yourself; that the who I always thought talked the beft, may fpeak upon the beft fubject. The fhrines and reliques you tell me of, no way engage my euriofity; I had ten times rather go on pilgrimage to fee one fuch face as yours, than both St. John Baptift's heads. I with (fince you are grown fo covetous of golden things) you had not only all the fine ftatues you talk of, but even the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar fet up, provided you were to tra vel no farther than you could carry it. The court of Vienna is very edify. ing. The ladies, with refpect to their hulbands, feem to understand that text literally, that commands to bear one another's burdens: but, I fancy, many a man there is like Iffachar, an ass between two burdens. I fhall look upon you no more as a Chriftian, when you pafs from that charitable court to the land of jealousy. I expect to hear an exact account how, and at what places, you leave one of the thirty-nine articles after another, as you approach to the land of infidelity. Pray how ་ far are you got already? Amidft the pomp of a high mafs, and the ravish ing trills of a Sunday opera, what did you think of the doctrine and difcipline of the church of England? Had you from your heart a reverence for Sternhold and Hopkins? How did your Christian virtues hold out in so long a voyage? You have, it feems (without paffing the bounds of Christendom) out-travelled the fin of fornication: in a little time you'll look upon fome others with more patience than the ladies here are capable of. I reckon, you'll time it fo well as to make your religion laft to the verge of Chriftendom, that you may difcharge your chaplain (as humanity requires) in a place where he may find fome bufinefs. and 'tis in your power to fhorten this letter as much as you pleafe, by giving over when you please: fo I'll make it no longer by apologies. Pope. $42. The Manners of a Bookfeller. To the Earl of Burlington. My Lord, If your mare could fpeak, fhe would give an account of what extraordinary company fhe had on the road; which fince he cannot do, I will. It was the enterprifing Mr. Lintot, the redoubtable rival of Mr. Tonfon, who, mounted on a stone-horse (no dif agreeable companion to your lordship's mare) overtook me in Windfor-forest. He faid, he heard I defigned for Oxford, the feat of the Mufes; and would, as my book feller, by all means, accompany me thither. I asked him where he got his horfe? He answered, he got it of his publisher: "For that rogue my printer (faid he) difappointed me: I hoped to put "him in good humour by a treat at the " tavern, of a brown fricaffee of rabbits, "which coft two fhillings, with two 66 I doubt not but I fhall be told (when I come to follow you through thofe countries) in how pretty a manner you accommodated yourfelf to the customs of the true Muffulmen. They will tell me at what town you practised to fit on the fopha, at what village you learned to fold a turban, where you was bathed and anointed, and where you parted with your black full-bottom. quarts of wine, befides my conversaHow happy muft it be for a gay young "tion. I thought myself cock-sure of woman, to live in a country where it is "his horse, which he readily promifed a part of religious worship to be giddy-me, but faid that Mr. Tonfon had headed! I hall hear at Belgrade how the good bafhaw received you with tears of joy, how he was charmed with your agreeable manner of pronouncing the words Allah and Muhamed; and how earnestly you joined with him in exhorting your friend to embrace that religion. But I think his objection was a jult one; that it was attended with fome circumftances under which he could not properly reprefent his Britannic majelty. Laftly, I fhall hear how, the first night you lay at Pera, you had a vifion of Mahomet's paradife, and happily awaked without a foul; from which bleffed moment the beautiful body was left at full liberty to perform all the agreeable functions it was made for. I fee I have done in this letter, as I often have done in your company; talked myself into a good humour, when I begun in an ill one: the pleafure of addreffing to you makes me run on; juft fuch another defign of going to "Cambridge, expecting there the copy "of a new kind of Horace from Dr. and if Mr. Tonfon went, he ; "was pre-engaged to attend him, being to have the printing of the faid copy. “So, in short, I borrowed this stone"horfe of my publisher, which he had " of Mr. Oldmixon for a debt; he lent me, too, the pretty boy you fee after "me: he was a fmutty dog yesterday, " and cost me near two hours to wash the ink off his face: but the devil is a fair-conditioned devil, and very forward in his catechife: if you have any more bags, he fhall carry "them." I thought Mr. Lintot's civility not to be neglected; fo gave the boy a fmall bag, containing three fhirts, and an Elzevir Virgil; and mounting in an inftant, proceeded on the road, with my man before, my courteous tationer ftationer befide, and the aforefaid devil behind. Mr. Lintot began in this manner: "Now, damn them! what if they "fhould put it in the news-paper how you and I went together to Oxford ? what would I care? If I should go down into Suffex, they would fay I was gone to the fpeaker: but what "of that? If my fon were but big enough to go on with the bufinefs, by "G-d I would keep as good company as old Jacob." Hereupon I enquired of his fon. The lad (fays he) has fine parts, but is fomewhat fickly; much as you are "I fpare for nothing in his education at Westminster. Pray don't you "think Weftminster to be the best fchool in England? Moft of the late "miniftry came out of it, fo did many of this ministry; I hope the boy will "make his fortune." Don't you defign to let him pafs a year at Oxford? To what purpose ? (faid he) the univerfities do but make "pedants, and I intend to breed him a man of business." As Mr. Lintot was talking, I obferved he fat uneafy on his faddle,' for which I expreffed fome folicitude: Nothing, fays he, I can bear it well enough; but fince we have the day before us, methinks it would be very pleafant for you to reft a-while under the woods. When we were alighted, See, here, what a mighty pretty kind of Horace I have in my pocket! "what if you amufed yourself in turning an ode, till we mount again? "Lord! if you pleafed, what a clever mifcellany might you make at your leifure hours!" Perhaps I may, faid I, if we ride on; the motion is an aid to my fancy; a round trot very much awakens my fpirits: then jog on apace, and I'll think as hard as I ઃઃ can. "tranflate a whole ode in half this "time. I'll fay that for Oldsworth (though I loft by his Timothy's) he tranflates an ode of Horace the quickest of any man in England. I "remember Dr. King would write "verfes in a tavern three hours after he "could not fspeak: and there's Sir "Richard, in that rumbling old chariot "of his, between Fleet-ditch and St. Gile's pound, fhall make you half a "job." Pray, Mr. Lintot (faid I) now you talk of tranflators, what is your method of managing them?" Sir, (replied he) "thofe are the faddeft pack of rogues in "the world; in a hungry fit, they'll "fwear they understand all the langua ges in the univerfe: I have known "one of them take down a Greek book upon my counter, and cry, Ay, "this is Hebrew, I muft read it from "the latter end. By Gd, I can "never be fure in thefe fellows; for I " neither understand Greek, Latin, "French, nor Italian, myself. But this is my way; I agree with them for ten fhillings per fheet, with a provifo, that I will have their doings "corrected by whom I pleafe: fo by "one or other they are led at laft to "the true fenfe of an author; my judg"ment giving the negative to all my "tranflators." But how are you fecure thofe correctors may not impofe upon you?" Why, I get any civil gentleman (efpecially any Scotch"man) that comes into my shop, to "read the original to me in English; by this I know whether my tranflator "be deficient, and whether my corrector merits his money or not. "I'll tell you what happened to me "last month: I bargained with S"for a new version of Lucretius, to "publish against Tonfon's; agreeing to rr pay the author fo many fhillings at "his producing fo many lines. He "made a great progrefs in a very short "time, and I gave it to the corrector Silence enfued for a full hour: after which Mr. Lintot lugg'd the reins, ftopp'd fhort, and broke out, "Well, to compare with the Latin; but he Sir, how far have you gone ?" I anfwered, Seven miles. "Z-ds! Sir,' faid Lintot," I thought you had done. feven stanzas. Oldworth, in a ramble round Wimbleton-hill, would "went directly to Creech's tranfla"tion, and found it the fame, word for "word, all but the first page. Now, "what d'ye think I did? I arrested the tranflator for a cheat; nay, and I "stopped |