with fruit-trees. Befides the common kinds, as cherries, apricots, peaches, &c. they produce oranges, limes, almonds, pomegranates, figs, water-melons, and many other fruits unknown to our climates, which lie every where open to the paffenger. The hills are the greater part covered to the top with vines, fome with chefnut groves, and others with thickets of myrtle and lentifcus. The fields in the northern fide are divided by hedge-rows of myrtle. Several fountains and rivulets add to the beauty of this landscape, which is likewife fet off by the variety of fome barren fpots, and naked rocks. But that which crowns the fcene is a large mountain, rifing out of the middle of the ifland (once a terrible volcano, by the ancients called Mons Epomeus); its lower parts are adorned with vines, and other fruits; the middle affords pafture to flocks of goats and theep; and the top is a fandy pointed rock, from which you have the fineft profpect in the world, furveying at one view, befides feveral pleafant iflands lying at your feet, a tract of Italy about three hundred miles in length, from the promontory of Antium to the cape of Palinurus: the greater part of which hath been sung by Home and Virgil, as making a confiderable pa of the travels and adventures of th two heroes. The islands Caprea, T chyta, and Parthenope, together Cajeta, Cum, Monte Mifeno, th bitations of Circe, the Syrens, ? Læftrigones, the bay of Naples, montory of Minerva, and t Campagnia Felice, make bu this noble landscape; which mand an imagination as war bers as flowing, as your ov it. The inhabitants of th ald Would you know how we pass the ar f nary which . Lintot, the Tonica, who, o dilagreeLordship's mare), as they are without richard. He faid, fo are they without the age. and yet by t own bufine fecurely a Oxford, the feat i wok as my book : d. inftant y man be r befide, and in this manner: ! what if they should e news-paper, how you together to Oxford? what care? If I fhould go down into , they would fay I was gone he Speaker. But what of that! f my fon were but big enough to go on with the bufinefs, by G-d I would "keep as good company as old Jacob." Hereupon I inquired of his fon. "The lad (fays he) has fine parts, but is "fomewhat fickly, much as you are—I fpare for nothing in his education at "Westminster. Pray do not you think "Weftminster to be the best school in England most of the late miniftry came out of it, fo did many of this miniftry; I hope the boy will make "his fortune." 66 Do not you defign to let him país a year at Oxford? To what purpofe?" sccompany me (faid he); the univerfities do but make pedants, and I intend to breed him 3 man of business.” weldig where he m his horfe? lege à of his publisher: printer (faid he) I hoped to pat him 66 As Mr. Lintot was talking, I obferved he fat uneafy on his faddle, for which I exprcffed fome folicitude: Nothing, fay gem by a treat at the ta- he, I can bear it well enough; but fince en, of a brown feuse of rabbits, we have the day before us, methinks it "pany of wie, desdes my converfa- while under the woods. When we were Toggle mye Lcockfare of his alighted, Mr. Tonion had just such "See here, what a mighty pretty Horace I have in my pocket! "what if you amufed yourself in turning antation and med would re rate the tow udes, MTLI ', all but the first do you think I e tranflator for a topt the corrector's this proof that he had Creech inftead of the ne next how you deal with "Sir (faid he), nothing eafy. I can filence the mot adable of them: the rich ones for neet a-piece of the blotted manu.cript, which cofts me nothing; they will go about with it to their acquaintance, and pretend they had it from "the author, who fubmitted to their h" correction: this has given fome of you "them fuch an air, that in time they "come to be confulted with, and dedi"cated to as the top critics of the "town.-As for the poor critics, I "will give you one inftance of my ma"nagement, by which you may guess "at the reft. A lean man, that looked "like a very good fcholar, came to me "the other day; he turned over your "Homer, fhook his head, fhrugged up "his fhoulders, and pithed at every line "of it one would wonder (fays he) at "the ftrange prefumption of fome men; "Homer is no fuch ealy tafk, that every ow you method eplied he), ftripling, every verifier - He was going on, when my wife called to din"ner: Sir, faid I, will you please to eat "a piece of beef with me? Mr. Lintot, "faid he, I am forry you fhould be at "the expence of this great book, I am "really concerned on your account"Sir, I am much obliged to you: if you of rogues in J can dine upon a piece of beef, toge"ther with a flice of pudding - Mr. "Lintot, I do not fay but Mr. Pope, if "he would condefcend to advile with "men of learning-Sir, the pudding is "I will tell you what happened to me "last month: Ibargained with S- for a upon the table, if you pleafe to go in My critic complies, he comes to a "tate of your poetry, and tells me in "the fame breath, that the book is "commendable, and the pudding ex"cellent. K k ‹‹ Now, bling; you, like a pigeon (to which I would fooner compare a lawyer than to a hawk), can fly fome hundred leagues at a pitch; I, like a poor fquirrel, am continually in motion indeed, but it is about a cage of three foot: my little excurfions are but like thofe of a fhop-keeper, who walks every day a mile or two before his own door, but minds his bufinefs all the while. Your letter of the cause lately before you, I could not but communicate to fome ladies of your acquaintance. I am of opinion, if you continued a correfpondence of the fame fort during a whole circuit, it could not fail to please the fex better than half the novels they read; there would be in them, what they love above all things, a moft happy union of truth and fcandal. I affure you the Bath affords nothing equal to it it is on the contrary full of grave and fad men, Mr. Baron S. Lord Chief Juftice A. Judge P. and Counsellor B. who has a large pimple on the tip of his nofe, but thinks it inconfiftent with his gravity to wear a patch, notwithstanding the precedent of an eminent judge. I am, dear Sir, your, &c. LETTER LXXXVI. Mr. Pope to the Earl of Burlington. My Lord, IF your mare could fpeak, fhe would give an account of what extraordinary company he had on the road; which fince the cannot do, I will. It was the enterprifing Mr. Lintot, the redoubtable rival of Mr. Tonfon, who, mounted on a tone-horfe (no difagreeable companion to your Lordship's mare), overtook me in Windfor-foreft. He faid, he heard I defigned for Oxford, the feat of the Mufes, and would as my bookfeller, by all means, accompany me thither. I afked him where he got his horfe? He answered, he got it of his publisher: "For that rogue my printer (faid he) "difappointed me: I hoped to put him in good humour by a treat at the ta"vern, of a brown fricaffee of rabbits, "which coft two fhillings, with two quarts of wine, befides my converfation. I thought myfelf.cockfure of his horfe, which he readily promifed me; but faid, that Mr. Tonfon had just fuch "another defign of going to Cambridge, expecting there the copy of a new "kind of Horace from Dr. ; and if "Mr. Tonfon went, he was pre-engaged to attend him, being to have the printing of the faid copy. "So, in fhort, I borrowed this stone"horfe of my publisher, which he had "of Mr. Oldmixon for a debt; he lent me too the pretty boy you fee after "me: he was a fmutty dog yesterday, "and coft me near two hours to wah "the ink off his face; but the devil is a "fair conditioned devil, and very for"ward in his catechife: if you have any "more bags, he fhall carry them." I thought Mr. Lintot's civility not to be neglected, fo gave the boy a fmall bag, containing three fhirts and an Elzevir Virgil; and mounting in an inftar proceeded on the road, with my man before, my courteous ftationer befide, and the aforefaid devil behind. Mr. Lintot began in this manner: "Now damn them! what if they should put it into the news-paper, how you "and I went together to Oxford? what "would I care? If I should go down into "Suffex, they would fay I was g "to the Speaker. But what of that! "If my fon were but big enough to g "on with the bufinefs, by G-d I won! keep as good company as old Jacob." Hereupon I inquired of his fon. "The lad (fays he) has fine parts, but is "fomewhat fickly, much as you are-I fpare for nothing in his education "Westminster. Pray do not you think "Westminster to be the beft fchool r England moft of the late ministry came out of it, fo did many of th miniftry; I hope the boy will make 66 "his fortune." Silence enfued for a full hour; after which Mr. Lintot lugged the reins, ftopped short, and broke out, Well, Sir, "how far have you gone ?" I answered, Seven miles. page. Now, what do you think I "did? I arrested the tranflator for a "cheat; nay, and I ftopt the corrector's pay too, upon this proof that he had "made ufe of Creech instead of the original." Pray teli me next how you deal with the critics? "Sir (faid he), nothing "more eafy. I can filence the moit “formidable of them: the rich ones for 66 "Z-ds, Sir (faid Lin"tot), I thought you had done feven "ftanzas. Old worth, in a ramble round "Wimbledon hill, would tranflate a "whole ode in half this time. I will fay that for Oldfworth (though I loft by his Timothy's), he tranflates an "ode of Horace the quickest of any man "in England. I remember Dr. King "would write verfes in a tavern three "hours after he could not fpeak: and "there's Sir Richard, in that rumbling "old chariot of his, between Fleet-ditch "and St. Giles's pound, fhall make you "half a Job." Pray, Mr. Lintot (faid I), now you talk of tranflators, what is your method of managing them? "Sir (replied he), "thofe are the faddeft pack of rogues in "the world in a hungry fit, they will "fwear they understand all the languages "in the univerfe: I have known one of "them take down a Greek book upon my counter, and cry, Ay, this is Hebrew, I must read it from the latter "end. By G-d I can never be sure in "these fellows, for I neither understand “Greek, Latin, French, nor Italian myfelf. But this is my way; I agree "with them for ten fhillings per theet, "with a provifo, that I will have their "doings corrected by whom I pleafe; "fo by one or other they are led at lait to the true fenfe of an author; my judgment giving a negative to all my tranilators." But how are you fecure thofe correctors may not impofe upon you?" Why, I get any civil gentle"man (especially any Scotchman) that "comes into my fhop, to read the ori"ginal to me in English; by this I know "whether my first tranflator be deficient, and whether my corrector me"rits his money or not. 16 "I will tell you what happened to me "last month: I bargained with S- for a 6 a fheet a-piece of the blotted manufcript, which cofts me nothing; they "will go about with it to their acquaintance, and pretend they had it from "the author, who fubmitted to their "correction: this has given some of "them fuch an air, that in time they come to be confulted with, and dedi"cated to as the top critics of the "town. As for the poor critics, I "will give you one inftance of my ma"nagement, by which you may guefs "at the reft. A lean man, that looked like a very good fcholar, came to me "the other day; he turned over your "Homer, fhook his head, fhrugged up "his fhoulders, and pifhed at every line "of it one would wonder (fays he) at "the ftrange prefumption of fome men; "Homer is no fuch eafy tafk, that every ftripling, every verifier - He was going or, when my wife called to din"ner: Sir, faid I, will you please to eat "a piece of beef with me? Mr. Lintot, "faid he, I am forry you fhould be at "the expence of this great bock, I am "really concerned on your account"Sir, I am much obliged to you: if you " can dine upon a piece of beef, toge"ther with a flice of pudding - Mr. "Lintot, I do not fay but Mr. Pope, if "he would condefcend to advile with "men of learning-Sir, the pudding is upon the table, if you pleafe to go in-My critic complies, he comes to a " tafte of your poetry, and tells me in "the fame breath, that the book is "commendable, and the pudding ex"'cellent. "in return "Now, Sir (concluded Mr. Lintot), to the franknefs I have "fhewn, pray tell me, is it the opinion "of your friends at court that my Lord "Lanfdown will be brought to the bar 86 or not?" I told him, I heard he would not, and I hoped it, my Lord being one I had particular obligations to. "That "may be (replied Mr. Lintot), but by "G--d if he is not, I fhall lofe the printing of a very good trial." Thefe, my Lord, are a few traits by which you may difcern the genius of Mr. Lintot, which I have chofen for the fubject of a letter. I dropt him as foon as I got to Oxford, and paid a visit to my Lord Carleton at Middleton. 64 The converfations I enjoy here are not to be prejudiced by my pen, and the pleafures from them only to be equalled when I meet your Lordship. I hope in a few days to caft myfelf from your horfe at your feet. I am, &c. LETTER LXXXVII. Mr. Pope to the Duke of Buckingham. [In anfwer to a letter in which he inclofed the defcription of Buckingham-houfe, written by him to the D. of Sh.] PLINY was one of thofe few authors who had a warm houfe over his head, nay two houfes, as appears by two of his epiftles. I believe, if any of his contemporary authors durft have informned the public where they lodged, we fhould have found the garrets of Rome as well inhabited as thofe of Fleet-ftrect; but it is dangerous to let creditors into fuch a fecret, therefore we may prefume that then, as well as now-a-days, nobody knew where they lived but their book fellers. Pliny, he would have been glad to have changed both his houses for your grace's one; which is a country-houfe in the fummer, and a town-houfe in the winter, and must be owned to be the propere habitation for a wife man, who fees all the world change every feafon without ever changing himself. I have been reading the defcription of Pliny's houfe with an eye to yours, but finding they will bear no comparifon, will try if it can be matched by the large country-feat I inhabit at prefent, and fee what figure it may make by the help of a florid defcription. You must expect nothing regular in my defcription, any more than in the houfe; the whole vaft edifice is fo difjointed, and the feveral parts of it so detached one from the other, and yet joining again, one cannot tell how, that, in one of my poetical fits, I imagined i had been a village in Amphion's time, where the cottages, having taken a country-dance together, had been all out, and ftood ftone-till with amazement ever fince. it You must excufe me, if I fay nothing of the front; indeed I do not know which it is. A franger would be grievoul difappointed, who endeavoured to get into the houfe the right way. One would reafonably expect after the entry through the porch to be let into the hall: al nothing lefs! you find yourself in the houfe of office. From the parlour you think to step into the drawing-room, upon opening the iron-nailed door, yea are convinced by a flight of birds abest your ears, and a cloud of duft in your eyes, that it is the pigeon-house. If you come into the chapel, you find its altar, like thofe of the ancients, conting fmoking, but it is with the teams of t adjoining kitchen. bet The great hall within is high and fpacious, flanked on one fide with a very long table, a true image of ancient hepitality: the walls are all over omamented with monftrous horns of animal about twenty broken pikes, ten or dozen blunderbuffes, and a rufty match lock mufquet or two, which we were informed had ferved in the civil wars.Here is one vaft arched window beaut fully darkened with divers fcutcheons ci painted glafs one fhining pane in particular bears date 1286, which alone pre ferves |