the noble Power of suffering brayely, is as far above that of enterprifing greatly, as an unblemish'd Confcience and inflexible Refolution are above an accidental Flow of Spirits, or a fudden Tide of Blood. If the whole religious Business of Mankind be included in Refignation to our Maker, and Charity to our Fellow-Creatures, there are now fome People, who give us an Opportunity of affording as bright an Example in practifing the one, as themselves have given an infamous Inftance of the Violation of the other. Whoever is really brave, has always this Comfort when he is opprefs'd, that he knows himself to be fuperior to those who injure him: For the greateft Power on Earth can no fooner do him that Injury, but the brave Man can make himself greater by forgiving it.

If it were generous to feek for alleviating Confolations in a Calamity of fo much Glory; one might fay that to be ruined thus in the Grofs, with a whole People, is but like perishing in the general Conflagration, where nothing we can value is left behind

us.

Methinks in our prefent Condition, the most heroick Thing we are left capable of doing, is to endeavour to lighten each other's Load, and (fupprefs'd as we are) to fuccour such as are yet more opprefs'd. If there are too many who cannot be affifted but by what we cannot give, our Money, there are yet others who may be relieved by our Counfel, by our Countenance, and even by our Chearfulness. The Misfortunes of private Families, the Misunderstandings of People whom Diftreffes make fufpicious, the Coldneffes of Relations, whom Change of Religion may difunite, or the Neceffities of half-ruin'd Eftates render unkind to each other; thefe, at leaft, may be foftened in fome Degree, by a general wellmanag'd

manag'd Humanity among ourselves, if all thofe who have your Principles of Belief, had alfo your Senfe and Conduct. But, indeed, most of them have given lamentable Proofs of the contrary; and it is to be apprehended, that they who want Senfe, are only religious thro' Weakness, and good-natur'd thro' Shame: Thefe are narrow minded Creatures, that never deal in Effentials; their Faith never looks beyond Ceremonials, nor their Charity beyond Relations. As poor as I am, I would gladly relieve any diftrefs'd confcientious French Refugee at this Inftant: What must my Concern then be, when I perceive fo many Anxieties now tearing thofe Hearts which I have defired a Place in, and Clouds of Melancholy rifing on those Faces, which I have long look'd upon with Affection? I begin already to feel both what fome apprehend, and what others are yet too ftupid to apprehend. I am grieved with the Old for fo many additional Inconveniences and Chagrins, more than their fmall Remain of Life feem destined to undergo; and with the Young, for fo many of those Gayeties and Pleasures, (the Portion of Youth) which they will by this Means be deprived of. This brings into my Mind one or other of those I love beft, and among them the Widow and Fatherlefs, late of As I am certain no People living had an earlier and truer Sense of others Misfortunes, or a more generous Refignation, as to what might be their own; fo I earneftly wifh, that whatever Part they must bear, may be rendered as fupportable to them, as it is in the Power of any Friend to make

it. But I know you have prevented me in this Thought, as you always will in any Thing that's good or generous. I find by a Letter of your Lady's, (which I have feen) that their Eafe and Tranquillity is Part of

your

your Care. I believe there's fome Fatality in it, that you fhould always, from Time to Time, be doing thofe particular Things that make me enamonr'd of

you.

I write this from Windfor Foreft, of which I am come to take my laft Look. We here bid our Neighbours adieu, much as those who go to be hang'd do their Fellow Prifoners, who are condemn'd to follow them a few Weeks after. I parted from honeft Mr. D with Tendernefs; and from old Sir William Trumball, as from a venerable Prophet, foretelling, with lifted Hands, the Miseries to come, from which he is just going to be remov'd himself.

Perhaps, now I have learn'd fo far as

Nos dulcia linquimus arva

my next Leffon may be

Nos patriam fugimus

Let that, and all elfe be as Heaven pleases! I have provided juft enough to keep a Man of Honours. I believe you and I fhall never be afham'd of each other. I know I wish my Country well; and if it undoes me, it shall not make we wish otherwise.

Mr. Blount, though we can't find him busy in any Action, and as to his mixing with People fufpected, it was faid in his Favour, he actually did it to perfuade them from fuch treasonable and headlong Courses, yet he thought proper to leave England, and not remain any longer where a strict Eye was kept over every Body. Mr. Pope writes to him abroad a Letter dated Sept. 8, 1717:

I

Dear Sir,

Think your leaving England was like a good Man's leaving the World, with the bleffed Confcience

of

of having acted well in it: And I hope you have receiv'd your Reward, in being happy where you are. I believe, in the religious Country you now inhabit, you'll be better pleas'd to find I confider you in this Light, than if I compar'd you to thofe Greeks and Romans, whofe Conftancy in fuffering Pain, and whose Resolution in Pursuit of a generous End, you would rather imitate than boast of.

But I had a melancholy Hint the other Day, as if you were yet a Martyr to the Fatigue your Virtue made you undergo on this Side the Water. I beg, if your Health be reftor'd to you, not to deny me the Joy of knowing it: Your Endeavours of Service, and good Advices to the poor Papists, put me in mind of Noah's preaching forty Years to thofe Folks that were to be drown'd at laft. At the worst, I heartily wifh your Ark may find an Aratat, and your Wife and Family (the Hopes of the good Patriarch) land fafely, after the Deluge, upon the Shore of Totness.

I know you will take part in rejoicing for the Victory of Prince Eugene over the Turks, in the Zeal you bear to the Chriftian Intereft, though your Coufin of Oxford (with whom I dined Yesterday) fays, there is no other Difference in the Chriftians beating the Turks, or the Turks beating the Chriftians, than whether the Emperor fhall firft declare War against Spain, or Spain declare it against the Emperor. 1 muft add another Apopthegm of the fame noble Earl; it was the Saying of a politick Prince, Time and he would get the better of any two others. To which Lord Oxford made this Answer,

Time and I 'gainst any two,

Chance and I'gainst Time and you.

We before said, that Mr. Pope engag'd himself very much in the Affairs of this Family, and haye, as we think, given fufficient Reafon for it: Had he had no real Esteem for Mr. Blount, his high Regard for Mrs. Blount had made him show himself kind to him; had he had no Value for her, the Merit, the great Merit of that Gentleman, had extorted the fame Love, Friendship, and Affection, he now bore him; he lov'd many, but these * above all.

It was here he was fure of Truth and Peace, the Gentleness and Evennefs of their Tempers were, as he enjoy'd the conftant Benefit, one of the chief Bleffings of his Life; it is not easy to exprefs the great Satisfaction of certain Friendship, at all Times the fame, not a ruffling Paffion, but a folid, quiet, and fettled Amity, ripen'd by Time, to fly to for Counfel, to unbofom Secrets, to complain to, to hear Counfel, Secrets, and Complaints from, and laftly, (can there be a greater Pleafure?) to rejoice with. This Happiness was enjoy'd by Mr. Pope till. Death, for Mrs. Blount, (to whom very few, if any can compare) as may be feen by Mr. Pope's Will outlives him; but how little will all thofe fine Curio-fities, thofe Urns, thofe Ornaments, and that sweet Grotto please, now what made them Things worfe poffeffing, no longer appears among them: His Form, because it contain'd a Soul fo beautiful, never difpleas'd, Who is there fo beautiful that would not. change that fading and uncertain Accident, for a Soul fo richly adorn'd? Or what external Grace could have been offer'd Mr. Pope, in lieu of those hining inward Graces and Harmonies, which were engrafted

* This Gentleman return'd after a Time, and died in London, in the Year 1726, greatly lamented by all his Acquaintance, efpecially our Author.