I RETURN you the book you were pleased to send me, and with it your obliging letter, which deserves my particular acknowledgment: for, next to the pleasure of enjoying the company of so good a friend, the welcomest thing to me is to hear from him. I expected to find, what I have met

Pope.

* Secretary of State to King William the Third. "Sir William Trumbull was born at Easthamstead, in Berkshire. He was Fellow of All Souls College, in Oxford; followed the study of the Civil Law, and was sent by King Charles II. Judge Advocate to Tangier; thence Envoy to Florence, Turin, &c.; and in his way back, Envoy Extraordinary to France; from thence sent by King James II. Envoy to the Ottoman Porte. Afterwards he was made Lord of the Treasury; then Secretary of State with the Duke of Shrewsbury, which office he resigned in 1697, and retired to and died in the place of his nativity in Dec. 1716, aged 77 years." Ayre, Life of Pope, vol. i. p. 5.

Several curious Letters of Sir William Trumbull, written while he was Ambassador in France, are preserved in the paper office; and some relating to the cruel Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, 1685, are published in the Memoirs of Sir John Dalrymple, p. 123. Warton.

with, an admirable genius in those poems, not only because they were Milton's,* or were approved by Sir Hen. Wooton, but because you had commended them; and give me leave to tell you, that I know nobody so like to equal him, even at the age he wrote most of them, as yourself. Only do not afford more cause of complaints against you, that you suffer nothing of yours to come abroad; which in this age, wherein wit and true sense is more scarce than money, is a piece of such cruelty as your best friends can hardly pardon. I hope you will repent and amend; I could offer many reasons to this purpose, and such as you cannot answer with any sincerity, but that I dare not enlarge, for fear of engaging in a style of compliment, which has been so abused by fools and knaves, that it is become almost scandalous. I conclude therefore with an assurance which shall never vary, of my being ever, etc.

* L'Allegro, Il Penseroso, Lycidas, and the Masque of Comus.

Pope.

From hence it appears, that these four exquisite poems of Milton were read, and relished, and recommended by our author, much earlier than they are supposed to have been. He has taken many expressions from them in the Eloisa, and the Temple of Fame, and other pieces. See the Preface to the second edition, 1791, p. 10, of Milton's smaller Poems, by T. Warton. That a person of Trumbull's taste and literature should not have been before acquainted with these poems of Milton, is a clear proof how little they were known and regarded in general, Warton,

SIR,

LETTER II.

FROM SIR WILLIAM TRUMBULL.

June 15, 1706.

It is always to my advantage to correspond with you; for I have either the use of your books, or (which I value much more) your conversation. I am sure it will be my fault if I do not improve by both. I wish also I could learn some more skill in gardening from your father (to whom with your good mother all our services are presented, with thanks for the artichokes) who has sent us a pattern that I am afraid we shall copy but in miniature; for so our artichokes are in respect of his. In all things I am ready to yield, except in the assurances that nobody can be more than I am,

Yours, &c.

LETTER III.

FROM SIR WILLIAM TRUMBULL.

April 9, 1708.

I HAVE this moment received the favour of yours of the 8th instant; and will make you a true excuse (though perhaps no very good one) that I deferred the troubling you with a letter, when I sent back your papers, in hopes of seeing you at Bin

field before this time. If I had met with any fault in your performance, I should freely now (as I have done too presumptuously in conversation with you) tell you my opinion; which I have frequently ventured to give you, rather in compliance with your desires than that I could think it reasonable. For I am not yet satisfied upon what grounds I can pretend to judge of poetry, who never have been practised in the art. There may possibly be some happy geniuses, who may judge of some of the natural beauties of a poem, as a man may of the proportions of a building, without having read Vitruvius, or knowing any thing of the rules of architecture; but this, though it may sometimes be in the right, must be subject to many mistakes, and is certainly but a superficial knowledge, without entering into the art, the methods, and the particular excellences of the whole composure, in all the parts of it.

Besides my want of skill, I have another reason why I ought to suspect myself, by reason of the great affection I have for you; which might give too much bias to be kind to every thing that comes from you. But, after all, I must say, (and I do it with an old-fashioned sincerity), that I entirely approve of your translation of those pieces of Homer, both as to the versification and the true sense that shines through the whole :* nay, I am confirmed in my former application to you, and give

*These were the pieces that were afterwards published at the same time with the Pastorals in Tonson's Miscellany.

me leave to renew it upon this occasion, that you would proceed* in translating that incomparable poet, to make him speak good English, to dress his admirable characters in your proper, significant, and expressive conceptions, and to make his works as useful and instructive to this degenerate age, as he was to our friend Horace, when he read him at Præneste: Qui, quid sit pulchrum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non, &c. I break off with that quid non, with which I confess I am charmed.

Upon the whole matter, I intreat you to send this presently to be added to the Miscellanies, and I hope it will come time enough for that purpose.

I have nothing to say of my Nephew B-'s observations, for he sent them to me so late, that I had not time to consider them; I dare say he endeavoured very faithfully (though, he told me, very hastily) to execute your commands.

All I can add is, that if your excess of modesty should hinder you from publishing this Essay, I shall only be sorry that I have no more credit with you, to persuade you to oblige the public, and very particularly, dear Sir, Your, &c.

Hence it appears that Sir W. Trumbull was the very first person that urged him to undertake a translation of the Iliad of Homer.

Warton.