trouble, when perhaps, for your health's sake, you should not have a moment's disturbance, and I could not send sooner at this distance. Pray think I wish you all the success you deserve, and all the health you want. I am, dear Sir, Your, etc. SIR, LETTER XXV. MR. POPE TO MR. JABEZ HUGHES'. February 26, 1719-20. I CANNOT omit the acknowledgment I really think I owe your great civility, especially at so melancholy and affecting a moment, as that of your worthy brother's death must have been to you. Indeed, even his common acquaintance must have known enough of him to regret his loss; and I most heartily condole with you upon it. I believe I am further obliged to you for his play; which I received yesterday, and read 5 Younger brother of Mr. John Hughes, and like him, a votary of the Muses, and an excellent scholar. He published, in 1714, a translation of "The Rape of Proserpine," from Claudian; and the Story of Sextus and Erictho, from Lucan's Pharsalia, b. vi. in 8vo. These translations, with notes, were reprinted in 12mo. in 1723. He also published, in 1717, a translation of Suetonius's "Lives of the twelve Cæsars," and translated several Novels "from the Spanish of Cervantes," which are inserted in “The select Collection of Novels and Histories," printed for Watts, 1729. He died January 17, 1731, in the 46th year of his age: a volume of his Miscellanies, in prose and verse, was published in 1737. His widow accompanied the Lady of Governor Byng to Madras, and died there. over again with more concern and sorrow than I ever felt at reading any tragedy. The real loss of a good man may be called a distress to the world, and ought to affect us more than any feigned or ancient distress, how finely drawn soever. I am glad of an occasion to give you, under my hand, this testimony, both how excellent I think this work to be, and how excellent I thought the author. I am, with my hearty thanks to you, Sir, Your, etc. LETTER XXVI. MR. POPE TO MR. DUNCOMBE. SIR, Twickenham, Oct. 20, 1734. yours. I have I AM obliged for the favour of looked for the letter Mr. Hughes sent me, but cannot find it. I had a great regard for his merit, modesty, and softness of manners. He writ to me a few days before his death, concerning his play of the "Siege of Damascus," which is the only letter I can meet with. I thank you for the part you are pleased to take, both in regard to my health (which has, I thank God, been as good as usual) and to my reputation, my poetical welfare, which I resign as much to Providence as the other. But truly I had not the least thought of stealing applause, by suppressing my name to that essay I wanted only to hear truth, and was more afraid of my partial friends than enemies. Besides, I really was humble and diffident enough to distrust my own performance. All I can say of it is, that I know is to be an honest one. I am, Sir, LETTER XXVII. TO THE SAME. Your, etc. Twickenham, May 6, 1735. SIR, MANY thanks for your kind present, in which I find several pleasing and very correct pieces of his, (Mr. Hughes's,) which were new to me. I beg you to accept of the new volume of my things just printed, which will be delivered you by Mr. Dodsley, the author of the Toy-shop, who has just set up (as) a bookseller; and I doubt not, as he has more sense, so will have more honesty, than most of his profession. I am, Sir, Your, etc. SIR, LETTER XXVIII. TO THE SAME. Twitenham, Nov. 5, 1734. I AM extremely willing to bear any testimony of my real regard for Mr. Hughes, and therefore what you mention of my letter to his brother, after his death, will be a greater instance of the sincerity with which it was given: it is perfectly at your service. I thank you for the tenderness with which you deal in this matter toward me, and I esteem you for that which you show to the memory of your kinsman. I doubt not but you will discharge it in a becoming manner, and am, Sir, Your, etc. SIR, LETTER XXIX. TO THE SAME. Saturday, Nov. 23, 1734. My absence from home prevented my receiving your two letters this day. I would else have read your tragedy willingly; and I beg you not to take amiss that I return your presents of the tickets, since it is not in my power to be there next week, through indispensable obligations in the country at some distance. I think your prologue a good one; and I think of players as I always thought of players, and of the son as I thought of the father. I sincerely wish you success, and am, Sir, Your, etc. • This prologue (which was afterward spoken by Mr. Milward with applause) had been just returned to the author, with great contempt, by Mr. Theophilus Cibber. I RECEIVED a letter from you with satisfaction having long been desirous of any occasion of testifying my regard for you, and particularly of acknowledging the pleasure your Version of Vida's Poetick had afforded me. I had it not indeed from your bookseller, but read it with eagerness, and think it both a correct and a spirited translation. I am pleased to have been (as you tell me) the occasion of your undertaking that work: that is some sort of merit; and, if I have any in me, it really consists in an earnest desire to promote and produce, as far as I can, that of others. But as to my being the publisher, or any way concerned in reviewing or recommending of Lintot's Miscellany, it is what I never did in my life, though he (like the rest of his tribe) makes a very free of my name. use He has often reprinted my things, and so scurvily, that, finding he was doing so again, I corrected the sheets as far as they went, of my own only. And, being told by him that he had two or three copies of yours, (which you also had formerly sent me (as he said) through his hands), I obliged him to write for your consent, before he made use of them. This was all your second book he has just now delivered to me, the in |