I LETTER XXXVI. lor, my chaplain, fecretary, two or three friends, and our fervants. The first part of our road lay cross the foot of a long Dr. Herring to William Duncombe, Efq. ridge of rocks, and was over a drea Dear Sir, Keafington, Sept. 11, 1739. AM ufually much pleafed with your letters to me, and far from being of fended with your lat; but, in truth, I am grieved moft fincerely to find you give to melancholy an account of your ftate of health. I know how to fympathize with you, having, in the course of my life, been very fenfible of every one of your complaints. Fevers and coughs I always applied to the doctor for; but as to thofe difagreeable palpitations you mention, I removed them (for I was not twenty when I first had them) by exercife (riding) and good company; that, I find, is the doctor's prefeription to you, which I hope you follow, and with daily benefit. I met your letter here on my return from Wales. I blefs God for it, I am come home quite well, after a very romantic, and, upon looking back, I think it a moft perilous journey. It was the year of my primary vifitation, and I determined to fee every part of my diocefe; to which purpofe, I mounted my horse, and rode intrepidly, but flowly, through North-Wales, to Shrewsbury. I am a little afraid, if I fhould be particular in my defeription, you would think I am playing the traveller upon you; but, indeed, I will fick religiously to truth; and, because a little journal of my expedition may be fome minutes amusement, I will take the liberty to give it you. I remember, in my last year's picture of North Wales, you compliniented me with fomewhat of a poetical fancy; that, I am confident, you will not do now; for a man may as well expect poetical fire at Copenhagen, as amid the dreary rocks of Merionethfhire. You find, by this intimation, that my landfapes are like to be fomething different from what they were before, for I talk a lite in the ftyle of Othello, "Of anties vaft, and deferts idle, Rough quales, rick and halls, whole heads touch heaven!' I fet out upon this adventurous journey on a Monday morning, accompanied (as bithops ufually are) by my chancel See the laf letter. morafs, with here and there a fmall dark cottage, a few theep, and more goats in view, but not a bird to be feen, fave, now and then, a folitary hern, watching for frogs. At the end of four of their miles, we got to a small village, where the view of things mended a little, and the road and the time were beguiled by travelling for three miles along the de of a fine lake, full of fish, and tranfparent as glafs. That pleafure over, our work became very arduous, for we were to mount a rock, and in many places of the road, over natural stairs of ftone. I fubmitted to this, which, they told me, was but a taste of the country, and to prepare me for worse things to come. However, worse things did not come the morning, for we dined foon after outd our own wallets; and though our in stood in a place of the most frightful litude, and the best formed for the ha ation of monks (who once poffeffed r in the world, yet we made a cheerf meal. The novelty of the thing gat me fpirits, and the air gave me appetite, much keener than the knife I ate with We had our mufic too, for there can in a harper, who foon drew about us 1 group of figures, that Hogarth wedd give any price for. The harper was in t true place and attitude; a man and w man ftood before him, finging to his flrument wildly, but not difagrecably: little dirty child was playing with bottom of the harp; a woman, in a fis night-cap, hanging over the ftairs; boy with crutches, fixed in a flaring tention, and a girl carding wool in t chimney, and rocking a cradle with be naked feet, interrupted in her bufireisi the charms of the mufic; all ragged dirty, and all filently attentive. The figures gave us a moft entertaining p ture, and would pleafe you, or any of obfervation; and one reflection ga me particular comfort, that the affert before us demonftrated, that, even he the influential fun warmed poor mort and infpired them with love and music. When we had dispatched our me and had taken a view of an old church. very large for that country, we remorsted, and my guide pointed to a narre 10 and pafs between two rocks, through which, he faid, our road lay; it did fo, and, in a little time, we came at it: the inhabitants call it, in their language, "the "road of kindness." It was made by the Romans for their pallage to Carnarvon. It is juft broad enough for an horfe, paved with large flat ftones, and is not level, but rifes and falls with the rock, at whofe foot it lies. It is half a mile long. On the right hand a vaft rock hangs almoft over you; on the left, clofe to the path, is a precipice, at the bottom of which rolls an impetuous torrent, bounded on the other fide, not by a fhore, but by a rock, as bare, not fo fmooth, as a whetstone, which rifes half a mile in perpendicular height. Here we all difmounted, not only from reafons of juft fear, but that I might be at leifure to contemplate, in pleafure, mixed with horror, this ftupendous mark of the Creator's power. Having paffed over a noble bridge of ftone, we found ourselves upon a fine fand, then left by the fea, which here indents upon the country, arrived in the evening, paffing over more rough country, at our defined inn. The accommodations there were better than expected, for we had good beds and a friendly hoftefs, and I flept well, though, by the number of beds in the room, I could have fancied myfelf in an hofpital. The next morning I confirmed at the church, and after dinner fet out for the metropolis of the country, called Dolgelle: there I ftayed and did bufinefs the next day, and the fcene was much mended. The country I had hitherto paffed through, was like one not made by the Father of the creation, but in the wrath of power; but here were inhabitants, a town and church, a river and fine mea. dows. However, on the Thursday, I bad one more iron mountain, of two miles, to pafs, and then was entertained with the green hills of Montgomeryshire, high indeed, but turfed up to the top, and productive of the finest theep; and from this time the country and the profpects gradually mended, and, indeed, the whole œconomy of nature, as we approached the fun; and you cannot conceive what an air of cheerfulness it gave us, to compare the defolations of North Wales, with the fine valleys and hills of Montgomeryfhire, and the fruitful green fields of fair Warwickshire; for I made myfelf amends in the following part of my journey, directing my courfe through Shrewsbury, Woolverhampton, Birmingham, Warwick, and Oxford, fome of the fineft towns and fineft counties in the island. But I must stop, and not use you unmercifully. I can fend you no news from hence. Yesterday I heard Sir Robert had got his ague again. I doubt too he has affairs upon his hands more troublesome than any ague; for I find very wife people in fearful apprehenfions about the event of the war. I am afraid we fhall hear of great mifchief at fea, from the ftorm of laft night, and the high wind of this' morning. I pray God to restore you foon to a perfect state of health. I am your, &c. LETTER XXXVII. I The verfes you fent me are very fenfible and touching, and the fentiments in them, I doubt not, exhilarated the blood for fome time, and fufpended the black execution; but his diftemper, it may be faid, got the better, and carried him off at laft. I would willingly put that conftruction upon thefe melancholy accidents, and then leave the fufferers to the Father of mercies. I read them to a young gentleman here, a Wrexham man, who knew the author, and lived in that country with an uncle who was intimate with him. I have been amufed, in my leisure hours from bufinefs, with "Anti-Ma"chiavel;" indeed, much entertained with him. You know the author is a royal one; and if he puts his fpeculations into practice, if bad times should come, and honeft men be forced to quit Old England, I would endeavour, if I could fupport that character, to put myfelf under his government and protection. The king of Pruffia. He He has expofed, very july, the littlenet of Machiavel's principles, who formed his maxims among the petty fates of Italy, and supported the juftnets of them upon the example of a Czar Borgia. In my opinion, this book of the king of Prufia is much more in the ftyle and character of a great prince, than the celebrated loa Parker, uniefs we are to fuppofe every Chriftian prince to fupport the two characters of king and priet; for the book laft mentioned is more agreeable to the facred function, as I believe, in real truth, it was the work of one of us. I am, &c. Bishop-Thorp, September 15, 1743. WHEN I have given you a short ac count of myself from the middle of May, when I left London, you will eafily fee the reafon of my filence with regard to a friend's correípondence, whom I have now known many years, and truly efteemed as many. I have been extremely entertained by both your letters, but, literally fpeaking, it has been hardly in my power to thank you for them, my time has been fo parcelled out, in fpite of any schemes of my own. I was above a fortnight upon the road, before I reached Bishop-Thorp, and immediately entered here upon a new round of compliments and entertainment, from which 1 retreated, after ten days, by changing the fcene, and fulfilling my fecond plan of vilitation. After a fhort recefs, I entered upon a third, and, at a proper diftance of time, upon a fourth, which ended a fortnight ago, and completed my vifitation. I blefs God for it, I have finifhed the work, not only with out hurt, but with great pleasure to myfelf, and I returned home with great fatisfaction of heart for having done my duty, and acquired a fort of knowledge of the diocefe, which can be had by nothing but perfonal infpection. I have traverfed, by this means, a prodigious tract of ground, feen all poffible variety *Near York. Dr. Herring had been tranflated to that archiepifcopal fee (on the death of archbishop Blackburn) in the April preceding the date of this letter. of country, many rich and popes towns, and fome of the fireft feats of kingdom, and what may give you, by the rules of proportion, a great idead the importance of this diftrict of Eg land, I am confident I have confirmed above thirty thousand people. I and enter, with pleafure, into a minute de fcription of every thing that fell with my obfervation; but I chufe to refert that, to fill up fome agreeable han when you favour me in the winter win your company at Kensington, where i purpofe to be, God willing, before No vember. But I cannot omit the ple fure I took in my lait expedition, wi was a visit to Castle-Howard † (when i fpent two days) where there is every provision for elegant life, which p fure and magnificence, conducted wi the best economy, can afford. 1 fany you are acquainted with this noble in: for Mr. Bewiay, who is your hu fervant and friend, told me you per fome time at York a fummer or two ag I have had fome little intercourfe un Mr. Bewlay, with whofe manner much taken. I hope he is as hosef agreeable. I am in great pain for our affi Germany. I pray God fend us a go account of them, and, as foon as be, a lafting peace; for we have be more than enough of the devastations war, and famine, and plague, thing that shock all philofophy, and can only folved by a religion founded in a funn life. Without a bit of flattery, I must conmend your epistle to Iccius 1, which. eafy and natural, and a just expreffion si the poet's fenfe in one of his moft uff hours, when he had laid afide the g lant, and put on the air of the philos pher. I fhall take it as a teftimony your friendship, which I defire to coc nue and improve, if you will favour m now and then, with any pieces of yo own, or fuch as you approve of others. I am, &c. The feat of the Earl of Carlifle. Tranflated from Horace, b. i. epift. 12 LETTER XXXIX. Extract of a Letter from Mr. Duncombe to Frith-ftreet, June 10, 1744. MR. Pope, I hear, has left the bulk of his fortune to Mrs. Blount, a lady to whom, it is thought, he either was, or, at least, ought to have been married. The Earl of Marchmont, Lord Bathurst, Mr. Murray, and Mr. Arbuthnott, are his executors. He has bequeathed all his manuferipts to Lord Bolingbroke. I am told that he has left many plans and fragments, but few finished pieces. A report is fpread about town, that, during his illnefs, a difpute happened, in his chamber, between his two phyficians, Burton (who is fince dead himfelft) and Thompfon; the former charging the latter with haftening his death, by the violent purges he had prefcribed, and the other retorting the charge. Mr. Pope at length filenced them, by faying, "Gentlemen, I only learn, by your difcourfe, that I am in a very dangerous way; therefore all I have now to ask is, that the following epigram may be added, after my death, to the next edition of the Dunciad, by way of poftfcript: Dunces, rejoice, forgive all cenfures past; However, I have been fince told, that thefe lines were really written by Burton himfelf; and the following epigram, by a friend of Thompfon, was occafioned by the foregoing one: "As phyfic and verfe both to Phabus belong, Dr. Thompson is going to publish Pope's cafe. I find he is in high repute with feveral perfons of diftinction. I fhall leave the doctor and Mr. Pope, with a few lines taken from a poetical epiftle, addreffed many years ago to the Duke of Chandos, by my friend, Dr. 577 Cowper, which might pafs for an encomium on the latter, if he had made a proper application of his wit and fine genius. "Good-natur'd wit a talent is from heaven, For nobleft purposes to mortals given: Studious to pleafe, it feeks not others harm, Cuts but to heal, and fights but to difarm. It cheers the fpirits, fmooths the anxious brow, In beauteous colours dreffes home-fpun truth, It is impoffible to write a letter now, without tincturing the ink with tar-water. This is the common topic of difcourfe both among the rich and poor, high and low; and the Bishop of Cloyne has made it as fashionable as going to Vauxhall or Ranelagh. Dr. Carlton (a physician, who lives in the Duke of Bedford's family) thinks it may be ufeful in feveral cafes, but diflikes the Bishop's manner of preparing it, in which he thinks the infufion of tar much too ftrong. However, the faculty in general, and the whole poffe of apothecaries, are very angry both with the author and the book, which makes many people fufpect it is a good thing. All that I know of it is, that it has relieved two of my friends from ftubborn coughs; at least, they themfelves think fo. I have undertaken to be editor of the work I mentioned in these proposals for two reafons: First, I really think it worthy the view of the public; and the eflays, in particular, filled with curious and uncommon thoughts; and, Secondly, I hope the publication may be of fome fervice to a very good wo Son of judge Cowper, then rector of Berkhamited, Hertfordshire, and one of his Majesty's chaplains. "Poems on feveral occafions, and two criti"cal effays, viz. the first on the harmony, variety, "and power of numbers, whether in prote or verle, "and the other on the numbers of Paradife Loft; "(written at the defire of Mr. Richardfon the pain"ter) in one volume quarto, by Mr. Samuel Say." Thefe Effays have been much approved by the best judges. Mr. Say was a diffenting minifter in Weftminiter. He died in 1743. man, in the decline of life, and one of the beft of daughters. In a letter from a correfpondent at York, are these words: "Our worthy diocefan is now at Bifhop-Thorp, and every day ring in the esteem of this extenfive county. The clergy and laity feem to vie with one another in their affection towards him." The former part of this letter was written before Mr. Pope's will was print ed. It feems he was under an odd perIf he plexity about extreme unction. did not receive it, it would difguft the catholics; if he did, and fhould recover, his proteftant friends would rally him. It is likely he thought of it, as Auguftus of Poland did of his bead-roll, C'est une bagatelle. I am, my Lord, &c. LETTER XL. home by ftrangers t; and abroad, if not at the mercy of our enemies, yet, I fee, br certainly, upon the defenfive. a letter from the camp, that our officers there are quite angry with the Dutc, but, perhaps, they are more the objects of pity. I fhall be extremely pleafed with half a dozen copies of Mr. Say's book. I am, dear Sir, yours, &c. LETTER XLI. From the fame to the fame. Dear Sir, Bishop-Thorp, May 15, 1945 WAS forry, in my little hurry of bai nefs before my journey, that I k I thank the opportunity of feeing you. you and your fon for the agreeable prefent that was left me. I congratula you upon the hopeful profpect you have of your fon's ingenuity, and I pay God continue him in the fame fenfe of Archbishop Herring to William Duncombe, his duty which I know you have ben of Dear Sir, Bishop-Thorp, July 1, 1744you you were very obliging in fending me the account you did of Mr. Pope, for we were fo far from knowing any thofe particulars of his exit, that we were but juft fure that he was gone He wanted nothing but good-nature, and the fpirit of true freedom (which he had only in idea), to make him excellent; and yet, perhaps, his acrimony was the fting of the bee, for fuch he was, rather than a wafp. Though we are fo backward in fome fort of intelligence, we are perfectly acquainted with the virtues of tar-water; fome have been cured, as they think, and fome made fick by it; and I do think it a defect in the good Bishop's recommendation of it, that he makes it a catholicon; but, I dare be confident, he believes it fuch. I cannot tell what the good people of London think of our public affairs. We that judge two hundred miles from the capital, are not without our apprehenfions. There is fomething difagreeable to reflect, that we are fecured at *Married to Mr. Toms, a diffenting minister, at Hadleigh, in Suffolk. careful to inftil into him. I shall be glad to be fome way inftrumental to by recommending him to a good tat which, I am very well affured, Mi Heaton, of Bene't, is; for fuch is hi character to me, and I know he is a pe fon extremely acceptable to the pret mafter of the college, Mr. Cale, a whom I will take the liberty to recom mend your fon, by giving him a lear to nim, if you pleafe to give me nec of the precife time of his going for miffion. Our news from Flanders has been agreeable enough t, and yet there an mixture of honour in the difappointment. which gives cne fpirits and hopes; it is certainly better to mifcarry I field of battle, through temerity, cowardice. I am, dear Sir, &c. + 6000 Datch troops. The battle of Fontency, May 1. |