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on the Duke of Marlborough, and two others. I have done all that I thought could be of advantage to them: fome I have contracted, as we do fun-beams, to improve their energy and force: fome I have taken quite away, as we take branches from a tree, to add to the fruit; others I have entirely new exprefs'd, and turn'd more into poetry. Donne (like one of his fucceffors) had infinitely more wit than he wanted verfification; for the great dealers of wit, like those in trade, take leaft pains to set off their goods; while the haberdafhers of small wit, spare for no decorations or ornaments. You have commiffion'd me to paint your shop, and I have done my best to brush you up like your neighbours *. But I can no more pretend to the merit of the production, than a midwife to the virtues and good qualities of the child fhe helps into the light.

The few things I have entirely added, you will excufe; you may take them lawfully for your own, because they are no more than sparks lighted up by your fire; and you may omit them at laft, if you think them but fquibs in your triumphs.

I

LETTER XII.

From Mr. WY CHERLEY.

Nov. 11, 1707.

Received yours of the 9th yefterday, which has (like the rest of your letters) at once pleas'd and inftructed me; fo that, I affure you, you can no more write too much to your absent friends, than speak too much to the present. This is a truth that all men own who have either feen your writings, or heard your difcourfe; enough to make others fhow their judgment, in ceafing to write or talk, especially to you, or in your company. However,

*Several of Mr. Pope's lines, very eafy to be diftinguifh'd, may be found in the Pofthumous Editions of Wycherley's Poems: particularly thofe on SoLitude, on the Public, and on the Mixed Life.

I speak

I fpeak or write to you, not to please you, but myself; fince I provoke your anfwers; which whilft they humble me, give me vanity; tho' I am leffen'd by you even when you commend me: fince you commend my little sense with fo much more of yours, that you put me out of countenance, whilft you would keep me in it. So that you have found a way (againft the custom of great wits) to fhew even a great deal of good nature with a great deal of good fenfe.

I thank you for the book you promis'd me, by which I find you would not only correct my lines, but my life.

As to the damn'd verfes I entrufted you with, I hope you will let them undergo your purgatory, to fave them from the people's damning them: fince the critics, who are generally the firft damn'd in this life, like the damn'd below, never leave to bring those above them under their own circumftances. I beg you to perufe my papers, and felect what you think beft or moft tolerable, and look over them again; for I refolve fuddenly to print fome of them, as a harden'd old gamefter will (in spite of all former ill ufage by fortune) pufh on an ill hand in expectation of recovering himfelf; especially fince I have fuch a Croupier or Second to stand by me as Mr. Pope.

M

LETTER XIII.

Nov. 20, 1707.

R. Englefyld being upon his journey to London, tells me I must write to you by him, which I do, not more to comply with his defire, than to gratify my own; tho' I did it fo lately by the meffenger you fent hither: I take it too as an opportunity of fending you the fair copy of the poem * on Dulnefs, which was not then finish'd, and which I fhould not care to hazard by the common poft. Mr. Englefyld is ignorant of the

*The original of it in blots, and with figures of the References from copy to copy, in Mr. Pope's hand, is yet extant among other fuch Brouillons of Mr. Wycherley's poems, corrected by him.

contents,

contents, and I hope your prudence will let him remain fo, for my fake no lefs than your own; fince if you fhould reveal any thing of this nature, it would be no wonder reports fhould be rais'd, and there are thofe (I fear) who would be ready to improve them to my difadvantage. I am forry you told the great man, whom you met in the court of requefts, that your papers were in my hands: no man alive fhall ever know any fuch thing from me; and I give you this warning befides, that tho' your felf fhould fay I had any ways affifted you, I am notwithftanding refolv'd to deny it.

The method of the copy I fend you is very different from what it was, and much more regular: for the better help of your memory, I defire you to compare it by the figures in the margin, anfwering to the fame in this letter. The poem is now divided into four parts, marked with the literal figures 1. 2. 3. 4. The first contains the Praise of Dulnefs, and fhews how upon feveral fuppofitions it paffes for. religion, 2. philofophy, 3 ex ample, 4. wit, and 5. the cause of wit, and the end of it. The fecond part contains the Advantages of Dulhess; Ift, in bufinefs; and 2dly, at Court; where the fimilitudes of the Byafs of a bowl, aud the Weights of a clock, are directly tending to the fubject, tho' intro duced before in a place where there was no mention made of thofe advantages (which was your only objection to my adding them.) The third contains the Happiness of Dulnefs in all ftations, and fhews in a great many particulars, that it is fo fortunate as to be efteem'd fome good quality or other in all forts of people; that it is thought quiet, fenfe, caution, policy, prudence, majesty, valour, circumfpection, honefty, etc. The fourth part I have wholly added, as a climax which fums up all the praife, advantage, and happiness of Dulness in a few words, and ftrengthens them by the oppofition of the dif grace, disadvantage, and unhappiness of Wit, with which it concludes *.

* This is totally omitted in the present Edition: Some of the lines are these :
VOL. III,
Rr
Thus

Tho' the whole be as fhort again as at firft, there is not one thought omitted, but what is a repetition of fomething in your first volume, or in this very paper: fome thoughts are contracted, where they feem'd encompass'd with too many words; and some new express'd, or added, where I thought there wanted heightning (as you'll fee particularly in the Simile of the clockweights) and the verfification throughout is, I believe, fuch as no body can be fhock'd at. The repeated permiffions you give me of dealing freely with you, will (I hope) excufe what I have done : for if I have not spar'd you when I thought feverity would do you a kindness, I have not mangled you where I thought there was no abfolute need of amputation. As to particulars, I can satisfy you better when we meet; in the mean time pray write to me when you can, you cannot too often.

LETTER XIV.

From Mr. WYCHERLEY.

Nov. 22, 1707.

You may fee by my ftyle, I had the happiness and fatisfaction to receive yesterday by the hands of Mr. Englefyld, your extreme kind and obliging letter of the

"Thus Dulness, the fafe opiate of the mind,
"The last kind refuge weary Wit can find;
"Fit for all stations, and in each content,
"Is fatisfy d, fecure, and innocent;
"No pains it takes, and no offence it gives,
"Unfear'd, unhated, undisturb'd it lives," etc.

It was originally thus exprefs'd:

"As Clocks run fafteft when most lead is on,"

in a Letter of Mr. Pope to Mr. Wycherley, dated April 3, 1705, and in a paper of verfes of his, To the Author of a poem called Succeffio, which got out in a mifcellany in 1712, three years before Mr Wycherley died, and two after he had laid aside the whole design of publishing any poems.

Thefe two fimiles of the Biafs of a Bowl, and the Weights of a Click, were at length put into the first book of the Dunciad, And thus we have the history of their birth, fortunes, and final establishment.

20th of this month; which, like all the reft of yours, did at once mortify me, and make me vain; fince it tells me with fo much more wit, fenfe, and kindness than mine can express, that my letters are always welcome to you. So that even while your kindness invites me to write to you, your wit and judgment forbid me; fince I may return you a letter, but never an answer.

Now, as for my owning your affiftance to me, in overlooking my unmufical numbers, and harfher fenfe, and correcting them both with your genius, or judgment; I muft tell you I always own it (in spite of your unpoetic modefty) who would do with your friendship as your charity; conceal your bounty to magnify the obligation; and even whilft you lay on your friend the favour, acquit him of the debt: but that fhall not ferve your turn; I will always own, 'tis my infallible Pope has, or would redeem me from a poetical damning, the fecond time; and fave my rhimes from being condemn'd to the critics flames to all eternity; but (by the faith you profess) you know your works of fupererogation, transferr'd upon an humble, acknowledging finner, may fave even him: having good works enough of your own befides, to enfure yours, and their immortality.

And now for the pains you have taken to recommend my Dulness, by making it more methodical, I give you a thousand thanks; fince true and natural Dulness is fhewn more by its pretence to form and method, as the sprightlinefs of wit by its defpifing both. I thank you a thoufand times for your repeated invitations to come to Binfield: You will find, it will be as hard for you to get quit of my mercenary kindness to you, as it would for me to deferve, or return yours; however, it fhall be the endeavour of my future life, as it will be to demonflrate myself

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