first book, But that was done several years ago, and in quite a different manner. It was much closer, and more like a downright translation.-P.

Cromwell was inclined to spare the king, till he found there was no trust to be put in him. 'Tis said, at least there was a private correspondence carried on between them, for some time. Cromwell was to restore the king to his full regal power, and was himself to be made Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, with some other advantageous articles. The queen heard of this, and wrote to the king to desire him "not to yield too much to the traitor." The king in his answer said, " she need not have any concern in her mind on that head: for whatever agreement they might enter into, he should not look upon himself as obliged to keep any promises made so much on compulsion, whenever he had power enough to break through them." Cromwell intercepted this answer, and from that moment, acted always uniformly to take away the king's life.-P.

* This is somewhat differently related by the younger Richardson, in his rambling way. "Lord Bolingbroke told us (June 12, 1742), that Lord Oxford had often told him, that he had seen, and had in his hand, an original letter King Charles the First wrote to the Queen, in answer to one of hers that had been intercepted, and then forwarded to him; wherein she reproached him for 'having made those villains too great concessions,' (viz. that Cromwell should be Lord Lieutenant of Ireland for life, without account; that the kingdom should be in the hands of the party, with an army there kept, which should know no head but the lieutenant; that Cromwell should have the garter, &c.) That in this letter of the king's it was said, that she should leave him to manage, who was better informed of all circumstances than she could be; but that she might be entirely easy as to whatever concessions he should make them; for that he should know in due time how to deal with the rogues, who instead of a silken garter,

[Lord Bolingbroke said he was not ill where he was; that he had made several friendships, and did not dislike the country-but that if he might be fully restored he should be obliged.-This was absolutely promised.-He was several times with the king, and told him of his promise; the king said he should be glad to perform it, but that his ministers assured him so many of the lords were so much prejudiced against Lord Bolingbroke, that the bill would never pass the house.-Lord Bolingbroke told the king that it was all false: that it would pass the house if Sir Robert Walpole had a mind to make it do so, and that if the king told him he should, that he must." Sir Robert is but two or three rooms off (said Lord B.), if you will order him to be called in, I will tell him all that I have said to your majesty, and convince him how it may be done.". "No, no, (replied the king,) don't call him in."-P.

The king was heard to say in the drawing-room, upon the falling of the South Sea stock: "We had very good luck; for we sold out last week."-P.

Kings now (except the King of Sardinia) are the worst things upon earth. They are turned mere tradesmen ; cauponantes bellum, non belligerantes.-P.

Cotta and his heir were supposed by some to have been the late and present Duke of Newcastle. "Foe to the

should be fitted with an hempen cord.'-So the letter ended; which answer, as they waited for, so they intercepted accordingly, and it determined the king's fate.- This letter Lord Oxford said he had offered five hundred pounds for.-Lord Bolingbroke, Lord Marchmont, and Mr. Pope, all believed that the story I had heard or read to this purpose (and which occasioned Lord Bolingbroke's telling the above) had its origin no higher than this story of Lord Oxford."-Editor.

Dryads of his father's groves." Mr. Pope did not confirm it outright, when I mentioned it to him, but spoke of their characters in a manner that seemed not at all to disown it. -Spence.*]

Lord Bolingbroke quitted the Pretender, because he found him incapable of making a good prince. He himself, if in power, would have made the best of ministers.-These things will be proved one of these days. The proofs are ready, and the world will see them.†—P.

One may form some idea of the consistency of foreknowledge and free-will, from the instance of a tutor and a child. -If you know the temper and custom of a man thoroughly, and the circumstances of the thing offered to him, you know often how he will choose: and his choice is not at all the less free for your foreseeing it.-A man always chooses what appears best to him: and if you certainly foresaw what would appear best to him, in any one particular case, you would certainly foresee what he would choose.-P.

I have thought it over, and am quite willing to leave this world. It is too bad to desire to stay on in it: and my spirit will go into the hands of him, who I know will not use it worse than it has deserved.-P.

I would leave my things in merciful hands.—I am in no concern, whether people should say this is writ well or ill, but that this was writ with a good design." He has written in the cause of virtue, and done something to mend

The four preceding articles are taken from Mr. Spence's Papers.-Editor.

This is most probably a hint at the edition of the "Patriot King" he had caused to be printed, without Bolingbroke's knowledge.-Editor.

people's morals:" this is the only commendation I long for.-P.

Hughes was a good humble-spirited man, a great admirer of Mr. Addison, and but a poor writer, except his play, that very well.*-P.

is

* Hughes died in February 1719-20, on the first night his Siege of Damascus was acted, and wrote the Prologue and Epilogue for it in bed, and the Dedication to Lord Chancellor Cowper, only ten days before his death. He was about forty-five years old. It was the sight of that play in manuscript that recommended him entirely to Lord Cowper, who made him Secretary to the Commissions of the Peace, a month after he read it: and when Lord Parker succeeded him, though Lord C. was too angry with him to desire him to continue any one else, he did desire him to continue Mr. Hughes. Lord Parker did so, and told him that Lord C. had recommended him to him, but that he had a previous recommendation; which was his own merit. He was never in any circumstances till his secretaryship; which was but a few years before his death.-Mr. Strahan only received one hundred and twentyfive pounds for tickets for his play, and had not the pleasure of delivering that to him, but to his mother. He left above five hundred pounds to his family, who much wanted it.-Addition from Mr. Spence's Papers.

In answer to an observation of Swift, that Hughes " is among the mediocrists in prose and verse:" Pope replies, " as to Hughes, what he wanted in genius he made up as an honest man; but he was of the class you think him."-It has been said that Pope, in this case acted with duplicity, because he praises the Siege of Damascus in a letter to Hughes, written the very day he died; and in a subsequent letter to his brother, praises both the work and the author.-Dr. Johnson gives his sanction to this character of Hughes and has also been censured for doing so.-We have here a proof that Pope's opinion of Hughes's talents, was not a mere echo of that of Swift, and we see that he excepts his play from the censure. But this is not the only instance of Pope's insincerity in his epistolary commerce with mankind, all his correspondents are made easy by flattery, laid on without conscience or remorse.Editor.

There never was anything so wicked as the Holy Wars.-P. In the Island of St. Christopher, there are a number of creatures like lizards; some green, some red, and others yellow which change their natural colour to some other, almost instantly, on being pricked with a needle. They frequent the fig-trees there, much; one of which makes a wood of itself: the branches growing down to the ground, and taking root there, and then growing on, and doing the same again. I have seen, I believe, five hundred of these creatures at once sitting under one of these natural fig-tree arbours.-Mr. B.

I have never been at the city of Mexico myself; but a particular friend, who has been there, and whom I could absolutely trust to, has assured me, "that he was never struck so much with anything, as with the magnificence now used there:" and yet he had been in several of the most splendid courts of Europe, before he went thither. He said, in particular, that there were above seven hundred equipages, with the harness of solid silver.-And when they go out on one of the great causeways, which is the walk in fashion at present, every lady has a black slave on each side of her, with an umbrella to shade her from the sun; and a third to hold her train.—Mr. B.

The Epistle on "The Use of Riches," was as much laboured as any one of my works.—P.

A great lawyer, who had a very bad son, in his last will left him a legacy to such a value, and this verse of Mr. Pope's to think often of,

"An honest man's the noblest work of God."

-Mr. Murray (afterwards Lord Mansfield.)

I had once a design of giving a taste of all the most