DEAR SPENCE

No. XVI.

FROM MR. HERBERT.

July 1st 1746

Leiston near Saxmundham in Suffolk.

S You rather discouraged me from writing by ingenu

deferr'd till now putting pen to paper to enquire after your health in town, or informing you of ours in the country; but I hope to find, by your speedy answer to this, that your opinion is changed upon this head, and that you intend to be a punctual Correspondent to your friend, who is always glad to hear from you. But least your tender conscience should tell you; it is a crime to say one thing and do another, I beg to remind you from Scripture, how much more commendable that man was, who went, tho' he say'd he would not go, than He, who say'd he would go, and went not, the latter broke his word, which is always detestable, the former was better than his word, which has always been thought to deserve the highest commendation. How this argument may operate upon you, time will shew; and here I shall leave it. to proceed to give you some account of our manner of living here, the Place itself is much pleasanter than I expected, our situation is about two miles from the sea. When I am in the Cupola, where I sit often, I can see the Ships with a naked eye, but have borrow'd a reflecting telescope, to bring them nearer, and behold them more distinctly, yesterday a very large Fleet of Colliers went by. Which some months ago a timorous mind would have magnified into a French Squadron; but thank God those fears are over, and I found no more warmth or emotion in me at this sight, than naturally arose from thinking what fine fires would be made of the Freight in the Frosty weather. And this idea let me tell you, was not difficult to raise, for the weather here is extreamly Cold; at least seems so to my thin carcase; and I believe would to yours, even cover'd with two coats; if you are still as I left you in the Phrase of Persius, trama figuræ,

tho' I hope to find you on my return as Horace phrases it, Epicuri de grege Porcus. I had the other morning an opportunity of beholding another of Agur's wonders, (for the way of a ship in the sea is one) which was the way of a serpent not according to the text, on a Rock, but on a Dunghill. My Coachman kill'd six of them successively, the sight put me in mind of the Picture of Apollo killing the Python. So of my Coachman I may say, as says Lady Froth in the Comedy.-I amuse myself sometimes like the Roman Emperor by picking up cockle shells on the sea shore, and had an opportunity of experiencing, the remedy Demosthenes. try'd on himself for Stammering, upon my Girl, who was with me, tho' I did not let her know what I was at, for I had nothing to do but talk to her and she answer'd me of course, and I observed she spoke much plainer the next day. This is a shorter way (as we are but a little distance from the sea) than the method I told you I had so often try'd effectually. We are to go to Alburge to morrow to see a Battery that is erected lately there of six or eight Guns. Who knows but may find a drowned object to try my experiment upon, I long to succeed in it, but begin to despair, having twice fail'd, and all that I have got by it, is the fame of having lost my senses, and being call'd a Quack. But as I love to make the best of every thing, I comfort myself with thinking (as the man did who broke his legs and blest his stars that it was not his neck.) that if I am mad I am no fool nor ever can be one, if there is any truth in old sayings. Thus I get clear of the first imputation, by the help of my own language but am oblig'd, to rid myself of the other to have recourse to the Latin tongue, by proving that the work Quack, like the word Tyrant, tho' now it has a bad sense annext to it, had formerly a good one, and that the person who gave rise to this name was an adept in Physick and not superficially knowing in that science as we think the person to be, to whom this denomination is by the world apply'd. The Proof I mention is in Busbequius, who speaks of his Physician Gulielmum Quackquelbenum. (who had like to have kill'd a Basha; for he expressly says that providence saved him,

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when he was thought past recovery). Quære, may not a note for the Charliad be drawn from hence, for the etymology of the word Quack. I am sure you will be prejudiced in favour of this Gentleman when you recollect he was as knowing in Medals as in Physick, for we find him studying that science at Belgrade with his Master, in quo studio (as he says of him) ad meum sensum mire factum. I think it is time to finish, but must first desire you tell Mr. Dodsley I received his Pamphlet, but desire he would be sure that he does not send me above two ounces, the last being markt more on the cover tho' they did not make me pay for it. If more in future let him send it under two covers.

Yours etc.

N. HERBERT.

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No. XVII.

FROM THE REV. GLOSTER RIDLEY.

DEAR MR. PROFESSOR,

HAVE a thousand Thanks to return you for the thou

sand Entertainments you gave me at Oxford, among these more particularly for Bacchus and Ariadne; so many feet of Guido's designing, and Jacomo Frey's Engraving will make no little ornament in my Nutshell at Poplar; but I am still more indebted to you for that manly and sensible Poem The Judgment of Hercules, I think Mr. Lowth for his own sake should publish it, for there is no doubt but the Copies will multiply, and at last perhaps a very incorrect one steal into print. One Line I own pretty much entangled me in reading, the last but one in the 3d. Stanza, and which, as I am no Critic, and a Stranger to the Idioms of Language, I am not yet quite satisfied in:

Graceful, yet each with different Grace they move.

I am more likely to be mistaken in objecting to it, than Mr.

Lowth in writing it; but as it is new to me, at least hitherto unobserved, I should be glad to have an authority or two pointed at. Another Favour I am to thank you for, is a Sight of the Samothracian Mysteries, which gave me that kind of pleasure that I receive from seeing a fine House; I was wonderfully pleased all the while I was conducted thro' the several apartments, but was hurried too fast from one to another to form an Idea of the whole, or indeed any thing distinctly of the particulars. However I shall transcribe a passage or two, which if I mistake not will supply you with a little Furniture that you thought you wanted. Armachanus noster (juxta Chronologos antiquissimos) Ægialei initium regnandi posuit A.M. 1915, et probabile est sparsim ibi vixisse Pelasgos aliquam multos priusquam inceperit, monarchia Ægialei, adeo ut Isis sua mysteria Cabirica Pelasgo tradidit paulò (circa 40 annos) ante initium Ægialei. Et sane Sparsi hujusmodi homines faciliùs reciperent externum Osiridis imperium, ejusque sacra, quam unitri sub noto monarcha. Hæc autem benè congruunt cum dictis Herodoti affirmantis, omnes Græcos, immo ipsos Samothraces a "Pelasgis accepisse orgia, seu mysteria Cabirica." Euterpe. c. 51. Cumberland's Origines gentium, in Appendice de Cabiris. pag: 362, 363. In the next place Reland gives you choice of Etymologies. the 1. from an Hebrew word that may be wrote thus, Chabirim, Socii, juncti, which hits your mysterious union very well. Or else from another which will do for your θεοι μεγαλοι, χρετοι, δυνατοι from Cabirim, magni, potentes, &c. Or lastly, from Kebirim quasi Dij Sepultorum, which we won't admit of because it would knock you quite on the head, and only serve the purpose of a parcel of foolish fellows, who pretend to say these Cabiri were Axieros, Axiokersa, Axiokersos and Casmillus, or in more intelligible words, Ceres, Pluto, Proserpine and Mercury, and into these names, Bochart, according to his usual way of unridd'ling, pretends to translate those heathenish syllables. If you please to amuse yourself with these polite and entertaining Gentlemen you may look for Hadriani Relandi Dissertationum Miscellanearum Pars prima... cujus quinta

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dissertatio est, de Diis Cabiris. And in Bochart's Canaan, lib. 1. cap. 12. With these Belles Esprits-rest you merry! I wish you good success, but I can find no authority either for the number, or the particular Deities; or rather, I find authorities against you. But these Treatises referr'd to, will acquaint you with them, and was it not for your drudgery of going thro' 'em, I could wish to see their sense filter'd down thro' your refiners, and their Ore (if any to be found) stampt at your Mint. You may see by this Sentence that I have just been dabbling in them, it will therefore be a very seasonable service to give you a release. I therefore haste to give you Mrs. Ridley's thanks with mine for your late favours, and am

Dear Jo!

Your affectionate Frd. and H. S.

GL: RIDLEY.

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No. XVIII.

FROM THE REV. GLOSTER RIDLEY.*

DEAR JO!

HEREWITH send you a Letter I have just received from Mr. Wooddeson with some Corrections, which I hope will come time enough for Mr. Dodsley before the Pin and Needle be printed off. You will be so good to fix upon which is best. You'll see what a strange whim he entertains about your Book, conceives that when he is dying he shall think of nothing else but who to leave it to.

I likewise send you a leaf or two of the old papers which

This Letter contained stanzas written on old paper with discoloured ink, intended as a trial of Mr. Spence's Antiquarian skill; it will be seen in the sequel, by another letter, that Mr. Ridley had borrowed Spenser's Faerie Queene of Mr. Spence, and in reading it, tried his hand at imitating the style. This gave rise to his pleasing poem of Psyche, or the Great Metamorphosis, of which these stanzas afterwards formed a part.—Editor.