within the walls, they put me in mind of those of Carthage, where your friend, like the wandering Trojan, animum Pictura pascit inani. For the spacious mansion, like a Turkish Caravanserah, entertains the vagabonds with only bare lodging. I rule the family very ill, keep bad hours, and lend out your pictures about the town. See what it is to have a poet in your house! Frank indeed does all he can in such a circumstance; for, considering he has a wild beast in it, he constantly keeps the door chained. Every time it is opened the links rattle, the rusty hinges roar. The house seems so sensible that you are its support, that it is ready to drop in your absence; but I still trust myself under its roof, as depending that Providence will preserve so many Raphaels, Titians, and Guidos, as are lodged in your Cabinet. Surely the sins of one Poet can hardly be so heavy, as to bring an old house over the heads of so many painters. In a word, your house is falling; but what of that! I am only a lodger3. LETTER V. THE HON. MR. CRAGGS TO MR. POPE. Paris, Sept. 2, 1716. LAST post brought me the favour of your letter of the 19th August, O. S. It would be taking too 3 Alluding to the story of the Irishman. W. much upon me to decide, that it was a witty one; I never pretend to more judgment than to know what pleases me, and can assure you, it was a very agreeable one. The proof I can give you of my sincerity in this opinion, is, that I hope and desire you would not stop at this, but continue more of them. I am in a place where pleasure is continually flowing. The Princes set the example, and the subjects follow at a distance. The Ladies are of all parties*, by which means the conversation of the men is very much softened5 and fashioned from those blunt disputes on Politics, and rough jests, we are so guilty of; while the freedom of the women takes away all formality and constraint. I must own, at the same time, these Beauties are a little too artificial for my taste: you have seen a French picture, the Original is more painted, and such a crust of powder and essence in their hair, that you can see no difference between black and red. By disusing stays, aud indulging themselves at table, they run out of all shape; but as to that, they may give a good reason, they prefer conveniency to parade, and are, by this means, as ready, as they are generally willing, to be charitable. I am surprized to find I have wrote so much scandal; I fancy I am either setting up for a wit, or imagine I must write in this style to a wit; I hope you'll prove a good-natured one, and not only let me hear * i. e. In all companies. W. 5 In a Letter written 1774, the King of Prussia has made an observation on the manners of the French nation, which we have lived to see fully and sadly verified; "La nation Francaise, quoique tres-polie, s'est quelquefois emportée à des Atrocités dignes des nations les plus barbares." from you sometimes, but forgive the small encouragement you meet with. I won't trouble myself to finish finely; a true compliment is better than a good one; and I can assure you, without any, that I am very sincerely, Sir, SIR, LETTER VI. TO MR. FENTON. Your, etc. May 5. I HAD not omitted answering yours of the 18th of last month, but out of a desire to give you some certain and satisfactory account, which way, and at what time, you might take your journey. I am now commissioned to tell you, that Mr. Craggs will ex • After this severe disappointment, occasioned by the death of Mr. Craggs, he brought out his tragedy of Mariamne, 1723, which was acted with great success at the Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre, after Cibber had rejected it at Drury Lane, with equal insolence and ill taste. He consulted his old friend Southerne, on the conduct of this drama; which, and the Siege of Damascus, Mr. Walpole thinks the two last best of modern tragedies. It produced him 10007. He dedicated it to Lord Gower, to whom he addressed one of the finest odes in our language. Akenside was for ever praising this ode. The Mariamne of Voltaire was first played, and miscarried, in 1722. These two pieces had not the least resemblance to each other. The assistance he gave to Pope in translating the Odyssey, published 1724, is well known. In 1725 he published an edition of Paradise Lost, revising and rectifying the punctuation. To which he prefixed, a short, but very elegant account of Milton's Life, and spoke of our great poet's political opinions, with a candour and liberality that does him much credit, considering they were so opposite to his own, who was a pect you on the rising of the Parliament, which will be as soon as he can receive you in the manner he would receive a man de belles lettres, that is, in tranquillity and full leisure. I dare say your way of life (which, in my taste, will be the best in the world, and with one of the best men in the world) must prove highly to your contentment. And, I must add, it will be still the more a joy to me, as I shall reap a particular advantage from the good I shall have done in bringing you together", by seeing it in my own neighbourhood. Mr. Craggs has taken a house close Nonjuror, and a firm friend to the Stuart family. And, 1719, Fenton gave to the public his last work, a magnificent edition of Waller, in quarto, with many notes and illustrations, of Poems, which, from their nature, being personal, required many. He died 1730, at Easthamstead, in the house of his friend the Lady Trumbul, whose family he had for some time superintended, and who treated him with much tenderness and attention. Mr. Harte, who knew many particulars of his life, once told me he would write an account of it. He had a regard for Harte, whose father also was a Nonjuror, a man of remarkable piety and integrity. When Judge Jeffries came to Taunton Assizes, 1685, to execute his commission on the rebels that had joined Monmouth; old Mr. Harte, at that time minister of St. Mary's Church at Taunton, waited on him privately, and remonstrated much against the severities which he was going to inflict. The judge listened to him calmly and attentively; and, though he had never seen him before, to his great surprize, advanced him in a few months to a Prebendal Stall in the Cathedral of Bristol. I thought the reader might not dislike to hear this anecdote of Jeffries, the one only action of his life that I believe does him any credit. 7 Mr. Craggs had had no learned education: he wanted to improve himself in letters, and desired Mr. Pope to chuse himout a polite scholar, by whose conversation and instruction he might profit. Mr. Pope recommended Mr. Fenton; but Mr. Craggs's untimely death prevented the two latter from receiving the mutual benefits of this connexion. W. by mine, whither he proposes to come in three weeks : in the mean time I heartily invite you to live with me; where a frugal and philosophical diet, for a time, may give you a higher relish of that elegant way of life you will enter into after. I desire to know by the first post how soon I may hope for you. I am a little scandalized at your complaint that your time lies heavy on your hands, when the Muses have put so many good materials into your head to employ them. As to your question, What I am doing? I answer, Just what I have been doing some years, my duty; secondly, relieving myself with necessary amusements, or exercises, which shall serve me instead of physic as long as they can; thirdly, reading till I am tired; and, lastly, writing when I have no other thing in the world to do, or no friend to entertain in company. My mother is, I thank God, the easier, if not the better, for my cares; and I am the happier in that regard, as well as in the consciousness of doing my best. My next felicity is in retaining the good opinion of honest men, who think me not quite undeserving of it; and in finding no injuries from others hurt me, as long as I know myself. I will add the sincerity with which I act towards ingenious and undesigning men, and which makes me always (even by a natural bond) their friend; therefore believe me very affectionately Your, etc. |