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cafe, and when they ftop, they are not fo properly converted, as outwitted. You fee how little glory you would gain by my converfion. And, after all, I verily believe your Lordship and I are both of the fame religion, if we were thoroughly understood by one another; and that all honeft and reasonable Chriftians would be fo, if they did but talk enough together every day; and had nothing to do together, but to ferve God, and live in peace with their neighbour..

But

A's to the temporal fide of the question, I can have no dispute with you; it is certain, all the beneficial circumftances of life, and all the fhining ones, lie on the part you would invite me to. if I could bring myfelf to fancy, what I think you do but fancy, that I have any talents for active life, I want health for it; and befides it is a real truth, I have less Inclination (if poffible) than Ability. Contemplative life is not only my scene, but it is my habit too. I begun my life, where moft people end theirs, with a difrelish of all that the world calls ambition: I don't know why 'tis called fo, for to me it always feemed to be rather ftooping than climbing. I'll tell you my politic and religious fentiments in a few words. In my politics, I think no further than how to preserve the peace of my life, in any government under which I live; nor in my religion, than to preferve the peace of my conscience, in any church with which I communicate. I hope all churches and all governments are fo far of God, as they are rightly understood, and rightly adminiA a 3 ftered:

ftered: and where they are, or may be wrong, I leave it to God alone to mend or reform them; which whenever he does, it must be by greater inftruments than I am. I am not a Papist, for I renounce the temporal invafions of the papal power, and deteft their arrogated authority over Princes and States. I am a Catholic in the ftricteft fenfe of the word. If I was born under an abfolute prince, I would be a quiet fubject: but I thank God I was not. I have a due fenfe of the excellence of the British conftitution. In a word, the things I have always wifhed to fee, are not a Roman Catholic, or a Frénch Catholic, or a Spanish Catholic, but a true Catholic: and not a King of Whigs, or a King of Tories, but a King of England. Which God of his mercy grant his prefent Majefty may be, and all future Majefties: You fee, my Lord, I end like a preacher: this is Sermo ad Clerum, not ad Populum. Believe me, with infinite obligation and fincere thanks,

ever

Your, &c. IBID. p. 322.

DEFENCE AGAINST A NOBLE LORD's REFLEXIONS.

THERE was another reason why I was filent as to that paper-I took it for a Lady's (on the printer's word in the title-page) and thought it too prefuming, as well as indecent, to contend with one of that Sex in altercation: For I never was fo mean a creature as to commit my Anger against a Lady to paper, though but in a private Letter. But foon after, her denial of it was brought to me by a Noble perfon of real Honour and Truth. Your Lord

Lordship indeed faid you had it from a Lady, and the Lady faid it was your Lordship's; fome thought the beautiful by-blow had Two Fathers, or (if one of them will hardly be allowed a man) Two Mothers; indeed I think both Sexés had a fhare in it, but which was uppermost, I know not: I pretend not to determine the exact method of this Witty Fornication: and, if I call it Yours, my Lord, 'tis only because, whoever got it, you brought it forth.

Here, my Lord, allow me to obferve the different proceeding of the Ignoble Poet, and his Noble Enemies. What he has written of Fanny, Adonis, Sappho, or who you will, he owned, he published, he fet his name to: What they have published of him, they have denied to have written; and what they have written of him, they have denied to have published. One of thefe was the cafe in the past Libel, and the other in the prefent; for, though the parent has owned it to a few choice friends, it is such as he has been obliged to deny, in the most particular terms, to the great Person whose opinion concerned him most.

Yet, my Lord, this Epiftle was a piece not written in hafte, or in a passion, but many months after all pretended provocation; when you was at full leifure at Hampton-Court, and I the object fingled, like a Deer out of Season, for so ill-timed, and ill-placed a diverfion. It was a deliberate work, directed to a Reverend Perfon, of the most serious

and

and facred character, with whom you are known to cultivate a tria correspondence, and to whom it will not be doubted, but you open your fecret: fentiment, and deliver your real judgment of men anings. This, I fay, my Lord, with fubmiffion, could not but awaken all my Reflection and Attention. Your Lordship's opinion of me as a Poet, I cannot help; it is yours, my Lord, and that were enough to mortify a poor man; but it is not yours alone, you must be content to fhare it with the Gentlemen of the Dunciad, and (it may be) with many more innocent and ingenious men. If your Lordship de ftroys my poetical character, they will claim their part in the glory; but, give me leave to say, if my moral character be ruined, it must be wholly the work of your Lordship; and will be hard even. for you to do, unless I myself co-operate.

How can you talk (my most worthy Lord) of all Pope's Works as fo many Libels, affirm, that be. bas no invention but in Defamation, and charge him with felling another man's labours printed with his own name? Fye, my Lord, you forget yourself. He printed not his name before a line of the perfon's you mention; that perfon himself has told you and all the world, in the book itself, what part he had in it, as may be feen at the conclufion of his notes to the Odyffey. I can only fuppofe your Lordship (not having at that time forgot your Greek) despised to look upon the Tranflation; and ever fince entertained too mean an opinion of the Translator

to

to caft an eye upon it. Befides, my Lord, when you faid he fold another man's works, you ought in juftice to have added that he bought them, which very much alters the Cafe. What he gave him was five hundred pounds: his receipt can be produced to your Lordship. I dare not affirm he was as well paid as fome Writers (much his inferiors) have been fince; but your Lordfhip will reflect that I am no man of Quality, either to buy or fell fcribling fo high and that I have neither Place, Penfion, nor Power to reward for fecret Services. It cannot be, that one of your rank can have the leaft Envy to fuch an author as I am; but, were that poffible, it were much better gratified by employing not your own, but fome of those low and ignoble pens to do you this mean office. I dare engage you'll have them for less than I gave Mr. Broom, if your friends have not raised the market: Let them drive the bargain for you, my Lord; and you may depend on feeing, every day in the week, as many (and now and then as pretty) Verfes, as thefe of your Lordship.

And would it not be full as well, that my poor person should be abused by them, as by one of your rank and quality? Cannot Curl do the fame? nay, has he not done it before your Lordship, in the fame kind of Language, and almost the same words? I cannot but think, the worthy and difcreet Clergyman himself will agree, it is improper, nay unchriftian, to expose the personal defects of our brother; that both fuch perfect forms as yours, and

fuch

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