minster, and university lads adore you at this juncture! Have you made as many men laugh, as ministers can make weep? I will excuse sir the trouble of a letter when ambassadors came from Troy to condole with Tiberius upon the death of his nephew, after two years; the emperor answered, That he likewise condoled with them for the untimely death of Hector. I always loved and respected him very much, and do still as much as ever; and it is a return sufficient, if he pleases to accept the offers of my most humble. service. The Beggar's Opera hath knocked down Gulliver; I hope to see Pope's Dulness knock down the Beggar's Opera, but not till it hath fully done its job. To expose vice, and make people laugh with innocence, does more publick service than all the ministers of state from Adam to Walpole, and so adieu. companion; had much wit, and strong sense, and a just taste in polite literature. Her person was agreeable, and well made; though she could not be called a beauty. I have had the pleasure of being at table with her, when her conversation was much admired by the first characters of the age, particularly the old lord Bathurst, and lord Granville. Quin thought the success of this opera so doubtful, that he would not undertake to play the part of Macheath, but gave it up to Walker. And indeed it had like to have miscarried and been damned, till Polly sung in a most tender and affecting manner, the words, "From the rope that hangs my dear "Depends poor Polly's life." This is the air that is said irresistibly to have conquered the lover who afterward married her. Dr. WARTON. FROM FROM THE EARL OF OXFORD. REVEREND SIR, DOVER-STREET, OCTOBER 12, 1727. I WAS very much concerned to hear you were so much out of order when I went to the North; and upon my return, which was but lately, I was in hopes to have found you here, and that you would not have gone to your deanery till the Spring. I should be glad to hear that you are well, and have got rid of that troublesome distemper, your deafness. I have seen Pope but once, and that was but for a few minutes; he was very much out of order, but I hope it only proceeded from being two days in town, and staying out a whole opera. He would not see the coronation, although he might have seen it with little trouble. I came last night well home, after attending and paying my duty in my rank at the coronation. I hope there will not be another till I can have the laudable excuse of old age not to attend; which is no ill wish to their present majesties, since Nottingham at fourscore could bear the fatigue very well. I will not trouble you with an account of the ceremony; I do not doubt but you will have a full and true account from much better hands. I have been put in hopes that we shall see you again early in the Spring, which will be a very great pleasure to me. There is a gentleman that is now upon putting out a new edition of the Oxford Marmora: I should take it for a great favour if you would be so kind to lend me your copy of that book. I think there are some corrections: if you think fit to do this, Mr. Clayton, who is in Ireland, will take care to bring it safe to me, and I will with great care return it to you again. I must not conclude this without making my wife's compliments to you. I am, with true respect, sir, your most humble servant, You forgot to send me the ballad. OXFORD. Mr. Clayton will call upon you before he comes to England; I have written to him to that purpose. FROM DR. ARBUTHNOT. LONDON, NOv. 30, 1727. I HAVE heard, dear sir, with great pleasure, of your safe arrival; and, which is more, of the recovery of your health. I think it will be the best expedient for me to take a journey. You will know who the enclosed comes from; and I hope will va lue mine for what it contains. I think every one of your friends have heard from you, except myself. Either you have not done me justice, or your friends have not done you; for I have not heard from them of my name being mentioned in any of your letters. If my curiosity wanted only to be gratified, I do not stand in need of a letter from yourself, to inform me what you are doing; for there are people about court, who can tell me every thing that you do or say; so that you had best take care of your conduct. You see of what importance you are. However, all quarrels aside, I must ask you, if you have any interest (or do you think that I could have, or procure any) with my lord lieutenant, to advance a relation of mine, one captain Innes, I think in colonel Wilson's regiment, and now in Limerick? He is an exceeding worthy man, but has stuck long in a low post, for want of friends. Pray tell me which way I shall proceed in this matter. I was yesterday with all your friends at St. James's. There is certainly a fatality upon poor Gay. As for hopes of preferment there by favour, he has laid it aside. He had made a pretty good bargain (that is, a Smithfield one) for a little place in the customhouse, which was to bring him in about a hundred a year. It was done as a favour to an old man, and not at all to Gay. When every thing was concluded, the man repented, and said, he would not part with his place. I have begged Gay not to buy an annuity upon my life; I am sure I should not live a week. I long to hear of the safe arrival of Dr. Delany. Pray, give my humble service to him. As for news, it was writ from Spain, to me, from my brother in France, that the preliminaries were ratified, and yet the ministry know nothing of it. Nay, some of them told me, that the answer was rather surly. Lord Townshend is very ill; but I think, by the description of his case, it is not mortal. I was with our friend at the back stairs yester day, day, and had the honour to be called in, and prettily chid for leaving off, &c. The first part of the discourse was about you, Mr. Pope, Curll, and my. self. My family are well: they, and my brother in France, and one that is here, all give their service to you. If you had been so lucky as to have gone to Paris last summer, you would have had health, honour, and diversion in abundance; for I will promise, you would have recovered of the spleen. I shall add no more, but my kindest wishes, and that I am, with the greatest affection and respect, yours, &c. SIR, FROM MONSIEUR VOLTAIRE. In London, Maiden Lane, at the White Peruke, You will be surprised in receiving an English essay * from a French traveller. Pray, forgive an admirer of you, who owes to your writings the love he bears to your language, which has betrayed him into the rash attempt of writing in English. You will see by the advertisement, that I have some designs upon you, and that I must mention you, for the honour of your country, and for the improvement of mine. Do not forbid me to grace * An essay on the civil wars of France, which he made the foundation of his Henriade, an heroick poem, since well known, He had been imprisoned in the Bastille, in Paris, but being released about the year 1725, he came to England, and solicited subscriptions for his poem. my |