find any pleasure in them, it must be fuch as a man naturally takes in obferving the first shoots and buddings of a tree which he has raised himself and 'tis impoffible they should be esteemed any otherwise, than as we value fruits for being early, which nevertheless are the moft infipid, and the worft of the year. In a word, I muft blame you for treating me with fo much compliment, which is at best but the smoke of friendship. I neither write, nor converfe with you, to gain your praife, but your affection. Be fo much my friend as to appear my enemy, and tell me my faults, if not as a young Man, at least as an unexperiencd Writer. I am, etc.

LETTER IV.

From Mr. WYCHERLEY.

March 29, 1705.

YOUR letter of the twenty-fifth of March I have received, which was more welcome to me than any thing could be out of the country, tho' it were one's rent due that day; and I can find no fault with it, but that it charges me with want of fincerity, or juftice, for giving you your due; who fhould not let your modefty be fo unjuft to your merit, as to reject what is due to it, and call that compliment, which is so fhort of your desert, that it is rather degrading than exalting you. But if compliment, be the smoke only of friendship (as you fay) however, you must allow there is no fmoke but there is fome fire; and as the facrifice of incenfe, offered to the Gods would not have been half fo fweet to others, if it had not been for its smoke; fo friendship, like love, cannot be without fome incenfe, to perfume the name it would praise and immortalize. But fince you fay you do not write to me to gain my praife, but my affection, pray how is it poffible to have the one without the other? we muft admire before we love. You affirm, you would have me fo much your friend as to appear your enemy, and find out your faults rather than your perfections; but

(my

(my friend) that would be fo hard to do, that I, who love no difficulties, can't be perfuaded to it. Befides, the vanity of a feribler is fuch, that he will never part with his own judginent to gratify another's; especially when he must take pains to do it: and though I am : proud to be of your opinion, when you talk of any thing or man but yourself, I cannot fuffer you to murder your fame with your own hand, without oppofing you; efpecially when you say your last letter is the worst (fince the longeft) you have favoured me with; which I therefore think the beft, as the longeft life (if a good one) is the best; as it yields the more variety, and is the more exemplary; as a chearful fummer's day, tho' longer than a dull one in the winter, is lefs tedious and more entertaining. Therefore let but your friendship be like your letter, as lafting as it is agreeable, and it can never be tedious, but more acceptable and obliging to

Your, etc,

I

LETTER V.

From Mr. WYCHERLEY.

April 7, 1705.

Have received yours of the fifth, wherein your mo̟defty refuses the juft praises I give you, by which you lay claim to more, as a bishop gains his bishopric by faying he will not epifcopate; but I muft confefs, whilft I difplease you by commending you, I please myself: juft as incenfe is sweeter to the offerer than the deity to whom 'tis offered, by his being fo much above it: For indeed every man partakes of the praise he gives, when it is fo juftly given.

As to my enquiry after your intrigues with the Mufes, you may allow me to make it, fince no old man can give fo young, fo great, and able a favourite of theirs, jealoufy. I am, in my enquiry, like old Sir Bernard Gafcoign, who used to say, that when he was grown too old

to

to have his vifits admitted alone by the ladies, he always took along with him a young man to enfure his welcome to them; for had he come alone he had been rejected, only because his vifits were not fcandalous to them. So I am (like an old rook, who is ruined by gaming) forced to live on the good fortune of the pufhing young men, whose fancies are fo vigorous that they enfure their fuccefs in their adventures with the Mufes, by their ftrength of imagination.

Your papers are safe in my cuftody (you may be fure} from any one's theft but my own; for 'tis as dangerous to truft a fcribler with your wit, as a gamester with the cuftody of your money.-If you happen to come to town, you will make it more difficult for me to leave it, who

am,

Yours, etc.

LETTER VI.

April 30, 1705.

Cannot contend with you: You must give me leave at once to wave all your compliments, and to collect only this in general from them, that your defign is to encourage me. But I feparate from all the reft that paragraph or two, in which you make me fo warm an offer of your friendship. Were I poffeffed of that, it would put an end to all those speeches with which you now make me blush; and change them to wholefome advices, and free fentiments, which might make me wifer and happier. I know 'tis the general opinion, that friendship is best contracted betwixt perfons of equal age; but I have so much interest to be of another mind, that you must pardon me if I cannot forbear telling you a few notions of mine, in opposition to that opinion.

In the first place 'tis obfervable, that the love we bear to our friends, is generaly caused by our finding the fame difpofitions in them, which we feel in ourselves. This is but felf-love at the bottom : whereas the affection be

twixt people of different ages cannot well be fo, the inclinations of fuch being commonly various. The friendthip of two young men is often occafioned by love of pleasure or voluptuoufnefs, cach being defirous for his own fake of one to affift or encourage him in the courses he purfues; as that of two old men is frequently on the fcore of fome profit, lucre, or defign upon others. Now, as a young man, who is lefs acquainted with the ways of the world, has in all probability lefs of intereft; and an old man, who may be weary of himfelf, has, or fhould have lefs of felf-love; fo the friendship between them is the more likely to be true, and unmixed with too much felf-regard. One may add to this, that such a friendship is of greater use and advantage to both; for the old man will grow gay and agreeable to please the young one; and the young man more discreet and prudent by the help of the old one; fo it may prove a cure of thofe epidemical difeafes of age and youth, fournefs and madness. I hope you will not need many arguments to convince you of the poffibility of this; one alone abundantly fatisfies me, and convinces to the heart: which is, that young as I am, and old as you are, I am your entirely affectionate, &c.

LETTER VII.

June 23, 1705. I Should believe myself happy in your good opinion, but that you treat me so much in a ftyle of compliment. It hath been obferved of women, that they are more subject in their youth to be touched with vanity than men, on account of their being generally treated this way; but the weakest women are not more weak than that class of men, who are thought to pique themfelves upon their Wit. The world is never wanting, when a coxcomb is accomplishing himself, o help to give him the finishing ftroke.

* Mr. Wycherley was at this time about feventy years old, Mr. Pope

under feventeen.

Every man is apt to think his neighbour overftock'd with vanity, yet, I cannot but fancy there are certain times, when moft pcople are in a disposition of being informed; and 'tis incredible what a vaft good a little truth might do, fpoken in fuch feafons. A fmall alms will do a great kindness, to people in extreme neceffity.

I could name an acquaintance of yours, who would at this time think himself more obliged to you for the infor mation of his faults, than the confirmatinn of his follies. you would make thofe the fubject of a letter, it might be as long as I could wifh your letters always were.

If

I do not wonder you have hitherto found fome difficulty (as you are pleased to say) in writing to me, fince you have always chosen the task of commending me: take but the other way, and, I dare engage, you will find none at all.

As for my verfes, which you praife fo much, I may truly fay they have never been the cause of any vanity in me, except what they gave me when they first occafioned my acquaintance with you. But I have several times fince been in danger of this vice; as often, I mean, as I received any letters from you. 'Tis certain, the greatest magnifying glaffes in the world are a man's own eyes, when they look upon his own perfon; yet even in thofe, I cannot fancy myself fo extremely like Alexander the Great, as you would persuade me. If I must be like him, 'tis you will make me fo by complimenting me into a better opinion of myself than I deserve: They made him think he was the fon of Jupiter, and you affure me I am a man of parts. But is this all you can fay to my honour? you faid ten times as much before, when you call'd me your friend. After having made me believe I poffefs'd a fhare in your affection, to treat me with compliments and sweet sayings, is like the proceeding with poor Sancho Panca: they perfuaded him that he enjoy'd a great dominion, and then gave him nothing to fubfift upon but wafers and marmalade. In our days the greatest obligation you can lay upon a Wit, is to VOL. III.

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