rent Merit) in the extreme Regard I have for you, when I fubfcribe myself,

Your most fincere Friend,

and humble Servant,

A. WHISTLER,

My Duty to Lord D. I wish his Lordship would favour me with fome Franks. I fhould look upon it as an Honour, and a Piece of Good-nature. A Frank, you know, would convey them.

I

LETTER XVI.

Mr. WHISTLER to W. SHENSTONE, Efq.

Dear Sir,

HAVE been extremely busy of late in new modelling my little Habitation; and the more so, to bring it to fome Kind of Perfection, in Order to receive you. I have been building up, pulling down, planting, rooting up, turning Round to Square, and Square to Round. In short, I don't know, but fome

prudent People would fay, I have been playing the Devil. Indeed, (as in other Things in Life) my Fancy is fo confined by the Smallnefs of my Poffeffions, that my Scheme is not very expenfive: 'tis all in the Lilliputian Stile, and must be fo. Though I have tried to give it what Air of Magnificence it is capable of, I fuppofé it will strut like many of those unfortunate Heroes who happen not to be four Feet and a Half high.

Did Lady LUXBOROUGH approve my Sentiment of enjoying Things beft by Reflection? I still maintain my Opinion, and endeavour to juftify it thus: What we enjoy by Reflection we have pure, nay, heightened by our own Fancy, at the fame Time no Inconvenience attends it; on the contrary, the Pleafure is more poignant by the Contraft. The Thought of an IceHouse in the Summer is refreshing, and the Imagination of July is a Cordial in Froit and Snow; befides, you well know Hope is the very Hartshorn of Life, that enlivens every Thing, and particularly attends imaginary Pleafures, but vanishes whenever they become real-By Reflection, I mean Imagination in general.

I have fent you Stanzas on Flowers. If Lady LUXBOROUGH likes them, I fhall be proud of hitting the Pallate of a Lady of fo high a Taste. I have likewise enclosed another Copy of Verfes -though I am in Doubt, whether I did not fend them to you laft Summer; they were done then. I know you don't love Translations, but I have nothing new befides. I fet about them merely as an Exercise one Night, when I was dull and alone, not intending any Thing but tearing them afterwards, for I knew it was a worn-out Subject-But a fatherly Affection took Place, and I did not care for murdering it, though it was a Bastard produced

unawares.

N. B. I beg that nothing of mine may appear in Print,

I admire those two Lines of Lady WORTLEY'S very much. It is a natural yet uncommon and agreeable Thought. I am pleafed with the Compliment you make me, in faying you always with me with you to partake any Pleasure, and imagine how any Thing extraordinary would ftrike

E 4

ftrike me: I like it, because I know it is a natural, and thereby, a fincere Thought by my own Heart. I am fo far gone that Way, that I can hardly enjoy any Thing extraordinary, without my Friends are with me, especially thofe whom I know it would particularly ftrike: but next to gratifying a Friend, is the observing, how new and extraordinary Objects work upon a natural Genius; I'll fuppofe it a Genius; I think it is one of the highest Entertainments in Life; when I can meet with fuch, and have an Opportunity, I love to read a Play to them, though I know I run the Hazard of being laughed at for my Pains; but I don't care, the Pleasure pays me for all the malicious foolish People can fay, and you know the natural Criticisms of Sir ROGER DE COVERLEY were not thought unworthy the Notice of the British Spectator. For my Part, I have of ten thought that it is one of the Amusements of the Supreme Being, who planted firft the Paffions in us, to obferve the Workings and Effects of them. A public Audience gives me Pleasure upon Truft, for though I know no one there, I always conclude there are fome Geniuffes.

I am

I am of your Opinion, with Regard to Mrs. at prefent; for I think, if her Heart be really engaged, which I very much. doubt, Dishonour in Love is the blackeft of all dishonest Actions, and of the worst Confequence-But his precurfive Steps were the Extremity of Folly, conducted with the Extremity of Folly; but he may be happy (and I wish he may be happy) in any State of Life. I. think our Visits to DICK J are fatal; his own Mother lay a dying when we were at Henley. I am very glad to hear you have had fo many Amusements. It is always agreeable to me, whenever I hear you have met with a flowery Meadow in your fublunary Walk. If I have any Tafte, your Hercules is an elegant and truly poetical Poem, and fuperior to L's if it is not, I refign my Taste, for I'll pin it upon your Poem. I don't pretend to Criticifm; but my Paffion for SHAKESPEARE, MILTON, POPE, &c. has made me believe, that I have fome natural Tafte for Beauty. I am much obliged to you for the two genteel Copies of Verfes; they are very pretty, and much to my Fancy. As for Odes,

You