I find it a general cuftom, at all Baths and Spaws, to erect monuments of this kind to the memory of every Prince, who has received benefit from the waters. Aix, Spau, and Pisa, abound with inscriptions of this nature, apparently doing honour to the Prince, but in reality celebrating the efficacy of their springs. It is wrong, therefore, to call fuch monuments instances of gratitude, tho' they may wear that appearance, In the year 1738, the Prince of Wales came to Bath, who prefented Mr. Nash with a large gold enamelled fnuff-box; and upon his departure, Nah, as king of Bath, erected an obelisk in honour of this Prince, as he had before done for the Prince of Orange. This handsome memorial in honour of that good-natured Prince is erected in Queen Square. It is enclofed with a stone balustrade, and in the middle of every fide there are large iron gates. In the 'center is the obelisk, seventy feet high, and terminating in a point. The expences of this were eighty pounds; and Mr. Nash was was determined, that the inscription should anfwer the magnificence of the pile. With this view he wrote to Mr. Pope, at London, requesting an infcription. I fhould have been glad to have given Mr. Nah's letter upon this occafion; the reader, however, must be satisfied with Pope's reply; which is as follows. I SIR, your have received yours, and thank partiality in my favour. You fay words cannot express the gratitude you feel for the favour of his R. H. and yet you would have me exprefs what you feel, and in a few words. I own myself unequal to the task ; for even, granting it poffible to exprefs an inexpreffible idea, I am the worst perfon you could have pitched upon for this purpose, who have received fo few favours from the great myself, that I am utterly unacquainted with what kind of thanks they like beft. Whether the P- most loves poetry or profe, I proteft I do not know; but this I dare ven ture ture to affirm, that you can give him as much fatisfaction in either as I can. I am, SIR, Your affectionate Servant, A. POPE. What Mr. Nab's answer to this billet was, I cannot take upon me to ascertain, but it was probably a perfeverance in his former request. The following is the copy of Mr. Pope's reply to his fecond letter. I SIR, had fooner anfwered yours, but in the hope of procuring a properer hand than mine; and then in confulting with fome, whofe office about the P- might make them the best judges, what fort of infcription to fet up? Nothing can be plainer than the inclosed; it is nearly the common sense of the thing, and I do not know how to flourish upon it. But this you you would do as well, or better yourself, and I dare fay may mend the expreffion. I am truly, Dear SIR, Your affectionate Servant, A. POPE. I think I need not tell you my name fhould not be mentioned. Such a letter as this was what might naturally be expected from Mr. Pope. Notwithstanding the feeming modefty towards the conclufion, the vanity of an applauded writer bursts through every line of it. The difficulty of concealing his hand from the clerks at the Poft-office, and the folicitude to have his name concealed, were marks of the consciousness of his own importance. It is probable, his hand was not fo very well known, nor his letters fo eagerly opened by the clerks of the Office, as he seems always to think. But in all his letters, as well as thofe of Swift, there runs a strain of pride, as if the world talked of nothing but themfeves. Alafs, fays he, in one of them, the day after I am dead, the fun will fine as bright as the day before, and the world will be as merry as ufual! Very strange, that neither an eclipfe nor an earthquake should follow the lofs of a Poet! The inscription referred to in this letter, was the fame which was afterwards engraved on the obelifk; and is as follows. In memory of honours bestow'd, And in gratitude for benefits conferred in this city, By his Royal Highness Frederick, Prince of Wales, In the Year 1738, Richard Nafh, Esq; I dare venture to fay, there was scarce a common-council-man in the corporation of Bath, |