The Works of Alexander Pope, Esq

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: I don't know why I tell you all this, but that I always loved to talk to you; but this is not a time for any man to talk to the purpofe. Truth is a kind of contraband commodity, which I would not venture to export, and therefore the only thing tending that dangerous way which I fhall fay, is, that I am, and always will be, with the utmoft fincerity, Yours, etc. LETTER IV. FROM DR. SWIFT TO MR. POPE. Auguft 30, 1716. Had the favour of yours by Mr. F. of whom, before any other queftion relating to your health or fortune, or fuccefs as a Poet, I enquired your principles in the common form, Is he Whig or a Tory? I am forry to find they are not fo well tallied to the pre- fent juncture, as I could wifh. I always thought the terms of Faflo and Jure had been introduced by the Poets, and that Pofleffion of any fort in Kings was held an unexceptionable title in the Courts of Par- naffus. If you do not grow a perfect good fubject in. all its prefent latitudes, I mall conclude you are become rich, and able to live without dedications to men in power, whereby one great in- conveniency will follow, that you and the worldand pofterity will be utterly ignorant of their Virtues. For, either your brethren have miferably deceived us thefe hundred years paft, or Power confers Virtue, as naturally as five of your Popifh facraments do Grace. ?You fleep lefs and drink more But your mafter Horace was V'ml fomnique benignus: and, as I take it, both are proper for your trade. As to mine, there are a thoufand poetical texts to confirm the one; and as to the other, I know it was anciently the cuflom to fleep in Temples for ithofe who -would confult the Oracles, Who dictates to me flumberingh, etc, You are an ill Catholic, or a worfe Geographer, for I can affaire you, Irela...