Familiar letters. Vol. I. Written by the Right Honourable John, late Earl of Rochester, to the Honble Henry Savile, Esq; and other letters, by persons of honour and quality. With letters written by the most ingenious Mr. Thomas Otway, and Mrs. K. Phillips. Publish'd from their original copies. With modern letters, by Tho. Cheek, Esq; Mr. Dennis, and Mr. Brown.

TO THE Honourable— In the Pallmall.

SIR,

LAst Night I had the following Ver∣ses, which, for my part, I confess, I never saw before, given me by a Gentle∣man, who assur'd me they were written by my late Lord Rochester; and, knowing what a just Value you have for all the Compositions of that Incomparable Per∣son, I was resolv'd to send 'em to you by the first opportunity. 'Tis indeed very strange how they could be continued in private Hands all this while, since the great care that has been taken to print every Line of his Lordship's Writing that would endure a publick view: But I am not able to assign the reason for it. All that you need know concerning the occasion of them, is, that they were writ∣ten in a Lady's Prayer-Book.

Fling this useless Book away, And presume no more to pray; Heav'n is just, and can bestow Mercy on none but those that mercy show: With a proud Heart, maliciously inclin'd, Not to increase, but to subdue Mankind. In vain you vex the Gods with your Pe∣tition, Without Repentance, and sincere Contri∣tion, You're in a Reprobate Condition; Phillis, to calm the angry Powers, And save my Soul as well as yours, Relieve poor Mortals from Despair, And justifie the Gods that made you fair; And in those bright and charming Eyes Let Pity first appear, then Love; That we by easie steps may rise Through all the Joys on Earth, to those Above.

I cannot swear to their being ge∣nuine; however, there's something so delicate in the Thought, so easie and beautiful in the Expression, that I am without much difficulty to be perswaded that they belong to my Lord. Besides, I cannot imagine with what prospect any Gentleman should disown a Copy of

Verses, which might have done him no ill Service with the Ladies to father them upon his Lordship, whose Reputation was so well establish'd among them be∣forehand, by a numerous and lawful Issue of his own begetting. The Song that comes along with them, was written by Mr. Gl—of Lincoln's-Inn; and, I be∣lieve, you'll applaud my Judgment, for seeking to entertain you out of my Friend's Store, who understands the Har∣mony of an English Ode so well, since I have nothing of mine own that deserves transcribing.

I.

Phillis has a gentle Heart, Willing to the Lover's Courting; Wanton Nature, all the Art, To direct her in her Sporting: In th' Embrace, the Look, the Kiss, All is real Inclination; No false Raptures in the Bliss; No feignd Sighing in the Passion.

II.

But oh! who the Charms can speak, Who the thousand ways of toying, When she does the Lover make All a God in her enjoying?

Who the Limbs that round him move, And constrain him to the Blisses? Who the Eyes that swim in Love, Or the Lips that suck in Kisses?

III.

Oh the Freaks, when mad she grows, Raves all wild with the possessing! Oh the silent Trance! which shows The Delight above expressing. Every way she does engage, Idly talking, speechless lying: She transports me with the Rage, And she kills me in her Dying.

I could not but laugh at one Passage in your Letter, where you tell me, that you, and half a dozen more, had like to have been talk'd to death t'other day, by— upon the Success of his late Play. For my part, I don't pity you at all; for why the Devil should a Man run his Head a∣gainst a Brick-wall, when he may avoid it? On the other hand, I wonder why you Gentlemen of Will's Coffee-house, who pretend to study Pleasure above o∣ther People, should not as naturally scam∣per out of the Room, when your persecu∣tor appears, as Monsieur Misson tell us,

the Dogs in Italy ran out of Church as soon as ever they see a Capuchin mount the Pulpit. I find by you, that the above-mention'd everlasting Babillard plagued you with his Songs, and talked of out-doing Don Quixot of Melodious Memo∣ry; so far I agree with him, that if he has any Genius, it lies wholly in Sonnet. But (Heaven be prais'd) notwithstanding all the feeble Efforts of his Enemies to depose him, Mr. D'Ʋurfey still continues the only Legal, Rightful, and Undoubted King of Lyrick-land, whom God grant long to reign over all his Hamlets, and may no Gallic Attempt against his Crown or Person, ever prosper. So wishes

Your most obliged Servant, T. BROWN.