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to know what pleases me, and can affure you, it was a very agreeable one. The Proof I can give you of my Sincerity in this Opinion, is, that I hope and defire you would not stop at this, but continue more of them.

I am in a Place where Pleafure is continually flowing. The Princes fet the Example, and the Subjects follow at a Distance. The Ladies are of all Parties, by which Means the Conversation of Men is much foftened and fashioned from thofe blunt Difputes on Politicks, and rough Jefts, we are fo guilty of; while the Freedom of the Women takes away all Formality and Conftraint. I muft own, at the fame. Time, thefe Beauties are too artificial for my Taste ; you have feen a French Picture, the Original is more painted, and fuch a Cruft of Powder and Effence in their Hair, that you can fee no Difference between Black and Red. By difufing Stays, and indulging themselves at a Table, they are run out of all Shape; but as to that, they may give a good Reafon, they prefer Conveniency to Parade, and are by this Means as ready, as they are generally willing to be charitable.

I am furpriz'd to find I have wrote fo much Scandal; I fancy I am either fetting up for a Wit, or imagine I muft write in this Stile to a Wit; I hope you'll prove a good natur'd one, and not only let me hear from you fometimes, but forgive the fmall Encouragement you meet with. If you'll compleat your Favours, pray give my humble Services to Lords Warwick, St. John, and Harley. I have had my Hopes and Fears they would have abused me before this Time; I am fure it is not my Business to meddle with a Neft of Bees (I speak only of the Honey.) I won't trouble myfelf to finifh finely, a true Com

pliment

pliment is better than a good one, and I can affure you without any, that I am very fincerely, Sir, Yours, &c.

CRAGGS.

He died February the 16th, 1720, and was buried in Westminster-Abbey. The Epitaph upon his Monument was wrote by Mr. Pope.

Statefman, yet Friend to Truth! of Soul fincere,
In Action faithful, and in Honour clear !
Who broke no Promise, ferv'd no private End;
Who gain'd no Title, and who lost no Friend;
Ennobled by himself, by all approv'd,
Prais'd, wept, and honour'd, by the Mufe he lov'd.

A. POPE.

In the Year 1715, at which Time Mr. Addifon intended to publifh his Book of Medals, Mr. Pope wrote him an Epiftle on that Subject, which appears printed with them; it was long before Mr. Addifon was Secretary of State, and while a great Show of Friendship was kept up by that Gentleman for our Author. This Epiftle points out the Usefulness of ftudying Medals, because they preferve the Memory of Things much longer than Arches, Temples, and Tombs, which vanish like the Living and the Dead, and foon in Comparifon of Medals, lofe their fading Infcriptions and Statues: Mr. Pope's Thoughts are these.

Ambition figh'd: She found it vain to trust The faithlefs Column and the crumbling Buft; Huge Moles, whofe Shadow ftretch'd from Shore to Shore,

Their Ruius ruin'd, and their Place no more!

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Convinc'd, fhe now contracts her vast Design,
And all her Triumphs fhrink into a Coin.
A narrow Orb each crouded Conqueft keeps,
Beneath her Palm here fad Judea weeps,
Now scantier Limits the proud Arch confine,
And scarce are seen the proftrate Nile or Rhine,
A fmall Euphrates through the Piece is roll'd,
And little Eagles wave their Wings in Gold.

The Poetry of these Lines in a Manner speak the Author, there is fine Painting in them; nay, Painting, the Sifter Art to Poetry, was not unknown to him, he took Delight when a Child in Drawing, and afterward having had Masters for that Purpose, made a tolerable good Progrefs foon; but becoming intimate with Mr. Jervas, (at whofe House he was in Town) he improv'd fo much, that he grew afham'd of his firft Works in this Art, for fome Time of every Day that he was with Mr. Jervas, he employ'd in Painting, it was generally in the Morning; this will be beft express'd in his own Words to Mr. Gay, August 23, 1713.

Dear Sir,

JUST

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UST as I received your's, I was fet down to write to you, with fome Shame that I had fo long deferr'd it. But I can hardly repent my Neglect, when it gives me the Knowledge how little you infift upon Ceremony, and how much a greater Share in your Memory I have than I deferve. I have been near a Week in London, where I am like to remain, till I become, by Mr. Jervas's Help, Elegans formarum Spectator. I begin to discover Beauties that were till now imperceptible to me. Every Corner of an Eye, or Turn of a Nofe or Ear, the smallest Degree of Light or Shade on a Cheek, or in

a Dimple, have Charms to distract me. I no longer look upon Lord Plaufible as ridiculous, for admiring a Lady's fine Tip of an Ear, and pretty Elbow, (as the Plain Dealer has it ;) but I am in fome Danger, even from the Ugly and Difagreeable, fince they may have their retired Beauties in one Part or other about them. You may guess in how uneafy a. State I am, when every Day the Performances of others apppear more beautiful and excellent, and my own more despicable. I have thrown away three Dr. Swift's each of which was once my Vanity; two Lady Bridgewaters, a Dutchess of Montagu, half a Dozen Earls, and one Knight of the Garter. I have crucified Chrift over-again in Effigy, and made a Modena as old as her Mother St. Anne. Nay, what is yet more miraculous, I have rivall'd St. Luke himself in Painting; and, as it is faid an Angel came and finished his Piece, so you would fwear a Devil put the laft Hand to mine, it is fo begrim'd and fmutted. However, I comfort myself with a Chriftian Reflection, that I have not broken the Commandment; for my Pictures are not the Likeness of any thing in Heaven above, or in the Earth below, or in the Waters under the Earth. Neither will any Body adore or worship them, except the Indians fhould have a Sight of them, who they tell us worship certain Pagods, or Idols, purely for their Uglinefs.

1 am, &c.

With this ingenious Artift there remained an uninterrupted Friendship till Death, and while our Author was tranflating Homer, though Mr. Jervas was then in Ireland, he was in his House in London, improving himself in Painting, when at Reft from the laborious Tafk of changing Greek Phrases into English ones; for, as he himself fays on this very Occafion,

ATranflator is no more a Poet than a Taylor is a Man, Mr. Jervas was entertain'd mean Time in the House of Dr. Swift, and this Opportunity of many Friends being abfent, Mr. Pope took to go to Oxford, where finding Dr. Clark, there grew immediately between them a Defire of each others Company. Dr. Clark was a great Scholar, a Man of great Penetration, much Speculation, a Philofopher, and a Lover of free Debate and Enquiry, having a Propenfity to Argument, and never declining (in an amicable cool Manner) to enter into Controverfy, he propos'd to himself vaft Pleasure in difcourfing with Mr. Pope concerning the Proofs of his Religion, and why he affented to the unreasonable Injunctions and Traditions of the Romish Church, in Oppofition to the Scriptures, to his own Intereft, and the more valuable Decifion of Reason; But in this Dr. Clark was altogether mistaken, for once when he hinted, tho' but at Distance, expreffing fuch a Defire, Mr. Pope understood it and told him; faid he, my Reverend Friend, Dr. Clark, it is but a little while I can enjoy your improving Company, here in Oxford, which we will not fo mifpend, as it would be doing, fhould we let it pafs in talking of Divinity, neither would there be Time for either of us half to explain our felves, and at laft you would be Proteftant Clark and 1 Papist Pope ; fo that other Difcourfes, doubtlefs both more pleafant and profitable, fill'd up their Hours of Converfation, which were very frequent, of these last mentioned Paffages Mr. Pope writes to Mr. Jervas at Ireland, November 29, 1716.

Dear Sir,

TH

HAT you have not heard from me of late, ascribe not to the ufual Laziness of your Correfpondent, but to a Ramble to Oxford, where your Name

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