SIR, LETTER C. From Mr. BAYNE. Edinburgh, Nov. 21, 1734. I HAD the pleasure to receive a letter from you, which I would have answered fooner; but this happens to be a time when I have a good deal of business upon my hands, in preparing for my winter work, and the inftruction of the young gentlemen who study, the law under my care. My friendship for Mr. Hughes, and the refpect I have for his memory, make it agreeable to me to hear of any thing particular relating to fo near a relation of his as you are. You may imagine therefore the account you give me of your family was most acceptable. And, in return, I am to tell you, that I am very happy in mine. The Sparkler, I am afraid, is not now now fo proper a name for Mrs. Bayne as it was when I wrote that letter * you mention: however, that part of the brilliant which fhe has loft, is loft only by communication, for he has brought me two girls, one of twenty and another of eighteen, who have caught it; and I have the fatiffaction to think, it is the leaft part of their value that they are handfome. I have three boys, the eldest of seven years of age, who are all much handsomer than is needful for them, and the eldest promifes fomething of a genius, which I am the apter to flatter myself with the hopes of, as his eldest fifter has it; who, without being in the smallest degree prompted, has gone through more books than moft men of twice her age ufually do: and, which is beft of all, fhe is not fenfible of that fuperiority fhe has over most of her fex of like age with herself. I am much pleafed to find you are carrying on an edition of Mr. Hughes's • See letter xxv, vol. i. poctical My abfence from home prevented my receiving your two letters till this day. I would elfe have read your tragedy willingly; and I beg you not to take it amifs that I return your prefent of the tickets, fince it is not in my power to be there next week, through indifpenfable obligations in the country at fome diftance. I think your "Lucius Junius Brutus," then acting at Drurylane houfe. pro * prologue a good one, and I think of players as I always thought of players, and of the fon as I thought of the father. I fincerely wish you fuccefs, and am, Sir, your most obedient humble fervant, A. POPE. LETTER CII. From the Rev. Dr. RUNDLE †. SIR, I AM moft Edgcumbe 1, Dec. 9, 1734 AM most extremely obliged to you for the concern you have expreffed for my This prologue, (which was spoken by Mr. Milward with applaufe,) had been returned to the author, with great contempt, by Mr. Theophilus Cibber. + At this time prebendary of Durham, archdeacon of Wilts, and chaplain to lord chancellor Talbot. fuccefs, and fhall ever acknowledge the friendliness of the advice you have given me, though 'tis by no means proper for Dr. Rundle being recommended to the king by the lord chancellor for the bishopric of Gloucester, (on the death of bishop Sydall,) his appointment was ftrenuously oppofed by the bishop of London (Dr. Gibfon) from a notion of the doctor's being a deist, founded on some unguarded expreffions which had dropped from him fome years before in a private conversation, at which Mr. Venn, (who was the informer) Dr. Stebbing, &c. were prefent. In confequence of this oppofition, the lord chancellor was at length induced to withdraw his recommendation, Dr. Benfon was promoted to the English bishopric, and Dr. Rundle to the bifhopric of Derry in Ireland. On this occafion, Mr. Pulteney (afterwards earl of Bath) thus expreffes himself in a letter to Dr. Swift, dated March 11, 1734-5: "What do "you fay to the butle made here to prevent the man from being an English bishop, and "afterwards allowing him to be a good Chriftian "enough for an Irish one? Sure, the oppofition, or "the acquiefcence, must have been moft abominably "fcandalous. By what I can learn of Dr. Rundle's character, (for I am not in the left acquainted "with him myfelf) he is far from being the great " and learned man his friends would have the world "believe him; and much farther yet, from the bad VOL. II. man |