6 < DEAR SIR, London, March 18, 'I MUST own I have long owed you a letter, but you must own, you have owed me one a good deal longer. Befides, I have but two people in the 'whole kingdom of Ireland to take care of; the Dean and you but you have feveral who complain of your neglect in England. Mr. Gay complains, Mr. Harcourt complains, Mr. Jervas complains, Dr. Arbuthnot complains, my Lord complains; I complain. (Take notice of this figure of iteration, when you make your next fermon). Some fay, you are in deep difcontent at the new turn of 'affairs; others, that you are fo much in the archbifhop's good graces, that you will not correfpond with any that have feen the laft miniftry. Some affirm, you have quarrelled with Pope (whofe friends they obferve daily fall from him on account of his fatirical and comical difpofition); others, that you are infinuating yourself into the opinion of the ingenious Mr. What-do-ye-call-bim. Some think you are preparing your fermons for the prefs, and others that you will transform them into effays and moral difcourfes.. But the only excufe, that I will allow, is your attention to the life of Zoilus. The frogs already feem to croak for their transportation to England, and are fenfible how much that Doctor is : curfed and hated, who introduced their species into your nation; therefore, as you dread the wrath of St. Patrick, fend them hither, and rid the kingdom of those pernicious and loquacious animals. I have at length received your poem out of Mr. Addifon's hands, which fhall be fent as foon as you order it, and in what manner you fhall appoint. I 'fhall in the mean time give Mr. Tooke a packet for you, confifting of divers merry pieces. Mr. Gay's new farce, Mr. Burnet's letter to Mr. Pope, Mr. Pope's 'Pope's Temple of Fame, Mr. Thomas Burnet's 'Grumbler on Mr. Gay, and the bishop of Ailfbury's Elegy, written either by Mr. Cary or fome other hand. . Mr. Pope is reading a letter, and in the mean time I make use of the pen to teftify my uneafinefs in not hearing from you. I find fuccefs, even in the 'moft trivial things, raises the indignation of fcrib'blers for I, for my What-d'-ye-call-it, could nei'ther escape the fury of Mr. Burnet, or the Ger man doctor; then where will rage end, when Ho" mer is to be tranflated? Let Zoilus haften to $ your friend's affiftance, and envious criticifm fhall be no more. I am in hopes that we may order our affairs fo as to meet this fummer at the Bath; for Mr. Pope and myfelf have thoughts of taking a trip thither. You fhall preach, and we will write lampoons; for it is efteemed as great an honour 'to leave the Bath, for fear of a broken head, as for a Terræ Filius of Oxford to be expelled. I have no place at court, therefore, that I may not entirely be without one every where, fhew that I have a a place in your remembrance; Your most affectionate, Faithful fervants, A. POPE, and J. GAY. Homer will be published in three weeks.' I cannot finish this trifle, without returning my fincereft acknowledgements to Sir John Parnell, for the generous affiftance he was pleafed to give me, in furnishing me with many materials, when he heard I was about writing the life of his uncle; as alfo to Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, relations of our poet; and to my very good friend Mr. Stevens, who, being an ornament to letters himself, is very ready to affift all the attempts of others. THE |