第377章 LETTER CCLXIV

BATH,December 18,1763

MY DEAR FRIEND:I received your letter this morning,in which you reproach me with not having written to you this week.The reason was,that I did not know what to write.There is that sameness in my life here,that EVERY DAY IS STILL BUT AS THE FIRST.I see very few people;and,in the literal sense of the word,I hear nothing.

Mr.L------and Mr.C-----I hold to be two very ingenious men;and your image of the two men ruined,one by losing his law-suit,and the other by carrying it,is a very just one.To be sure,they felt in themselves uncommon talents for business and speaking,which were to reimburse them.

Harte has a great poetical work to publish,before it be long;he has shown me some parts of it.He had entitled it "Emblems,"but I persuaded him to alter that name for two reasons;the first was,because they were not emblems,but fables;the second was,that if they had been emblems,Quarles had degraded and vilified that name to such a degree,that it is impossible to make use of it after him;so they are to be called fables,though moral tales would,in my mind,be the properest name.If you ask me what I think of those I have seen,I must say,that 'sunt plura bona,quaedam mediocria,et quaedam----'

Your report of future changes,I cannot think is wholly groundless;for it still runs strongly in my head,that the mine we talked of will be sprung,at or before the end of the session.

I have got a little more strength,but not quite the strength of Hercules;so that I will not undertake,like him,fifty deflorations in one night;for I really believe that I could not compass them.So good-night,and God bless you!