To the Earl of ST. ALBANS [a].

MY LORD,

THE

HE duty I owe your LORDSHIP, as well as my friendship for Mr. COWLEY, determined me to lose no time in executing the commiffion you was

[a] This Dialogue is founded on a fhort paffage in Mr. SPRAT's Life of Mr. CoWLEY, in which he obferves, That in his long dependance on my Lord St. ALBANS, there never happened any manner of difference between them; except a little at LAST, because he would leave his fervice."

pleased to charge me with by Mr. D****. I went early the next morning to Barn-Elms [b]; intending to pass the whole day with him, and to try if what I might be able to fuggeft on the occafion, together with the weight of your lordship's advice, could not divert him from his ftrange project of Retirement. Your lordship, no doubt, as all his other friends, had obferved his bias that way to be very strong; but who, that knew his great fenfe, could have thought of its carrying him to fo extravagant a refolution? For my own part, I fufpected it fo little, that, though he would often talk of retiring, and especially fince your lordfhip's favour to him [c], I confidered it only as the ufual language of poets, which they take up one after another,

[6] A fmall village on the Thames, which was Mr. COWLEY's first retreat, before he removed to Chertfea.

[c] Meaning an eftate he had obtained by means of this lord. This particular is feveral times referred to in the courfe of the Dialogue..

and

and love to indulge in, as what they fuppose becomes their family and profeffion. It could never come into my thoughts, that one, who knew the world fo well as Mr. COWLEY, and had lived fo long in it, who had fo fair hopes and fo noble a patron, could seriously think of quitting the scene at his years, and all for fo fantastic a purpose as that of growing old in the corner of a country village.

THESE, my lord, were my fentiments, when your friendly meffage alarmed me with the apprehenfion of their being more in the matter than I had suspected. Yet ftill I confidered it only as a hafty thought, which a fit of the spleen, or of the muse it may be, had raised ; and which the free remonftrance of a friend would easily difperfe, or prevent at least from coming to any fixed and settled refolution. But how fhall I exprefs to your lordship the furprise I was in, to find that this refolution was not only taken,

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taken, but rooted fo deeply in him, that no arguments, nor even your lordship's authority, could fhake it? I have ever admired Mr. COWLEY, as a man of the happiest temper and trueft judgment; but, to fay the least, there was fomething fo particular, I had almost faid perverse, in what he had to allege for himself on this occafion, that I cannot think I acquit myself to your lordship, without laying before you the whole of this extraordinary converfation; and, as far as my recollection will ferve, in the very words in which it paffed betwixt us.

I WENT, as I told your lordship, pretty early to Barn-Elms; but my friend had gotten the start of me by fome hours. He was bufying himself with fome improvements of his garden, and the fields that lie about his houfe. The whole circuit of his domain was not fo large, but that I prefently came up with him. "My dear friend, faid he, embracing me, but

with

with a look of fome referve and disgust, and is it you then I have the happiness to fee, at length, in my new fettlement? Though I fled hither from the rest of the world, I had no defign to get out of the reach of my friends. And, to be plain with you, I took it a little amifs from one whose entire affection I had reckoned upon, that he should leave me to myself for these two whole months, without dif covering an inclination, either from friendship or curiofity, to know how this retirement agreed with me. What could induce my best friend to use me fo unkindly ?”

SURELY, faid I, you forget the fuddenness of your flight, and the fecrefy with which the refolution was taken. We fuppofed you gone only for a few days, to fee to the management of your affairs; and could not dream of your rufticating thus long, at a time when the town and court are fo bufy; when the occafions of your friends and your own E 4 interefts