ney, I know not whom. However, this Attorney now pretends he only lent them to him, and says, the Trustees of Lord Wharton's effects are to review all his papers, and that he shall want these. My Brother Twells says, he gave them to him. However, he thought them such trifling things, that he had a mind to oblige him with them again, and so spoke to me about them. I told him, I had given them away, and to whom. He asked me if the gentleman would let me have them again. I told him I believed yes; and, as he comes to town this spring, I would write to you about it. Now, if you have them, I should be obliged to you to let them have their trumpery again, if it be much pressed and desired; that is, so much as you care to part with: but, if there be any thing amongst them you have a mind to keep, the remainder, I suppose, would satisfy them; for, I dare say, these Attorneys remember no more than that there was in gross some Letters of Burnet's, some of Mrs. Wharton's, some Poems*; and, it is likely, above all, the Depositions about the young Duke's marriage. I was never more vexed at a trifle in my life. But this it is to have to do with Attorneys. It puts me so much out of humour, that I can say no more at present but that I am, dear Sir, Your most affectionate and most faithful servant, W. WARBURTON. LETTER XX. For the Rev. Mr. BIRCH. DEAR SIR, March 9, 1738-9. The inclosed scrap is for your private perusal. I imagined it might be useful to you to know how you stand with Mr. Gyles, who I think is an honest * It is a little remarkable, that these Letters and Poems should, after an interval of nearly eighty years, have come into my hands, through a very different channel. See the Memoirs of William Hutchinson, esq. F. S. A. in the First Volume of this Work. man. man. And to bring two honest men together in the literary way, may not only be of use to both of them in their transactions, but will certainly be of great benefit to the world. I am, dear Sir, with the most perfect esteem, Your very affectionate friend, &c. W.WARBURTON. LETTER XXI. To the Rev. Mr. BIRCH. DEAR SIR, Cambridge, April 6, 1739. The favour of your obliging Letter of March 31, was sent me from the country to this place, whither the hard necessity of consulting books only to be met with here has brought me. I wrote to you amidst the strange mixture of entertainment and study, between the College Halls and Libraries. But my nights are so long, and my mornings so' short, that I am like to return as wise as I came; which will be in a very few days. I am obliged to you as to what you say of the Duke of Wharton's papers, if they be called for. However, in such case, I would have you take what you like. I am glad to see so fine a collection as Thurloe's Papers are put into your hands. I mentioned those Papers in the Coffee-house here, as very curious. Davy of Sidney *, and Salter, and some others, spoke of them as not so; but the wisest reason I could get for their opinion was, that Lord Somers did not publish them himself, who was the Collector. Are not these good reasons? Dr. Middleton gives his humble service to you. I could wish my Four Letters in Defence of Mr. Pope were published together in a pamphlet. I fancy they would make a sixpenny one. I would only reform and correct them, but leave them in the present form of distinct Letters. Who has the pro No Graduate of that name occurs. Of whom see the "Literary Anecdotes," vol. III. p. 225. H 2 perty perty of them? If Robinson*, I would be obliged to you if you acquainted him with my desire; and, if ever he expects any thing more from me, he must comply with it. You may see by the Third Letter that I intended to have given an explanation of the Reasoning of the Four Epistles; but, on examining them, I found all intelligible enough, except the First and Introduction to the Second; and this explained, it was a key to the rest; and, as you know my mind fully in this matter, if you would be so good as to give a short preface, or advertisement, before them, it would be their best recommendation to the world. I very much desire it may be done; and if it is to be done by Robinson, I beg you would give him to understand that I do so. I hope the Weaver will unravel all the perplexed nonsense of Chubb, who has fairly reasoned himself out of Christianity. The Poems of Miss Carter are excellent. But there is another reason that makes me impatient to see this collection which I am enquiring after, and that is page 126 of the 2d volume. Be so good to tell Mr. Gyles, when you see him, that I would not have Herwart, nor an imperfect edition of Spanheim's Julian. he Peck's Advertisement has been an unexhaustible fund of mirth in this place; and I do not doubt but our good friend Mr. Wray had his share of it. He seems to have had a design of confirming what I said of the Poem of Liberty, that it was his own, where says, that he will give the reasons that induced him to pitch upon Milton for the author;" which implies that, it being his own property, he had a right to give it to whom he pleased; and he pitched upon Milton as the man most in his favour whilst he was writing blank verse. But his joining Herod the Great to it, which is undoubtedly his own, as * Jacob Robinson, Bookseller, in Fleet-street, publisher of the "Works of the Learned," in which the Four Letters first appeared. He was uncle to the late George Robinson, of Paternoster-row. ↑ Daniel Wray, esq. of whom see ample memoirs in vol. I. certains certains the property; a poem, as well as a man, being to be known by his company. On which I will venture to pronounce condemnation in due form of Law-that it shall return from whence it came. From a dunghill, he says, he received it; and to a dunghill it shall go, let him print upon as stiff paper as he pleases. In this case I am as clear and positive as the famous Etymologist, who said, " he not only knew from whence words came, but whither they were going.” I am, dear Sir, yours most affectionately, LETTER XXII. To the Rev. Mr. BIRCH. DEAR SIR, April 23, 1739. I am much indebted to you for the favour of yours of the 14th instant. I had some account of Romaine's preaching his Sermon; but its publication was news to me; as perhaps it will to you, to know that I verily believe a Letter (for which I refer you to Mr. Gyles, to whom I have sent a copy by this post) wrote to me last October from Epsom, and signed W. Romaine *, was written by this honest man. If it proves so, I shall print the Letter as a Supplement to the Sermon, and that shall be all the notice I shall take of it. In order to know whether it be his Letter, the other side is a Letter to him, which I desire you would tell Mr. Gyles I would have so contrived that we may have proof that he received it. If he owns the writing the Letter, it may be printed from the copy (a very literal one, even to mistakes and abbreviations) I have sent Mr. Gyles; and in such case I will send him the original, to be seen by any one who has the curiosity. I beg of your friendship to assist Mr. Gyles, and put him in a way to have the Letter acknowledged or proved. If it be denied, I shall forthwith send * See the note in p. 103. up up the original, to be shewn to somebody who knows his hand; for I dare say you will judge, by the style and the arguments, it was wrote by the Author of the Sermon. I am much obliged to you for the business of the Four Letters. I have by this post sent Mr. Robinson the corrections. I shall depend on your friendship in directing the publication, and would have my name still concealed. I wrote to Mr. Robinson, to act by your directions. As my esteem for you is well known at Cambridge, I have had two messages from old Mr. Baker, of St. John's, to let me know he had a Life, or some Papers relating to a Life, of the famous Peter Baro, of Cambridge, which, if they would be acceptable to you, he would send me. I am ashamed to tell you the times of these two messages. The first was this time twelvemonth (which I shamefully forgot to tell you of), the other was the time I was at Cambridge. If you have any use or inclination for them, I will send to Mr. Baker, and get them. I am glad to hear what you tell me of Thurloe's Papers. I imagined no less; but I then shewed those gentlemen* the folly of the imagination from their own reasons they used of their belief. I am, dear Sir, your most affectionate, and most faithful friend and servant, W. WARBURTON. If this Letter proves to be this Romaine's, I think it will admit no doubt it was wrote with the diabolical design to entrap me; and, if so, I dare say Webster had a hand in it. I wish you could find whether there be any thing in my suspicions. One thing I must tell you, that, in my answer to the Letter, I told Romaine, "that it was a necessary part of my scheme to prove that the antient Fathers and Patriarchs had a knowledge of a future state, and of redemption by the Messiah." I mention this, because, I am told, in the Sermon it is said "that I have |